Patents Examined by Robert Dye
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Patent number: 8960245Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a tread rubber formed by a nonconductive rubber and a side wall rubber formed by the nonconductive rubber. An outer surface of the side wall rubber is provided with a band-like diametrical conductive portion which is formed by a conductive rubber and extends along a tire diametrical direction. An outer end of the diametrical conductive portion is exposed to a ground-contacting surface or is connected to a conductive rubber member which is exposed to the ground-contacting surface. An inner end of the diametrical conductive portion is exposed to a rim contact region or is connected to a rim strip rubber formed by the conductive rubber. A narrow groove is formed by depressing an outer surface of the diametrical conductive portion and extends in a tire diametrical direction in a side wall portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2012Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Isao Yonetsu
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Patent number: 8955564Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising, in a tread portion 1, at least two block groups GB, each block group being composed of a plurality of independent blocks 4 defined by grooves, wherein the block groups GB have at least two different values of block number densities D, each of the block number densities D being represented by the formula: D=a/{PL×W×(1?N/100)}, wherein PL (mm) represents a reference pitch length of the block 4 in the block group GBn, W (mm) represents a width of the block group, a (pieces) represents the number of the blocks existing in a reference zone of the block group, the reference zone being demarcated by the reference pitch length PL and the width W, and N (%) represents a negative ratio in the reference zone; wherein the block number density of at least one block group is within a range of 0.003 (pieces/mm2) to 0.04 (pieces/mm2).Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2010Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Naoya Ochi
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Patent number: 8955568Abstract: A tire for a construction vehicle according to the present invention provides a tire for a construction vehicle having a belt formed by plural layers on the radially outer side of a crown portion of a carcass toroidally extending between a pair of bead portions, in which an outermost belt layer located on the radially outermost side of the belt has a width of 50% or more of a tread width, and a narrow groove is provided such that a distance between an end portion of the outermost belt layer and a bottom portion of the narrow groove is in the range of 15% to 100% of a tread thickness T, where T is a tread thickness at the end portion of the outermost belt layer.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2010Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Kazutaka Matsuzawa
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Patent number: 8950453Abstract: A pneumatic tire is provided with a large number of holes that are arranged in the tire's circumferential direction. These holes are provided in land portions that are provided in both shoulder sections of a tread. The land portions can have different pitch lengths. Each of the holes has formed there inside a projection having an upper end with a flat surface or a convex surface. The distance between the outer wall of the projection at the upper end thereof and the inner wall of the hole is set in the range from 1 to 5 mm. The upper end of the projection is located at a position below the opening of the hole.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2009Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventors: Atsushi Tanno, Hiroshi Fujii
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Patent number: 8950455Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion provided with a plurality of blocks, each of the block having a block wall surface facing a transverse groove inclined at an angle (theta) of from 5 to 40 degrees with respect to the tire axial-direction so as to define an acute-angled corner and an obtuse-angled corner on the block. The block wall surface between the acute-angled corner and the obtuse-angled corner is provided with at least two slits having a width of from 0.3 to 2.0 mm. A distance P2 measured from the acute-angled corner to one of the at least two slits which is nearest to the acute-angled corner is more than a distance P1 measured from said obtuse-angled corner to one of said at least two slits which is nearest to the obtuse-angled corner; each distance is measured along the radially outer edge of the block wall surface to the widthwise center of the slit.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2011Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Masahiro Kishida, Ikuo Atake
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Patent number: 8944124Abstract: The present invention provides a pneumatic tire for a motorcycle which secures a sufficiently large lateral force in the intermediate region contacting the ground particularly when a middle camber angle is applied to the tire and increases a driving force and a braking force. The tire comprises a tread portion 1, side wall portions 2 and bead portions 3. This tread portion 1 comprises five regions of a central region A, shoulder regions C and intermediate regions B. Loss tangent of at least a portion forming a ground contact surface of an intermediate tread rubber 7b disposed over an entire region of the intermediate regions B is larger than both of loss tangent of at least a portion forming a ground contact surface of a central tread rubber 7a disposed over an entire region of the central region A and loss tangent of at least a portion forming a ground contact surface of a shoulder tread rubber 7c disposed over an entire region of the shoulder regions C.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2010Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Hidemitsu Nakagawa
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Patent number: 8925598Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes, in a tread portion, a pair of circumferential main grooves extending and a land portion provided between the pair of circumferential main grooves and extending in the tire circumferential direction. The land portion includes a bulging portion bulging in a second arc shape in a tire radial direction as a sectional outline of a tread surface of the land portion and chamfered portions connected to the bulging portion and extending straight toward respective groove walls of the circumferential main grooves. A portion of the bulging portion bulges in the tire radial direction with respect to a virtual tread profile line which is determined by a first arc shape in a sectional shape of the tread portion. A maximum bulging amount is 0.1 to 0.8 mm. The virtual tread profile line extends across the chamfered portions.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2011Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masahiro Ebiko
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Patent number: 8919398Abstract: A center block and a second block that satisfy h1/H=0.05 to 0.4 and w1/W=0.05 to 0.4 are formed on a tread, where H is the block height, h1 is the drop in height of a chamfered part, w1 is the breadth of the chamfered part and W is the length of the block tread in a circumferential direction. When traveling on hard pavement, the chamfered part of the block contacts the hard pavement first and, compared to a case in which an edge that does not have a chamfered part contacts a hard pavement, the ground-contact surface area can be increased and steering stability on hard pavement can be improved. Further, in rough terrain, resistance received from a road surface at the time of ground contact is reduced, travel resistance is suppressed and steering stability is improved.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2009Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Ichizou Nakamura
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Patent number: 8919397Abstract: A motorcycle tire includes: a tread band with a tread pattern including, in a zone symmetrically arranged on either side of the equatorial plane, a first module repeatedly duplicated in a direction of circumferential extension of the tire. The module has at least two first longitudinal grooves inclined in an oppositely arranged manner relative to the equatorial plane; and at least two substantially transverse grooves designed to intersect the two longitudinal grooves so as to define at least one block. The zone has a width in the axial direction of between 20% and 65% of the width of the tread band and a solids/voids ratio equal to at least 0.20. The tread pattern also has at least one substantially transverse continuous portion which extends over the entire width of the tread band delimiting at least one end of the module in the circumferential direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2008Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.Inventors: Mario Mariani, Pierangelo Misani, Andrea Schiavolin
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Patent number: 8915273Abstract: There is provided a pneumatic tire capable of reducing rolling resistance and suppressing river wear of uneven wear. A pneumatic tire according to the present invention comprises a tread portion provided with one or more circumferential grooves extending in parallel with a tire equator to define a plurality of land portions, wherein at least surface rubber of the tread portion has tan ? of not less than 0.02 and not more than 0.2, a wall angle of a widthwise outer wall of the circumferential groove is larger than a wall angle of a widthwise inner wall of the circumferential groove, a plurality of sipes extending in a direction across the tire equator are provided in the land portions, and a length of the sipe formed in an end portion of the land portion arranged adjacent to the circumferential groove in the widthwise outer side is longer than a length of the sipe formed in an end portion of the land portion arranged adjacent to the circumferential groove in the widthwise inner side.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2009Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Daisuke Sakamoto
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Patent number: 8910685Abstract: A tire comprising at least two working layers and at least one layer of reinforcing elements. The layer of circumferential reinforcing elements comprises at least a central part and two axially exterior parts, the extent to which the circumferential reinforcing elements of the central part are penetrated by the rubber compound with which they are coated being less than the extent to which the circumferential reinforcing elements of the axially exterior parts are penetrated by the rubber compound with which they are coated.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2008Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignees: Michelin Recherche et Techniques S.A., Compagnie Generale des Etablissements MichelinInventors: Alain Domingo, Philippe Johnson
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Patent number: 8910684Abstract: A tire comprising an innerliner, where the innerliner includes a rubber and boron nitride dispersed within the rubber.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2009Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventors: Mary M. Matthiesen, Amy Randall, Mindaugas Rackaitis
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Patent number: 8905097Abstract: An agricultural tire has an equatorial plane separating first and second sides. First and second inner sixths of the treads extend between the equatorial plane and circumferential reference planes disposed axially one-sixth of a tread width on either side of the equatorial plane. First and second middle sixths of the tread extend between inner circumferential planes and middle circumferential reference planes one-sixth of the tread width from the inner circumferential reference planes. Outer sixths extend between the middle circumferential reference planes and outer circumferential reference planes disposed one-sixth of the tread width from the middle planes. Net tread volume ratio is approximately 40 percent, where between 36 and 39 percent of lug volume is in the inner sixths, between 32 to 35 percent in the middle sixths, and 27 to 30 percent in the outer sixths of the tread.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2012Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLCInventors: Bradley J. Harris, Todd A. Buxton, Benjamin Robert Rethmel
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Patent number: 8894897Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of making a solid cleaning composition. The method can include pressing and/or vibrating a flowable solid of a self-solidifying cleaning composition. For a self-solidifying cleaning composition, pressing and/or vibrating a flowable solid determines the shape and density of the solid but is not required for forming a solid. The method can employ a concrete block machine for pressing and/or vibrating. The present invention also relates to a solid cleaning composition made by the method and to solid cleaning compositions including particles bound together by a binding agent.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2008Date of Patent: November 25, 2014Assignee: Ecolab Inc.Inventors: Roger L. Stolte, Michael P. Dziuk, Melissa C. Meinke, Matthew C. Porter
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Patent number: 8894898Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of making a solid cleaning composition. The method can include pressing and/or vibrating flowable waxy particles of a waxy cleaning composition. For a waxy cleaning composition, pressing and/or vibrating flowable waxy particles determines the shape and density of the solid but is not required for forming a solid. The method can employ a concrete block machine for pressing and/or vibrating. The present invention also relates to a solid cleaning composition made by the method and to solid cleaning compositions including particles bound together by a binding agent.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2008Date of Patent: November 25, 2014Assignee: Ecolab USA Inc.Inventors: Roger L. Stolte, Michael P. Dziuk, Melissa C. Meinke, Matthew C. Porter
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Patent number: 8889048Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of making a solid cleaning composition. The method can include pressing and/or vibrating a flowable solid of a self-solidifying cleaning composition. For a self-solidifying cleaning composition, pressing and/or vibrating a flowable solid determines the shape and density of the solid but is not required for forming a solid. The method can employ a concrete block machine for pressing and/or vibrating. The present invention also relates to a solid cleaning composition made by the method and to solid cleaning compositions including particles bound together by a binding agent.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2008Date of Patent: November 18, 2014Assignee: Ecolab Inc.Inventors: Roger L. Stolte, Michael P. Dziuk, Melissa C. Meinke, Matthew C. Porter, Michael E. Besse
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Patent number: 8881782Abstract: A pneumatic tire including at least four circumferential main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction and a plurality of rib-like land portions partitioned by the circumferential main grooves in the tread portion. An outer side second land portion includes an L-shaped narrow groove formed by connecting a width direction groove portion extending from an edge portion on an outer side in the tire width direction of the outer side second land portion toward an inner side in the tire width direction, and a circumferential direction groove portion extending substantially parallel to the tire circumferential direction and terminating in an interior portion of the outer side second land portion; and a penetrating sipe penetrating the outer side second land portion in the tire width direction and intersecting the circumferential direction groove portion.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2012Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masahiro Ishida
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Patent number: 8881778Abstract: A motorcycle tire 1 comprising tread portion 2 having inclined main grooves 11 including main part 13 extending to cross tire equator C from a tire equator side toward a tread edge side while inclining to a former grounding side in a tire rotation direction wherein an inclination angle of main part 13 at the tire equator is from 0 to 15°, and a plurality of inclined sub-grooves 12 extending between the main grooves 11, 11 from axially outward of the tire equator while inclining in the same direction as the main part 13, and the tread portion 2 satisfying a relationship of: Lc<Lm<Ls, or Lc>Lm>Ls wherein Lc is a land ratio of crown region Cr, Ls is a land ratio of a pair of shoulder regions Sh, and Lm is a land ratio of a pair of middle regions Md.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2011Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Masafumi Otani
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Patent number: 8881781Abstract: A pneumatic tire capable of reducing air column resonance arising from circumferential grooves without changing the shape of unilaterally open-ended lug grooves. Lug grooves 20 are formed in land portions 15, which are defined by the circumferential grooves, and each of the lug grooves 20 consists of a lateral groove portion 21, which extends axially to open at one end into the circumferential groove and communicate at the other end with a sub-groove 12 provided in the land portion 15, and an oblique groove portion 22, which extends in a direction intersecting with the tire axial and circumferential directions to communicate at one end with the sub-groove 12 and terminate at the other end within the land portion 15. Also, the lateral groove portion 21 of the lug groove 20 is provided with a projection 23 protruding toward the tread surface from the bottom of the lug groove 20 and having a height smaller than the height H of the land portion 15 as measured from the bottom of the lug groove 20.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2009Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha BridgestoneInventors: Takashi Ookawara, Kenichi Shibata
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Patent number: 8875763Abstract: Article (1) having at least one visible surface (11), this surface comprising on at least part of it a pattern (2) contrasting with the surface of the article, this pattern (2) comprising a plurality of tufts (21) distributed over the entire said pattern, each tuft (21) having an average cross section between 0.003 and 0.06 mm2. Also disclosed is a moulding process for forming a high-contrast pattern on a surface of an article that can be moulded in a mould, this process consisting in producing, at the position of the pattern on the surface of the mould, a plurality of cavities of average cross section between 0.003 and 0.06 mm2.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2006Date of Patent: November 4, 2014Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Antoine Paturle