With Electrical Conducting Means Patents (Class 152/152.1)
  • Patent number: 11932059
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire (1) having: a toroidal carcass (2), which consists of a body ply (3) partially collapsed onto itself and therefore having two lateral flaps; two annular beads (4), each of which is surrounded by the body ply (3) and has a bead core (5) and a bead filler (6); an annular tread (7); a pair of sidewalls (11) arranged externally to the body ply (3) between the tread (7) and the beads (4); a pair of abrasion gum strips (12) arranged externally to the body ply (3) under the sidewalls (13) and at the beads (4); and a transponder (13) which is arranged in contact with the body ply (3) at a flap of the body ply (3) and is located below an edge (19) of the body ply (3) between the edge (19) of the body ply (3) and the bead (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Bridgestone Europe NV/SA
    Inventors: Marco Pedrinelli, Emiliano Sabetti, Mauro Mirabile, Emanuele Rosa
  • Patent number: 11897293
    Abstract: The environmental footprint of a tire for a construction plant vehicle is improved. To do so, the elastomer compounds derived from non-fossil resources represent a mass content greater than or equal to 65% of the total mass of the compounds of the tire, at least 75% of the total mass of the compounds of the tire is made up of elastomer compounds each of which has a viscoelastic loss, measured in terms of tan(?), less than or equal to 0.065, and an electrical resistivity greater than or equal to 1E+10 ‘?·cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Thierry Royer, Patricia Lagarde
  • Patent number: 11820173
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire including a pair of bead portions; at least one carcass layer extending between the pair of bead portions; a belt layer disposed outward of the carcass layer in a tire radial direction; a tread rubber disposed outward of the belt layer in the tire radial direction; a pair of sidewall rubbers disposed outward of the carcass layer in a tire lateral direction; and an electrically conductive portion extending between the pair of bead portions and having at least one separation portion, the electrically conductive portion having a linear structure, the linear structure including an electrically conductive linear member formed in a linear shape by molding an electrically conductive material with an electrical resistivity of less than 1×10{circumflex over (?)}8 ?/cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hata, Hidekazu Ishii
  • Patent number: 11766900
    Abstract: A tire includes at least one annular structure configured to interface with a wheel. The tire also includes a circumferential tread disposed in a crown region of the tire and an intermediate elastomeric layer having a conductive bleeder cord. The conductive bleeder cord extends from the annular structure to at least a middle third of a tread width and includes a metallic component that conducts electric charge and a textile component that permits gas evacuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher R. Baker, Ruben L. Madrid, Justin M. Gehres, Kathleen A. Clemmer
  • Patent number: 11679571
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a tire (1) equipped with a communication module (20) consists in successively, and in the order required by the architecture of said tire, laying rubber products, notably profiled elements (50) and reinforcing elements on a given support in order to yield a green tire (1), then in vulcanizing the green tire to yield a tire (1), wherein, prior to laying one of the rubber profiled elements (50) on the green tire, a slot (52) is created starting from a surface of the rubber profiled element (50) and the communication module (20) is introduced into the slot (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Luc Bestgen, Henri Hinc, Severine Glibert
  • Patent number: 11560088
    Abstract: Tire or wheel for use on a vehicle, machine, equipment, toy or the like. The tire or wheel has an illuminable feature including at least one optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Inventor: Matthew David Weirich
  • Patent number: 11541691
    Abstract: A method for forming a composite tread, the method comprising the steps of: forming a coextruded strip of a first compound and a second compound, wherein the first compound is a tread compound, and the second compound is formed from a second compound, wherein the tread is formed from winding the coextruded strip onto the tire building drum while varying the ratio of the first compound to the second compound
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Hongbing Chen, Christopher David Dyrlund, Adam Mark Baldan, Elizabeth Amelia Rogenski
  • Patent number: 11376897
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire is described as having one or more electrical conductive strips for discharging electrical build up in the tire. The electrical conductive strips provide a static electricity conductive path from the tire rim to a ground-contacting surface. The strips are arranged around the outer surface of the tire from a first bead portion to a second bead portion. The strips can lay over the outer surface of the sidewalls and the tire tread. As positioned over the tire tread, a portion of the electrical conductive strip remains in contact with the ground as the tread wears during use to provide continued dissipation of static electricity away from the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy F. Robinson, Robert W. Asper
  • Patent number: 11338624
    Abstract: A tire includes: a bead core; a bead filler which extends to an outer side in the tire-radial direction of the bead core; a carcass ply which extends from the bead core to another bead core, and folded back around the bead core; a first rubber sheet which covers a folding end of the carcass ply folded back from an inner side in the tire-width direction; and a second rubber sheet which covers the folding end of the carcass ply folded back from an outer side in the tire-width direction, in which an electronic component is provided between the first rubber sheet and the second rubber sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Toyo Tire Corporation
    Inventor: Harunobu Suita
  • Patent number: 11303193
    Abstract: A device for converting bends of a body to electricity, that is designed to be fixed to the body, that includes an electromagnetic device with a coil and a core, a magnet and a converter that is designed to convert bending of the body to a movement of the magnet relative to the electromagnetic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Inventors: Dan Haronian, Michael Haronian
  • Patent number: 11260705
    Abstract: A flexible sensor unit is embedded in a tire. The flexible sensor unit includes a plurality of individual circuit boards. Each circuit board includes at least one electronic component. The at least one electronic component includes a radio frequency identification integrated circuit, a microcontroller unit, at least one sensor, a power source and a boost converter. Each one of a plurality of electrically conductive flexible connecting ribbons extends between the circuit boards. An end ribbon is electrically connected to at least one of the circuit boards. An antenna is disposed on the end ribbon. The antenna transmits data from the at least one sensor, as processed by the microcontroller unit, and identification data from the radio frequency identification integrated circuit, to an external reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Todd James Spencer, Gregory Alan Schessler, Ryan Michael Schmidt, Benjamin John Iverson, Xiaoping Yang
  • Patent number: 11155127
    Abstract: A tire pressure monitoring unit is mounted on a vehicle wheel having a pressure and acceleration sensor. A method for assigning wheel positions includes pressure and acceleration data determined from the sensors. The pressure data and at least one piece of information derived from the acceleration data are transmitted wirelessly in a data telegram together with a characteristic identifier. Information concerning the reliability of the information derived from the acceleration data is acquired in the tire pressure monitoring unit on the basis of the measurements and is transmitted with the data telegram. A central evaluation unit considers a plurality of data telegrams and, taking account of data from the ABS sensors, assigns the individual tire pressure monitoring units to wheel positions. Data telegrams in which the reliability is higher receive a greater weighting, and data telegrams in which the reliability is smaller receive a smaller weighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: HUF BAOLONG ELECTRONICS BRETTEN GMBH
    Inventors: Markus Alexander, Markus Wagner
  • Patent number: 11142028
    Abstract: A tire monitoring system electronic unit suitable for being mounted either on the tire inflation valve or on the internal surface of the tire. The system includes electronics for managing the electronic unit including sensors for measuring parameters of the tire, a microprocessor and a supply battery, and an antenna configured to be mountable on the management electronics; a way of securing the antenna and the electronic managing device to each other; the management electronics thus forming a common base capable of being used with an antenna that can be adapted to the intended location of the electronic unit, either on the tire inflation valve or on the internal surface of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Jérémy Mieyan
  • Patent number: 11046125
    Abstract: The present invention describes a tire, which shows the insertion of a passive UHF RFID tag at its moment of manufacture, in which said tag is affixed on top of the metallic part of the referred tire, more specifically on the bead rim, with the purpose of reducing the mechanical stress of the tire in question and allowing its tracking in the manufacturing chain since its first manufacturing stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignees: CEITEC—CENTRO NACIONAL DE TECNOLOGIA ELETRONICA AVANÇADA S.A., PIRELLI PNEUS LTDA
    Inventors: Guilherme Petry Breier, Ismael Trindade Fraga, Eric Ericson Fabris, Marcos Tadeu de Lorenzi, Guilherme Berzagui, Roberto Falkenstein, Roberto Tadayuki Yamada, Adiel Moura Nunes Bittencourt, Davi Menezes Lopes, Paulo de Tarso Mendes Luna
  • Patent number: 10974553
    Abstract: A tire casing is equipped with a radiofrequency transponder and includes a crown, two sidewalls and two beads, each bead including at least one annular bead wire revolving around a reference axis, at least one annular carcass ply, coaxial with the reference axis anchored in the beads separating the tire casing into two zones, inside and outside the carcass ply. The radiofrequency transponder comprises at least one electronic chip and a radiating radiocommunication antenna and is positioned radially externally in relation to said bead wire, characterized in that the radiofrequency transponder comprises a primary antenna electrically connected to the electronic chip, in that the primary antenna is electromagnetically coupled to the radiating antenna, and in that the radiating antenna is formed by a strand helical spring defining a first longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Julien Destraves, Annabel Tourenne, Sebastien Noel, Jean-Mathieu Clergeat, Isabelle Aldon
  • Patent number: 10933701
    Abstract: A wheel for a vehicle includes a tyre and a rim for supporting the tyre. A chamber is defined between the tyre and the rim for receiving pressurized air. The wheel further includes a detecting device located inside the chamber for detecting presence of water in the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Alessandro Benevelli, Riccardo Morselli
  • Patent number: 10919344
    Abstract: The RF tag known in the art incorporated in a tire has a problem that it can easily get distorted when the stresses occurring in the running tire converge on its vicinity. The present invention provides a tire (1) configured to prevent distortion from occurring in the RF tag (50) incorporated therein. The tire (1) includes an RF tag structure (50A) which is constructed of the RF tag (50) covered with a coating rubber (51). The modulus of elasticity of the coating rubber (51) is higher than that of the rubbers of the adjacent members (13, 32) located adjacently on the respective axial sides of the coating rubber (51).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daisuke Tamura
  • Patent number: 10894451
    Abstract: An assembly for mounting an electronics package to a tire includes an electronics package, a mount with a peripheral flange, and an attachment patch. The electronics package is connected to the mount, which is in contact with the tire. The attachment patch is connected to the mount and includes a central opening that is smaller than the peripheral flange. The attachment patch is further affixed to the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Terence E. Wei, Thomas A. Sams
  • Patent number: 10894449
    Abstract: A tire includes a body ply sheet having a rubber core defined by a top surface having a length and a width, a bottom surface having substantially the same length and width, and side surfaces having a common height. The rubber core is further defined by a top rubber layer and a bottom rubber layer. The body ply sheet includes reinforcement cords disposed between the top rubber layer and the bottom rubber layer. The reinforcement cords are spaced 0.1-4.0 mm apart from each other and span the width of the body ply sheet. Bleeder cords are disposed on the body ply sheet and spaced 8-12 cm apart from each other. Conductive cords are also disposed on the body ply and spaced 20-80 cm apart from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Russell A. Moser, David J. Zemla, Amy M. Randall, Ross W. Widenor, Benjamin C. Galizio, Kathleen A. Clemmer, Andrew J. Svenson, Justin M. Gehres, Ruben L. Madrid, Anup D. Khekare, Seth M. Miller
  • Patent number: 10875366
    Abstract: A tire pressure sensor device (122) for a wheel (112) of an aircraft (102) including a pressure sensor (124) for measuring the internal pressure of a tire, a temperature sensor (126) for measuring a temperature local to the tire (116), a memory unit (131) local to the tire for storing data, and a control unit (128) local to the tire arranged to record in the memory unit (131) data of the readings taken at intervals of time. The data recorded for each reading includes an indication of the time of the reading, the tire pressure and the temperature local to the tire. Measurements may be taken and recorded over time, both when the aircraft is on the ground and when the aircraft is in flight. Data may be uploaded to a portable handheld device (140) for analysis when maintaining the tires in their correctly inflated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: Andrew Raymond Bill
  • Patent number: 10850574
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes: a rim cushion rubber disposed in a bead portion where the bead portion and a rim are in contact with each other; an electrically conductive rubber disposed in the rim cushion rubber, the electrically conductive rubber having an electrical resistance value lower than that of the rim cushion rubber, and including a first end exposed on an outer surface of the rim cushion rubber in contact with the rim, and a second end disposed in contact with a tire component adjacent to the rim cushion rubber; and an ground tread rubber disposed in a tread portion passing through a cap tread rubber and an undertread rubber of the tread portion, the ground tread rubber having an electrical resistance value lower than that of the cap tread rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Inventor: Isamu Kishizoe
  • Patent number: 10836222
    Abstract: Tire mounted sensors have controlled orientation with respect to a direction of vehicle travel when fitted to a tire of the vehicle. The tire mounted sensor includes a sensor housing containing a pressure and/or other type of sensor and electronic components which is inserted into a sensor mount attached to the tire. Controlling the orientation of the orientation-sensitive components relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle is achieved by indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle on the sensor mount. Controlling the orientation of the sensor housing within the sensor mount, preferably in all six axes of freedom, is achieved by an orientation key or asymmetrical feature on the sensor mount that corresponds to a mating feature on the sensor housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: William D. Stewart, Samuel K. Strahan, Dominic Douglas
  • Patent number: 10792960
    Abstract: An article that experiences repeated deformation includes an electronic component as an inclusion. The article includes at least one structural element, in which the structural element includes a material. At least one electronic component is incorporated into the material as an inclusion. The electronic component includes an integrated circuit and may also include at least one sensor and an antenna. The size of the electronic inclusion is no greater than the largest inclusion typically occurring within the material. The article may be an article formed of rubber, such as a tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Carl Trevor Ross Pulford, Michael Chris Varley, Justin Yinket Che, Cheng-Hsiung Lin
  • Patent number: 10780750
    Abstract: Method of determining the footprint of a tire on the ground, using devices already installed in standard production tires. Since the frequency of the transmitter clock present in a wheel unit is perturbed by mechanical vibrations when the tire contacts the ground, the frequency variations of the reference clock are representative of the value of the footprint. The method therefore includes determining the footprint on the ground of a tire of a wheel by measuring continuously, as a function of time, a signal representative of the variations in frequency of the reference clock supplied at the output of the time control device; determining a time interval during which the frequency variations of the reference clock occur; and, on the basis of the rotation speed of the tire, deducing therefrom an angular range of contact (?) corresponding to the footprint between the ends representing the ground contact length of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Rachid Benbouhout, Jean-Christophe Bouthinon
  • Patent number: 10759230
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire has at least a tread with an outer tread cap with a profiled tread surface, an inner tread base and at least one electrically conductive conductivity strip. The conductivity strip extends in a radial direction from the tread base, through the tread cap, to the tread surface. The tire further includes an electrically non-conductive belt bandage arranged under the tread base and the belt bandage has a multiplicity of gaps, a multi-ply belt, a carcass and side walls. The gaps in the belt bandage are filled with an electrically conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL REIFEN DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Axel Binder, Gerrit Bolz
  • Patent number: 10688837
    Abstract: A tire-mounted sensor fixed to an inner wall of a tire includes: a sensor holding member including a sensor as a built-in sensor for detecting a physical amount applied to the tire and having a sensor terminal being exposed, a base portion as an attachment surface attached to the tire; and a sensor device being detachable from the sensor holding member including a controller receiving an input of a detection result of the sensor and performing signal processing, a transmitter transmitting information according to the detection result of the sensor acquired by the signal processing at the controller, and a terminal inputting the detection result of the sensor to the controller which is being exposed to have an electrical connection to the sensor terminal when the sensor device is attached to the sensor holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Mori, Takatoshi Sekizawa
  • Patent number: 10654995
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire comprising a tread, the tread comprising a rubber composition comprising from 30 to 80 phr of a styrene-butadiene rubber having a Tg ranging from ?70 C to ?40 C, from 10 to 50 phr of a high vinyl polybutadiene having a Tg ranging from ?40 C to ?5 C and has an isomeric vinyl 1,2 content in a range of from 50 to 90 percent by weight, and from 10 to 30 phr of a natural rubber or synthetic polyisoprene, silica, a blocked mercaptosilane, a traction resin, and liquid plasticizer selected from the group consisting of a low molecular weight polybutadiene functionalized with a hydroxyl functional group and sunflower oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Luisa Fernanda Munoz Mejia, Christian Jean-Marie Kaes, Bodo Ahrens, William Alain Talbot, Eric Engeldinger, Manuela Pompei, Philippe Schmit, Jérôme Joel Daniel Delville
  • Patent number: 10647164
    Abstract: A radar-based-sensing system for a tire includes a plurality of sensors disposed circumferentially around a tire annulus. Each sensor in the plurality of sensors is permanently disposed within the tire annulus. Each sensor in the plurality of sensors is further disposed radially above any metal structures within the tire annulus. Each sensor in the plurality of sensors emits waves and senses reflected waves when rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Terence E. Wei, Paul B. Wilson
  • Patent number: 10627303
    Abstract: A pressure measurement device includes a pressure sensor including a printed circuit card having a portion that is to be subjected to pressure for measurement. The printed circuit card has strain detectors mounted on the portion to measure deformation of the printed circuit card under the influence of the pressure. The device may be included in a measurement system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE
    Inventors: Francois Guillot, Olivier Leborgne, Patrice Chetanneau
  • Patent number: 10621485
    Abstract: An RFID mesh label configured to be integrally incorporated within a vulcanized tire and to further provide unique identifier(s) and/or other information about the vulcanized tire during and/or post-vulcanization, the RFID mesh label including a face layer configured to be positioned adjacent or flush to an outer surface of the vulcanized tire; an RFID layer positioned underneath the face layer, the RFID layer having an RFID device that is configured to provide unique identifier(s) and/or other information about the vulcanized tire upon being read with an RFID reader; and a mesh backing overlying the RFID layer and adapted to be integrally incorporated in a vulcanized tire after subjecting a green tire to a vulcanization process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: FineLine Technologies
    Inventors: Jos Uijlenbroek, Michael E. Borgna
  • Patent number: 10549587
    Abstract: Examples provide a method, a component, a tire-mounted TPMS module, a TPMS system and a machine readable storage or computer program for determining time information of at least one contact patch event of a rolling tire and a method for locating a tire. A method for determining time information of at least one contact patch event of a rolling tire, includes obtaining information indicative of a rotational rate of the tire; obtaining a sequence of samples indicative of at least an acceleration component during at least one rotation of the tire; and determining a position of at least one reference sample in the sequence, wherein the position of the at least one reference sample is indicative of the time information of the contact patch event of the rolling tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Benjamin Kollmitzer, Christoph Steiner
  • Patent number: 10538046
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire manufacturing method is provided in which winding collapse is prevented, there is no possibility of adverse effects on the FV, a current-carrying layer can be formed easily, and down-stitching can be dispensed with or minimized in the manufacture of SOT-structure pneumatic tires having a base-pen structure in the tread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Sakamoto, Kenji Ueda, Takamichi Sagawa
  • Patent number: 10495457
    Abstract: A method is for determining a profile depth of a tire profile. The method includes at least the following steps: a) detecting an acceleration of a measurement point on a tire inner side of a vehicle tire, wherein a deviation, caused by contact of the vehicle tire with a roadway, of the acceleration of the measurement point within an observation window is detected, b) deriving at least one analytical characteristic variable which is characteristic of the profile of the detected acceleration, wherein the at least one analytical characteristic variable characterizes the non-periodic profile of the detected acceleration within one tire rotation, c) determining the profile depth in a manner dependent on the at least one analytical characteristic variable, wherein a calibration curve yields the dependency between the analytical characteristic variable and the profile depth, and the calibration curve assigns a profile depth to the derived analytical characteristic variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Adrian Cyllik, Carsten Hahn, Michael Lehn, Heiner Volk, Joachim Welser, Cord-Christian Neuber, Jenny Huynh
  • Patent number: 10486477
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a rubber coating for an electronic communication module, the coating comprising 100 phr of at least one diene-based elastomer, and at least one nano-sized inorganic material having a dielectric constant of at least 9 and a loss tangent of less than 0.1, wherein the coating when cured has a dielectric constant of at least 4.5 and a loss tangent of less than 0.01. Also disclosed are an electronic communication module comprising a radio device having at least a portion of its outer surface surrounded by the rubber coating (i.e., a rubber composition of specified composition), tires or tire retreads incorporating the electronic communication module, and methods for increasing the dielectric constant of a rubber coating without increasing its loss tangent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Craig R. Balnis, Paul B. Wilson
  • Patent number: 10479037
    Abstract: A tire tread may be formed by simultaneously extruding a tread cap formed of a first material and a tread base formed of a second material having a substantially different stiffness property than the first material. One tread element may have a strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap and, a second tread element may also have a strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Paul Harry Sandstrom
  • Patent number: 10457005
    Abstract: A tire curing bladder and associated method of forming same includes an elastomeric body and a radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag chemically bonded to the elastomeric body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
    Inventors: Patrick Keenan, Dale E. Schimmoeller
  • Patent number: 10377192
    Abstract: A method for determining a temperature of a tire of a motor vehicle, specifically a temperature of an inner liner of the respective tire, having at least the following steps: a saturation temperature is determined for the inner liner of the respective tire as a function of an ambient temperature, as a function of a temperature of the inflation air of the respective tire and as a function of vehicle movement dynamics variables; the temperature of the inner liner of the respective tire is determined by integration as a function of the determined saturation temperature of the inner liner of the respective tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Unterreiner, Florian Büttner, Malte Thomann
  • Patent number: 10343321
    Abstract: An extruder assembly for forming a multi-layered composite is described, the extruder assembly includes an extruder head having a first and second flow passage, a first and second extruder in fluid communication with the respective first and second flow passage, and a splice bar having a first and second passageway extending from a rear side to an outlet side, and communicating flow from the first and second passageway to an outlet die. The splice bar further includes a groove located on the rear side of the splice bar and being positioned between the first and second passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: The Goodycar Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Michel Jacques Albert Ghislain Meunier, Jean Luc Dheur
  • Patent number: 10336141
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a tire and tire tread having a static charge dissipation element are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS TIRE OPERATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Martin A. Yurjevich, Adam K. Nesbitt
  • Patent number: 10311266
    Abstract: A card reader to read information in an integrated circuit (IC) card includes a housing, a first antenna, a control circuit, and a switch unit. The first antenna is disposed inside of the housing to communicate with the IC card. The control circuit communicates with the IC card within a communication range of the first antenna and performs at least a process that acquires data from a memory in the IC card. The switch unit includes a radio frequency (RF) tag having a second antenna and functions as a switch that performs a predetermined function by causing the RF tag to communicate with the control circuit via the second antenna and the first antenna when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The second antenna of the switch unit is in a side lobe of the first antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Yosuke Hiraiwa
  • Patent number: 10260565
    Abstract: A wheel support device for a vehicle includes a bearing that rotatably supports a wheel, and is lubricated by a lubricant, a bearing support member, and a self-discharge type charge eliminator provided on a surface of a particular member. The self-discharge type charge eliminator is configured to change air around the self-discharge type charge eliminator into negative air ions, and eliminate charge by causing the air ions to attract positive charges of the particular member for neutralization, so as to reduce the quantity of charge of the particular member, and thereby reduce the quantity of charge of the lubricant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio Tanahashi, Yoji Kanehara, Koshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 10245902
    Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic tire whereby primarily rolling resistance is minimized and noise is minimized. This pneumatic tire tread rubber (5) comprises: a cap part (50) which is formed of non-conductive rubber and configures a grounding surface; a base part (51) which is disposed on the inner side of the cap part (50) in a tire radial direction (RD); and conductive parts (52) which are disposed in both of a pair of lateral end parts which are at ends of the cap (50) in a tire width direction, traverse the inner part of the cap (50) while avoiding a location which covers the grounding surface, and form shapes which connect the grounding surface with the bottom surface (50b) of the cap part (50) in the tire meridian cross-section. The conductive parts (52) are provided with extended sites (52b) which branch off outward to the tire width direction (WD) from conductive paths (52a) which connect the grounding surface with the bottom surface (50b) of the cap part (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuki Kawakami
  • Patent number: 10207551
    Abstract: Method of determining the footprint of a tire on the ground, using devices already installed in standard production tires. Since the frequency of the transmitter clock present in a wheel unit is perturbed by mechanical vibrations when the tire contacts the ground, the frequency variations of the reference clock are representative of the value of the footprint. The method therefore includes determining the footprint on the ground of a tire of a wheel by measuring continuously, as a function of time, a signal representative of the variations in frequency of the reference clock supplied at the output of the time control device; determining a time interval during which the frequency variations of the reference clock occur; and, on the basis of the rotation speed of the tire, deducing therefrom an angular range of contact (?) corresponding to the footprint between the ends representing the ground contact length of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Rachid Benbouhout, Jean-Christophe Bouthinon
  • Patent number: 10151645
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement and to a method for the synchronous determination of the shear modulus and of the Poisson's number on samples of elastically isotropic and anisotropic materials. In the arrangement, an indenter is movable in parallel with its longitudinal axis (A) in the direction of the surface of a sample such that a force action is exerted on the material by its tip. The force can be determined by a device for measuring this force and the indenter is additionally deflected in translation along at least one further axis. The longitudinal axis (A) of the indenter is aligned at an angle ?90° with respect to the surface of the sample and the indenter carries out an upward movement and a downward movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Kong Boon Yeap, Malgorzata Kopycinska-Mueller, Ehrenfried Zschech, Martin Gall
  • Patent number: 10093140
    Abstract: A computer is programmed to determine that a first vehicle and a second vehicle are in a platoon without an intervening vehicle, receive a thermal image of a tire of the first vehicle from the second vehicle, navigate a route for the first vehicle based upon determining that the thermal image exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Aed M. Dudar
  • Patent number: 10086659
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a tread rubber made of a nonconductive rubber. The tread rubber is provided with a first and second conductive portions made of a conductive rubber. The first conductive portion extends radially inwardly from a ground-contacting surface, extends to one side in tire width direction, and reaches a carcass layer or a side wall rubber. An exposed position of the first conductive portion is separated from a tire equator at a distance is equal to or more than 10% of a ground-contacting width. The second conductive portion extends radially inwardly from the ground-contacting surface, extends to another side in tire width direction, and reaches the carcass layer or the side wall rubber. An exposed position of the second conductive portion is separated from the tire equator at a distance is equal to or more than 10% of the ground-contacting width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akihiko Shinkai
  • Patent number: 10046918
    Abstract: An online real-time method of measuring the thickness of a moving belt uses infrared thermography technology to continuously and noninvasively measure the thickness of rubber cover regions and detect damage. This technique solves technical problems and realizes potential gains such as increased efficiency in planning maintenance/replacements of conveyor belts; provides rationalizations and advanced planning for stocking spare conveyor belts; provides a lookahead of acute wear at points to avoid premature wear or belt loss; generates a history of generating wear after each belt replacement with life projections and early planning acquisitions and operational stoppages for exchange; and provides early warning system integration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Embraer S.A.
    Inventors: Paulo Anchieta Da Silva, Ricardo Pinheiro Rulli
  • Patent number: 10035387
    Abstract: A module is operable to monitor at least a pressure within a tire of a wheel, the module being operatively mounted to said wheel, the module including (a) a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure (P) and generating a corresponding pressure signal; and b1) an associated data memory including a data field containing data relevant to the functional status of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventors: Erik Carresjö, Per Hasselberg, Anders Trygg
  • Patent number: 10029516
    Abstract: Tire comprising a tread which has at least one central rib (411-413) and two lateral ribs (421-422) which are separated by circumferential grooves (141-144), in which tire a first lateral rib (421) adjacent to the outer axial edge of the tread and at least one (and preferably each) of the central ribs have a first portion (4211, 4111, 4121, 4131) the axial width of which exceeds 2 % of the axial width of the relevant rib made and the depth of which is less than that of the relevant rib, from a rubber composition containing an elastomer and a reinforcing filler consisting predominantly of carbon black, and an axially adjacent second portion (4212, 4112, 4122, 4132) made of a rubber composition containing an elastomer and a reinforcing filler a minority proportion of which consists of carbon black, in which the rubber compositions that make up the second portion of the first lateral rib and the second portion of the central rib all have a tan 50 value which is higher than the tan 50 value of the rubber composit
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Frédéric Bourgeois, François-Xavier Bruneau, Patrice Fraysse, Emmanuel Igier
  • Patent number: 9987889
    Abstract: In order to provide a functional component mounting base having high durability to an inertial force acting on a functional component when a tire engages with and disengages from the road surface and to an impact force acting on the functional component mounting base when the tire passes over bumps the functional component mounting base (1) is formed of a rubber material, is attached to an inner surface (70) of the tire to mount the functional component (29) on the inner surface (70) of the tire, and characterized by being provided with a fitting recess (2) into which a functional component-side attaching portion (30) provided on the functional component (29) is fitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Go Nagaya