Patents Examined by Steven D. Maki
  • Patent number: 10899178
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion which is asymmetric about a tire equatorial plane. The tread portion comprises a first land portion on a vehicle outer side, and a second land portion on a vehicle inner side. The first land portion comprises a circumferential narrow groove extending in a circumferential direction, a plurality of first auxiliary grooves that pass through the circumferential narrow groove and are disposed at periodic intervals in the circumferential direction, first blocks defined by the plurality of first auxiliary grooves, and first narrow grooves that pass through the circumferential narrow groove and are disposed in the first blocks. The second land portion comprises a plurality of second auxiliary grooves disposed at periodic intervals in the circumferential direction, second blocks defined by the plurality of second auxiliary grooves, and second narrow grooves disposed in the second blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Inventors: Naoko Suzuki, Hiromitsu Takei
  • Patent number: 10894446
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion 2. The tread portion 2 comprises a first main groove 11 and a second main groove 12 extending continuously in a tire circumferential direction, and a land region 21 defined between the first main groove 11 and the second main groove 12. The land region 21 is provided with a plurality of lateral grooves 15. Each of the lateral grooves 15 comprises a first lug groove portion 16 extending obliquely with respect to a tire axial direction from the first main groove 11, a second lug groove portion 17 extending obliquely in a same direction as the first lug groove portion 16 from the second main groove 12, and a sipe portion 18 extending obliquely in an opposite direction to the first lug groove portion 16 so as to connect between the first lug groove portion 16 and the second lug groove portion 17.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 10882359
    Abstract: In a tire 2 according to the present invention, an outer surface 52 of a crown rib 48e and an outer surface 54 of a shoulder rib 48s form a part of a tread surface 28. On a cross-section of the tire 2 along a plane that includes a rotation axis of the tire 2, an outline of the outer surface 52 of the crown rib 48e is represented as a first arc. A center of a circle to which the first arc belongs is disposed on the equator plane. An outline of the outer surface 54 of the shoulder rib 48s is represented as a second arc. A ratio of a distance from a center of a chord of the second arc to the second arc relative to a length of the chord of the second arc is not less than 0.03 and not greater than 0.05.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Ken Tanida
  • Patent number: 10857840
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, at least one of plurality of projecting portions includes at least one opening. At least one of the projecting portions is divided into an inner region placed on the inner side in a tire radial-direction and an outer region placed on the outer side in the tire radial-direction with respect to a position of an outer end of a belt play in a tire width-direction, the belt play placed on the innermost side in the tire radial-direction. A depth of the opening in the inner region is different from a depth of the opening in the outer region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukiko Ueda
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Patent number: 10850568
    Abstract: A two-wheeled vehicle tire includes a tread portion having a designated rotational direction and being provided with at least three kinds of blocks including first blocks each having a trailing edge extending substantially in parallel with a tire axial direction, second blocks each having a trailing edge inclined a first direction with respect to the tire axial direction and third blocks each having a trailing edge inclined in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the tire axial direction. At least two different kinds of blocks selected from a group of the first blocks, the second blocks and the third blocks are provided on each of a crown region, middle regions and shoulder regions of a tread portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Makoto Sueishi
  • 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
  • Patent number: 10836214
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic motorcycle tire in which, without compromising the stability during running, other performances such as light-weight are improved. Provided is a pneumatic motorcycle tire which comprises a tread portion 1, and side wall portions 2 and bead portions 3 extending from both sides of the tread portion, and whose rotation direction when the tire is mounted on a vehicle is designated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hidemitsu Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 10836216
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion being provided with a shoulder main groove and a crown main groove to form a middle land portion therebetween. The middle land portion is divided into a plurality of middle blocks. At least one of the middle blocks is provided with a recess to form a first portion located on a circumferential first side of the recess and a second portion located on a circumferential second side of the recess, wherein at a side of the shoulder main groove, the second portion has a circumferential edge smaller than that of the first portion. The second portion includes a ground contacting surface provided with a dimple. The dimple is located on a side of the shoulder main groove with respect to the center in the tire axial direction of the middle land portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Sho Nakajima
  • 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
  • Patent number: 10821779
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass layer, a belt layer disposed on the outer side in the tire radial direction of the carcass layer, and tread rubber disposed on the outer side in the tire radial direction of the belt layer. The belt layer is formed by laminating a pair of cross belts having belt angles with an absolute value from 10° to 45° both inclusive and mutually opposite signs, and a circumferential reinforcing layer having a belt angle within a range of ±5° relative to the tire circumferential direction. The distance (Gcc) from the tread profile to the tire inner circumferential surface along the tire equatorial plane and the distance (Gsh) from the tread edge to the tire inner circumferential surface have a relationship satisfying 1.10?Gsh/Gcc. The groove depth (Dsh) and under-groove gauge (UDsh) of the outermost circumferential main groove have a relationship satisfying 0.20?UDsh/Dsh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yukihito Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10821783
    Abstract: A visual wear indicating feature is incorporated into the tread pattern to provide progressive, incremental indications to the customer regarding the amount of useable tread remaining on the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
    Inventors: Ryan J. Schimmoeller, Jeremy J. Jacobs, Daniel T. Strohscher, Kurt D. Utrup
  • Patent number: 10814677
    Abstract: A sipe of a pneumatic tire includes an edge on a leading side and an edge on a trailing side, chamfered portions shorter than a sipe length of the sipe formed on respective leading and trailing side edges, and non-chamfered regions on which no other chamfered portion exists on portions opposing respective chamfered portions in the sipe. One end portion of the sipe opens into a main groove and another end portion terminates within a rib. A maximum depth x (mm) of the sipe and a maximum depth y (mm) of the chamfered portion satisfy x×0.1?y?x×0.3+1.0. A sipe width of the sipe is constant in a range from a sipe portion positioned inside in a tire radial direction of the chamfered portion to a groove bottom of the sipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Takanori Uemura, Hiraku Kouda, Tatsuro Shinzawa
  • Patent number: 10814675
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion 2 comprising a shoulder main groove 5 extending on a side of a tread edge (Te). The shoulder main groove 5 comprises an inner groove wall 11 having an angle with respect to its tread normal line in a cross section of the shoulder main groove 5 periodically increasing and decreasing in a tire circumferential direction so that the inner groove wall 11 comprises concave wall portions 16 and convex wall portions 17 arranged alternately in the tire circumferential direction. The concave wall portions 16 are provided at inner end portions thereof in a tire axial direction with recess portions 20 locally recessed inwardly in the tire axial direction and having openings at a ground contacting surface of the tread portion 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takuya Oji
  • Patent number: 10814678
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion 2 comprising a shoulder main groove 5 extending on a side of a tread edge Te and comprising inner and outer groove walls 11 and 12. The inner groove wall 11 has an angle ?1 with respect to a tread normal line in a cross section of the shoulder main groove 5 periodically increasing and decreasing in a tire circumferential direction so as to comprise concave and convex wall portions 16 and 17 arranged alternately in the tire circumferential direction. The outer groove wall 12 has an angle ?2 with respect to a tread normal line in the cross section periodically increasing and decreasing in the tire circumferential direction so as to comprise convex and concave wall portions 22 and 21 arranged alternately in the tire circumferential direction. The angle ?2 is larger than the angle ?1 in any cross section of the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takuya Oji
  • Patent number: 10814679
    Abstract: A wear detection system for truck steer tires is provided. A plurality of sipe groups are located in a tread rib of the tire. Each sipe group includes a first sipe group portion having an axially inward directed apex and a second sipe group portion having an axially outwardly directed apex, such that an axially directed wear force component causes the apex of the sipe group directed in the direction of the wear force component to be more tactilely detectable by a human fingertip than the apex of the other sipe group portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventor: Adam M. Ziebarth
  • Patent number: 10807416
    Abstract: A tread includes a plurality of circumferential grooves. Each of the plurality extends continuously in a tire circumferential direction. The plurality of circumferential grooves defining a circumferentially extending main rib and a circumferentially extending curtain rib axially separated by a curtain groove. The curtain groove having an axial width between 4% and 40% of a minimum axial width of a main groove of the plurality of circumferential grooves. The main groove is disposed axially opposite the curtain groove and adjacent to the curtain rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Julien Alexandre Vaissaud, Alexander Ossipov
  • Patent number: 10807417
    Abstract: The tread has main grooves that delimit a central region of a width comprised between 15 and 25% of a total width W and that define the wearable thickness of the tread. The tread also has lateral regions on each side of the central region, and the lateral regions are divided into raised elements. The elongate elements are delimited by oblique secondary grooves which are inclined by a mean angle of between 35 degrees and 55 degrees with respect to the circumferential direction and have a depth P5 which is between 30% and 60% of the depth P. Each elongate raised element has an oblique cut which divides the element into two elongate element halves, and each oblique cut is formed by a sipe extended by an internal canal. The internal canal forms a new groove once the tread is partially worn before the oblique secondary grooves completely disappear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Patrick Dayet