Patents by Inventor Atsushi Maehara

Atsushi Maehara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11685194
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion provided with a plurality of blocks. At least one of the plurality of blocks is provided with a sipe. The sipe extends in a sipe longitudinal direction to form a zigzag opening configuration on a ground contact surface of the at least one of the plurality of blocks. The sipe extends inwardly in a tire radial direction such that the zigzag opening configuration oscillates in the sipe longitudinal direction repeatedly with a total amplitude and a wavelength while maintaining the zigzag opening configuration. A half of the wavelength of the sipe is in a range of from 0.10 to 0.24 times a maximum depth of the sipe, and a slope of the half of the wavelength with respect to the total amplitude has an angle in a range of from 45 to 65 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Maehara
  • Patent number: 11198329
    Abstract: A heavy-duty tire includes a tread portion including a crown land portion, a shoulder land portion with a tread edge and a middle land portion disposed therebetween. In a tire cross-section of a 5% inflated state, the tread portion comprises a surface profile which comprises an inner arc portion having a radius (R1) of curvature with a center located in a tire equatorial plane and an outer arc portion having a radius (R2) of curvature smaller than the radius (R1) of curvature of the inner arc portion and intersecting the inner arc portion at an inflection point (P). The inflection point (P) is located on the middle land portion, wherein a distance (Lp) in the tire axial direction from the tire equatorial plane to the inflection point (P) is in a range of from 0.35 to 0.50 times a tread half-width (Wt).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Maehara
  • Publication number: 20210276368
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion provided with a plurality of blocks. At least one of the plurality of blocks is provided with a sipe. The sipe extends in a sipe longitudinal direction to form a zigzag opening configuration on a ground contact surface of the at least one of the plurality of blocks. The sipe extends inwardly in a tire radial direction such that the zigzag opening configuration oscillates in the sipe longitudinal direction repeatedly with a total amplitude and a wavelength while maintaining the zigzag opening configuration. A half of the wavelength of the sipe is in a range of from 0.10 to 0.24 times a maximum depth of the sipe, and a slope of the half of the wavelength with respect to the total amplitude has an angle in a range of from 45 to 65 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi MAEHARA
  • Patent number: 11046122
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion provided with a plurality of blocks. At least one of the plurality of blocks is provided with a sipe. The sipe extends in a sipe longitudinal direction to form a zigzag opening configuration on a ground contact surface of the at least one of the plurality of blocks. The sipe extends inwardly in a tire radial direction such that the zigzag opening configuration oscillates in the sipe longitudinal direction repeatedly with a total amplitude and a wavelength while maintaining the zigzag opening configuration. A half of the wavelength of the sipe is in a range of from 0.10 to 0.24 times a maximum depth of the sipe, and a slope of the half of the wavelength with respect to the total amplitude has an angle in a range of from 45 to 65 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Maehara
  • Patent number: 10654320
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread having a crown main groove and shoulder main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction. The crown groove has crown long side portions and crown short side portions inclined in the opposite directions and alternately formed in a zigzag shape extending in the tire circumferential direction, the shoulder main grooves have shoulder long side portions and shoulder short side portions inclined in the opposite directions and alternately formed in a zigzag shape extending in the tire circumferential direction, the crown main groove and shoulder main grooves are formed such that a crown long-short ratio La/Lb is larger than a shoulder long-short ratio Lc/Ld, where La is a length of each crown long side portion, Lb is a length of each crown short side portion, Lc is a length of each shoulder long side portion, and Ld is a length of each shoulder short side portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Maehara
  • Patent number: 10479060
    Abstract: A concealable film including 10 to 94% by mass of a crystalline polyamide resin, 1 to 40% by mass of an amorphous polyamide resin and 5 to 50% by mass of titanium oxide, with the proviso that the total content of these is 100% by mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Unitika Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Maehara, Hiroshi Nishimura, Atsushi Arahira
  • Patent number: 10471778
    Abstract: To provide a pneumatic tire capable of improving the rolling performance, low noise performance and wear resistance performance while maintaining the wet performance. It is a pneumatic tire (1) provided in the tread portion (2) with a plurality of main grooves (3). The main groove (3) has, in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the groove, a first groove bottom (3A) and a pair of first groove walls (3B, 3B) extending smoothly from the first groove bottom (3A) to the tread surface (S). In the main groove (3), the width (W1) between the first groove walls (3B) is 2.0 to 20.0 mm at a tread surface (S), and the depth (D) from the tread surface (S) to the first groove bottom (3A) is 10.0 mm or more. In the first wall (3B), the ratio (W1/?) of the angle (?) [degree] with respect to a normal direction to the tread surface (S) and the width (W1) [mm] is in a range of 1.0 to 2.0 [mm/degree].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Maehara
  • Patent number: 10343461
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic tire includes a tread including a pair of central portions, a pair of middle portions and a pair of shoulder portions, wherein each of the portions has an axial width varying periodically while increasing and decreasing in a circumferential direction of the tire. Each of the central portions includes a central block with a hexagonal shaped top face and a central sipe. A total that is the sum of each maximum axial width of the central portions, each maximum axial width of the middle portions, each maximum axial width of the shoulder portions, a maximum axial length of the central sipe provided on one of the central portions, and a maximum axial length of the central sipe provided on the other one of the central portions is in a range of from 1.05 to 1.31 times a tread width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Maehara
  • Patent number: 10195908
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire 1 is provided in a tread portion 2 with center blocks 22 divided by a center main groove 10, middle main grooves 11, and center lateral grooves 21; middle blocks 32 divided by the middle main grooves 11, shoulder main grooves 12, and middle lateral grooves 31; and shoulder blocks 42 divided by the shoulder main grooves 12, tread edges Te, and shoulder lateral grooves 41. The groove width WA of the center lateral grooves 21 is equal to the groove width WB of the middle lateral grooves 31. The ratio WC/WA of the groove width WC of the shoulder lateral grooves 41 and the groove width WA of the center lateral grooves 21 is 1.3 to 2.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Maehara, Kae Matsuda
  • Patent number: 10195907
    Abstract: A tread portion (2) has a pair of center main grooves (11) extending zigzag and continuously in a tire circumference direction, a pair of shoulder main grooves (12), a center land portion (13), a pair of middle land portions (14), and a pair of shoulder land portions (15). The center main groove (11) has a first groove edge (11a) on the tire equator side and a second groove edge (11b) on the tread edge side. The shoulder main groove (12) has a third groove edge (12a) on the tire equator side and a fourth groove edge (12b) on the tread edge side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu Washizuka, Daisuke Todoroki, Atsushi Maehara
  • Patent number: 10144250
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion provided with circumferentially continuously extending main grooves and axial grooves connecting between the main grooves to form blocks. The main grooves include a zigzag crown main groove disposed on each side of the tire equator, and a zigzag shoulder main groove disposed axially outside each crown main groove, wherein the groove width of the crown main groove is less than the groove width of the shoulder main groove. The axial grooves include crown axial grooves circumferentially dividing crown blocks disposed between the crown main grooves and each having a substantially hexagonal tread, and middle axial grooves circumferentially dividing middle blocks disposed between each crown main groove and the adjacent shoulder main groove and each having a substantially hexagonal tread, wherein the groove width of the middle axial grooves is more than the groove width of the crown axial grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kae Matsuda, Atsushi Maehara, Shuji Kagimoto
  • Patent number: 10124628
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic tire 1 comprises a tread portion 2 provided with a crown land portion 6 formed between a center main groove 3 and a middle main groove 4 and having an axial width varying periodically in the tire circumferential direction. The center main groove 3 comprises first oblique groove segments 3A inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction to one axial direction at an angle, and second oblique groove segments 3B inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction to the other axial direction at an angle less than the angle of the first oblique groove segments. The crown land portion 6 is divided into hexagonal crown blocks 11 by crown lateral grooves 9 extending between axially inwardly protruding zigzag vertex portions of the center main groove 3 and axially outwardly protruding zigzag vertex portions of the middle main groove 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naofumi Kitani, Atsushi Maehara
  • Publication number: 20180222255
    Abstract: A heavy-duty tire includes a tread portion including a crown land portion, a shoulder land portion with a tread edge and a middle land portion disposed therebetween. In a tire cross-section of a 5% inflated state, the tread portion comprises a surface profile which comprises an inner arc portion having a radius (R1) of curvature with a center located in a tire equatorial plane and an outer arc portion having a radius (R2) of curvature smaller than the radius (R1) of curvature of the inner arc portion and intersecting the inner arc portion at an inflection point (P). The inflection point (P) is located on the middle land portion, wherein a distance (Lp) in the tire axial direction from the tire equatorial plane to the inflection point (P) is in a range of from 0.35 to 0.50 times a tread half-width (Wt).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi MAEHARA
  • Publication number: 20180134093
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion provided with a plurality of blocks. At least one of the plurality of blocks is provided with a sipe. The sipe extends in a sipe longitudinal direction to form a zigzag opening configuration on a ground contact surface of the at least one of the plurality of blocks. The sipe extends inwardly in a tire radial direction such that the zigzag opening configuration oscillates in the sipe longitudinal direction repeatedly with a total amplitude and a wavelength while maintaining the zigzag opening configuration. A half of the wavelength of the sipe is in a range of from 0.10 to 0.24 times a maximum depth of the sipe, and a slope of the half of the wavelength with respect to the total amplitude has an angle in a range of from 45 to 65 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi MAEHARA
  • Publication number: 20170253088
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread having a crown main groove and shoulder main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction. The crown groove has crown long side portions and crown short side portions inclined in the opposite directions and alternately formed in a zigzag shape extending in the tire circumferential direction, the shoulder main grooves have shoulder long side portions and shoulder short side portions inclined in the opposite directions and alternately formed in a zigzag shape extending in the tire circumferential direction, the crown main groove and shoulder main grooves are formed such that a crown long-short ratio La/Lb is larger than a shoulder long-short ratio Lc/Ld, where La is a length of each crown long side portion, Lb is a length of each crown short side portion, Lc is a length of each shoulder long side portion, and Ld is a length of each shoulder short side portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi MAEHARA
  • Patent number: 9493039
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a unidirectional tread pattern. The land ratio of an imaginary crown region 5A is 0.75 to 0.85. The land ratio of an imaginary middle region 6A is 0.65 to 0.75. Crown axial grooves 4A and middle axial grooves 4B are inclined to the intended tire rotational direction toward the axially inside of the tire. The widths of the crown axial grooves 4A and the middle axial grooves 4B are 4.0 to 7.0 mm. The width of the crown axial grooves 4A is more than the width of a central main groove 3A and less than the width of middle main grooves 3B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Maehara
  • Publication number: 20160221397
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire 1 is provided in a tread portion 2 with center blocks 22 divided by a center main groove 10, middle main grooves 11, and center lateral grooves 21; middle blocks 32 divided by the middle main grooves 11, shoulder main grooves 12, and middle lateral grooves 31; and shoulder blocks 42 divided by the shoulder main grooves 12, tread edges Te, and shoulder lateral grooves 41. The groove width WA of the center lateral grooves 21 is equal to the groove width WB of the middle lateral grooves 31. The ratio WC/WA of the groove width WC of the shoulder lateral grooves 41 and the groove width WA of the center lateral grooves 21 is 1.3 to 2.3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi MAEHARA, Kae MATSUDA
  • Publication number: 20160193883
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic tire 1 comprises a tread portion 2 provided with a crown land portion 6 formed between a center main groove 3 and a middle main groove 4 and having an axial width varying periodically in the tire circumferential direction. The center main groove 3 comprises first oblique groove segments 3A inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction to one axial direction at an angle, and second oblique groove segments 3B inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction to the other axial direction at an angle less than the angle of the first oblique groove segments. The crown land portion 6 is divided into hexagonal crown blocks 11 by crown lateral grooves 9 extending between axially inwardly protruding zigzag vertex portions of the center main groove 3 and axially outwardly protruding zigzag vertex portions of the middle main groove 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naofumi KITANI, Atsushi MAEHARA
  • Publication number: 20160159158
    Abstract: A tread portion (2) has a pair of center main grooves (11) extending zigzag and continuously in a tire circumference direction, a pair of shoulder main grooves (12), a center land portion (13), a pair of middle land portions (14), and a pair of shoulder land portions (15). The center main groove (11) has a first groove edge (11a) on the tire equator side and a second groove edge (11b) on the tread edge side. The shoulder main groove (12) has a third groove edge (12a) on the tire equator side and a fourth groove edge (12b) on the tread edge side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu WASHIZUKA, Daisuke TODOROKI, Atsushi MAEHARA
  • Patent number: D848936
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Maehara