Containing Randomly Dispersed Short Fibers Or Anti-skid Granules Patents (Class 152/209.4)
  • Patent number: 11453251
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a tread, a sidewall, a bead portion having a bead core, a bead reinforcing layer reinforcing the bead portion, and a carcass ply moored on a bead core of the bead portion, wherein the bead reinforcing layer and adjacent members adjacent to the bead reinforcing layer are each composed of a rubber composition containing an amine type antioxidant, 0.3 to 8 parts by mass of the amine type antioxidant is contained in the bead reinforcing layer based on 100 parts by mass of the rubber component, and the adjacent member adjacent to the bead reinforcing layer and the bead reinforcing layer satisfy the following formula: 2?B/A?8 A: Content (wt %) of amine type antioxidant in bead reinforcing layer. B: Content (wt %) of amine type antioxidant in the adjacent member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroki Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11267288
    Abstract: A tire comprises at least first and second working plies (16, 18) respectively comprising first and second reinforcing elements (50, 52) in which at least one of the following relationships is satisfied: ?4053×E1+4720?(D14×d1×1000)/E1??(I) ?4053×E2+4720?(D24×d2×1000)/E2??(II) where D1, D2 are the diameter of each reinforcing element (50, 52) made up of a metallic monofilament (66, 68), and D1 and/or D2 ranges from 0.34 to 0.38 mm, d1, d2 are the density of the reinforcing elements (50, 52), expressed in monofilaments per decimetre, and E1, E2 are the mean thickness of the working ply (16, 18), expressed in mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Aymeric Bonnet, Guilaine Canevet, Jean-Charles Derobert-Mazure
  • Patent number: 11167595
    Abstract: A tire comprising a plurality of tread blocks. At least one tread block includes one or more piers for stiffening the tread blocks while allowing normal lateral (tangential) or circumferential strain for normal braking and motive traction. The piers can extend the entire length dimension of the tread block or portions thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: PACCAR Inc
    Inventor: Jeffrey P. Smith
  • Patent number: 11077710
    Abstract: A laminate of a thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic elastomer composition film and a rubber composition layer, which can be used as an inner liner for a pneumatic tire, with improved adhesive strength at the interface of the thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic elastomer composition film and the rubber composition layer. A laminate comprising a thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic elastomer composition film and a rubber composition layer, the rubber composition containing a rubber component, a condensate of a phenol compound and formaldehyde, and methylene donor and a vulcanizing agent, wherein 2.5-40% by mass of the rubber component is halogenated isomonoolefin-p-alkyl styrene copolymer, the content of the condensate is 0.5-20 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component, and the content of the methylene donor is 0.25-200 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirokazu Shibata
  • Patent number: 10902361
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a projection system in which images are projected onto a surface at close proximity to the surface. The projection systems comprise a projection portion, an attachment portion, and a stand. The systems can further comprise a film that is placed onto the surface where the image will be projected. Methods are also disclosed for the use of such systems to attain a desired behavior in an individual such as a child.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: 3BD Designs LLC
    Inventors: Paul Doherty, Chuck Salvo
  • Patent number: 10603965
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire (1) is provided with a cylindrical annular structure (10) that is disposed around the rotational axis and that has an outer surface and an inner surface, a carcass portion (12) at least a part of which is disposed on an outer side of the annular structure in a direction parallel to the rotational axis, the carcass portion (12) having a cord covered by rubber, a rubber layer (11) at least a part of which is disposed so as to face the outer surface of the annular structure, the rubber layer (11) including a tread portion, and a fiber (2) disposed between the annular structure and the rubber layer so as to suppress generation of a gas space between the annular structure and the rubber layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Tanno, Jun Matsuda, Yuji Sato
  • Patent number: 10596856
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, blocks 11 each have a block width that is increased from circumferential end portions to a circumferential middle portion of the block 11 in a manner such that widthwise end portions 10 located on both ends in the tread width direction are positioned in a circumferentially intermediate portion of the block 11 and also have the maximum circumferential length that is larger than the maximum width of the block 11, thereby having, in its plan view, a polygonal contour shape that includes end sides 11a located in the circumferential end portions, and circumferential distances a and a1 between a circumferential middle position 11b of each end side 11a of the block 11 and a circumferential middle position 10a of a line L connecting the widthwise end portions 10 of the block 11 are both twice or more of the maximum depth of circumferential grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohiro Ookawa, Masayuki Kurebayashi
  • Patent number: 10343463
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire, having in a ground contact surface of a tread a plurality of main grooves extending in the tread circumferential direction and a plurality of land portions demarcated by the main grooves and tread ends, wherein, provided that two land portions adjacent to the central land portion on the respective sides in the tread width direction of the central land portion each represent an adjacent land portion, rigidity in the tread circumferential direction of the central land portion is lower than rigidity in the tread circumferential direction of the adjacent land portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Iwatani, Kento Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 10279630
    Abstract: The present invention provides a cold weather tire achieving a balanced improvement in conductivity, fuel economy, performance on ice and snow, high speed performance (handling stability, grip performance) on snow- and ice-free cold roads, and road noise performance. Provided is a pneumatic tire including: a two-layer tread including a base tread and a cap tread, the base tread being formed of a rubber composition for base treads containing: predetermined amounts of a rubber component including natural rubber and/or polyisoprene rubber, and a filler including silica and carbon black, the cap tread being formed of a rubber composition for cap treads containing a predetermined amount of silica, the cap tread having cells and/or voids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuka Yokoyama, Shuichiro Ono
  • Patent number: 10144819
    Abstract: This invention relates to a rubber composition comprised of at least one diene-based elastomer and rubber reinforcement comprised of fibrillated aramid fiber micropulp and reinforcing filler comprised of pre-hydrophobated precipitated silica. Such fibrillated aramid micropulp is comprised of micronized fibrillated aramid fiber pulp. Such pre-hydrophobated precipitated silica is comprised of precipitated silica pre-treated with at least one of bis(3-trialkylsilylalkyl) polysulfide, alkoxyorganomercaptosilane, optionally together with an alkylsilane. The invention further relates to such rubber composition wherein said reinforcing filler is comprised of a combination of said pre-hydrophobated precipitated silica as a precipitated silica pre-treated with an alkoxyorganomercaptosilane and a precipitated silica wherein said pre-hydrophobated precipitated silica and said precipitated silica are both hydrophobated in situ within the rubber composition with a bis(3-trialkoxysilylalkyl) polysulfide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Bruce Raymond Hahn, George Jim Papakonstantopoulos, Benjamin John Iverson
  • Patent number: 10131188
    Abstract: The pneumatic tire includes lateral communication grooves, and circumferential grooves. In a tread portion shoulder region, the lateral communication groove is disposed between a pair of V-shaped crossing grooves adjacent in a tire circumferential direction and extends from a tread edge portion toward a tire equatorial plane. In a tread portion center region, the lateral communication groove communicates with the V-shaped crossing groove located to a projecting side of the V-shape of the pair of V-shaped crossing grooves and does not communicate with the other V-shaped crossing groove of the pair. The circumferential grooves are disposed in the tread portion shoulder region and extend in the tire circumferential direction, communicating with the V-shaped crossing grooves and the lateral communication grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki Miyoshi, Hiraku Kouda
  • Patent number: 9962996
    Abstract: A tread for a pneumatic tire includes tread pattern elements and cuts. Each tread pattern element includes lateral faces and a contact face that comes into contact with a road surface when the tire is being driven thereon. A boundary between the contact face and the lateral faces forms at least one edge corner. The cuts are formed as grooves and/or sipes, with the cuts being delimited by opposing lateral faces of the tread pattern elements. Each tread pattern element is formed of at least one rubber compound. When the tread is viewed in cross section in a plane normal to an axis of rotation of the tire and passing through a contact face of a tread pattern element, at least one of the cuts adjacent to that contact face is covered at least in part with a covering layer that contains a woven or nonwoven fiber assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Vincent Abad, Abdeslam El-Harak, Frédéric Perrin, Masayuki Maesaka
  • Patent number: 9732732
    Abstract: A system for generating energy from wind induced by an aircraft is provided. The system includes one or more wind turbines configured to generate electrical power by capturing wind induced by the aircraft. Each of the one or more wind turbines include a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis, and a plurality of blades coupled to the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Brett Mukherjee Hoffstadt
  • Patent number: 9610807
    Abstract: A tire comprising an overlay ply wherein (i) the shoulder section of the overlay comprises an elastomer and short polymeric or non-polymeric reinforcing fibers present in an amount of from 0.1 to 10 parts fiber per hundred parts of elastomer, the short fibers having a tenacity of at least 2 grams per dtex, a modulus of at least 10 grams per dtex and a length of from 0.1 to 8 mm and wherein the fibers are aligned substantially parallel to each other in a controlled angle of orientation within the overlay wherein the orientation is selected such that it decreases tire noise, and (ii) the section of overlay in the crown of the tire comprising cords of continuous filament polymeric fibers or continuous strands of metal or combinations thereof, the cords being aligned in a circumferential direction around the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: E I DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY
    Inventor: Mark Allan Lamontia
  • Patent number: 9598563
    Abstract: The present technology is a rubber composition for a tire comprising: a diene rubber; and a composite silica comprising a block copolymer and silica, the block copolymer comprising a first block obtained by polymerizing a first monomer containing at least a (meth)acrylate having a hydroxyl group and a second block obtained by polymerizing at least one type of a second monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene, derivatives thereof, and isoprene; the composite silica being produced in an organic solvent in the presence of the silica; and an amount of the composite silica being from 10 to 200 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber; and a pneumatic tire using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Okamatsu, Toshihiko Arita
  • Patent number: 9573423
    Abstract: Provided is a retreaded tire that uses cushion rubber for retread that is able to further improve the prevention of separation failure while effectively suppressing blowout within the cushion rubber layer. The retreaded tire includes cushion rubber for retread, a base tire, and precured tread rubber formed of at least one rubber layer, and is characterized by: the aforementioned cushion rubber for retreaded tires being formed from a rubber composition containing specific quantities of a highly reinforcing carbon black of at least HAF grade, and natural rubber and/or synthetic polyisoprene rubber; the 100% modulus (AM) of the rubber layer (A) that comprises the aforementioned cushion rubber for retread being at least 3.0 MPa and less than 6.0 MPa; and the outermost layer (B) of the aforementioned base tire and the innermost layer (C) of the aforementioned precured tread rubber being formed from a rubber composition containing specific quantities of natural rubber and/or synthetic polyisoprene rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigeo Kimura
  • Patent number: 9534101
    Abstract: The present technology provides a rubber composition comprising from 30 to 100 parts by weight of a carbon black, and from 10 to 80 parts by weight of an inorganic filler per 100 parts by weight of a diene rubber, wherein the inorganic filler has from 20 to 80% particles of a particle size of at most 5 ?m; and when an aluminum content in the inorganic filler is defined as Wal wt. % and a silicon content is defined as Wsi wt. %, the aluminum content Wal is from 11 to 40 wt. %, and a ratio Wal/(Wal+Wsi)×100 of aluminum to a total of aluminum and silicon is from 15 to 38 wt. %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: The Yokohama Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Miyuki Oka, Yoshihiro Kameda
  • Patent number: 9217075
    Abstract: Provided are a rubber composition for a tire which makes it possible to improve the handling stability and fuel economy in a well-balanced manner by a simple method without requiring any chemical reaction process for surface treatment of microfibrillated plant fibers; and a pneumatic tire formed from the rubber composition. The rubber composition for a tire contains: a rubber component; microfibrillated plant fibers; a phenol resin; and a curing agent. It is preferable that the rubber component should include at least one selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, modified natural rubber, synthetic rubber, and modified synthetic rubber, and it is preferable that the microfibrillated plant fibers should be cellulose microfibrils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Keitarou Fujikura
  • Patent number: 9073390
    Abstract: A heavy duty tire comprising: a shoulder rib (A1) (shoulder rib (A5)) which is provided to a tread shoulder unit; a second rib (A2) (second rib (A4)) which is adjacent to the shoulder rib (A1) with a circumferential groove (110) (circumferential groove (116)) interposed therebetween and is provided further toward the tire equator side than the shoulder rib (A1); and an uneven wear absorbing rib (B1) (uneven wear absorbing rib (B2)) provided within the circumferential groove (110) and located further toward the inside in the tire radial direction than the tread surfaces of the shoulder rib (A1) and of the second rib (A2). Circumferential narrow grooves (10, 12) having a smaller width than the circumferential grooves (110, 116) are formed in the second ribs (A2, A4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Suganuma
  • Patent number: 9074321
    Abstract: A composition comprises (i) an elastomer, (ii) from 1 to 5 volume % of fibrous pulp, the pulp having a specific surface area of from 7 to 11 sq.m./g and the fiber having a fiber length of from 0.5 to 1.1 mm, a tensile modulus of from 2.5 to 130 GPa, and a tensile strength of from 1 to 3 GPa, and (iii) from 5 to 14 volume % of yield-strain promoter in the form of fibers, needles, powder or platelets, wherein the composition has a yield strain of at least 70%, an elongation at break of at least 200%, and a yield stress of at least 4 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: E I DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY
    Inventor: Rameshchandra M Gohil
  • Patent number: 9027615
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire tread comprising a plurality of circumferential grooves separating circumferential ribs, each groove comprising a bottom and two sidewalls, and a plurality of laterally separated reinforcements, wherein one reinforcement is arranged adjacent each circumferential groove, and wherein each reinforcement extends from the radially inner surface of the tread in a radial direction at least to the bottom of an adjacent circumferential groove to form the bottom of that groove. Further, the invention relates to a tire comprising a tread in accordance with the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Francois Dermience, Denis Michel Philippe Gilon, Jean-Louis Marie Félicien Thomas, Philippe Cornu, François Philippe Depouhon
  • Publication number: 20140326377
    Abstract: A tire is provided with a tread that includes a felt. Fibers of the felt are fibers selected from a group that includes: textile fibers, inorganic fibers, and mixtures of textile fibers and inorganic fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Vincent Abad, Emmanuel Custodero
  • Publication number: 20140326376
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rubber composition capable of sustaining improved on-ice performance of a tire over a long period of time. Specifically, the present invention provides a rubber composition having a rubber component (A) and a composite fiber (B), wherein the composite fiber (B) comprises: a fiber (B1) made of a hydrophilic resin; a covering layer (B2) made of a resin having an affinity for a rubber component and provided to cover at least a portion of the fiber; and a bonding layer (B3) present at least in a portion of an interface between the fiber (B1) and the covering layer (B2) and having affinities for both the hydrophilic resin and the resin having an affinity for the rubber component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuo Amamoto, Koji Masaki
  • Patent number: 8807181
    Abstract: In order to solve the various conventional problems described above, the present invention provides a tire which is excellent in a braking property and a drivability (WET performance) on a wet road surface and which sufficiently displays an edge effect or a spike effect and is excellent in an on-ice performance (surface braking and driving performance). Further, the present invention provides a tire which enhances a workability in a plant and in which micro drain ditches exhibiting a water film-removing performance are surely formed. A foamed rubber layer provided on a surface of the tire substantially brought into contact with a road surface contains at least one inorganic compound powder having a particle diameter of 10 ?m or less in a range of 5 to 20 mass parts per 100 mass parts of a rubber component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Masaki Toyoda
  • Patent number: 8800620
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a circumferential rubber tread of a cap/base construction composed of a cap rubber layer as the tire running surface and an internal base rubber layer underlying said tread cap layer. The said tread cap layer is composed of a primary tread cap portion and one or two lateral tread cap portions of rubber compositions containing precipitated silica and/or rubber reinforcing carbon black reinforcement and wherein the rubber composition of at least one of said lateral tread cap portions contains a dispersion of short carbon fibers. Said primary tread cap portion contains a major portion of the running surface of the tread and is comprised of a silica-rich or carbon black-rich, preferably silica-rich, reinforcement-containing rubber composition, and said lateral tread portion(s) contains a minor portion of the running surface of the tread and is comprised of a silica-rich or carbon black-rich, preferably carbon black-rich, reinforcement-containing rubber composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Paul Harry Sandstrom, Walter Kevin Westgate, Bina Patel Botts, Rachel Rebekah Barnette
  • Patent number: 8662123
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread comprised of cap/base construction where the tread cap layer provides the running surface of the tread and the tread base layer underlies the tread cap layer and thereby provides a transition between the tread cap layer and the tire carcass. For this invention, the tread cap layer is comprised of a plurality of individual circumferential load-bearing zones of rubber compositions, which exhibit graduated physical properties, and which extend from the outer running surface of the tread cap layer radially inward to said tread base layer. In one aspect, the zoned rubber tread cap layer and rubber tread base layer are co-extruded together to form a unit as an integral tread rubber composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Aaron Scott Puhala, Michael Julian Crawford, Leonard James Reiter, Jeremy Elton Miracle, Martin Paul Cohen, Samuel Patrick Landers, David Charles Poling, Robert Allen Losey, Bernard Matthew Bezilla, Jr., Donald Allan Abbott
  • Patent number: 8439095
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread comprised of a circumferential outer cap rubber layer which contains a tread running surface and an underlying undertread layer of softer rubber than said outer tread cap rubber layer wherein said undertread layer rubber composition contains short fiber reinforcement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Ping Zhang, Paul Harry Sandstrom, Junling Zhao
  • Patent number: 8392089
    Abstract: A method of estimating the available grip margin of a tire of a vehicle rolling on a ground involves: estimating a quantity Rslip ca, i.e., the ratio of the slip contact area and the total contact area of the tire on the ground; determining, in a signal processing unit, the grip potential used P?,used and/or the available grip margin of the tire P?,avail from the quantity and pre-established data corresponding to the type of the tire, where P?,avail=1?P?,used; and recording in a memory the grip potential used and/or the available grip margin of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Frederic Spetler
  • Patent number: 8272412
    Abstract: Elastomer compositions and products formed therefrom, the compositions including one or more elastomers and glass microfibers having an average fiber diameter of no more than about 5 ?m and an average length of between about 5 and 200 ?m, wherein the glass microfibers are directionally oriented within the elastomer composition. Alternatively, the average length of the glass microfibers may be between 5 and 100 ?m or in other embodiments, between about 10 and 70 ?m. The elastomer compositions may be used to form products that include a tire tread or a support member within the sidewall of a tire. The glass microfibers may be oriented in, inter alia, a substantially circumferential orientation, a tread thickness orientation or at a 45° orientation in a plane formed between the tread thickness and circumferential orientations or in a sidewall thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Brian R. Bergman, Jesse J. Arnold
  • Patent number: 8127812
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire capable of improving the wet performance and the low fuel cost performance at a good balance without deteriorating other properties of the tire such as abrasion resistance has a cap tread disposed to the radial outside of a tire and a base tread disposed to the radial inside of a tire in a tread portion, in which the cap tread rubber comprises a rubber compound containing a dienic rubber, and at least 15 parts by weight of modified styrene butadiene rubber and/or modified butadiene rubber modified at a polymer molecule terminal group with at least one functional group in 100 parts by weight of the rubber ingredient and containing 1 to 60 parts by weight of crosslinked rubber particles with an average grain size of 5 to 2,000 nm and a glass transition temperature of ?100 to ?65° C., and modified with sulfur and a compound having a C?C double bond and having a hydroxyl group based on 100 parts by weight of the rubber ingredient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Norihiko Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8110056
    Abstract: A rubber composition used for a tire, in which friction on ice is improved, which includes 0.5 to 30 parts by weight of a filler having at least two protuberances and a non-metal fiber based on 100 parts by weight of a diene rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kishimoto, Kiyoshige Muraoka, Akira Minakoshi, Isamu Tsumori
  • Patent number: 8104523
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a carcass structure having at least one carcass ply and at least one annual reinforcing structure associated with the carcass ply, a tread band made of an elastomeric material at a radially outer position with respect to the carcass structure, a belt structure interposed between the carcass structure and the tread band and a pair of axially opposite side walls on the carcass structure, wherein the tread band has i) at least one first sector, radially extending, substantially of a first elastomeric material; ii) a plurality of second sectors radially extending, positioned at axially opposite sides of the at least one first sector and substantially of a second elastomeric material; iii) at least one longitudinal groove formed in the at least one first sector and extending substantially for the entire circumferential development of the tread band, wherein the first elastomeric material has a modulus of elasticity under compression at 23° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Piero Losi, Pierluigi De Cancellis, Gaetano Lo Presti, Rodolfo Noto, Claudio Lacagnina
  • Patent number: 8028731
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a carcass structure having at least one carcass ply and at least one annular reinforcing structure associated with the carcass ply, a pair of axially opposite side walls on the carcass structure, a belt structure arranged at a radially outer position with respect to the carcass structure and a tread band arranged at a radially outer position with respect to the belt structure, and generally having a first elastomeric material incorporating at least one portion substantially of a second elastomeric material. The tread band has at least one groove defined in the at least one portion substantially of the second elastomeric material, wherein the ratio between the modulus of elasticity under compression at 100° C. of the second elastomeric material and the modulus of elasticity under compression at 100° C. of the first elastomeric material is not lower than about 1.30, and wherein the ratio between the IRHD hardness at 100° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Boiocchi, Giuseppe Matrascia
  • Patent number: 7891391
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a lug and groove configured rubber tread having an outer rubber cap layer with a running surface and an underlying specialized transition rubber layer. The transition rubber layer is specialized in a sense of containing at least one of partially depolymerized rubber, particulate pre-cured rubber and coal dust. The outer tread cap layer is comprised of ground-contacting tread lugs with the tread running surface and associated tread grooves positioned between said tread lugs. The tread grooves may extend radially inward through the outer tread cap layer and, optionally, into the transition tread layer. The rubber tread configuration may also optionally also include a tread base rubber layer underlying the transition rubber layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Paul Harry Sandstrom, Kuo-Chih Hua, Marc Weydert, Joseph Kevin Hubbell, Ping Zhang, Douglas Andrew Till
  • Publication number: 20110000733
    Abstract: An adaptive tire employable by a vehicle traveling upon a surface, including a releasable element operable to selectively modify a performance characteristic of the tire, such as traction, and methods of enhancing the performance of a tire by selective introduction of a substance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Keith S. Snavely, Jerome Joseph Moleski, Jon T. Carter
  • Patent number: 7789117
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a circumferential tread of a cap/base configuration composed of an outer tread rubber cap layer with a running surface of the tread and an underlying tread rubber base layer, wherein said tread cap layer is composed of two longitudinal adjacent zones, namely a primary tread cap zone and a minor lateral outboard control element (zone). The primary tread cap zone and the lateral outboard tread cap element provide a significant gradation of cold dynamic storage moduli (G?) at ?25° C. and hot tan delta values at 100° C., yet similar warm dynamic storage moduli (G?) at 60° C. The primary tread cap zone and lateral outboard control tread cap element are load bearing in the sense of extending from the running surface of the tread radially inward to the unitary (non-zoned) tread base rubber layer. The zoned rubber tread cap layer and unitary rubber tread base layer are an integral tread composite in a sense of being co-extruded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Aaron Scott Puhala, Rachel Rebekah Barnette, David Charles Poling, Eric John Marazzi, Kuo-Chih Hua, Shingo Futamura
  • Patent number: 7766062
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire that can improve maneuver stability while maintaining riding comfort is provided. The pneumatic radial tire has a tire tread including at least two layers of a base tread and a cap tread arranged externally in a radial direction of the base tread. The base tread is formed by a base tread rubber composition including at least 2-20 parts by weight of a kraft paper ground product relative to 100 parts by weight of a rubber component. The base tread has its ratio E*a/E*b of a complex elastic modulus in a circumferential direction E*a to a complex elastic modulus in a tire radial direction E*b set to be at least 1.5, each of the complex elastic moduli E*a and E*b being measured at a temperature of 70° C., a frequency of 10 Hz, and a dynamic strain of ±1% at a tire maximum width position in a state where the tire is attached to a rim and filled to a prescribed internal pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Michio Hirayama
  • Publication number: 20100154948
    Abstract: A tire has an axis of rotation. The tire includes two sidewalls extending radially outward and a tread disposed radially outward of the two sidewalls and interconnecting the two sidewalls. The tread includes a main portion comprising a first compound and a reinforcing structure comprising a second compound having reinforcing short fibers oriented between ?20 degrees to +20 degrees to a circumferential direction of the tread. The main portion of the tread includes at least one circumferential groove separating circumferential ribs. Each circumferential groove has two sides and a base therebetween. The reinforcing structure includes a layer of the second compound secured to the sides of each circumferential groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Johan Peter Dahlberg, Stephane Jose Geelen, Annette Lechtenboehmer, Filomeno Gennaro Corvasce, Matthieu Pingenat, Pierre Bernard Raoul Brochet, Anne Therese Peronnet-Paquin, Jacek Wojcik, Jean Luc Dheur, Isabelle Lea Louise Marie Lambert
  • Patent number: 7714041
    Abstract: The plasticity of a tread composition may advantageously be increased by incorporating, for example, a relatively small amount of an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (“UHMWPE”). A tread cap composition, in accordance with the principles of the invention, may be a composition resulting from the combination of components including: a sulfur-vulcanizable elastomer containing olefinic unsaturation; a reinforcing filler; a mineral oil softener; a silane coupling agent; and an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (“UHMWPE”).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Frank Schmitz, Claude Charles Jacoby, Marc Weydert
  • Publication number: 20100101693
    Abstract: A method and process for manufacturing tire treads embedded with hard materials formed over a tire foundation. The process includes the step of introducing a caoutchouc mixture as granulate in powder form that can be easily mixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventor: Reiner Kunz
  • Patent number: 7559348
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread comprised of cap/base construction where the tread cap layer provides the running surface of the tread and the tread base layer underlies the tread cap layer and thereby provides a transition between the tread cap layer and the tire carcass. For this invention, the tread cap layer is comprised of a plurality of individual circumferential load-bearing zones of rubber compositions, which exhibit graduated physical properties, and which extend from the outer running surface of the tread cap layer radially inward to said tread base layer. In one aspect, the zoned rubber tread cap layer and rubber tread base layer are co-extruded together to form a unit as an integral tread rubber composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Aaron Scott Puhala, Michael Julian Crawford, Leonard James Reiter, Jeremy Elton Miracle, Martin Paul Cohen, Samuel Patrick Landers, David Charles Poling, Robert Allen Losey, Bernard Matthew Bezilla, Jr., Donald Allan Abbott
  • Patent number: 7530378
    Abstract: The present invention is directed towards speckled tire treads for tires. Specifically, the speckled tire tread includes a primary tread compound that serves as a matrix in which is distributed discrete particles of one or more secondary tread compounds, at least one of the compounds is a different color than the other tread compound(s) so as to be visually distinguishable. For example, the primary tread compound may include carbon black pigment and be black in color while the secondary tread compound can include one or more pigments to provide the particles with non-black color. Thus, the colored particles have a visually distinguishable color from that of the primary tread composition. Additionally, at least a portion of the particles may be situated for viewing on a running surface of the tire tread so that a subject can visually distinguish between the compounds, and such observed compounds may provide a different tire performance characteristic(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Aaron Scott Puhala, Rachel Rebekah Barnette, Kenneth Allen Bates, Robert Allen Losey, Bruce Raymond Hahn, Tarah Pecora Shpargel, Richard Michael D'Sidocky, Ginger Lee
  • Publication number: 20080308205
    Abstract: A tire having a circumferential tread is disclosed. In one embodiment, a plurality of synthetic fibers are embedded in the circumferential tread such that a portion of at least one of the plurality of synthetic fibers is exposed to a surface of the circumferential tread, wherein the plurality of synthetic fibers have empty cavities configured to be at least partially filled with a liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Inventor: Francis J. Byrne
  • Patent number: 7441573
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having a component including at least one diene based rubber and discontinuous textile cord having at least two textile yarns, wherein the cord is partially untwisted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Carlo Kanz, René François Reuter
  • Patent number: 7398807
    Abstract: An energy consumption efficiency improving agent is disclosed which forms a substance having a large adherability to an applying object and a high adherence to a contacting object and greatly reduces energy loss, and attains improvement of an energy consumption efficiency substantially equal to three powers of adhesion improving rate under ordinary use conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Cosmos Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Minoru Mukaida
  • Publication number: 20080135148
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a fiber comprising 0.5-30 wt. % based on the weight of the fiber of a composition comprising: a) a Bunte salt (A); b) a polysulfide compound (B) comprising the moiety {S]n— wherein n=2-6; and c) sulfur or a sulfur donor (C). Preferably the polysulfide compound has the formula: wherein n=2-6; R is independently selected from hydrogen, halogen, nitro, hydroxyl, C1-C12 alkyl or alkoxyl or aralkyl; The invention further relates to a vulcanization process for making a fiber-elastomer composition comprising the step of vulcanizing: (a) 100 parts by weight of at least one natural or synthetic rubber; (b) 0.1 to 25 parts by weight of an amount of sulfur and/or a sulfur donor, to provide the equivalent of 0.1 to 25 parts by weight of sulfur; and (c) 0.1 to 20 parts by weight of said fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: TEIJIN TWARON B.V.
    Inventors: Rabindra Nath Datta, Pieter Jan De Lange
  • Patent number: 7377300
    Abstract: An elastic tire according to the invention comprises a tread (1) which comprises at least one unit (3) for measuring the grip of the tire on the ground, the measuring unit (3) being intended to come into contact with the ground on each revolution of the tire, and comprising, viewed at a radially outer face (5) of the tread (1), a central zone (10) and an encircling zone (20) surrounding the central zone (10), a sensor (40) sensitive to at least a tangential force exerted on the radially outer top (11) of the central zone (10) being provided opposite the top (11), the central zone (10) and the encircling zone (20) satisfying the two conditions: a) Rzzc<Rzze, and b) (i) Rxzc/Rzzc>Rxze/Rzze or (ii) Ryzc/Rzzc>Ryze/Rzze, where: x, y and z represent the circumferential, axial and radial directions for the tire, Rzzc and Rzze represent the rigidities of the central zone (10) and of the encircling zone (20) under a force oriented perpendicularly to the radially outer face (5), Rxzc and Rxze represent the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Bertrand Daval
  • Publication number: 20080105346
    Abstract: In order to solve the various conventional problems described above, the present invention provides a tire which is excellent in a braking property and a drivability (WET performance) on a wet road surface and which sufficiently displays an edge effect or a spike effect and is excellent in an on-ice performance (surface braking and driving performance). Further, the present invention provides a tire which enhances a workability in a plant and in which micro drain ditches exhibiting a water film-removing performance are surely formed. A foamed rubber layer provided on a surface of the tire substantially brought into contact with a road surface contains at least one inorganic compound powder having a particle diameter of 10 ?m or less in a range of 5 to 20 mass parts per 100 mass parts of a rubber component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Masaki Toyoda
  • Publication number: 20080066838
    Abstract: This invention relates to a rubber composition which contains a dispersion of a particulate hydrophilic water absorbing polymer and tire with a tread thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Inventors: Ping Zhang, Paul Harry Sandstrom, Joseph John Kulig, Shingo Futamura, Kenneth Allen Bates, Wen-Liang Hsu, Kuo-Chih Hua
  • Patent number: 7249621
    Abstract: This invention relates to a rubber composition and tire having at least one component of a rubber composition comprised of at least one diene-based elastomer, to the exclusion of butyl type elastomers, which contains an internal dispersion of corncob granules. Such tire component may be, for example, a tire tread and/or cord reinforced rubber ply and/or belt. A tire tread intended for winter driving, although not necessarily limited to winter driving, is provided of a rubber composition containing at least one diene-based sulfur vulcanizable elastomer having a Tg below ?30° C. and an internal dispersion therein of corncob granules. The running surface of the tire tread is configured with a combination of micro-protrusions of corncob granules from said corncob granule internal dispersion and micro-cavities therein created by a release of a portion of the protruded corncob granules during the abrading, or wearing, of the tire tread running surface as the tire is being run.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Paul Harry Sandstrom