Patents by Inventor Minoru Nishi

Minoru Nishi 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: 10682890
    Abstract: A vehicle tire includes a tread portion provided in the tread surface with a circumferentially continuously extending groove having a bottom and a pair of opposite side walls, wherein at least one of the side walls is provided with protrusions protruding into the groove and arranged in the tire circumferential direction. The protrusion has a gradually increasing part in which the area of the cross section of the protrusion being parallel with the tread surface is gradually increased toward the radially outer side of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Okagawa, Tomoyuki Kujime, Minoru Nishi
  • Publication number: 20180086150
    Abstract: A vehicle tire includes a tread portion provided in the tread surface with a circumferentially continuously extending groove having a bottom and a pair of opposite side walls, wherein at least one of the side walls is provided with protrusions protruding into the groove and arranged in the tire circumferential direction. The protrusion has a gradually increasing part in which the area of the cross section of the protrusion being parallel with the tread surface is gradually increased toward the radially outer side of the tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi OKAGAWA, Tomoyuki KUJIME, Minoru NISHI
  • Patent number: 9636952
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic tire includes a tread portion provided with circumferentially extending zigzag shaped main grooves, a plurality of land portions separated by the main grooves, and a plurality of lateral grooves to form a plurality of block elements on each land portion. Each land portion comprises a number of pitches in a range of from 40 to 50, wherein each pitch consists of one block element and one lateral groove adjacent to the concerned block element. Each block element has a length in a range of from 85% to 95% of a length of the pitch. The main grooves include a crown main groove, a shoulder main groove, and a middle main groove. The middle main groove has a zigzag amplitude larger than those of the crown main groove and the shoulder main groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Taro Okabe, Makoto Igarashi, Minoru Nishi
  • Publication number: 20150191052
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic tire includes a tread portion provided with circumferentially extending zigzag shaped main grooves, a plurality of land portions separated by the main grooves, and a plurality of lateral grooves to form a plurality of block elements on each land portion. Each land portion comprises a number of pitches in a range of from 40 to 50, wherein each pitch consists of one block element and one lateral groove adjacent to the concerned block element. Each block element has a length in a range of from 85% to 95% of a length of the pitch. The main grooves include a crown main groove, a shoulder main groove, and a middle main groove. The middle main groove has a zigzag amplitude larger than those of the crown main groove and the shoulder main groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Taro OKABE, Makoto IGARASHI, Minoru NISHI
  • Patent number: 8794286
    Abstract: Pneumatic vehicle tire, in particular a run-flat tire, having a carcass, a tread, and two tire beads, having a respective bead core, which are provided for fixing the tire in an associated wheel rim by the fact that the beads overlap with the associated wheel rim. According to the invention, to avoid relative motion between the tire bead and the wheel rim when the tire is subjected to impact load, the bead is designed in such a way in the nonloaded state mounted on the wheel rim the bead does not overlap with the wheel rim in the contact region of the wheel rim flange above the bead core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignees: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Joachim Riegel, Minoru Nishi, Anton Haring
  • Publication number: 20100263779
    Abstract: Pneumatic vehicle tire, in particular a run-flat tire, having a carcass, a tread, and two tire beads, having a respective bead core, which are provided for fixing the tire in an associated wheel rim by the fact that the beads overlap with the associated wheel rim. According to the invention, to avoid relative motion between the tire bead and the wheel rim when the tire is subjected to impact load, the bead is designed in such a way in the nonloaded state mounted on the wheel rim the bead does not overlap with the wheel rim in the contact region of the wheel rim flange above the bead core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Joachim Riegel, Minoru Nishi, Anton Haring
  • Patent number: 7543616
    Abstract: A heavy duty tire has a tread portion 2 which is divided into five inner, intermediate and outer rib-like land portions R1, R2, R2, R3 and R3. The inner rib-like land portion R1 is virtudally divided into half regions R1a and R1a on each side of a tire equator. The intermediate rib-like land portions R2 and R3 are virtually divided into tire equator-side half regions R2c and R3c, and into ground-contact edge-side half regions R2e and R3e. In a regular ground-contact state in which a normal load is applied, when total sums of ground-contact load applied to the half regions R1a, R2c, R2e, R3c and R3e are defined as P1a, P2c, P2e, P3c and P3e, P2c/P1a is set to 0.9 to 1.05, P2e/P2c is set to 0.75 to 1.0, P3c/P2e is set to 0.9 to 1.2, and P3e/P3c is set to 0.8 to 1.1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoto Maruoka, Minoru Nishi, Atsushi Yamahira, Takahiro Kimishima, Satoshi Tsuda
  • Patent number: 7469731
    Abstract: In a ground-contact surface shape of a tire, when a tangent angle formed between an axial direction of the tire and a tangent X at each point P on a profile line of the tire is defined as ?, a tangent angle ?1 in a ground-contact end point Pd is 25° or smaller. When a minimum value of the tangent angle ? in a region Y which is separated away from a tire equator C by a distance in a range of not less than 0.4 times but not more than 0.7 times a half of the ground-contact width of the tread is defined as ?2, and a tangent angle at a 0.9 times point Pq which is separated away from the tire equator C by a distance of 0.9 times the half of the ground-contact width of the tread is defined as ?3, a difference (?3??2) is set in a range of not less than ?10° but not more than +10°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kuroki, Minoru Nishi, Takahiro Kimishima, Satoshi Tsuda, Jyunji Ohira, Mitsuharu Koya, Masakazu Washizuka
  • Patent number: 7387146
    Abstract: A heavy duty tire including bead portions each with a bead core, and a carcass ply containing a main portion extending between bead portions and a pair of edge portions wound around the bead cores, the wound edge portion including a turnback part extending axially inwardly from a position on the axially outside of the bead core and an auxiliary cord layer disposed on the radially outside of the turnback part, whereby the end of the turnback part is positioned at a distance of from 2.0 to 8.0 mm from the radially outer surface of the bead core. In a normally inflated unloaded state of the tire, the turnback part is curved such that the diameter of the turnback part decreases continuously from the end to the position in the axial outside of the bead core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyohito Maruoka, Minoru Nishi
  • Publication number: 20070113944
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions, a bead core disposed in each bead portion, a carcass comprising a ply of carcass cords extending between the bead portions through the tread portion and sidewall portions and turned up around the bead core in each bead portion, and an inner liner made of air-impermeable rubber extending on the tire cavity side of the carcass from one of the bead portions to the other. The radially inner end of the inner liner is located radially inside the radially innermost end of the carcass. In a radial region between the radially innermost end of the carcass and the radially outermost end of the bead core, the thickness of the inner liner is not less than 0.15 time but not more than 4.0 times the cross section diameter of the carcass cord.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2007
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ueyoko, Minoru Nishi, Kazuki Numata
  • Patent number: 7172002
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions, a bead core disposed in each bead portion, a carcass comprising a ply of carcass cords extending between the bead portions through the tread portion and sidewall portions and turned up around the bead core in each bead portion, and an inner liner made of air-impermeable rubber extending on the tire cavity side of the carcass from one of the bead portions to the other. The radially inner end of the inner liner is located radially inside the radially innermost end of the carcass. In a radial region between the radially innermost end of the carcass and the radially outermost end of the bead core, the thickness of the inner liner is not less than 0.15 time but not more than 4.0 times the cross section diameter of the carcass cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ueyoko, Minoru Nishi, Kazuki Numata
  • Patent number: 7165590
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic radial tire includes a carcass ply, in which a ply folding portion folding a bead core is successively disposed in a ply body. The ply folding portion includes a main portion folded along the bead core, and a winding-up portion extending continuously to the main portion and apart from the bead core. The winding-up portion extends with an inclination of an angle ? in a direction in which a diameter is increased inward in the tire axial direction, the angle ? being set to 20 to 65 degrees with respect to an upper surface in the radial direction of the bead core, a distance La from the upper surface in the radial direction of the bead core at the inner end point of the winding-up portion being set to 5 mm to 15 mm, and a distance Lb between the inner end point of the winding-up portion and the ply body being set to 1 mm to 5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Sugiyama, Minoru Nishi, Hirotoshi Ohtsuki
  • Patent number: 7152647
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion with tread edges, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions each with a bead core therein, and a carcass ply of cords comprising a main portion extending between the bead cores through the tread portion and sidewall portions and a wound portion wound around the bead core in each said bead portion from the inside to the outside of the tire, and an edge of the wound portion is disposed between the bead core and a bead apex rubber disposed radially outside the bead core to be secured therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyohito Maruoka, Minoru Nishi, Atsushi Yamahira
  • Patent number: 7152646
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heavy duty tire comprising a carcass comprising a carcass ply of cords extending between bead portions and turned up around a bead core in each bead portion from the inside to outside of the tire so as to form a pair of turnup portions and a main portion therebetween, and a bead reinforcing layer comprising at least one reinforcing ply of cords disposed of each said bead portion, wherein the turnup portion comprises a turnup main part extending an inner region inside a extension line obtained by extending a radially outer surface of the bead core, and a turnup sub part extending an outer region outside said extension line through a portion near the radially outer surface of said bead core, and wherein the reinforcing cord ply comprises a center portion extending along the radially inside the turnup main part, an axially outside portion extending from the center portion to the radially outside of the tire apart from said turnup portion, and an axially inside portion extend
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoto Maruoka, Minoru Nishi
  • Publication number: 20060249238
    Abstract: A heavy duty tire comprises bead portions (4) each with a bead core (5), and a carcass ply (6A) comprising a main portion (6a) extending between bead portions and a pair of edge portions (6b) winded around the bead cores (5), the winded edge portion (6b) comprises a turnback part (11) extending axially inwardly from a position (P0) on the axially outside of the bead core (5), an auxiliary cord layer (8) is disposed on the radially outside of the turnback part (11), whereby the end (11e) of the turnback part (11) is positioned at a distance (u1) of from 2.0 to 8.0 mm from the radially outer surface (su) of the bead core. In a normally inflated unloaded state of the tire, the turnback part (11) is curved such that the diameter of the turnback part (11) decreases continuously from the end (11e) to the position (P0).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Inventors: Kiyoto Maruoka, Minoru Nishi
  • Patent number: 7093630
    Abstract: A heavy duty radial tire which is provided with traverse grooves extending between the tread edges and longitudinal grooves extending between the traverse grooves so as to form shoulder blocks arranged along each of the tread edges and inner blocks each disposed on the axially inside of one of the shoulder blocks. The longitudinal grooves between the shoulder blocks and the inner blocks have a depth Dga of 0.7 to 1.0 times the depth Dy of the traverse grooves, and the longitudinal grooves are each inclined at an acute angle with respect to the circumferential direction to have an axial extent range Y whose axial width W1 is in a range of from 1.0 to 10.0 times the width Wga. In a cross section of the tire under a normally inflated unloaded condition, the tread profile is made up of a center profile Si and a shoulder profile So. The shoulder profile So extends continuously from each of the axial ends of the center profile Si through an inflection point P to one of the tread edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Kimishima, Satoshi Tsuda, Minoru Nishi
  • Patent number: 7036541
    Abstract: A standard grounding surface shape F0 becomes a maximum grounding length Lc at a tire equator C and becomes a shortest grounding length Lm between the tire equator C and a grounding edge TE. The shortest grounding length Lm is located in a region away from the tire equator C by a distance of 0.5 to 0.9 times of a tread half width TW. A rubber thickness t1 between the carcass cord and the belt cord is gradually increased outward in the axial direction of the tire from the tire equator, and the rubber thickness t1 in a half width position Q which is away from the tire equator by a distance of 0.55 times of the tread half width TW is set to 0.5 to 3.0 mm. A ratio t2q/t2c between a tread entire thickness t2c in the half width position Q and a tread entire thickness t2c in the tire equator is set to 1.01±0.05.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoto Maruoka, Minoru Nishi, Atsushi Yamahira, Satoshi Tsuda
  • Patent number: 6962183
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, a cord spacing between an axially outer cord layer and an axially inner cord layer such as: a turnup portion and a main portion of a carcass ply; or a bead reinforcing cord layer and a carcass ply turnup portion, is increased from the radially inside to the outside of the tire to improve the durability of the bead portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ueyoko, Tsuneyuki Nakagawa, Minoru Nishi, Tomoyasu Shibata, Kazumi Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20050109441
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic radial tire including a carcass ply, in which a ply folding portion folding a bead core is successively disposed in a ply body. The ply folding portion including a main portion folded along the bead core, and a winding-up portion extending continuously to the main portion and apart from the bead core. The winding-up portion extends with an inclination of an angle ? in a direction in which a diameter is increased inward in the tire axial direction in a state in which a tire is rimmed in a regular rim and an inner pressure of 50 kPa is filled, the angle ? being set to 20 to 65 degrees with respect to an upper surface in the radial direction of the bead core, a distance La from the upper surface in the radial direction of the bead core at the inner end point of the winding-up portion being set to 5 mm to 15 mm, and a distance Lb between the inner end point of the winding-up portion and the ply body being set to 1 mm to 5 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Sugiyama, Minoru Nishi, Hirotoshi Ohtsuki
  • Publication number: 20050081976
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heavy duty tire comprising a carcass comprising a carcass ply of cords extending between bead portions and turned up around a bead core in each bead portion from the inside to outside of the tire so as to form a pair of turnup portions and a main portion therebetween, and a bead reinforcing layer comprising at least one reinforcing ply of cords disposed of each said bead portion, wherein the turnup portion comprises a turnup main part extending an inner region inside a extension line obtained by extending a radially outer surface of the bead core, and a turnup sub part extending an outer region outside said extension line through a portion near the radially outer surface of said bead core, and wherein the reinforcing cord ply comprises a center portion extending along the radially inside the turnup main part, an axially outside portion extending from the center portion to the radially outside of the tire apart from said turnup portion, and an axially inside portion extending
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoto Maruoka, Minoru Nishi