Patents by Inventor Yuji Kodama

Yuji Kodama 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: 11787238
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a plurality of protrusion portions extending along a tire side surface of a tire side portion longitudinally intersecting a tire circumferential direction or a tire radial direction and being provided at intervals in the tire circumferential direction, and each of the protrusion portions includes an external contour that includes a plurality of main external contour portions having different curvatures, and a connection portion connecting between the main external contour portions, the external contour projecting from the tire side surface in a cross-sectional shape in a longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuji Kodama
  • Patent number: 11433715
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a plurality of protrusion portions extending along a tire side surface of a tire side portion in a direction that intersects a tire circumferential direction and a tire radial direction; the plurality of protrusion portions each including an intermediate portion in an extension direction that includes a highest position of projection height from the tire side surface, and an end portion on either side of the intermediate portion in the extension direction that includes a lowest position of projection height from the tire side surface. The highest position of projection height of the intermediate portion is in a range of 20% of a tire cross-sectional height from a tire maximum width position to an inner side and an outer side in the tire radial direction, and a ratio of a total width SW and an outer diameter OD satisfies a relationship of SW/OD?0.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuji Kodama
  • Patent number: 11420484
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a plurality of protrusion portions extending along a tire side surface of a tire side portion in a direction that intersects a tire circumferential direction and a tire radial direction. Each of the plurality of protrusion portions includes an intermediate portion and an end portion. The intermediate portion in an extension direction has a highest position of a projection height from the tire side surface. The end portion is provided on either end of the intermediate portion in the extension direction, and has a lowest position of the projection height from the tire side surface. The highest position of the projection height of the intermediate portion is disposed in a range of 20% of a tire cross-sectional height on an inner side and an outer side in the tire radial direction from a tire maximum width position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuji Kodama
  • Patent number: 11390123
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a longitudinal protrusion portion provided on at least one of tire side surfaces located on either side in a tire lateral direction, the longitudinal protrusion portion projecting from the tire side surface and extending along the tire side surface; and serration provided on the tire side surface in a region including an end portion of the longitudinal protrusion portion, the serration being formed of a plurality of small grooves arranged in parallel, and the plurality of small grooves being inclined with respect to a lateral centerline that passes through a center of the longitudinal protrusion portion in a width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi Sekine, Yuji Kodama, Noboru Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 11173753
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a plurality of protrusions that are provided in a range that includes the tire maximum width position of the tire side portion, and that extend in a direction intersecting the radial direction. The plurality of protrusions are separated from each other in the tire circumferential direction by spacings, pass through the center of rotation of the tire, and extend in the tire radial direction. In a case where a first straight line and a second straight line with different tire circumferential direction positions each cross the protrusions, a ratio of a sum of masses per unit length of the protrusions the first straight line crosses to a sum of masses per unit length of the protrusion the second straight line crosses is not less than 0.8 and not greater than 1.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Yuji Minami
  • Patent number: 11155124
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a plurality of protrusion portions extending along a tire side surface of a tire side portion in a direction that intersects a tire circumferential direction and a tire radial direction; the plurality of protrusion portions each including an intermediate portion in an extension direction that includes a highest position of projection height from the tire side surface, and tip portions on either side of the intermediate portion in the extension direction that include a lowest position of projection height from the tire side surface, at least the intermediate portion being only disposed outward of a tire maximum width position in the tire radial direction; and a ratio of a total width SW to an outer diameter OD satisfying the relationship SW/OD?0.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Inventor: Yuji Kodama
  • Patent number: 11155123
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a plurality of protrusion portions extending along a tire side surface of a tire side portion in a direction that intersects a tire circumferential direction and a tire radial direction; the plurality of protrusion portions each including an intermediate portion in an extension direction that includes a highest position of projection height from the tire side surface, and tip portions on either side of the intermediate portion in the extension direction that include a lowest position of projection height from the tire side surface; and the plurality of protrusion portions including a radially outer protrusion portion with at least the intermediate portion disposed outward of a tire maximum width position in the tire radial direction, and a radially inner protrusion portion with at least the intermediate portion disposed inward of the tire maximum width position in the tire radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Inventor: Yuji Kodama
  • Patent number: 11135876
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire including a belt layer. When the tread region indicates a region corresponding to a belt width of the belt layer and the side region indicates a region inward of a tire radial direction with respect to a tire maximum width position, the carcass cords forming the carcass layer are inclined with respect to the tire radial direction in the tread region, and at the same time, extend along the tire radial direction in the side region. The carcass cords forming the carcass layer and belt cords forming the belt layer cross with each other in the tread region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Inventors: Jun Matsuda, Yuji Satoh, Yuji Kodama
  • Patent number: 11104186
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a plurality of protrusion portions extending along a tire side surface of a tire side portion in a direction that intersects a tire circumferential direction and a tire radial direction; the plurality of protrusion portions each including an intermediate portion in an extension direction that includes a highest position of projection height from the tire side surface, and tip portions on either side of the intermediate portion in the extension direction that include a lowest position of projection height from the tire side surface, at least the intermediate portion being only disposed inward of a tire maximum width position in the tire radial direction; and a ratio of a total width (SW) to an outer diameter (OD) satisfying the relationship SW/OD?0.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Inventor: Yuji Kodama
  • Patent number: 11072208
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a plurality of protrusion portions extending along a tire side surface of a tire side portion in a direction that intersects a tire circumferential direction and a tire radial direction; the plurality of protrusion portions each including an intermediate portion in an extension direction that includes a highest position of a projection height from the tire side surface, and tip portions on either side of the intermediate portion in the extension direction that include a lowest position of the projection height from the tire side surface; and at least the intermediate portion being only disposed inward of a tire maximum width position in the tire radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Inventor: Yuji Kodama
  • Patent number: 11034189
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire. Both terminals of a carcass layer are overlapped with each other in a tread region. The carcass layer has a triple layer structure including an inner layer positioned most inward in a tire radial direction in the tread region, an outer layer positioned most outward in the tire radial direction in the tread region, and an intermediate layer positioned between the inner layer and the outer layer in the tread region. A cord angle in the carcass layer in a tread central region with respect to a tire circumferential direction differs in at least one of the inner layer, the outer layer, and the intermediate layer from a cord angle in the carcass layer in a side region with respect to the tire circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Inventors: Jun Matsuda, Yuji Satoh, Yuji Kodama
  • Patent number: 11014408
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire. One terminal of a carcass layer extends to a ground contact edge of a tread portion positioned on an opposite side with respect to a tire center line as a reference. The carcass layer has a double layer structure including an inner layer positioned inward in a tire radial direction in a tread region and an outer layer positioned outward in the tire radial direction of the inner layer in the tread region. A cord angle in the carcass layer in a tread central region with respect to a tire circumferential direction is different from a cord angle in at least one of the inner layer and the outer layer of the carcass layer in a side region with respect to the tire circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Inventors: Jun Matsuda, Yuji Satoh, Yuji Kodama
  • Publication number: 20210146732
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a plurality of protrusion portions extending along a tire side surface of a tire side portion longitudinally intersecting a tire circumferential direction or a tire radial direction and being provided at intervals in the tire circumferential direction, and each of the protrusion portions includes an external contour that includes a plurality of main external contour portions having different curvatures, and a connection portion connecting between the main external contour portions, the external contour projecting from the tire side surface in a cross-sectional shape in a longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventor: Yuji Kodama
  • Patent number: 10864779
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a plurality of protrusion portions extending along a tire side surface of a tire side portion in a direction that intersects a tire circumferential direction and a tire radial direction; the plurality of protrusion portions each including an intermediate portion in an extension direction that includes a highest position of projection height from the tire side surface, and tip portions on either side of the intermediate portion in the extension direction that include a lowest position of projection height from the tire side surface; and the plurality of protrusion portions including a radially outer protrusion portion with at least the intermediate portion disposed outward of a tire maximum width position in the tire radial direction, and a radially inner protrusion portion with at least the intermediate portion disposed inward of the tire maximum width position in the tire radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Inventor: Yuji Kodama
  • Patent number: 10857842
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire of the present technology includes: protrusions that are provided in a range including a maximum tire width position in a tire side portion, and extend in a direction that intersects a tire radial direction. The protrusions are provided having a space therebetween in a tire circumferential direction, pass through a center of rotation, extend in the tire radial direction and, when a first straight line and a second straight line each having different positions in the tire circumferential direction each traverse the protrusions, have a ratio of from 0.8 to 1.2, both inclusive, between a total mass per unit length for the protrusions traversed by the first straight line and a total mass per unit length for the protrusions traversed by the second straight line. A ratio between a total width SW and an outer diameter OD fulfills the relationship SW/OD?0.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Yuji Minami
  • Patent number: 10850573
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a plurality of protrusion portions extending along a tire side surface of a tire side portion in a direction that intersects a tire circumferential direction and a tire radial direction; the plurality of protrusion portions each including an intermediate portion in an extension direction that includes a highest position of projection height from the tire side surface, and tip portions on either side of the intermediate portion in the extension direction that include a lowest position of projection height from the tire side surface; and at least the intermediate portion being only disposed outward of a tire maximum width position in the tire radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuji Kodama
  • Publication number: 20200231011
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a longitudinal protrusion portion provided on at least one of tire side surfaces located on either side in a tire lateral direction, the longitudinal protrusion portion projecting from the tire side surface and extending along the tire side surface; and serration provided on the tire side surface in a region including an end portion of the longitudinal protrusion portion, the serration being formed of a plurality of small grooves arranged in parallel, and the plurality of small grooves being inclined with respect to a lateral centerline that passes through a center of the longitudinal protrusion portion in a width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi Sekine, Yuji Kodama, Noboru Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 10675919
    Abstract: A circumferential direction protrusion is provided extending longitudinally mainly along a tire circumferential direction on a side outward in a tire radial direction from a maximum tire width position on at least a first tire side portion of a tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Masataka Koishi, Kenichiro Endo
  • Patent number: 10675920
    Abstract: A circumferential direction protrusion is provided extending longitudinally mainly along a tire circumferential direction on a side outward in a tire radial direction from a maximum tire width position on at least a first tire side portion of a tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Masataka Koishi, Kenichiro Endo
  • Patent number: 10583700
    Abstract: A tire state monitoring system includes: tire state acquisition devices installed on tires of a host vehicle, each of the tire state acquisition devices being configured to acquire a tire state quantity; a monitoring device configured to receive an output signal from each of the tire state acquisition devices and perform predetermined processing; and an alerting device configured to issue an alert to a following vehicle. In addition, the monitoring device causes the alerting device to operate when a predetermined abnormality has arisen in the tire state quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Koji Nakatani