Patents by Inventor Naofumi KITANI

Naofumi KITANI 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: 11926181
    Abstract: A tire 2 includes a reinforcing layer 20 located between a tread 4 and a carcass 12. The reinforcing layer 20 includes a band 38 and a belt 40. The band 38 includes a full band 42 and a pair of edge bands 44. The full band 42 has an end 42e located axially outward of a shoulder circumferential groove 28s. The belt 40 includes a third belt ply 46C located radially inward of the pair of edge bands 44. A distance Y between each edge band 44 and the full band 42 or the third belt ply 46C is not less than 2.2 mm and not greater than 4.0 mm. A ratio of a tire thickness E at an end PE of a tread surface 22 to a tire thickness D at an equator plane is not less than 1.2 and not greater than 2.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Naofumi Kitani
  • Patent number: 11780268
    Abstract: A tyre includes a tread portion being provided with a pair of shoulder circumferential grooves on an outer surface thereof and a tread reinforcing layer disposed in the tread portion. The tread reinforcing layer includes a circumferential belt layer having a plurality of first reinforcing cords oriented along a tyre circumferential direction. The circumferential belt layer includes a pair of axially spaced first circumferential belt plies extending in radially inner regions of the pair of shoulder circumferential grooves. The pair of first circumferential belt plies is arranged apart from one another at a distance L equal to or more than 20 mm in a tyre axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Naofumi Kitani
  • Publication number: 20230141597
    Abstract: A tire 2 includes a reinforcing layer 20 located between a tread 4 and a carcass 12. The reinforcing layer 20 includes a band 38 and a belt 40. The band 38 includes a full band 42 and a pair of edge bands 44. The full band 42 has an end 42e located axially outward of a shoulder circumferential groove 28s. The belt 40 includes a third belt ply 46C located radially inward of the pair of edge bands 44. A distance Y between each edge band 44 and the full band 42 or the third belt ply 46C is not less than 2.2 mm and not greater than 4.0 mm. A ratio of a tire thickness E at an end PE of a tread surface 22 to a tire thickness D at an equator plane is not less than 1.2 and not greater than 2.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Naofumi KITANI
  • Publication number: 20220080776
    Abstract: A tire 2 has a nominal aspect ratio of 65% or less. The tire 2 includes a tread 4 and a reinforcing layer 20. The reinforcing layer 20 includes a belt 38 including a large number of belt cords 44 aligned with each other, and a band 40 including a spirally wound band cord 52. The belt 38 includes a plurality of belt plies 42 aligned in a radial direction. The band 40 includes a full band 48 having ends 48e opposed to each other across an equator plane CL, and a pair of edge bands 50 located outward of the ends 48e of the full band 48 in the radial direction. In an axial direction, each end 48e of the full band 48 is located outward of a shoulder circumferential groove 28s formed on the tread 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventor: Naofumi KITANI
  • Publication number: 20210245550
    Abstract: A tyre includes a tread portion being provided with a pair of shoulder circumferential grooves on an outer surface thereof and a tread reinforcing layer disposed in the tread portion. The tread reinforcing layer includes a circumferential belt layer having a plurality of first reinforcing cords oriented along a tyre circumferential direction. The circumferential belt layer includes a pair of axially spaced first circumferential belt plies extending in radially inner regions of the pair of shoulder circumferential grooves. The pair of first circumferential belt plies is arranged apart from one another at a distance L equal to or more than 20 mm in a tyre axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naofumi KITANI
  • Patent number: 11040573
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion. The tread portion includes two main grooves extending continuously in a tire circumferential direction and a land region defined between the two main grooves. The two main grooves extend in a zigzag manner with phases thereof aligned with each other. The land region is provided with a longitudinal sipe extending in the tire circumferential direction in a zigzag manner with a phase thereof opposite to the phases of the zigzags of the two main grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Naofumi Kitani
  • Patent number: 10703144
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion 2 provided with a first main groove 3 and a second main groove 4 each extending in a zigzag manner and a land region 10 defined between them. The land region 10 is provided with a longitudinal sipe 15 extending in a zigzag manner in the tire circumferential direction, first lug grooves 16, and second lug grooves 17. The land region 10 comprises first blocks 21 divided by the longitudinal sipe 15 and the first lug grooves 16, and second blocks 22 divided by the longitudinal sipe 15 and the second lug grooves 17. Each of the first blocks 21 and the second blocks 22 is provided with not less than three transverse sipes 25 extending across the entire width of the each of the first blocks 21 and the second blocks 22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventor: Naofumi Kitani
  • Patent number: 10124628
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic tire 1 comprises a tread portion 2 provided with a crown land portion 6 formed between a center main groove 3 and a middle main groove 4 and having an axial width varying periodically in the tire circumferential direction. The center main groove 3 comprises first oblique groove segments 3A inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction to one axial direction at an angle, and second oblique groove segments 3B inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction to the other axial direction at an angle less than the angle of the first oblique groove segments. The crown land portion 6 is divided into hexagonal crown blocks 11 by crown lateral grooves 9 extending between axially inwardly protruding zigzag vertex portions of the center main groove 3 and axially outwardly protruding zigzag vertex portions of the middle main groove 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naofumi Kitani, Atsushi Maehara
  • Publication number: 20180186193
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion. The tread portion includes two main grooves extending continuously in a tire circumferential direction and a land region defined between the two main grooves. The two main grooves extend in a zigzag manner with phases thereof aligned with each other. The land region is provided with a longitudinal sipe extending in the tire circumferential direction in a zigzag manner with a phase thereof opposite to the phases of the zigzags of the two main grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naofumi Kitani
  • Publication number: 20170368886
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion 2 provided with a first main groove 3 and a second main groove 4 each extending in a zigzag manner and a land region 10 defined between them. The land region 10 is provided with a longitudinal sipe 15 extending in a zigzag manner in the tire circumferential direction, first lug grooves 16, and second lug grooves 17. The land region 10 comprises first blocks 21 divided by the longitudinal sipe 15 and the first lug grooves 16, and second blocks 22 divided by the longitudinal sipe 15 and the second lug grooves 17. Each of the first blocks 21 and the second blocks 22 is provided with not less than three transverse sipes 25 extending across the entire width of the each of the first blocks 21 and the second blocks 22.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Naofumi KITANI
  • Publication number: 20160193883
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic tire 1 comprises a tread portion 2 provided with a crown land portion 6 formed between a center main groove 3 and a middle main groove 4 and having an axial width varying periodically in the tire circumferential direction. The center main groove 3 comprises first oblique groove segments 3A inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction to one axial direction at an angle, and second oblique groove segments 3B inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction to the other axial direction at an angle less than the angle of the first oblique groove segments. The crown land portion 6 is divided into hexagonal crown blocks 11 by crown lateral grooves 9 extending between axially inwardly protruding zigzag vertex portions of the center main groove 3 and axially outwardly protruding zigzag vertex portions of the middle main groove 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naofumi KITANI, Atsushi MAEHARA
  • Patent number: D818935
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Inventor: Naofumi Kitani