Patents Examined by Steven D. Maki
  • Patent number: 10792958
    Abstract: A tread portion is provided with a first block and a second block, which protrudes outward in a tire width direction more than the first block, alternately in a tire circumferential direction in a shoulder region. A first projection is provided in an outer side of the first block, and a second projection is provided in an outer side of the second block. An outside end of the second projection is connected to a side surface of the second block and is arranged closer to an outer side in the tire diametrical direction than an outside end of the first projection. An angle ?1 formed by a side surface of the first projection and a surface of the side wall portion is greater than an angle ?2 formed by a side surface of the second projection and the surface of the side wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshihiko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10787039
    Abstract: Provided is a motorcycle tire having improved wet performance during straight running without compromising other performances. The motorcycle tire is a motorcycle tire whose rotation direction when mounted on a vehicle is designated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichi Takahashi, Mitsunori Uchida
  • Patent number: 10787036
    Abstract: A heavy-duty tire includes a tread part formed such that the tread part includes a crown profile including tire equator, and a pair of shoulder profiles extending from outer sides of the crown profile to tread edges. In a tire cross section including tire rotation axis in 5% internal pressure state in which the tire is mounted to a normal rim, filled with air at internal pressure of 5% of normal internal pressure and loaded with no load, each of the crown and shoulder profiles has an arc shape convex toward tire radial direction outer side such that ratio Rc/Rs of curvature radius Re of the crown profile to curvature radius Rs of each shoulder profile is 7.0 or more, and a tire axial direction distance from the equator to a connecting point between the crown profile and each shoulder profile is 0.70 or more times a tread half width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Kanaya, Ikuo Atake, Shuji Kagimoto
  • Patent number: 10787037
    Abstract: A tire carcass (1) comprises two sidewalls (2) and a crown (3) suitable for receiving, radially externally, a tread (4), the internal surface of the sidewalls and of the crown forming an internal wall (10), also comprising a circumferential tread support surface (6) provided with a layer of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), the support surface (6) extending from one bead (7) to the other while passing through the sidewalls (2) and the crown (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Florian Vilcot, Jean-Michel Huygue
  • Patent number: 10780742
    Abstract: In a tire, a tread rubber includes a first layer which is grounded on a road surface in an outer peripheral surface thereof, and a second layer which is joined to an inner peripheral surface of the first layer in an outer peripheral surface thereof, the first layer includes a joint portion where rubbers having different elastic modulus are joined, and the second layer is formed by a rubber having a greater elastic modulus than an elastic modulus of at least one of the rubbers constructing the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hirokazu Sakata
  • Patent number: 10780745
    Abstract: The tread has a total width W and is provided with circumferential cuts that have a mean depth at least equal to 70 mm and at most equal to the thickness of wearable material. The circumferential cuts divide the tread into a middle region with an axial width Wm of 50% to 80% of the total width W. The middle region has transverse or oblique sipes opening into the circumferential cuts and closing at least in part when they enter the contact patch. The sipes have a depth at least equal to 75% of the depth of the circumferential cuts and delimit elements of material of height equal to the mean depth H of the said sipes and of circumferential length B equal to the mean distance between two sipes. For all the elements of material, the ratio H/B is greater than 0.5 and at most equal to 2.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE, S.A.
    Inventors: Francois Barbarin, Guillaume Demaziere
  • Patent number: 10773556
    Abstract: The present invention includes tire treads (10) and a method for forming tire treads (10) having a sipe (18) with a length extending between opposing terminal ends of the sipe and having a height and a thickness which is variable across the length and height of the sipe. The thickness of the sipe (18) includes a sipe portion arranged between the opposing terminal ends defining the sipe length and having a thick portion extending at least partially around a perimeter of a thin portion. The thin portion is substantially 0.2 millimeters or less thick and forms at least 40% of the surface area along each of the opposing sides of the sipe, the opposing sides being arranged on opposing sides of the sipe thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Robert Cecil Lawson, Sadi Kose
  • Patent number: 10766312
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion 2 provided with a circumferential land region 6 provided with a plurality of combined sipes 35 (36, 37). The combined sipes 35 (36, 37) are each composed of a straight portion 34 extending from one edge toward the other edge of the circumferential land region 6, and an arc-shaped portion 33 extending from the straight portion 34 to the other edge of the circumferential land region 6. The combined sipes 35 include a first combined sipe 36 in which the maximum depth of its arc-shaped portion 33 is larger than the maximum depth of its straight portion 34, and a second combined sipe 37 in which the maximum depth of its straight portion 34 is larger than the maximum depth of its arc-shaped portion 33.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Aya Wakizono, Yoshiaki Kanematsu
  • Patent number: 10766309
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes main grooves disposed in shoulder regions of a tread portion and extending in a tire circumferential direction; a plurality of lug grooves extending outward in a tire width direction from the main grooves and reaching sidewall portions; and a plurality of blocks that is partitioned by the main grooves and the lug grooves. In such a pneumatic tire, a narrow-width bent portion, having a groove width that is less than a groove width of other portions of the lug groove and which is bent with respect to an extending direction of the lug groove, is provided at an end portion on an outer side in the tire width direction of at least a portion of lug grooves among the plurality of lug grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasutaka Akashi
  • Patent number: 10744824
    Abstract: This disclosure aims to provide a pneumatic tire having improved noise reduction performance exhibited by a resonator. The pneumatic tire according to this disclosure has at least two circumferential grooves extending continuously on a tread surface, and has a resonator disposed on a land portion partitioned by two circumferential grooves among the circumferential grooves, the resonator having an air chamber opening toward a land portion surface at a position spaced from the circumferential grooves, one a more one-side narrow necks connecting the air chamber to one circumferential groove of the two circumferential grooves, and one or more other-side narrow necks connecting the air chamber to the other circumferential groove, the one-side narrow neck and the other-side narrow neck having cross section areas approximately identical to each other, and an extending length of the one-side narrow neck and an extending length of the other-side narrow neck being different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tokumasa Akashi
  • Patent number: 10744822
    Abstract: A heavy duty tire comprises a tread portion 2 divided into two crown land regions 6, two middle land regions 7 and two shoulder land regions 8 by a center circumferential groove 3 having a width Wc, two middle circumferential grooves 4 having a width Wm and two shoulder circumferential grooves 5 having a width Ws. The distance LA from the shoulder circumferential groove 5 to the tire equator Co is more than the distance LB from the shoulder circumferential groove 5 to the tread edge TE. The width Wc and width Wm are more than 3.0 mm and less than 6.0 mm. The width Ws is more than 5.0 mm, and more than the width Wc and more than the width Wm. The crown and middle land regions 6 and 7 are each formed as a rib. The shoulder land regions 8 are each formed as a row of shoulder blocks 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Shuji Kagimoto
  • Patent number: 10744733
    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: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul Harry Sandstrom, John Joseph Andre Verthe, Ping Zhang
  • Patent number: 10737533
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a plurality of center lug grooves disposed at intervals in a tire circumferential direction that extend crossing a tire equator line and include a first groove turning portion and a second groove turning portion; a plurality of shoulder lug grooves disposed in the intervals between the plurality of center lug grooves in the tire circumferential direction extending outward in the tire width direction, an inner end in the tire width direction being disposed outward of an end of the center lug groove in the tire width direction; a pair of circumferential main grooves to which the ends of the center lug grooves and the inner ends of the plurality of shoulder lug grooves in the tire width direction alternately connect; and a circumferential secondary groove disposed around the entire circumference of the pneumatic tire with a wave-like shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukihito Yamaguchi, Shoei Kakuta, Hideki Hamanaka, Risa Tauchi, Toshiyuki Sato
  • Patent number: 10710416
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a tread having crown grooves, shoulder grooves, middle lands, and shoulder lands. Each middle land has middle blocks and middle inclined lateral grooves such that the middle inclined lateral grooves are inclining relative to tire axial direction and connecting a crown groove and a shoulder groove, each shoulder land has shoulder blocks and shoulder inclined lateral grooves such that the shoulder inclined lateral grooves are inclining relative to the axial direction and connecting a shoulder groove and a tread edge, and each middle inclined lateral groove is positioned adjacent to a shoulder block such that each middle inclined lateral groove and the shoulder block are sandwiching the shoulder groove and overlapping in tire circumferential direction and have a ratio Lov/Lmg ranging from 0.7 to 1.0, where Lov represents tire circumferential overlapping length Lov, and Lmg represents tire circumferential length Lmg of the middle inclined lateral grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventor: Satoshi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 10710414
    Abstract: Tire having a predetermined direction of mounting on a vehicle. The tire tread (40) comprises a central rib (411-413) and two side ribs (421, 422), separated by circumferential grooves (141-144). The side ribs are made from a first rubber composition less than 50% filled with black. The central rib comprises a portion (4111, 4121) made from a second rubber composition more than 50% filled with black, the axial width (LP) of said portion being greater than or equal to 20% of the axial width LC of the central rib. The first rubber composition has a tan ?0 value which is greater than the tan ?0 value of the second rubber composition, where tan ?0 denotes the tan ? value measured at a temperature of 0° C. and under a stress of 0.7 mPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Frédéric Bourgeois, François-Xavier Bruneau, Patrice Fraysse, Emmanuel Igier
  • Patent number: 10703142
    Abstract: The pneumatic tire of this disclosure comprises on a tread surface one or more land portions, wherein the land portions is formed into a protruding shape such that its tire radial outline in a tire widthwise cross section protrudes to a tire radial outer side, the outline includes, in the tire widthwise cross section, at least a first arcuate surface having a radius of curvature of a tire widthwise center of the land portion, and second arcuate surfaces having radiuses of curvature smaller than the first arcuate surface and located on both tire widthwise edges of the land portion, sipes extending in the tire width direction are formed on the land portions formed into the protruding shape, the sipes have chamfer portions, and the chamfer portions have chamfer widths on at least one of both tire widthwise edges larger than chamfer widths on the tire widthwise center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shingo Honda
  • Patent number: 10703143
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire including a block that is partitioned by plural circumferential direction grooves extending along a tire circumferential direction and by plural lug grooves extending diagonally with respect to the tire circumferential direction and provided with two or more bend portions, and at least one inclined fine groove that extends diagonally with respect to the tire circumferential direction, that is provided with at least two bend or more portions inside a single block, and that divides the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masatoshi Momozu
  • Patent number: 10696100
    Abstract: The tire tread having a tread surface and a total thickness E and at least one main groove which opens when new onto a tread surface. In the vicinity of this main groove, at least one discontinuous secondary groove has a plurality of hidden parts and a plurality of open parts. The open parts are open onto the tread surface when new. The main groove and the discontinuous secondary groove have roughly identical main directions. The mean distance L1, which is a distance measured at the open parts between the mean surface of the main groove and the mean surface of the discontinuous groove, is less than the mean distance L2 measured between the mean surface of the main groove and the mean surface of the discontinuous groove in the regions of the discontinuous groove that do not have open parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Christophe Gayton, Saliou Dieng
  • Patent number: 10696101
    Abstract: This pneumatic tire includes, on the tread surface, land portions defined by circumferential main grooves extending continuously in the tread circumferential direction and by tread edges. An intermediate land portion on one side in the tread width direction, adjacent to the tire equatorial plane side of the outermost circumferential main groove on the one side, is formed into blocks only by sipes extending in the tread width direction, an intermediate land portion on the other side in the tread width direction, adjacent to a tire equatorial plane side of an outermost circumferential main groove on the other side, is formed in a ribbed shape, and intermediate land portion lug grooves are formed in the intermediate land portion on the other side, with one end opening into the outermost circumferential main groove on the other side, and the other end terminating within the intermediate land portion on the other side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shintaro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10688832
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic tire capable of facilitating heat dissipation of a tread portion thereof to lower temperature at the tread portion. Specifically, the present invention provides a pneumatic tire having in a tread surface at least one circumferential groove extending in the tire circumferential direction and plural lateral grooves, the lateral grooves each opening to the circumferential groove, having a wider groove width than the circumferential groove and extending to be inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction, comprising: a recessed portion formed in a groove wall, facing the corresponding lateral groove, of the circumferential groove; and at least one projecting portion formed at a groove bottom of the circumferential groove between the recessed portions adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka Matsuzawa, Shun Oogane, Yuki Kawakami