Patents Examined by Philip N Schwartz
  • Tire
    Patent number: 11155121
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion 2. The tread portion 2 comprises a plurality of first oblique grooves 10A extending obliquely from a first tread edge Te1 positioned on one side in a tire axial direction toward a tire equator C. Each of the first oblique grooves 10A comprises a main body portion 12 extending from the first tread edge Te1 without reaching the tire equator C and a branch portion 13 branching off from the main body portion 12 and extending to cross the tire equator. The branch portion 13 terminates without being connected with other grooves than the first oblique grooves 10A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Fujimoto, Yuki Kigami
  • Heavy-duty pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 11148477
    Abstract: A heavy-duty pneumatic tire includes a section width being equal to or less than 335 mm, an aspect ratio being equal to or less than 55%, and a toroidal carcass extending between axially spaced bead portions through a tread portion and sidewall portions, wherein the carcass includes a carcass ply which includes a main portion and a turn-up portion, a belt layer disposed radially outward of the carcass in the tread portion, a sidewall rubber defining an outer sidewall profile of each sidewall portion, and a chafer rubber defining an outer bead profile of each bead portion, wherein in each bead portion, on a straight line that is perpendicular to the main portion of the carcass ply and passes a radially inner end of the sidewall rubber, the chafer rubber has a thickness of from 40% to 60% of a thickness of the bead portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshiki Kanaya
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 11142024
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a shoulder block in which first shoulder blocks and second shoulder blocks are alternately aligned. Each first shoulder block has a first edge that is on the outer side in a tire axial direction of a tread surface of the first shoulder block. Each second shoulder block has a second edge that is positioned on the outer side in the tire axial direction of a tread surface of the second shoulder block and more toward the inner side in the tire axial direction than the first edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Kageyama, Mitsuru Sueyoshi
  • Pneumatic tire and method of manufacturing same
    Patent number: 11110756
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire is provided in the tread portion with a land portion including a conductive portion made of a conductive rubber. The conductive portion has a radially inner end electrically connected to a conductive tire internal structural to be connected to a wheel rim, and a radially outer end exposed in a ground contacting top surface of the land portion. The conductive portion extends from its radially inner end to outer end while inclining toward a first side surface of the land portion. The first side surface comprises a radially inner part, and a radially outer part extending radially outwardly from the radially inner part while inclining to the radially outer end of the conductive portion at an angle greater than the radially inner part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Mukai, Yoshiaki Kanematsu
  • Rubber composition for tires, and pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 11097572
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes 100 parts by mass of a rubber component including from 25-30 parts by mass of a diene rubber having a glass transition temperature of from ?20° C. to ?40° C., having a tertiary amine having an epoxy group as a modifying group, and a vinyl content from 35-45 mass %, 20-35 parts by mass of a diene rubber obtained by reacting a polyorganosiloxane to an active terminal of a diene-based polymer chain having the active terminal formed by making a polymer block A continuous with a polymer block B, the polymer block A including 80-95 mass % of isoprene and 5-20 mass % of an aromatic vinyl, having an active terminal, and having a weight average molecular weight from 500-15,000, the polymer block B including 1,3-butadiene and an aromatic vinyl and an active terminal, the vinyl content lower by from 5-25 mass % than that of the first conjugated diene polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryosuke Takagi
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 10994574
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction. Grooves in vehicle inner and outer side center land portions are all narrow grooves. Vehicle inner side center land portion narrow grooves open to a vehicle center main groove at a first end, open to a vehicle inner side main groove at a second end, and bend in a tire circumferential direction. The narrow grooves in the vehicle outer side center land portion comprise vehicle outer side center land portion outer narrow grooves that open to a vehicle outer side main groove at a first end and terminate within the vehicle outer side center land portion at a second end and vehicle outer side center land portion inner narrow grooves that open to the vehicle center main groove at a first end and terminate within the vehicle outer side center land portion at the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Inventor: Takashi Kidesaki
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 10987976
    Abstract: By forming a ground contact edge side of lug grooves such that the groove depth becomes shallower in groove depth from the tire equatorial plane side toward the ground contact edge, and by setting an average angle of inclination formed between a tread face and a groove bottom to be not more than 5°, water expulsion is performed smoothly in the vicinity of the ground contact edge while securing the rigidity of land portions in the vicinity of the ground contact edge. This enables a high degree of both wet performance and dry performance to be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Kurata, Shinsaku Katayama, Masakazu Amano
  • Tire noise reduction
    Patent number: 10981422
    Abstract: A tire has four circumferential grooves. Grooves are on the vehicle installation inner side of the tire, and on the vehicle installation outer side of the tire. Grooves which are on the vehicle installation inner side each have a plurality of fences in the groove arranged alternately along the groove next to each side wall of the groove. Grooves which are on the vehicle installation outer side do not have fences. The fences increase the path length of sound due to pipe resonance and delay the sound in comparison to grooves on the vehicle installation outer side of the tire. This directs the sound towards the inner side of the tire and reduces the noise on the outer side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Bridgestone Europe NV/SA
    Inventors: Enrico Sabbatini, Gaetano Fortunato, Vincenzo Ciaravola
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 10960711
    Abstract: Taking a groove side-wall to a position at ½ a groove depth from a tread face of lug groove as a tread-in side first inclined portion, and taking a groove side-wall from the position at ½ groove depth to a groove bottom as a tread-in side second inclined portion, then the following A1 is set less than the following B1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takayuki Kurata
  • Tread for heavy-goods vehicle tire
    Patent number: 10953700
    Abstract: The tread has a total axial width W and a wearable thickness PMU of material and has at least four grooves on each side of a midplane that divides the tread axially into two parts. The grooves divide the tread into a middle, intermediate and edge regions 6. The middle region has an axial width Lm of at least 30% and at most 60% of the total width W. The total volume void ratio when new is less than 17%, and the middle region has a volume void ratio that is less than half the total volume void ratio. The middle region comprises a plurality of transverse sipes opening into the grooves, and the sipes have depths at least equal to 75% of the depth of the grooves. The number of transverse sipes in the middle region is greater than the number of transverse sipes on each intermediate or edge region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE, S.A.
    Inventors: Maxime Rolland, Fabien Marlier, Ronald Cress, Ralston Moore
  • Tire with a directional tread comprising curved blocks with incisions
    Patent number: 10919342
    Abstract: Tire comprising a directional tread that has two edges and a center. The tread comprises a plurality of blocks, each block extending continuously along an overall curvature C from one of the edges towards the center of the tread, forming a block central end provided with a central wall. Each block has a width WB and a length LB, this width increasing from the block central end in the direction of the edge. All or some of the blocks of the tread include a median sipe of length S and extending from the block central end along a curvature C? substantially identical to the curvature C of the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: David Mosnier, Michel Montarras, Yann Hye
  • Tire for bicycle tubeless wheel
    Patent number: 10906360
    Abstract: A bicycle tubeless tire includes a tread and two sidewalls are formed on two sides of the tread. Each sidewall has a lip formed on the distal edge thereof. An installation unit is integrally formed with each lip. Each lip includes an inside, an underside and an outside. The underside and the outside of each lip are engaged with an engaging portion at the inner bottom of the rim when the tire is installed to the rim. The lips do not shift by the engaging portions of the rim. Each of the underside and the outside is a flat side such that the contact area between the lips and the rim is increased to have better air-tight features. The outer face of each lip is a flat face to be installed to the rim without flanges. The deformation of the sidewalls of the tire, and the wind resistance are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Cheng Shin Rubber Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsai Jen Lo
  • Stud pin and studded tire
    Patent number: 10875363
    Abstract: A stud pin includes a tip and a body portion provided around a center axis of the stud pin. The body portion includes an upper flange, a lower flange, and a shank portion connecting the upper flange and the lower flange. A first side surface of the lower flange includes a first curved surface recessed inward in relation to the body portion. A second side surface of the upper flange includes a second curved surface bulging toward a periphery of the body portion, and a pair of flat surfaces configured to connect the second curved surface to interpose the second curved surface. A trough portion where the first curved surface is most recessed and a peak portion where the second curved surface is most bulged are located at an identical orientation position about the center axis as viewed from the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Inventor: Kenichi Matsumoto
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 10870317
    Abstract: A rim protector 40 of a tire 2 projects from a reference surface 44 of each side piece 38. The rim protector 40 has a first inclined surface 50 and a second inclined surface 52. A profile of the reference surface 44 includes an outer circular arc and an inner circular arc which are tangent to each other at a reference position. A first circular arc of the first inclined surface 50 is tangent to the outer circular arc, and a second circular arc of the second inclined surface 52 is tangent to the inner circular arc. A ratio of a height H relative to a cross-sectional height SH is equal to or greater than 0.27 and equal to or less than 0.34. A projecting length W is equal to or greater than 12 mm and equal to or less than 18 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shintaro Tomita, Daisuke Kudo
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 10857836
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire where a profile line (PL1) of a center land portion (X) defined by the center main grooves protrudes outward in a tire radial direction further than a standard profile line, the standard profile line (PL0) being a curved line including all both end points (A1), (A2), (A3), (A4) of center main grooves (14a), (14b) in a tire width direction. Profile lines (PL2), (PL3) of sub-center land portions (Y1), (Y2) and shoulder land portions (Z1), (Z2) defined outward of the center main grooves in the tire width direction protrude outward in the tire radial direction further than the standard profile line, the shoulder land portions (Z1), (Z2) being defined even further outward than the sub-center land portions (Y1), (Y2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Inventor: Yuichi Suga
  • Tire
    Patent number: 10850567
    Abstract: This tire improves high traction performance over an extended period of time and/or improves control performance while maintaining traction performance. This tire includes a tread with blocks formed thereon, protrusions (11, 21, 31) extending outward in the tire radial direction and formed on more than one of the blocks, and stepped portions (12, 22) and/or a second concavity (24) formed on a side of the protrusions (11, 21, 31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masafumi Ito
  • Tire containing silicate microflakes having enhanced traction characteristics
    Patent number: 10850464
    Abstract: This invention discloses a tire having enhanced wet traction and ice traction characteristics. These tires are comprised of a generally toroidal-shaped carcass with an outer circumferential tread, two spaced beads, at least one ply extending from bead to bead and sidewalls extending radially from and connecting said tread to said beads, wherein said tread is adapted to be ground-contacting, wherein the tread includes at least one circumferential groove which separates circumferential ribs, each circumferential groove having two sides and a base therebetween, and wherein the sides of each circumferential groove are comprised of a rubbery composition that includes silicate microflakes which are substantially aligned in an orientation which is parallel with the sides of the grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Inventors: Paul Harry Sandstrom, John Joseph Andre Verthe, Ping Zhang
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 10843509
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to improve running performance in rocky areas. Provided is a pneumatic tire in which is formed a shoulder block in which first shoulder blocks and second shoulder blocks are alternately aligned. Each first shoulder block has a first edge that is on the outer side in a tire axial direction of a tread surface of the first shoulder block. Each second shoulder block has a second edge that is positioned on the outer side in the tire axial direction of a tread surface of the second shoulder block and more toward the inner side in the tire axial direction than the first edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Kageyama, Mitsuru Sueyoshi
  • Pneumatic tire
    Patent number: 10836219
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire (1) includes a mechanical fastener (3) formed of at least two or more fastener components (3a, 3b) and attached to a tire inner surface (2). In such a pneumatic tire (1), the two or more fastener components (3a, 3b) of the mechanical fastener (3) are fixed with a resin reinforcement member (7) sandwiched therebetween, the resin reinforcement member (7) including at least one layer of a resin film or resin sheet including any of: (a) a resin or a resin composition made of a blend of resin and an elastomer; (b) a resin or a resin composition made of a blend of a resin and an elastomer including arranged fibers; and (c) a resin or a resin composition made of a blend of a resin and an elastomer with short fibers compounded therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayato Sakamoto, Yoshiaki Hashimura, Atsushi Tanno
  • Tire
    Patent number: 10821781
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread part having main grooves and lands demarcated by the main grooves. A crown land between a pair of crown main grooves includes first crown lug grooves extending from one crown groove to tire axial direction inner side and terminated within the crown land, second crown lug grooves extending from the other crown groove to the tire axial inner side and terminated within the crown land, and first crown sipes formed at tire circumferential direction positions and connecting the crown grooves, each first crown sipe includes a first side crown sipe piece extending from one crown groove to the tire axial inner side, a second side crown sipe piece not positioned on an extension line of the first side piece and extending from the other crown groove to the tire axial inner side, and a connecting crown sipe piece connecting the first and second sipe pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiki Horiguchi, Hiroshi Yamaoka, Yoshiaki Kanematsu