Protrusion From Wall And Spaced From The Opposite Wall Patents (Class 152/209.21)
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Patent number: 8439093Abstract: The present invention provides a pneumatic tire with reduced air columnar resonance noise level in comparison with the conventional pneumatic tires. The pneumatic tire comprises large-volume oblong holes 11 formed in a sidewall 10a on one side of a main groove 1 and small-volume oblong holes 12 formed in a sidewall 10b on the other side thereof, respectively, in which a width w1 and a depth d1 of the large-volume oblong hole 11 are at least not less than 0.4 mm and more than 0.05 times but less than 0.25 times a width W of the main groove 1, and a space p1 between the large-volume oblong holes 11 is at least not less than 0.8 mm and more than 0.2 times but less than 1.0 times the width W, a width w2 and a depth d2 of the small-volume oblong hole 12 are at least not less than 0.2 mm and more than 0.01 times but less than 0.05 times the width W, and a space p2 between the small-volume oblong holes 12 is at least not less than 0.4 mm and more than 0.04 times but less than 0.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2008Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Toshihiko Takahashi
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Patent number: 8413695Abstract: A heavy duty tire comprises a tread portion provided with a center rib, shoulder ribs and middle ribs therebetween. The middle ribs are provided with closed-end sipes. The sipe comprises: an axially inner segment and axially outer segment inclined at an angle of from 30 to 60 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction; and a middle segment therebetween inclined in a direction crosswise to the axially inner and outer segments. The angle ?1 between the axially inner segment and middle segment is from 90 to 110 degrees. The angle ?2 between the axially outer segment and middle segment is from 90 to 110 degrees. The axial length SW of the closed-end sipe measured from the axially inner end to the axially outer end thereof is from 0.50 to 0.90 times the axial width LW of the middle rib.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2009Date of Patent: April 9, 2013Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Keizo Shibano
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Patent number: 8397773Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10) provided with a rib-like land portion (110) having first resonators formed therein, and also with a rib-like land portion (210) located, when the tire is mounted on a vehicle, on the side of the tire closer to the vehicle than the rib-like land portion (110) and having second resonators formed therein. Each of the first and second resonators includes an air chamber recessed inward in the radial direction of the tire, and also includes a narrow groove communicating with the air chamber and a circumferential groove. The volume of the air chamber of the first resonator is greater than the volume of the air chamber of the second resonator.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2009Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventors: Yukihiro Kiwaki, Takaaki Kojima
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Patent number: 8393365Abstract: A tread is configured to have three rows of tread elements, a center row and a pair of shoulder rows, the center row forming a circumferential rib positioned at an equatorial centerplane of the tread. Each shoulder row has a repeating circumferential array of upwardly extending elongate groove fingers, adjacent groove fingers within the repeating array of each shoulder row of groove fingers being connected by at least one laterally extending channel. An array of serrations line each longitudinal side of the channels, each serration defined by inward tapering serration sidewalls extending to a serration base surface. Each channel is submerged below an outward tread surface such that the submerged channel will emerge as the tread wears down.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2009Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyInventors: Joseph Thomas Janesh, Daniel Abe Alford, Kelly Sue King, Brian David Digman, Richard Mark Wieland, David Michael Howard
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Patent number: 8393366Abstract: A tire tread comprising a plurality of sipes (30), each sipe being delimited by two opposing main walls (31, 32), each of the said walls consisting of a mean surface of which the intersection with the tread surface in the initial condition forms an edge, the mean width of each sipe measured as the mean distance between the edges formed by the opposing main walls (31, 32) of the said sipe on the tread surface in the initial condition is at least equal to 1.5 mm, each of the main walls (31, 32) comprising at least one locking region (310, 320), each locking region collaborating with a locking region opposite in such a way as to mechanically block relative movements of the said walls at least when the tire is in contact with the road surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2007Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Ryo Sumi
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Patent number: 8381782Abstract: It aims to provide a heavy duty pneumatic tire with block patterns and capable of improving deflected wear resisting performances without sacrificing wet grip performances or on-snow performances and that can particularly be favorably used for all seasons.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2008Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Shingo Takahashi, Satoshi Tsuda
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Patent number: 8371348Abstract: The present invention provides a pneumatic tire in which the tread pattern is optimized to improve wear resistance.Type: GrantFiled: December 25, 2008Date of Patent: February 12, 2013Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Arata Mori
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Patent number: 8365783Abstract: A tire includes a tread band having a tread pattern defined by a plurality of grooves of substantially circumferential orientation and by a plurality of grooves of substantially transverse orientation, which grooves delimit a plurality of rubber blocks arranged in a plurality of rows of substantially circumferential orientation, each of the blocks being delimited by a contact face and at least three side faces, wherein at least some of the blocks include at least one side face of substantially transverse orientation provided with at least one irregularly shaped step having an upper face and a front face.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2006Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.Inventors: Claudio Minoli, Fabio Montanaro
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Patent number: 8336590Abstract: It aims to provide a heavy duty pneumatic tire with block patterns and capable of improving deflected wear resisting performances without sacrificing wet grip performances or on-snow performances and that can particularly be favorably used for all seasons.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2008Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Shingo Takahashi, Satoshi Tsuda
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Pneumatic tire with tread including sipe having wide portions located alternately on both side walls
Patent number: 8307867Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic tire capable of ensuring both of the ice braking performance and the ice turning performance while increasing the dry steering stability performance. To achieve the above object, a sipe extending in a width direction of the tire is formed a land portion, the sipe having: pluralities of wide portions each having an inclined plane that begins from the tread surface of a road surface, and terminates in the half way of a sipe wall while inclining so that a sipe width decreases toward the groove bottom of the sipe, and a pair of side faces connecting the inclined plane and the sipe wall therebetween, wherein the pluralities of wide portions are located alternately on both sipe walls along a longitudinal direction of the sipe.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2009Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tetsuji Miyazaki, Yoshinori Asayama -
Patent number: 8302645Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises main grooves 1 extending in the tire circumferential direction formed in a tread, wherein there are provided with a plurality of oblong holes 11 extending in the depth direction of the main groove 1 and communication grooves 12 extending diagonally with respect to the tread surface to communicate the oblong holes 11, a width w1 and a depth d1 of the oblong hole 11 are at least not less than 0.2 mm and 0.01 to 0.25 times a width W of the main groove 1, a height h of the oblong hole 11 is 50 to 80% of a depth D of the main groove 1, a space p1 between the oblong holes 11 is at least not less than 0.4 mm and 0.04 to 1.0 times the width W of the main groove 1, a width w2 and a depth d2 of the communication groove 12 are at least not less than 0.2 mm and 0.01 to 0.25 times the width W of the main groove 1, and two or more communication grooves 12 are present within the contact ground length L of the main groove 1.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2008Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Toshihiko Takahashi
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Publication number: 20120273107Abstract: Tire provided with a tread surface and lateral faces intersecting at two corner edges to determine a total width of tread between the said two corner edges, provided with grooves of depth H opening onto the tread surface and delimited by faces of material which are distant by at least a width equal to 2 mm, a plurality of grooves on at least one of the opposing faces that delimit them with at least one profiled protrusion delimited by a radially external surface and by a radially internal surface, the radially external surface being closer to the tread surface than the radially internal surface, meeting at those points of the protrusion that are furthest away in the direction of the groove, each of these radially internal and external surfaces of each protrusion has, in a plane of section parallel to the faces delimiting the groove, a profile of length greater than the length of the profile of the radially internal surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2010Publication date: November 1, 2012Applicants: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELINInventor: François Le-Hen
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Patent number: 8276629Abstract: A tread (1) having a plurality of raised elements (5) provided with at least one first incision (10) and at least one second incision (20). Each first incision (10) comprises at least two non-planar parts (111) separated by an intermediate part (112). The non-planar parts exhibit a dual undulation, whereas the planar parts have a single undulation. Each second incision (20) comprises at least two non-planar parts (211) separated by an intermediate part (212). The non-planar parts (212) exhibit at least one undulation (2112) in the depth of the tread of maximum amplitude C, whereas each intermediate part (212) of the at least one second incision (20) has no deformation in relief.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2007Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Patrice Bonhomme
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Patent number: 8277589Abstract: A mold (150) for a tread layer (40) having tread-forming side and sole-forming side, the sole-forming side having a plurality of mold elements (56) extending therefrom toward the tread-forming side. Either the mold elements (56) or the sole-forming side of the mold is configured to create a tread layer (40) having a recessed tread element such as an incision, lateral groove, longitudinal groove or other void on the sole side of the tread layer that enables the edges of the recessed tread element to obtain full coverage when subjected to an abrasion process.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2006Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventors: Juan-Pablo Gallego, Nathan J. Panning
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Patent number: 8272415Abstract: A heavy duty tire (1) comprising at least three rib-like land portions (7) with a block row where blocks (6) defined by circumferential main grooves (3) extending in the circumferential direction and lateral grooves (5) are arranged in the circumferential direction, wherein the lateral grooves (5) are provided, in their bottoms (S), with a sipe-forming region (Sy) having a sipe (20) which extends along the groove center line and has a width of 0.5 to 2.0 mm, and wherein the depth (DY) in the sipe-forming region (Sy) of the lateral grooves (5) is from 0.5 to 0.75 times the depth (H) of the circumferential main grooves (3), and the depth (DS) of the sipe (20) is from 0.75 to 1.0 times the depth (H) of the circumferential main grooves.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2006Date of Patent: September 25, 2012Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Kuniaki Itou
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Patent number: 8267135Abstract: On a tread surface 1 of a pneumatic tire, at least one circumferential groove is formed on an outer-side region 3 in a vehicle width direction, at least three circumferential, which number is two or more larger than the outer-side region 3, grooves are formed on an inner-side region 2 in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of lug grooves 20 are formed on the tread surface 1, open to a tread edge TE1 of the inner-side region 3, extend in a direction toward circumferential groove 11, and terminate without opening to circumferential groove 11. A plurality of continuous lug grooves 21 are formed on the tread surface 1, open to a tread edge TE2 of the outer-side region 3, extend in a direction toward the circumferential groove 13, continue to the central land portion 5 intersecting the circumferential groove 10, and terminate without opening to the circumferential groove 13 which borders the central land portion 5, among the three second-region circumferential grooves 11, 12, 13.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2005Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Naoya Ochi
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Patent number: 8267133Abstract: Lateral grooves 6 are disposed in a land portion 4 between main grooves 2 at prescribed intervals in a circumferential direction TC of the tire, the lateral grooves 6 extending from the main grooves 6 to a circumferential groove 5. Blocks 7 are defined by the main grooves 2, circumferential groove 5 and lateral grooves 6. At least two sub-grooves 8 are disposed in each block 7 at a prescribed interval in the tire circumferential direction TC, the sub-grooves 8 extending from a main groove 2 adjacent thereto in a width direction of the tire. At least three block portions 7A, 7B and 7C are formed. The width of the main groove 2 adjacent to the block 7 is varied by making the block widths Wa, Wb and Wc of the block portions 7A, 7B and 7C different from each other. A groove wall surface, facing the main groove, of a block portion less in width has a greater inclination angle with respect to a tread normal direction.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2009Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Hiroyuki Kojima
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Patent number: 8225833Abstract: A pneumatic tire capable of improving drainage performance and noise-reduction. The pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion being provided with central longitudinal grooves 3a, shoulder longitudinal grooves 3b, and intermediate land portions 4a each defined between the central longitudinal groove 3a and said shoulder longitudinal groove 3b. The intermediate land portion 4a is provided with a thin groove 5 extending the tire at a position away axially inside from the shoulder longitudinal groove 3b, intermediate slant grooves 6 each extending from the thin groove 5 toward said central longitudinal groove 3a while inclining terminating without being connected to the central longitudinal groove 3a, and connection grooves 7 each extending so as to connect between the adjacent intermediate slant grooves 6 in the circumferential direction of the tire. Each of the connection groove 7 inclines in the same direction as the intermediate slant groove 6 at an angle smaller than that of the intermediate slant groove 6.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2008Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Tomoyuki Mukai
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Patent number: 8225831Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire having a tread surface (1) with a tread pattern having: at least two circumferential grooves (2) extending in the tire circumferential direction to define land sections (3) on the outer sides in the tire width direction; and lateral grooves (4) extending in the tire width direction to partition the land sections (3) into a large number of blocks (5). In addition, in each of the blocks (5), a cutout (6) is formed in the center region of an edge portion of the block (5), the edge facing the corresponding circumferential groove (2). The cutout (6) has plural steps in the tire width direction. This structure improves the performance of running on a muddy ground with the resistance to uneven wear and the driving stability on general road surfaces maintained respectively at sufficient levels.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2006Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Hiroyuki Kojima
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Patent number: 8225832Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes on a tread a plurality of circumferential main grooves extending in the tire circumferential direction, and a plurality of land portions formed by being partitioned by the circumferential main grooves. A protrusion is formed on a groove bottom of at least one of the circumferential main grooves. The protrusion continuously extends in a groove-length direction of the circumferential main groove, and a height h1 of the protrusion varies in a wavelike form along the groove-length direction. Moreover, junctions each of which couples the protrusion onto at least one of groove walls of the circumferential main groove are formed on the groove bottom of the circumferential main groove.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2007Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Takayuki Suzuki
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Publication number: 20120180920Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes sipes extending in a tire width direction on a road contact surface of blocks, the sipes having at least one end open to a circumferential main groove. The sipes are positioned at an edge portion of the blocks, and have a first sipe portion open to the circumferential main groove and a second sipe portion positioned at a center portion of the blocks. The first sipe portion has a linear form when viewed as a cross-section from a direction perpendicular to a sipe length direction, and has a pair of mutually mating, opposing first sipe wall faces with a protrusion and a recess respectively disposed thereon. The second sipe portion has a form bent in the sipe width direction when viewed as a cross-section from a direction perpendicular to the sipe length direction, and has a pair of mating mutually opposing second sipe wall faces.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2011Publication date: July 19, 2012Applicant: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.Inventor: Masaaki Nagayasu
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Publication number: 20120168049Abstract: A tire has a sipe with areas of reduced thickness. The sidewalls of the sipe may have undulations that extend both in the radial and transverse directions of the tire and the areas of reduced thickness are found in between a peak to peak or a valley to valley coincidence of the undulations. Twice the value of the amplitude of the undulations in the radial direction of the tire is greater than 95% of the value of the half pitch of those undulations. The ratio of the area of the regions of the sipe having reduced thickness to the area of the thicker regions of the sipe may meet a minimum threshold. The apparatus may also include a sipe blade that extends from a curing member that for tire molding or retreading.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2009Publication date: July 5, 2012Inventors: Brian William Jenkins, David Scott Morgan, Timothy A. White
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Patent number: 8210221Abstract: A pneumatic tire according to the present invention includes blocks on its tread which are segmented by plural circumferential grooves 3 extending along a tire circumferential direction and plural lateral grooves 5 extending along a tread width direction. Circumferential sipes extending along the tire circumferential direction are provided in the blocks. Inside circumferential sipes extend straight along a tire radial direction and outside circumferential sipes extend along the tire radial direction in zigzag patterns. According to the present invention, a handling performance, especially, a cornering performance can be improved regardless of road surface conditions.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2007Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventors: Yukihiro Kiwaki, Ryoichi Watabe
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Patent number: 8181682Abstract: In a tire, a phase difference L1 of transverse grooves 2 is within 25% of the length L of blocks 3, the projected portions 11 are alternately on both sidewalls 10, L2 of the portion 11 is 20% to 45% of L, and in the cross-section of the width direction of the main groove 1, the edge 15 of the portion 11 at the groove bottom is more of a sidewall 10 side than a center line 19 of the groove 1, the outline of the portion 11 is at least on a virtual surface 17 that connects the edge 13 of the groove 1 at the tread surface and the edge 15. The tire also has one or a plurality of sub-projected portions 21, 22 projected from the surface 17.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2008Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tetsuji Miyazaki
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Patent number: 8171969Abstract: A sipe is formed in a block provided in a tread surface, wide portions extending in a sipe length direction are formed in each of a kick-out side and a step-in side of the sipe, and a total of heights of the wide portions in the kick-out side of the sipe is made larger than a total of heights of the wide portions in the step-in side of the sipe.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2008Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Toshiyuki Ohashi
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Publication number: 20120103491Abstract: A vehicle wheel tire includes a tire tread having a circumferential center tread region in which block elements are arranged in a symmetric pattern on opposite sides of a tire circumferential equatorial centerplane. The tread has one or more circumferential grooves bounded by edges of opposing block elements, pairs of opposed block elements having a block edge facing the groove and an array of saw-teeth formed along the groove-facing edge of opposed block elements inclined in the radial direction. The saw-teeth on a block edge of one opposed block element incline in a direction opposite to the inclination direction of saw-teeth on opposite opposed block element. A block element on the center tread region side of the groove has multiple circumferentially spaced apart and laterally extending sipes extending across the block element. The sipes extend to and align with the array of saw-teeth along the groove-facing edge of the block element.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2010Publication date: May 3, 2012Inventor: Oliver Knispel
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Publication number: 20120103492Abstract: A vehicle wheel tire includes a tire tread having a circumferential center tread region in which block elements are arranged in a symmetric pattern on opposite sides of a tire circumferential equatorial centerplane. Symmetrically disposed block elements on opposite sides of the centerplane have a plurality of spaced apart and laterally extending wavy sipes extending across the block element. Selective pairs of adjacent sipes are interconnected by one or more circumferentially oriented notches. The wavy sipes have regions of varying depth and include one or more recessed region(s) and one or more non-recessed region(s). A circumferentially disposed notch interconnecting a pair of adjacent wavy sipes at opposite notch ends intersects the wavy sipes at non-recessed sipe regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2010Publication date: May 3, 2012Inventor: Oliver Knispel
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Patent number: 8146631Abstract: Provided are a pneumatic tire, a method of producing the pneumatic tire, and a tire curing mold, with which decrease in wet performance of a pneumatic tire in a worn state can be effectively prevented while chipping of land portions such as blocks is prevented in releasing the tire from a mold. The pneumatic tire of the present invention includes: a tread portion provided with groove portions and land portions; and sipes provided in the land portions. Each of the sipes has at least one end, in a longitudinal direction, being terminated within the corresponding land portion. Each sipe is provided with: a first offset portion protruding toward one side in a sipe thickness direction; and a second offset portion protruding toward the other side in the sipe thickness direction at a position on an inner side, in a tire radial direction, of a position at which the first offset portion protrudes.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2009Date of Patent: April 3, 2012Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yuji Tomatsu
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Patent number: 8132604Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a shoulder rib segmented into a main rib located at the inner side thereof in a width direction of the tire and a thin rib located at the outer side thereof in the width direction of the tire by a thin groove extending along a circumferential direction of the tire, wherein the thin groove includes a large-width portion having a relatively larger groove width and a small-width portion having a relatively smaller groove width continuously formed one after the other along the circumferential direction of the tire, and an inner wall of the large-width portion located at the thin rib side is disposed at a further outer side with respect to an inner wall of the small-width portion located at the thin rib side as viewed in the width direction of the tire, a protruding portion protruding outwardly in the width direction of the tire from an edge line of the thin rib located at the outer side in the width direction of the tire is formed at a position where the large-width portion is disposedType: GrantFiled: April 11, 2008Date of Patent: March 13, 2012Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masaaki Ohara
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Patent number: 8127811Abstract: A sipe blade for forming a sipe with one end opened and the other end closed in a land portion on a tread surface of a tire includes a front-end portion that forms the closed end of the sipe and a connection-end portion that forms the open end of the sipe being connected to a rib that forms a groove. A first thickness of the front-end portion is larger than a second thickness of a thinnest portion. A third thickness of the connection-end portion is 3 mm or less and is the largest thickness in a portion between the front-end portion and the connection-end portion, and the ratio of the third thickness with respect to the second thickness; i.e., the third thickness/the second thickness is 1.2 to 3.0.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2008Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masaaki Ohara
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Patent number: 8109307Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a plurality of protrusions on a bottom of each of the grooves. The height of the protrusion is variable in a profile of the protrusion in a circumference direction of the pneumatic. The protrusion has at least one peak portion that protrudes away from a center of the pneumatic tire. The pneumatic tire further includes a connection member between the protrusion and an adjacent one of the lands, the connection member having a first end toward the land and a second end toward the peak portion, a height of the first end from the bottom of the groove being larger than that of the second end.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2006Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Toshiro Oyama
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Publication number: 20120018069Abstract: A plurality of blocks is provided in a tread portion and a plurality of sipes is provided in a tread surface of the blocks. In the sipes, protrusions are formed on a first sipe wall surface of mutually opposing sipe wall surfaces and recesses that engage with the protrusions are formed on a second sipe wall surface. Collapsing of the portions of the blocks sandwiched by the sipes is suppressed due to the engaging of the protrusions and the recesses. A height of the protrusions provided on the sipe wall surfaces of the sipes located at the edges in the tire circumferential direction is greater than a height of the protrusions provided on the sipe wall surfaces of the other sipes. Specifically, a force that works to suppress bending deformation increases and collapsing of the portions of the blocks located at the edges in the tire circumferential direction is suppressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2011Publication date: January 26, 2012Applicant: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.Inventor: Masaaki Nagayasu
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Patent number: 8100159Abstract: In the pneumatic tire in which not less than three main grooves 1 extending in the tire circumferential direction R are formed and ribs 2 are formed by the main grooves 1, upper edges 11 of the main groove 1 when the tire is new extend in a linear manner in the tire circumferential direction R, the bottom 12 of the main groove 1 extends in a zigzag manner in the tire circumferential direction R, the sidewalls 13 of the main groove 1 is provided with concave portions and convex portions, and in the concave portion of at least one of the sidewalls 13 of the main groove 1, the protrusions 3 that is joined to the bottom 12 of the main groove 1 and to the sidewall 13. Further, the pneumatic tire may be provided with sipes or notches that extend from the concave portion to the inner side of the rib 2 in the tire width direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2007Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tsuyoshi Fujioka
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Publication number: 20120006457Abstract: In a tread part, a land part (block) partitioned by a main transverse groove is provided with a thin groove having a narrower groove width than the main transverse groove and extending in a tire width direction. On a groove lateral face which is one of opposing groove lateral faces of the thin groove, ridges projecting toward the other groove lateral face and extending in a depth direction of the thin groove are provided. A plural number of the ridges are provided in parallel to each other at intervals in a length direction of the thin groove, and an extending length in the depth direction is set up to include at least two kinds.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2011Publication date: January 12, 2012Applicant: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.Inventor: Tetsuji Miyazaki
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Publication number: 20110315290Abstract: A pneumatic tire wherein a sipe includes protrusions on a first sipe wall face of mutually opposing sipe wall faces and recesses that mate with the protrusions in a second sipe wall face. Additionally, in a projection figure of the protrusions with the sipe wall faces in an expanded state, a relationship between a placement density X of the protrusions in a region that extends up to half of a sipe depth H from an opening of the sipe and a placement density Y of the protrusions in a region that extends up to half of the sipe depth H from a bottom of the sipe is X>Y.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2011Publication date: December 29, 2011Applicant: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.Inventor: Masaaki Nagayasu
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Publication number: 20110290393Abstract: Tread band for a tire comprising a plurality of elements in relief, each element in relief having a contact face and lateral faces, at least some of these elements in relief having at least one incision opening onto two of the said lateral faces, this incision being delimited by a first face and a second face, these first and second faces each comprising projections, each projection of the first face being arranged on the said face so that it can collaborate through contact with a first projection and a second projection on the second face opposite, the said first and second projections of the second face being situated one on each side of the projection of the first face in opposite directions D1 and D2, the pre-contact distance e1 separating one projection of the first face from the first projection of the second face being different from the pre-contact distance e2 separating the projection of the first face from the second projection of the second face, these distances being measured in directions paralleType: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2009Publication date: December 1, 2011Applicants: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A., SOCIETE DE TECHNOLOGIE MICHELINInventors: Eric Berger, Matthieu Bonnamour
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Patent number: 8047244Abstract: A pneumatic tire having an improved noise performance without deteriorating the drainage performance and having in a tread portion at least one circumferential main groove 3 which extend continuously in the tire circumferential direction, wherein the circumferential main groove 3 has a pair of groove walls 6, and in at least one of the groove walls 6 are provided at intervals in the tire circumferential direction a plurality of fine grooves 9 each of which extends in the tire radial direction and is provided in at least a part of its inner surface with a non-flat portion 10 extending in a wave-like form in its length direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2007Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Hideaki Yoshikawa, Masahiro Tamura
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Patent number: 8042583Abstract: A pneumatic tire having an improved off-road traveling performance, which has a block pattern that a plurality of blocks 7 are provided in a tread portion, in which each of the blocks 7 includes a tread surface 9 facing radially outward and a wall surface 10 extending radially inwardly from the edge “e” of the tread surface 9, and at least one of the blocks 7 is provided with at least one recess portion 11 which extends on the wall surface 10 in the radial direction, and whose radially outer end opens at the tread surface 9 and whose length L along the wall surface 10 is from 10 to 70% of the height BL of the blocks 7.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2007Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Makoto Sueishi
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Patent number: 8042584Abstract: A pneumatic tire is provided in the tread portion (2) with a circumferential groove (3, 3b, 3c) extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction and having a pair of oppositely opposed groove walls (6). The circumferential groove (3, 3b, 3c) is provided in at least one of the groove walls (6) with radial grooves (9) arranged along the longitudinal direction of the circumferential groove (3). The radially outer end (9o) of the radial groove (9) is positioned in a range (a1) of from 0 to 20% of the depth (GDt) of the circumferential groove. The radially inner end (9i) of the radial groove (9) is positioned in a range (a2) of from 80 to 100% of the depth (GDt) of the circumferential groove. The radial groove has an opening width (g) of not less than 1.0 mm, but not more than 6.0 mm.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2007Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Shingo Takahashi
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Patent number: 8033310Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising, on a tread face of the tire, a shoulder land portion extending in a circumferential direction of the tire, and a thin groove extending in the circumferential direction of the tire adjacent to a contact end of the shoulder land portion where comes into contact with the ground and segmenting the shoulder land portion into a main land portion located at the inner side thereof as viewed in the width direction of the tire and a sacrifice land portion located at the outer side thereof as viewed in the width direction of the tire, wherein the thin groove includes an enlarged portion extending in the circumferential direction of the tire in which a groove width thereof at groove bottom is enlarged toward the sacrifice land portion side only, and a protruding portion that protrudes toward the groove bottom side along the inner wall located at the sacrifice land portion side and extends in the circumferential direction of the tire.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2008Date of Patent: October 11, 2011Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masaaki Ohara
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Publication number: 20110240192Abstract: A structure for a tread pattern of a pneumatic tire includes a radially extending pedestal, a first set of cylindrical voids extending radially through the pedestal, a second set of cylindrical voids extending radially through the pedestal, and a radially extending void ring circumscribing the pedestal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2010Publication date: October 6, 2011Inventors: André Cuny, Frank Pierre Severens, Jean Joseph Victor Collette, Vincent Dominique Claude Rion, Tibor Fülöp, Anne-France Gabrielle Jeanne-Marie Cambron, Jerome Marcel Germain Delu
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Publication number: 20110226398Abstract: A pneumatic tire is provided with a main groove extending along a tire circumferential direction in a tread. A side wall of a land portion facing the main groove extends so as to be inclined with respect to a tire circumferential direction between a pair of corner portions. The corner portion positioned in an inner side in a width direction of the main groove is set to an inner corner portion and the corner portion positioned in an outer side is set to an outer corner portion. In the inner corner portion, the side wall is formed by a stepped surface expanding to the outer side in the width direction toward a groove bottom and an expansion to the outer side in the width direction in the stepped surface is made smaller from the inner corner portion toward the outer corner portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2011Publication date: September 22, 2011Applicant: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jiro Taniguchi, Tetsuji Miyazaki
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Patent number: 8006730Abstract: A pneumatic tire of the invention includes: a stepped-shaped raised area provided in the main groove positioned at a center area of the tire so as to be continued circumferentially of the tire, connected to either the main groove walls, and raised from the groove bottom; and a ridge lower than a tread surface of the tire in each of the main grooves on both outsides of the main groove at the center area of the tire so as to be raised from the center of the groove bottom continuously along the length thereof without being joined with the groove walls, and the angle of inclination of the main groove walls with respect to the normal line of the tangential line on the tread surface of the main groove portion is parallel to each other or is 5° or smaller.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2007Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masaaki Ohara
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Patent number: 7997315Abstract: A rubber tread of a tire includes cavities spaced radially inwardly from a running surface of the tread when new. Each cavity includes an incision, and a groove communicating with a radially inner end of the incision when the tread is new. The incision has a radially outer generatrix following an undulating profile having an amplitude of at least 20% of a maximum height of the cavity. A width of the incision is not greater than 2.5 mm, and the groove width is greater than 2.5 mm.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2008Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Jose Merino Lopez
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Patent number: 7992608Abstract: A pneumatic tire where the positions of the groove deepest portions (33btm) in the circumferential grooves (33) vary in a predetermined cycle along the circumferential direction in a width direction of the tread within the circumferential grooves (33). Moreover, depth direction positions, where a groove bottom surface of the circumferential groove (33) contacts with each of perpendicular lines (perpendicular line P1, perpendicular line P2) which are perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to a tread surface and which pass respectively through edges (edge portion 11eg, edge portion 12eg) of the land portions on a side of each of the circumferential grooves of ribs, as well as angles which are formed by the perpendicular lines and a section line of a cross-section of the groove bottom surface in the width direction of the tread surface vary in the predetermined cycle along the circumferential direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2004Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Arata Tomita
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Patent number: 7992609Abstract: A sipe inner wall surface of a sipe is provided with a wavy first concave and convex row, a wavy second concave and convex row arranged in a sipe bottom side from the first concave and convex row so as to be spaced, and structured such that a wavelength is made shorter than the first concave and convex row so as to increase the number of waves, and a third concave and convex row extending toward the sipe bottom side in a branched manner while being inclined to a longitudinal direction side of the sipe with respect to a normal direction of a tread surface, and interposed between the first concave and convex row and the second concave and convex row so as to be connected to both elements.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2007Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventors: Toshiyuki Ohashi, Shouta Satou, Takashi Numata
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Patent number: 7992607Abstract: A pneumatic tire for heavy load enabling the co-existence of wet performance and uneven wear resistance performance is provided. The pneumatic tire for heavy load includes three circumferential main grooves 31 and 33 extending on a tread in the circumferential direction, and ribs 11 and 12 defined by these circumferential main grooves 31 and 33. The centerline of the center circumferential main grove 31 among the three circumferential main grooves is positioned on the equator line of the tread, and a thin rib-shaped uneven abrasion sacrificing part (BCR) 21 having a step in a clearance thereof from the surface of the tread is formed only in the center circumferential main groove 31.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2004Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Akira Tomita
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Patent number: 7954527Abstract: A pneumatic tire provided with a tread pattern on which a plurality of blocks are formed with circumferential grooves which extend along a circumferential direction of the tire and lateral grooves which traverse the circumferential grooves, wherein the lateral groove disposed between the blocks on the endmost tread edge region has a depth from 10 to 50% of a depth of the circumferential groove to be traversed and has a groove bottom concave portion whose both ends in a longitudinal direction are disposed inside the groove bottom, and a width of the groove bottom concave portion, which is determined on the basis of the bottom plane of the groove bottom, is from 25 to 45% of a groove width of the lateral groove.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2007Date of Patent: June 7, 2011Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masaaki Ohara
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Publication number: 20110126952Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a tire and a method of producing the tire, in which tire breakage of a groove fence in vulcanization molding and generation of cracks at a groove bottom can be suppressed, noise is relatively low and uneven wear is less likely to occur. At least one of a groove wall 71 surface of the circumferential groove 222 and a side wall 43 surface of a stepped land portion 41 is provided with a groove fence 51 which are formed in the extending direction of the circumferential groove at a predetermined intervals therebetween such that the groove fence protrudes in the groove widthwise direction of the circumferential groove.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2009Publication date: June 2, 2011Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATIONInventor: Akira Nakamizo
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Patent number: 7950426Abstract: A tire comprising a circumferential tread including at least one tread block having at least one edge. The tread block includes at least one void provided therein not more than about 4 millimeters from the edge of the tread block. Exemplary voids include sipes, such as one-end open sipes, two-end open sipes, and internal sipes, and cutouts, such as internal cut-outs and edge cut-outs.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2007Date of Patent: May 31, 2011Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLCInventor: Francis J. Byrne