Patents by Inventor Masakazu Amano

Masakazu Amano 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: 10987976
    Abstract: By forming a ground contact edge side of lug grooves such that the groove depth becomes shallower in groove depth from the tire equatorial plane side toward the ground contact edge, and by setting an average angle of inclination formed between a tread face and a groove bottom to be not more than 5°, water expulsion is performed smoothly in the vicinity of the ground contact edge while securing the rigidity of land portions in the vicinity of the ground contact edge. This enables a high degree of both wet performance and dry performance to be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Kurata, Shinsaku Katayama, Masakazu Amano
  • Patent number: 10245889
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10), which has, in the surface of the tread (11), lug grooves (15) on one side extending from one axial edge towards the axial center of the tire in such a manner as to intersect with the circumferential direction of the tire and lug grooves (15) on the other side extending in a symmetrically opposite direction from the axial center towards the other axial edge of the tire, has at least one circumferential groove (12) extending circumferentially around the tire. Also, circumferential grooves (12, 13a, 13b) are so formed as to satisfy a relationship of “1?(S/L)?3” where L is the axial length of the central region, which is the region enclosed by two straight parallel lines each passing through the center between the contact width center (CL) and the contact edge with the shoulder regions being the regions axially outside of the parallel lines, and S is the total of the groove areas of the circumferential grooves (12, 13a, 13b) disposed in the central region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinsaku Katayama, Eisuke Seta, Yoshio Kaji, Masafumi Koide, Takayuki Kurata, Hiroyuki Katsuno, Masakazu Amano, Ataka Takei
  • Publication number: 20180126794
    Abstract: By forming a ground contact edge side of lug grooves such that the groove depth becomes shallower in groove depth from the tire equatorial plane side toward the ground contact edge, and by setting an average angle of inclination formed between a tread face and a groove bottom to be not more than 5°, water expulsion is performed smoothly in the vicinity of the ground contact edge while securing the rigidity of land portions in the vicinity of the ground contact edge. This enables a high degree of both wet performance and dry performance to be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Takayuki KURATA, Shinsaku KATAYAMA, Masakazu AMANO
  • Patent number: 9902213
    Abstract: Disclosed is a tire (1) which comprises: a bead core (10); a first bead filler (20); a first carcass (30); a second bead filler (40); and a rubber chafer (50) disposed at the outer side of the second bead filler (40) in the tread width direction. The second bead filler (40) covers a first bead filler outer end part (23) in the tread width direction, and a second bead filler inner end part (48) is disposed outside the bead core (10) in the tire radius direction. The rubber chafer (50) covers the second bead filler (40) in the tread width direction, and the loss tangent of the second bead filler (40) is smaller than the loss tangent of the rubber chafer (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakazu Amano, Masahiro Yabashi
  • Patent number: 9802444
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10) has, in the surface of the tread (11), a central circumferential groove (12) located at the center of the contact patch width and extending circumferentially around the tire, a plurality of longitudinal grooves (13 (13a, 13b)) formed on the axially outside of the central circumferential groove (12), lug grooves (15), and blocks (16 (16a to 16c)) defined by the central circumferential groove (12), the longitudinal grooves (13), and the lug grooves (15). Each of the lug grooves (15) is formed such that its width in the shoulder region is greater than its width in the central region, and the sum of the groove area of the central circumferential groove (12) and the groove area of the longitudinal grooves (13) is smaller than the area of the lug grooves (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinsaku Katayama, Eisuke Seta, Yoshio Kaji, Masafumi Koide, Takayuki Kurata, Hiroyuki Katsuno, Masakazu Amano, Ataka Takei
  • Patent number: 9561693
    Abstract: High wet braking performance is obtained without causing deterioration to other aspects of performance. Circumferential direction grooves 14 are configured with first groove portions 16 of zigzag shape formed at the road surface side and second groove portions 18 of straight line shape formed at the groove bottom side. Accordingly, an effect (edge effect) is effectively exhibited by the edges of the first groove portions 16 catching on the road surface when running on a comparatively shallow water depth. High wet braking performance is accordingly obtained. Water in the grooves flows smoothly due to the presence of the second groove portions 18 at the groove bottom side when running on a comparatively deep water depth. Reliable ground contact performance of the tread surface of the tread 12 to the road surface and high wet braking performance is accordingly obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masakazu Amano
  • Patent number: 9403407
    Abstract: A tire of the present invention has a roughness motif maximum length A in a predetermined range on at least a part of the tread surface. In addition, a tire forming mold of the present invention has a roughness motif maximum length A in a predetermined range on at least a part of the tread-surface molding surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masakazu Amano
  • Publication number: 20150321518
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10) has, in the surface of the tread (11), a central circumferential groove (12) located at the center of the contact patch width and extending circumferentially around the tire, a plurality of longitudinal grooves (13 (13a, 13b)) formed on the axially outside of the central circumferential groove (12), lug grooves (15), and blocks (16 (16a to 16c)) defined by the central circumferential groove (12), the longitudinal grooves (13), and the lug grooves (15). Each of the lug grooves (15) is formed such that its width in the shoulder region is greater than its width in the central region, and the sum of the groove area of the central circumferential groove (12) and the groove area of the longitudinal grooves (13) is smaller than the area of the lug grooves (15).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinsaku KATAYAMA, Eisuke SETA, Yoshio KAJI, Masafumi KOIDE, Takayuki KURATA, Hiroyuki KATSUNO, Masakazu AMANO, Ataka TAKEI
  • Publication number: 20150298506
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10), which has, in the surface of the tread (11), lug grooves (15) on one side extending from one axial edge towards the axial center of the tire in such a manner as to intersect with the circumferential direction of the tire and lug grooves (15) on the other side extending in a symmetrically opposite direction from the axial center towards the other axial edge of the tire, has at least one circumferential groove (12) extending circumferentially around the tire. Also, circumferential grooves (12, 13a, 13b) are so formed as to satisfy a relationship of “1?(S/L)?3” where L is the axial length of the central region, which is the region enclosed by two straight parallel lines each passing through the center between the contact width center (CL) and the contact edge with the shoulder regions being the regions axially outside of the parallel lines, and S is the total of the groove areas of the circumferential grooves (12, 13a, 13b) disposed in the central region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Shinsaku KATAYAMA, Eisuke SETA, Yoshio KAJI, Masafumi KOIDE, Takayuki KURATA, Hiroyuki KATSUNO, Masakazu AMANO, Ataka TAKEI
  • Publication number: 20140352860
    Abstract: The invention provides a tire, which includes a tread surface formed at least partly with a plurality of protrusions having a prescribed cross-section shape in the tire width direction. The invention also provides a mold for forming the tire, which includes a tread forming surface formed at least partly with a plurality of depressions having a prescribed cross-section shape in the tire width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masakazu Amano
  • Publication number: 20140345765
    Abstract: A tire of the present invention has a roughness motif maximum length A in a predetermined range on at least a part of the tread surface. In addition, a tire forming mold of the present invention has a roughness motif maximum length A in a predetermined range on at least a part of the tread-surface molding surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masakazu Amano
  • Publication number: 20130133806
    Abstract: Disclosed is a tire (1) which comprises: a bead core (10); a first bead filler (20); a first carcass (30); a second bead filler (40); and a rubber chafer (50) disposed at the outer side of the second bead filler (40) in the tread width direction. The second bead filler (40) covers a first bead filler outer end part (23) in the tread width direction, and a second bead filler inner end part (48) is disposed outside the bead core (10) in the tire radius direction. The rubber chafer (50) covers the second bead filler (40) in the tread width direction, and the loss tangent of the second bead filler (40) is smaller than the loss tangent of the rubber chafer (50).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakazu Amano, Masahiro Yabashi
  • Publication number: 20120160384
    Abstract: High wet braking performance is obtained without causing deterioration to other aspects of performance. Circumferential direction grooves 14 are configured with first groove portions 16 of zigzag shape formed at the road surface side and second groove portions 18 of straight line shape formed at the groove bottom side. Accordingly, an effect (edge effect) is effectively exhibited by the edges of the first groove portions 16 catching on the road surface when running on a comparatively shallow water depth. High wet braking performance is accordingly obtained. Water in the grooves flows smoothly due to the presence of the second groove portions 18 at the groove bottom side when running on a comparatively deep water depth. Reliable ground contact performance of the tread surface of the tread 12 to the road surface and high wet braking performance is accordingly obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masakazu Amano
  • Patent number: D722556
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Ataka Takei, Hiroyuki Katsuno, Satoshi Ishikawa, Yoshikage Sato, Koichi Ota, Shinsaku Katayama, Eisuke Seta, Yoshio Kaji, Masafumi Koide, Takayuki Kurata, Masakazu Amano
  • Patent number: D722557
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Ataka Takei, Hiroyuki Katsuno, Yoshikage Sato, Satoshi Ishikawa, Masakazu Amano, Koichi Ota, Eisuke Seta, Yoshio Kaji, Shinsaku Katayama, Masafumi Koide, Takayuki Kurata