Patents by Inventor Jean-Louis Marie Félicien Thomas

Jean-Louis Marie Félicien Thomas 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: 11827057
    Abstract: The subject invention reveals a tire tread having a circumferential tread cap with circumferential grooves, wherein the tread cap rubber compound has a Shore A hardness from 45 to 75. Moreover, the tread comprises at least one circumferential groove reinforcement reinforcing at least a bottom portion of at least one of the grooves and comprising a groove reinforcement rubber compound, wherein the groove reinforcement rubber compound has a Shore A hardness from 70 to 100. The tread also comprises a circumferential tread base layer arranged radially inwards of the tread cap and comprising a tread base layer compound, wherein the tread base layer compound has a Shore A hardness from 15 to 60, and wherein the Shore A hardness of the tread cap compound is higher than the Shore A hardness of the tread base layer compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Jean-Louis Marie Felicien Thomas, Julien Alexandre Vaissaud, Bodo Ahrens
  • Patent number: 11427032
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire tread comprising a tread cap comprising at least one tread cap rubber compound, at least three circumferential grooves, wherein at least portions of the sidewalls and the bottom of each of said grooves are formed by a circumferential groove reinforcement, and wherein a first groove reinforcement of a groove laterally next to the equatorial plane of the tire comprises a first reinforcement rubber compound which has a higher hardness than the tread cap rubber compound, and wherein a second groove reinforcement of a groove with a larger lateral distance to the equatorial plane of the tire than the first groove, comprises a second reinforcement rubber compound which has a higher hardness than the tread cap rubber compound and a lower hardness than the second reinforcement rubber compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Jean-Louis Marie Felicien Thomas, Bodo Ahrens
  • Publication number: 20210046783
    Abstract: In a first aspect of the present invention, a tire tread is provided, the tread comprising a tread cap comprising a first rubber compound for contacting the road when driving, at least one circumferential groove reinforcement forming at least one of the grooves in the tread cap, the groove reinforcement comprising a second rubber compound for reinforcing an area adjacent the grooves formed by the groove reinforcement, wherein the groove reinforcement comprises for at least one of the grooves formed by the groove reinforcement two groove sidewall layers, each sidewall layer extending from the outer radial surface of the unworn tread down into the direction of the bottom of the groove formed by the groove reinforcement and wherein each sidewall layer has an essentially uniform thickness along its length, and wherein the groove reinforcement comprises a groove support portion forming a bottom portion of the groove and having a radially inner base side as well as a radially outer top side, wherein the groove supp
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Jean-Louis Marie Felicien Thomas, Bodo Ahrens, William Alain Francis Ghislain Talbot, Germain Dehez, Hubert Anna Johanes Cox
  • Publication number: 20210046785
    Abstract: The subject invention reveals a tire tread having a circumferential tread cap with circumferential grooves, wherein the tread cap rubber compound has a Shore A hardness from 45 to 75. Moreover, the tread comprises at least one circumferential groove reinforcement reinforcing at least a bottom portion of at least one of the grooves and comprising a groove reinforcement rubber compound, wherein the groove reinforcement rubber compound has a Shore A hardness from 70 to 100. The tread also comprises a circumferential tread base layer arranged radially inwards of the tread cap and comprising a tread base layer compound, wherein the tread base layer compound has a Shore A hardness from 15 to 60, and wherein the Shore A hardness of the tread cap compound is higher than the Shore A hardness of the tread base layer compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Jean-Louis Marie Felicien Thomas, Julien Alexandre Vaissaud, Bodo Ahrens
  • Publication number: 20210046784
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire tread comprising a tread cap comprising at least one tread cap rubber compound, at least three circumferential grooves, wherein at least portions of the sidewalls and the bottom of each of said grooves are formed by a circumferential groove reinforcement, and wherein a first groove reinforcement of a groove laterally next to the equatorial plane of the tire comprises a first reinforcement rubber compound which has a higher hardness than the tread cap rubber compound, and wherein a second groove reinforcement of a groove with a larger lateral distance to the equatorial plane of the tire than the first groove, comprises a second reinforcement rubber compound which has a higher hardness than the tread cap rubber compound and a lower hardness than the second reinforcement rubber compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Jean-Louis Marie Felicien Thomas, Bodo Ahrens
  • Publication number: 20200070579
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire comprising a textile cord reinforced rubber component, the rubber component comprising a textile cord contacting a rubber composition, the rubber composition comprising: from 20 to 45 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a bound styrene content ranging from 5 to 25 percent by weight, a vinyl-1,2 content ranging from 5 to 40 weight percent based on the butadiene content, and a Tg ranging from ?85 to ?50° C.; from 55 to 80 phr of a polyisoprene rubber selected from the group consisting of natural rubber and synthetic polyisoprene rubber; from 20 to 60 phr of a filler selected from carbon black, silica, and prehydrophobated silica; from 1 to 10 phr of a resin selected from the group consisting of carbamic resins, alkyl phenol formaldehyde resins, and phenol formaldehyde resins; and from 0.5 to 5 phr of a methylene donor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Julia Martine Francoise Claudine TAHON, Bodo AHRENS, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien THOMAS, Romain Jack Rodolphe MERSCH, Thomas Günther Böhner, Christian Jean-Marie KAES, James Joseph GOLDEN, Pit Jean-Pierre Fernand POLFER, Geoffrey Stephane Marcel Ghislain VIRLEZ
  • Patent number: 10427463
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic tire comprising a carcass and a tread located radially outward of the carcass and extending between the tire sidewalls; the tread providing a radially outermost tread running surface; the tread comprising a first tread layer comprising a first rubber compound and a second tread layer comprising a second rubber compound; wherein the second tread layer is located radially adjacent to the first tread layer; wherein the first rubber compound is compositionally distinct from the second rubber compound; wherein the second tread layer comprises one or more integrally formed extensions of the second tread layer extending radially outwardly toward the tread running surface; wherein each of the integrally formed extensions of the second tread layer comprises a circumferentially continuous groove and a reinforcement zone disposed on a side of the groove; wherein the first rubber compound comprises 100 parts by weight of at least one diene based elastomer, and from 1 to 150 phr of sil
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien Thomas, Bodo Ahrens, Giorgio Agostini, Laurent Carmelo Joseph Andre Pravata, Gabor Kaszas, Karen Karas Burke
  • Patent number: 10239363
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having a pair of spaced apart bead components, a connecting carcass between the bead components, a pair of sidewalls overlying the carcass, and a rubber chafer portion adjacent to each of the sidewalls and positioned around at least a portion of each of the bead components and intended for contacting a rigid rim of a wheel, the rubber chafer portion comprising a radially innermost toe guard and a chafer adjacent to a radially outer end of the toe guard; wherein the ratio of a modulus of the toe guard to a modulus of the chafer is in the range of 3 to 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Kundan Kumar, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien Thomas, François Philippe Depouhon, Evangelia Konstantaki
  • Publication number: 20180319223
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having a pair of spaced apart bead components, a connecting carcass between the bead components, a pair of sidewalls overlying the carcass, and a rubber chafer portion adjacent to each of the sidewalls and positioned around at least a portion of each of the bead components and intended for contacting a rigid rim of a wheel, the rubber chafer portion comprising a radially innermost toe guard and a chafer adjacent to a radially outer end of the toe guard; wherein the ratio of a modulus of the toe guard to a modulus of the chafer is in the range of 3 to 10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Claude SCHWEITZER, Kundan KUMAR, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien THOMAS, François Philippe DEPOUHON, Evangelia KONSTANTAKI
  • Patent number: 10052918
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having a pair of spaced apart bead components, a connecting carcass between the bead components, a pair of sidewalls overlying the carcass, and a rubber chafer portion adjacent to each of the sidewalls and positioned around at least a portion of each of the bead components and intended for contacting a rigid rim of a wheel, the rubber chafer portion comprising a radially innermost toe guard and a chafer adjacent to a radially outer end of the toe guard; wherein the ratio of a modulus of the toe guard to a modulus of the chafer is in the range of 3 to 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien Thomas, Evangelia Konstantaki, François Philippe Depouhon, Kundan Kumar
  • Publication number: 20180170111
    Abstract: A tire has an axis of rotation, a cavity shape, a crown portion, a pair of beads, a tread, a pair of sidewalls, a pair of shoulder portions, and a carcass including a plurality of plies. Each ply has a cord. The tire is characterized by a path of the cord in at least one ply defining a ply line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Paul Benoit JOUBERT, Jerome BOURSIN, Francois ZIMMER, Bodo AHRENS, Jean-Louis Marie Felicien THOMAS, Samy Laroussi MZABI, Edwin DEERENBERG
  • Publication number: 20180134086
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic tire comprising a carcass and a tread located radially outward of the carcass and extending between the tire sidewalls; the tread providing a radially outermost tread running surface; the tread comprising a first tread layer comprising a first rubber compound and a second tread layer comprising a second rubber compound; wherein the second tread layer is located radially adjacent to the first tread layer; wherein the first rubber compound is compositionally distinct from the second rubber compound; wherein the second tread layer comprises one or more integrally formed extensions of the second tread layer extending radially outwardly toward the tread running surface; wherein each of the integrally formed extensions of the second tread layer comprises a circumferentially continuous groove and a reinforcement zone disposed on a side of the groove; wherein the first rubber compound comprises 100 parts by weight of at least one diene based elastomer, and from 1 to 150 phr of sil
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Claude SCHWEITZER, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien THOMAS, Bodo AHRENS, Giorgio AGOSTINI, Laurent Carmelo Joseph Andre PRAVATA, Gabor KASZAS, Karen Karas BURKE
  • Patent number: 9623707
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a tire comprising a tread comprising: a plurality of circumferential grooves separating circumferential ribs, each groove comprising a bottom and two sidewalls; one or more groove reinforcements, each groove reinforcement laterally spaced from any other of said one or more groove reinforcements; wherein each groove reinforcement is arranged adjacent one circumferential groove; wherein at least one circumferential groove has no groove reinforcement adjacent to it; and wherein each groove reinforcement extends from the radially inner surface of the tread in a radially outward direction at least to the bottom of the adjacent circumferential groove to form at least part of the bottom of that groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Thomas Gesenhoff, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien Thomas, Hans Leo Bert Geluykens, Phaniraj Muthigi, Jacques Camille Marie Nevouet, Germain Dehez, Hubert Anna Johanes Cox
  • Publication number: 20160167440
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a tire comprising a tread comprising: a plurality of circumferential grooves separating circumferential ribs, each groove comprising a bottom and two sidewalls; one or more groove reinforcements, each groove reinforcement laterally spaced from any other of said one or more groove reinforcements; wherein each groove reinforcement is arranged adjacent one circumferential groove; wherein at least one circumferential groove has no groove reinforcement adjacent to it; and wherein each groove reinforcement extends from the radially inner surface of the tread in a radially outward direction at least to the bottom of the adjacent circumferential groove to form at least part of the bottom of that groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Thomas Gesenhoff, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien Thomas, Hans Leo Bert Geluykens, Phaniraj Muthigi, Jacques Camille Marie Nevouet, Germain Dehez, Hubert Anna Johanes Cox
  • Publication number: 20150158341
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises an annular tread portion including a plurality of circumferentially extending main grooves comprising an innermost groove, an outermost groove, and at least one middle groove arranged between the innermost groove and the outermost groove. The outermost groove comprises an inner sidewall, an outer sidewall, a groove bottom, and a groove opening opposite to the groove bottom, wherein the outermost groove has an asymmetric cross section with respect to any straight line perpendicular to the groove opening, and wherein the outer sidewall of the outermost groove is tilted by more than 20° with respect to a straight line perpendicular to the groove opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Phaniraj Muthigi, Jean-Louis Marie Felicien Thomas, Francois Philippe Depouhon, Julien Alexandre Fursthos, Michael Howard Curtis
  • Publication number: 20150144244
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having a pair of spaced apart bead components, a connecting carcass between the bead components, a pair of sidewalls overlying the carcass, and a rubber chafer portion adjacent to each of the sidewalls and positioned around at least a portion of each of the bead components and intended for contacting a rigid rim of a wheel, the rubber chafer portion comprising a radially innermost toe guard and a chafer adjacent to a radially outer end of the toe guard; wherein the ratio of a modulus of the toe guard to a modulus of the chafer is in the range of 3 to 10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien Thomas, Evangelia Konstantaki, François Philippe Depouhon, Kundan Kumar
  • Patent number: 9033011
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises an annular tread portion including a plurality of circumferentially extending main grooves comprising an innermost groove, an outermost groove, and at least one middle groove arranged between the innermost groove and the outermost groove. The outermost groove comprises an inner sidewall, an outer sidewall, a groove bottom, and a groove opening opposite to the groove bottom, wherein the outermost groove has an asymmetric cross section with respect to any straight line perpendicular to the groove opening, and wherein the outer sidewall of the outermost groove is tilted by more than 20° with respect to a straight line perpendicular to the groove opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Phaniraj Muthigi, Jean-Louis Marie Felicien Thomas, Francois Philippe Depouhon, Julien Alexandre Fursthos, Michael Howard Curtis
  • Patent number: 9027615
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire tread comprising a plurality of circumferential grooves separating circumferential ribs, each groove comprising a bottom and two sidewalls, and a plurality of laterally separated reinforcements, wherein one reinforcement is arranged adjacent each circumferential groove, and wherein each reinforcement extends from the radially inner surface of the tread in a radial direction at least to the bottom of an adjacent circumferential groove to form the bottom of that groove. Further, the invention relates to a tire comprising a tread in accordance with the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Francois Dermience, Denis Michel Philippe Gilon, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien Thomas, Philippe Cornu, François Philippe Depouhon
  • Patent number: 8919404
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rubber composition comprising at least one rubber component, between about 50 phr and about 120 phr of a filler, wherein at least 20 phr of the filler is a high surface area carbon black. Further, the composition comprises between 10 phr and 30 phr of a phenolic resin. The present invention is further directed to a tire tread or a tire comprising such a composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Claude Schweitzer, Carolin Anna Welter, Jean-Louis Marie Felicien Thomas, Phaniraj Muthigi, Francois Philippe Depouhon
  • Patent number: D713778
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Phaniraj Muthigi, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien Thomas, Michael Howard Curtis, François Philippe Depouhon, Julien Alexandre Fursthos