Patents by Inventor Masataka Kubota

Masataka Kubota 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: 11590804
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes circumferential main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction and a land portion defined by the circumferential main grooves. The land portion includes a through lug groove that passes through the land portion in the tire lateral direction and includes first and second chamfered portions formed on left and right edge portions of the through lug groove. The first chamfered portion opens at one end to one of the edge portions of the land portion and terminates at the other end at a central portion in the groove length direction of the through lug groove. The second chamfered portion opens at one end portion to one of the edge portions of the land portion and terminates at the other end portion at a central portion in the groove length direction of the through lug groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Noboru Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 11420481
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a decorative portion on a tire side portion that is an outer surface of a sidewall portion. The decorative portion includes a plurality of ridges that extend along the tire side portion and are arranged side by side in the tire circumferential direction. The plurality of ridges include a common form of an inclination angle in the tire circumferential direction with respect to the tire radial direction and an interval between a pair of the plurality of ridges adjacent. The plurality of ridges constitute a ridge group. Three or more ridge groups are provided and the plurality of ridges of the different ridge groups are arranged intersecting one another. Accordingly, the pneumatic tire can reduce poor appearance of the sidewall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Noboru Kuwahara, Masataka Kubota
  • Publication number: 20210379935
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, among land portions located on both sides of a center circumferential main groove, a first land portion includes a first circumferential narrow groove, and a second land portion includes a second circumferential narrow groove; among regions defined by the first circumferential narrow groove in the first land portion, a side adjacent to the center circumferential main groove is defined as a first-land-portion first region, and the other side is defined as a first-land-portion second region; among regions defined by the second circumferential narrow groove in the second land portion, a side adjacent to the center circumferential main groove is defined as a second-land-portion first region, and the other side is defined as a second-land-portion second region; the first-land-portion first region and the second-land-portion first region have plane regions; and lateral grooves are formed in the first-land-portion second region and the second-land-portion second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Noboru Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 10981419
    Abstract: A ratio between the total width (SW) and outer diameter (OD) of a pneumatic tire, which has an asymmetrical pattern formed by grooves formed on a tread part, satisfies SW/OD?0.3. Given a ground contact width (CW) in a ground contact region in the tread part, a groove area ratio (GR), and a groove area ratio (GRi) of a tire inner side region (Ai), which spans from a tire equator line (CL) to the vehicle side in the ground contact region, and a groove area ratio (GRo) of a tire outer side region (Ao), which spans from the tire equator line to the opposite side of the vehicle side in the ground contact region, the ground contact region is formed to satisfy 0.75?CW/SW?0.9, 10?GR?25%, and GRi<GRo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Yuji Minami
  • Patent number: 10759228
    Abstract: To provide a pneumatic tire with improved performance and balance in terms of fuel efficiency, steering stability performance and wear life. The total width SW, outside diameter OD, tread groove depth Ga, center groove depth Gc and shoulder groove depth Gs satisfy the relationships SW/OD?0.3, Ga?0.02×SW+2.5 and Gc>Gs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Yuji Minami
  • Patent number: 10730348
    Abstract: The present technology pertains to a pneumatic tire (1) comprising: a pair of bead portions (2); sidewall portions (3) connected to the pair of bead portions; and a tread portion (10) connected to the sidewall portions. A ratio between a total width (SW) and an outer diameter (OD) of the pneumatic tire satisfies the relationship SW/OD?0.3. Moreover, if the length along a tread profile (12) from a first side second reference point (Q1) to a second side second reference point (Q2) is the developed tread width (TDW), and an angle formed between a straight line that connects the second reference points and the profile center (cc), and a straight line parallel to the tire width direction is an amount of depression (?), the following relationships are satisfied: 0.8?TDW/SW<1, and 1.5°???4.5°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Minami, Masataka Kubota
  • Publication number: 20200130422
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a decorative portion on a tire side portion that is an outer surface of a sidewall portion. The decorative portion includes a plurality of ridges that extend along the tire side portion and are arranged side by side in the tire circumferential direction. The plurality of ridges include a common form of an inclination angle in the tire circumferential direction with respect to the tire radial direction and an interval between a pair of the plurality of ridges adjacent. The plurality of ridges constitute a ridge group. Three or more ridge groups are provided and the plurality of ridges of the different ridge groups are arranged intersecting one another. Accordingly, the pneumatic tire can reduce poor appearance of the sidewall portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru KUWAHARA, Masataka KUBOTA
  • Patent number: 10525772
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a pneumatic tire in which the ratio of the total width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfies SW/OD?0.3, and grooves are provided on the tread portion. In the ground contact region of the tread portion, when the groove area ratio in the ground contact area is GR, the ground contact width is W, the region having a width of 50% of the ground contact width W and the tire equatorial plane as center is the center region, the groove area ratio in the center region is GCR, the ground contact region on the outer side in the tire width direction of the center region is the shoulder region, and the groove area ratio in the shoulder region is GSR, the ground contact region of the tread portion is formed to satisfy 10%?GR?25% and GCR>GSR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Minami, Masataka Kubota
  • Publication number: 20200001654
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes circumferential main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction and a land portion defined by the circumferential main grooves. The land portion includes a through lug groove that passes through the land portion in the tire lateral direction and includes first and second chamfered portions formed on left and right edge portions of the through lug groove. The first chamfered portion opens at one end to one of the edge portions of the land portion and terminates at the other end at a central portion in the groove length direction of the through lug groove. The second chamfered portion opens at one end portion to one of the edge portions of the land portion and terminates at the other end portion at a central portion in the groove length direction of the through lug groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Noboru Kuwahara
  • Publication number: 20190389255
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, an inner shoulder land portion includes shoulder lug grooves that extend in the tire lateral direction. Additionally, an inner second land portion includes the through lug groove that extends through the inner second land portion in the tire lateral direction. A center land portion includes a single circumferential narrow groove extending in the tire circumferential direction and center lug grooves that each open at one end portion to the edge portion on the vehicle width direction inner side of the center land portion and terminate at the other end portion, communicating with a circumferential narrow groove. The shoulder lug groove, the through lug groove, and the center lug groove form one communication lug groove extending continuously from a tire ground contact edge toward a tire equatorial plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Noboru Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 10486470
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a pneumatic tire in which the ratio of the total width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfies SW/OD?0.3, and grooves are provided on the tread portion. In the ground contact region of the tread portion, when the groove area ratio with respect to the ground contact area is GR, the ground contact width is W, the region having a width of 50% of the ground contact width W and the tire equatorial line as center is the center region, the groove area ratio in the center region is GCR, the ground contact region on the outer side in the tire width direction of the center region is the shoulder region, and the groove area ratio in the shoulder region is GSR, the ground contact region of the tread portion is formed to satisfy 10%?GR?25% and GCR?GSR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Yuji Minami
  • Patent number: 9884518
    Abstract: The present technology pertains to a pneumatic tire having an asymmetrical pattern, which is formed by grooves, formed on a tread portion. A ratio SW/OD between the total width SW and the outer diameter OD of the pneumatic tire satisfies SW/OD?0.3. A groove area ratio in a ground contact region G in the tread portion is GR, and a range from a tire equator line CL to the vehicle side in the ground contact region is a tire inside region Ai and the groove area ratio in the tire inside region Ai is GRi, and a range from the tire equator line CL to the opposite side of the vehicle side in the ground contact region is a tire outside region Ao and the groove area ratio in the tire outside region Ao is GRo, the ground contact region satisfies 10%?GR?25%, GRo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Minami, Masataka Kubota
  • Publication number: 20160176233
    Abstract: To provide a pneumatic tire with improved performance and balance in terms of fuel efficiency, steering stability performance and wear life. The total width SW, outside diameter OD, tread groove depth Ga, center groove depth Gc and shoulder groove depth Gs satisfy the relationships SW/OD?0.3, Ga?0.02×SW+2.5 and Gc>Gs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Yuji Minami
  • Publication number: 20160052341
    Abstract: The present technology pertains to a pneumatic tire (1) comprising: a pair of bead portions (2); sidewall portions (3) connected to the pair of bead portions; and a tread portion (10) connected to the sidewall portions. A ratio between a total width (SW) and an outer diameter (OD) of the pneumatic tire satisfies the relationship SW/OD?0.3. Moreover, if the length along a tread profile (12) from a first side second reference point (Q1) to a second side second reference point (Q2) is the developed tread width (TDW), and an angle formed between a straight line that connects the second reference points and the profile center (cc), and a straight line parallel to the tire width direction is an amount of depression (?), the following relationships are satisfied: 0.8?TDW/SW<1, and 1.5°???4.5°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Minami, Masataka Kubota
  • Publication number: 20160009137
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire (1) in which the ratio of the total width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfies “SW/OD?0.3”, and grooves are provided on the tread portion (10). In the ground contact region (G) of the tread portion, when the groove area ratio with respect to the ground contact area is GR, the ground contact width is W, the region having a width of 50% of the ground contact width W and the tire equatorial line (CL) as center is the center region (AC), the groove area ratio in the center region is GCR, the ground contact region on the outer side in the tire width direction of the center region is the shoulder region (AS), and the groove area ratio in the shoulder region is GSR, the ground contact region of the tread portion is formed to satisfy “10%?GR?25%” and “GCR?GSR”.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Yuji Minami
  • Publication number: 20160001599
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a pneumatic tire in which the ratio of the total width SW and the outer diameter OD satisfies SW/OD?0.3, and grooves are provided on the tread portion. In the ground contact region of the tread portion, when the groove area ratio in the ground contact area is GR, the ground contact width is W, the region having a width of 50% of the ground contact width W and the tire equatorial plane as center is the center region, the groove area ratio in the center region is GCR, the ground contact region on the outer side in the tire width direction of the center region is the shoulder region, and the groove area ratio in the shoulder region is GSR, the ground contact region of the tread portion is formed to satisfy 10%?GR?25% and GCR>GSR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Yuji Minami, Masataka Kubota
  • Publication number: 20160001604
    Abstract: The present technology pertains to a pneumatic tire having an asymmetrical pattern, which is formed by grooves, formed on a tread portion. A ratio SW/OD between the total width SW and the outer diameter OD of the pneumatic tire satisfies SW/OD?0.3. A groove area ratio in a ground contact region G in the tread portion is GR, and a range from a tire equator line CL to the vehicle side in the ground contact region is a tire inside region Ai and the groove area ratio in the tire inside region Ai is GRi, and a range from the tire equator line CL to the opposite side of the vehicle side in the ground contact region is a tire outside region Ao and the groove area ratio in the tire outside region Ao is GRo, the ground contact region satisfies 10%?GR?25%, GRo.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Minami, Masataka Kubota
  • Publication number: 20160001603
    Abstract: A ratio between the total width (SW) and outer diameter (OD) of a pneumatic tire, which has an asymmetrical pattern formed by grooves formed on a tread part, satisfies SW/OD?0.3. Given a ground contact width (CW) in a ground contact region in the tread part, a groove area ratio (GR), and a groove area ratio (GRi) of a tire inner side region (Ai), which spans from a tire equator line (CL) to the vehicle side in the ground contact region, and a groove area ratio (GRo) of a tire outer side region (Ao), which spans from the tire equator line to the opposite side of the vehicle side in the ground contact region, the ground contact region is formed to satisfy 0.75?CW/SW?0.9, 10?GR?25%, and GRi<GRo.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: The Yokhama Rubber Co., LTD
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Yuji Minami
  • Patent number: D836533
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Noboru Kuwahara
  • Patent number: D853950
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Kubota, Noboru Kuwahara