Patents by Inventor Kazuo Shimomura

Kazuo Shimomura 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: 11679630
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion, a sidewall portion, and a bead portion. The bead portion includes a bead core that extends continuously in an annular shape in a tire circumferential direction, and a bead filler disposed adjacent to the bead core and outside the bead core in a tire radial direction. Reinforcing cords are provided in the bead portion and the sidewall portion so as to be curved such that inclination angles of the reinforcing cords with respect to the tire circumferential direction gradually increase with nearness to an outside in the tire radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20220266636
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire according to an embodiment, a carcass ply includes a first ply hung between a pair of bead cores and a second ply formed of a pair of ply pieces arranged on tire outer surface sides of the first ply and respectively extending from one ends positioned on a tread to beads on both sides through sidewalls on both sides to be folded about the bead cores. One end of each ply piece is positioned on an outer side in a tire width direction than a shoulder main groove and on an inner side in the tire width direction than an outer end in a width direction of a belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: Toyo Tire Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Patent number: 10864781
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a rim strip rubber. A radial height of the rim strip rubber on the basis of an outer diameter position of a bead core is equal to or more than 70% of a radial height of a tire outer diameter position. An upper end of a side reinforcing layer is arranged closer to an outer side radially than an upper end of a bead filler. A distance from a tire maximum width position to the upper end of the side reinforcing layer is equal to or less than 5 mm. The maximum thickness Tw of the rim strip rubber between the upper end of the bead filler and the upper end of the side reinforcing layer is greater than the maximum thickness Tm of the rim strip rubber closer to the outer side radially than the upper end of the side reinforcing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20200198403
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes bead cores, a carcass ply and a belt. The carcass ply includes: a first ply having a central portion positioned inward of the belt in the tire radial direction, a pair of side portions extending inward from opposite ends of the central portion in the tire radial direction, and folded-up portions extending from the respective side portions, being folded up around the respective bead cores; and a second ply being discontinuous and disposed outward of the first ply in the tire radial direction, having a pair of ply pieces provided with inner ends positioned on respective sides of the central portion of the first ply, side portions extending inward from the respective inner ends in the tire radial direction, and folded-up portions extending from the respective side portions, being folded up around the respective bead cores. The first ply has a ply-overlapping portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Patent number: 10661610
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a carcass layer, a side wall rubber which forms an outer surface of a side wall portion, and a rim strip rubber which forms an outer surface of a bead portion. The rim strip rubber extends in a tire radial direction between the carcass layer and the side wall rubber. A height of the rim strip rubber on the basis of an outer diameter position of a bead core buries in the bead portion is equal to or more than 70% of a height of a tire outer diameter position. A thickness Tw of the rim strip rubber at the tire maximum width position is smaller than the maximum thickness Tm of the rim strip rubber which is closer to an outer side in the tire radial direction than the tire maximum width position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Patent number: 10377181
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, a tread rubber includes a recessed portion extending along a tire-circumferential direction, the recessed portion being placed at a position of a tire-outer surface superposed on an end of the belt portion or at a position of a tire-outer surface on an outer side in a tire-width direction than the former position of the tire-outer surface, an outer wound-up portion is placed closer to a belt portion than an inner wound-up portion, the outer wound-up portion is separated from the belt portion to prevent the outer wound-up portion from being superposed on the belt portion, and the outer wound-up portion is superposed on the recessed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20190193466
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion, a sidewall portion, and a bead portion. The bead portion includes a bead core that extends continuously in an annular shape in a tire circumferential direction, and a bead filler disposed adjacent to the bead core and outside the bead core in a tire radial direction. Reinforcing cords are provided in the bead portion and the sidewall portion so as to be curved such that inclination angles of the reinforcing cords with respect to the tire circumferential direction gradually increase with nearness to an outside in the tire radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20190193467
    Abstract: A tire includes: a tread portion including a tread surface; a pair of sidewall portions that extend inward in a tire radial direction from both sides of the tread portion in a tire width direction; and a pair of bead portions each of which includes a bead core that is elongated continuously to an inside of the sidewall portion in the tire radial direction and extends continuously in an annular shape in a tire circumferential direction, and a bead filler disposed adjacent to the bead core and outside the bead core in the tire radial direction. A density of the reinforcing cords changes in a range from 20% inclusive to 60% inclusive of a tire sectional height from a tire inner end in the tire radial direction, and such that an outside of an area, in which the density changes, has a low density of the reinforcing cords.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Patent number: 10315374
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire has a winding step of forming a rubber ribbon winding body constructing a tread rubber by spirally winding a rubber ribbon obtained by co-extruding a first rubber and a second rubber which are different in hardness. The first rubber is mainly arranged in a first area by making a cross sectional area ratio of the first rubber greater than that of the second rubber. The second rubber is mainly arranged in a second area by making the cross sectional area ratio of the first rubber smaller than that of the second rubber. The cross sectional area ratio of the first rubber becomes progressively smaller in a part of the first area as the second area approaches. The rubber ribbon retains an interface boundary between the first rubber and the second rubber to at least a part of the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20180178591
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a rim strip rubber. A height of the rim strip rubber on the basis of an outer diameter position of a bead core is equal to or more than 70% of a height of a tire outer diameter position. An upper end of a side reinforcing layer is arranged closer to an outer side radially than an upper end of a bead filler. A distance from a tire maximum width position to the upper end of the side reinforcing layer is equal to or less than 5 mm. The maximum thickness Tw of the rim strip rubber between the upper end of the bead filler and the upper end of the side reinforcing layer is greater than the maximum thickness Tm of the rim strip rubber closer to the outer side radially than the upper end of the side reinforcing layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Applicant: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20180178593
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a carcass layer, a side wall rubber which forms an outer surface of a side wall portion, and a rim strip rubber which forms an outer surface of a bead portion. The rim strip rubber extends in a tire radial direction between the carcass layer and the side wall rubber. A height of the rim strip rubber on the basis of an outer diameter position of a bead core buries in the bead portion is equal to or more than 70% of a height of a tire outer diameter position. A thickness Tw of the rim strip rubber at the tire maximum width position is smaller than the maximum thickness Tm of the rim strip rubber which is closer to an outer side in the tire radial direction than the tire maximum width position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Applicant: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Patent number: 9744814
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a rubber member constructed by a rubber ribbon winding body formed by spirally winding a rubber ribbon. The rubber ribbon includes a composite rubber ribbon which is formed by a non-conductive rubber, and a conductive rubber partly covering the non-conductive rubber. The composite rubber ribbon has a flat cross sectional shape and is gradually reduced in its thickness toward both ends. The conductive rubber has a cross sectional area which is equal to or less than 3% of a cross sectional area of the composite rubber ribbon, and forms a surface in one side and a surface in the other side in both ends of the composite rubber ribbon. The composite rubber ribbons that are adjacent in the width direction are partly overlapped, and a conductive route is provided by the conductive rubber connected between the composite rubber ribbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20160059642
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, a rubber hardness of a conductive portion is greater than a rubber hardness of a non-conductive portion, the conductive portion is formed from an inner end portion toward an outer end portion in a tire diametrical direction of the land portion by continuing a plurality of inclined portions which are inclined in relation to the tire diametrical direction, and at least one conductive portion is arranged in an outer region which is an outer side at the time of mount to a vehicle, and the inclined portion arranged at an outermost side in the tire diametrical direction is arranged so as to be inclined from an inner side toward an outer side in a tire width direction as the inclined portion goes from an inner side to an outer side in the tire diametrical direction, in the conductive portion arranged in the outer region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20160059637
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, a tread rubber includes a recessed portion extending along a tire-circumferential direction, the recessed portion being placed at a position of a tire-outer surface superposed on an end of the belt portion or at a position of a tire-outer surface on an outer side in a tire-width direction than the former position of the tire-outer surface, an outer wound-up portion is placed closer to a belt portion than an inner wound-up portion, the outer wound-up portion is separated from the belt portion to prevent the outer wound-up portion from being superposed on the belt portion, and the outer wound-up portion is superposed on the recessed portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20150090381
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire has a winding step of forming a rubber ribbon winding body constructing a tread rubber by spirally winding a rubber ribbon obtained by co-extruding a first rubber and a second rubber which are different in hardness. The first rubber is mainly arranged in a first area by making a cross sectional area ratio of the first rubber greater than that of the second rubber. The second rubber is mainly arranged in a second area by making the cross sectional area ratio of the first rubber smaller than that of the second rubber. A portion in which the cross sectional area ratio of the first rubber becomes smaller by smaller is provided from the first area toward the second area. The rubber ribbon retaining a compound interface is superposed and wound to at least a part of the second area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Patent number: 8960246
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a plurality of main grooves extending along a tire circumferential direction, and shoulder lateral grooves extending to an outer side in a tire width direction from a shoulder main groove positioned in an outermost side in the tire width direction among the main grooves, the main grooves and the shoulder lateral grooves being arranged on a tread surface, wherein a depression is formed on a wall surface of a land portion facing to the shoulder lateral groove, in a state in which it is not exposed to a surface of the land portion, and wherein the depression is formed in such a manner that a height of the depression in a depth direction of the shoulder lateral groove is reduced toward an inner side in the tire width direction, and an exposure length of the depression becomes longer in accordance with a progress of an abrasion of the land portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Shimomura, Toshiyuki Ohashi
  • Publication number: 20140053961
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a rubber member constructed by a rubber ribbon winding body formed by spirally winding a rubber ribbon. The rubber ribbon includes a composite rubber ribbon which is formed by a non-conductive rubber, and a conductive rubber partly covering the non-conductive rubber. The composite rubber ribbon has a flat cross sectional shape and is gradually reduced in its thickness toward both ends. The conductive rubber has a cross sectional area which is equal to or less than 3% of a cross sectional area of the composite rubber ribbon, and forms a surface in one side and a surface in the other side in both ends of the composite rubber ribbon. The composite rubber ribbons that are adjacent in the width direction are partly overlapped, and a conductive route is provided by the conductive rubber connected between the composite rubber ribbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Patent number: 8561660
    Abstract: A sipe extending in a tire width direction is provided in a land part (block) of a tread shoulder region, and the sipe is configured to include a first sipe part, a second sipe part having a groove width larger than the first sipe part and a third sipe part larger than the second sipe part. The first sipe part is formed over the whole of a sipe length direction in an opening side region of the sipe and the whole of a sipe depth direction in an inner region on the side of a tire equator; the third sipe part is formed in an outer region on the side of a tread ground contact end in a sipe bottom part region; and the second sipe part is formed in a region between the first sipe part and the third sipe part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ohashi, Kazuo Shimomura
  • Patent number: D767479
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura
  • Patent number: D833965
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Shimomura