Including Foam Section Patents (Class 152/209.7)
  • Patent number: 9878508
    Abstract: A tire tread may be formed by simultaneously extruding a tread cap formed of a first material and a tread base formed of a second material having a substantially different stiffness property than the first material. One tread element may have a strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap and, a second tread element may also have a strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Paul Harry Sandstrom
  • Patent number: 9649896
    Abstract: The present invention disclosed herein is a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) with a time encoded wireless tire condition sensing device and warning signal, wherein each transmitter ID is assigned its own timing parameter through the controlling device wherein each timing parameter has a different time delay to prevent any launch time transmission overlap. Furthermore, when the main controller receives data from a transmitter indicating abnormal tire condition, the vehicle velocity information is recorded and vibration detection is activated to determine whether there is abnormal vibration and, therefore, whether to transmit vibration warning signal to the display unit and/or to the mobile device of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Inventor: Chung I Lin
  • Patent number: 9463671
    Abstract: A vehicle pneumatic tire has a two-layer belt and a tread having profile grooves within width TW 45. The maximum depth of the profile grooves varies within TW 45 and the tread has an outer contour defined by reference to rolling radius differences. The maximum depth of the grooves within a center region of TW 45 is the same. The maximum depth of the grooves in the shoulder region is a maximum of 2 mm less than in the center region. The outer contour of the tread in the center region is made flat so that the outer contour radius difference (ArdM) between the zenith and the center region axial end is less than 1 mm, and the outer contour of the tread in the transition region is configured so that the outer contour radius difference (Ards) between the zenith and the transition is 3 mm to 5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Schiller, Daniela Schirra, Kalyan Yalamanchili
  • 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: 8485236
    Abstract: Tire comprising at least one carcass-type reinforcing structure anchored on each side of said tire in a bead whose base is intended to be mounted on a rim seat, each of said beads extending generally radially outwardly in the form of sidewalls, the sidewalls being connected radially towards the outside to a tread, the carcass-type reinforcing structure extending radially from the bead towards said sidewall, a crown reinforcing structure, each of the beads also comprising an anchoring region for holding the reinforcing structure in place, wherein said tread comprises an inner layer of substantially incompressible rubbery material and an outer layer of rubbery foam wherein: the foam expansion ratio is between 110 and 400%, preferably between 120 and 350% and even more preferably between 135 and 300%; and the thickness of the layer is greater than 2.0 mm and preferably greater than 4 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: José Merino Lopez, Pierre-Yves Jeanne
  • Patent number: 8479788
    Abstract: Tire comprising at least one carcass-type reinforcing structure anchored on each side of said tire in a bead whose base is intended to be mounted on a rim seat, each of said beads extending generally radially outwardly in the form of sidewalls, the sidewalls being connected radially towards the outside to a tread, the carcass-type reinforcing structure extending circumferentially from the bead towards said sidewall, a crown reinforcing structure, each of the beads also comprising an anchoring region for holding the reinforcing structure in place, wherein said tread comprises an inner layer of substantially incompressible rubbery material and an outer layer of compressible rubbery foam wherein: the foam expansion ratio is greater than 50%; the thickness of the layer is greater than 2.0 mm and preferably greater than 4 mm; and the outer layer has a Shore A hardness of less than 30 and preferably of between 10 and 20 Shore A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale des Establissements Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: José Merino Lopez, Pierre-Yves Jeanne
  • Patent number: 8020595
    Abstract: A plurality of shallow grooves which are shallower than a sipe are formed on land sections formed on treads of a pneumatic tire. The shallow grooves are configured so that a total sectional area of the shallow grooves per unit area in a cross section in a tire width direction in at least one of tread end areas arranged at end sides of the tread surface in the tire width direction or land end areas arranged at portions adjacent to a drain main groove on the land sections becomes larger than a total sectional area of the shallow grooves per unit on the other areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiro Kiwaki, Ryoichi Watabe, Kenichi Shibata, Kazuyoshi Tagawa
  • Patent number: 7926529
    Abstract: A tire for heavy equipment of the heavy-vehicle, agricultural or construction machinery type, includes a carcass reinforcement surmounted radially by a crown reinforcement, itself covered radially by a tread, the tread being connected to two beads by two sidewalls. The tread is formed, at least in its radially outward part, of an expanded elastomer mix whose specific gravity is less than 02.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Oliver Ferlin
  • Publication number: 20100230021
    Abstract: Tire comprising at least one carcass-type reinforcing structure anchored on each side of said tire in a bead whose base is intended to be mounted on a rim seat, each of said beads extending generally radially outwardly in the form of sidewalls, the sidewalls being connected radially towards the outside to a tread, the carcass-type reinforcing structure extending radially from the bead towards said sidewall, a crown reinforcing structure, each of the beads also comprising an anchoring region for holding the reinforcing structure in place, wherein said tread comprises an inner layer of substantially incompressible rubbery material and an outer layer of rubbery foam wherein: the foam expansion ratio is between 110 and 400%, preferably between 120 and 350% and even more preferably between 135 and 300%; and the thickness of the layer is greater than 2.0 mm and preferably greater than 4 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNOIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: José Merino Lopez, Pierre-Yves Jeanne
  • Publication number: 20100200133
    Abstract: Tire comprising at least one carcass-type reinforcing structure anchored on each side of said tire in a bead whose base is intended to be mounted on a rim seat, each of said beads extending generally radially outwardly in the form of sidewalls, the sidewalls being connected radially towards the outside to a tread, the carcass-type reinforcing structure extending circumferentially from the bead towards said sidewall, a crown reinforcing structure, each of the beads also comprising an anchoring region for holding the reinforcing structure in place, wherein said tread comprises an inner layer of substantially incompressible rubbery material and an outer layer of compressible rubbery foam wherein: the foam expansion ratio is greater than 50%; the thickness of the layer is greater than 2.0 mm and preferably greater than 4 mm; and the outer layer has a Shore A hardness of less than 30 and preferably of between 10 and 20 Shore A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicants: Societe de Technolologie Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Techniwue S. A.
    Inventors: José Merino Lopez, Pierre-Yves Jeanne
  • Patent number: 7671137
    Abstract: To provide a rubber composition for a tire increasing the interaction between rubber fillers, low in heat buildup, and able to raise the vulcanization speed. A rubber composition for a tire containing 100 parts by weight of (A) a sulfur-vulcanizable diene-based rubber, (B) 0.1 to 1 part by weight of a 4,4?-oxybis(benzenesulfonylazide) and (C) a vulcanization type compounding agent, wherein the ingredients (A) and (B) are mixed at the time of a first mixing step before the compounding of the ingredient (C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Kushida
  • Patent number: 7398808
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of making an outer tire layer on a pneumatic tire microcellular closed-cell sponge rubber, method of making the aforesaid product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Inventor: Charles D. Cole, III
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7306019
    Abstract: A rubber composition is provided with a large friction force even on a body having, for example, an ice face of a low friction coefficient. The composition is constituted by a foamed rubber having a rationalized foaming state. The composition is applied to an upper-layer rubber part of a tread rubber constituting at least a ground contact face to enhance a gripping force on a frozen road surface or a snow covered road surface. The foamed rubber has continuous cells 6 each continuously extending substantially along a particular direction 4 and sealed with a resin protection membrane 5. Also, a method is provided for producing such a tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Kurokawa
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7053137
    Abstract: A process for producing cured rubber is disclosed wherein the process comprises: A) mixing rubber, carbon black, and azodicarbonamide without other curative ingredients; B) adding the remaining curative ingredients in one or more subsequent mixing steps; and then C) curing the rubber; whereby a cured rubber having improved hysteresis is obtained. The cured rubber thus obtained is particularly useful in tires and tire treads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Uniroyal Chemical Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph F. Stieber, Martin J. Hannon
  • Patent number: 7021350
    Abstract: Disclosed is a pneumatic run-flat tire. The tire has at least one carcass reinforcing ply, at least one pair of sidewall wedge inserts, and a belt reinforcing structure. The belt reinforcing structure is formed from at least a pair of cross cord belt reinforcing plies. Located radially outward of the carcass reinforcing ply is a porous elastomeric layer. The porous elastomeric layer has a porosity level of 20 to 80%, preferably 40–70%, of the total volume of the porous elastomeric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Laurent Luigi Domenico Colantonio, Anne Therese Peronnet-Paquin, Walter Dale Allen, Frank Philpott, Filomeno Gennaro Corvasce, Giorgio Agostini
  • Patent number: 6719024
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire including sipes extending in zigzag provided on tread surfaces, both wall surfaces of each sipe, which face to each other, are inclined with respect to a diameter direction of the tire, constituted of triangular wall surfaces, each having two sides expanding toward a sipe bottom with a bending point of a zigzag of the sipe as an apex and of inverse triangular wall surfaces, each having two sides narrowed toward the sipe bottom with one side of the zigzag of the sipe as a base, and a pair of the triangular wall surfaces adjacent to each other and a pair of the inverse triangular wall surfaces adjacent to each other are alternately arranged. Thus, provided is a pneumatic tire capable of improving ice performance without lowering driving stability on a dry road surface, and of suppressing occurrence of uneven wear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Kuze
  • Patent number: 6497261
    Abstract: This invention relates to a pneumatic tire comprising a tread at least a surface portion of which is made of a foamed rubber composition, the foamed rubber composition including closed cells formed by compounding a foaming agent and a foaming assistant which contains sodium benzenesulfinate or a combination of sodium benzenesulfinate and urea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuo Fukushima, Daisuke Nohara
  • Patent number: 6450222
    Abstract: A non-pneumatic tire having an elastomeric portion encompassing the tread and a radially inward foam portion. In the elastomeric portion, certain physical characteristics of the elastomeric portion differ between the tread surface and the radially inward region. An increase in the Shore A hardness provides the tire structure with an elastomeric hoop which imparts improved rolling resistance to the tire, without compromising wet/dry traction. Likewise, the weight and compliance of the tire may be adjusted in the foam portion without adverse effects on the rolling resistance. The non-pneumatic tire may be formed from a multi-shot process in a spin cast procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Inventor: Roger Fleming
  • Patent number: 6427738
    Abstract: A vulcanized rubber comprising a rubber component containing natural rubber, in an amount of 20 to 70 parts by weight, and polybutadiene, in an amount of 30 to 80 parts by weight; a rubber matrix containing 5 to 55 parts by weight of carbon black and 5 to 55 parts by weight of silica per 100 parts per weight of the rubber component; a resin, and resin coated elongated cells having a length (L) to diameter (D) ratio (L/D) of at least 3. The vulcanized rubber can be used in the tread of tires to improve on-ice performance, wet properties and wear resistance in a well balanced manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Kentaro Fujino, Hideki Matsui
  • Patent number: 6336487
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire which is used for a vehicle and obtained after a rubber material is formed by vulcanization. A cap portion (12A), which is an upper layer of a tread and directly contacts the road surface, is a foam rubber which includes innumerable elongated closed cells (24). The outer portion of the elongated closed cell (24) is coated by a resinous protective layer (26). During the vulcanization process of the tire, a resin whose viscosity is lower than that of a rubber matrix and a blowing agent which generates gas are kneaded with a rubber material so as to obtain a rubber composition. The rubber composition is formed in the shape of a band and adhered to a crown portion of a raw tire casing. The resin is melted by the heat of vulcanization and the viscosity of the resin is lower than that of the rubber matrix. The gas generated in the rubber moves toward and concentrates at the inner side of the resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Teratani, Tomohisa Nishikawa, Yuji Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6216757
    Abstract: A low noise level tire includes a carcass composed of at least one ply toroidally extending between a pair of bead cores, and a tread arranged radially outwardly of the carcass and composed of an outer cap rubber layer and an inner base rubber layer. The cap rubber layer is made of a rubber having a dynamic storage modulus of not less than 1.0×108 dyn/cm2 and not more than 2.0×108 dyn/cm2 and a loss tangent more than 0.15 and not more than 0.35. The base rubber layer is made of a rubber having a dynamic storage modulus of not less than 1.2×108 dyn/cm2 and not more than 2.2×108 dyn/cm2 and a rate of foaming of not less than 5% and not more than 50%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Ohara, Eiji Takiguchi