Tire Characterized By The Dimension Or Profile Of The Cross Sectional Shape Patents (Class 152/454)
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Publication number: 20090095391Abstract: Provided is an ultra-low profile pneumatic radial tire for SUV or the like having an aspect ration of 55% or less and a tire outer diameter of 720 mm or more, which has improved load durability while managing a weight reduction without deteriorating driveability. A carcass layer (4) thereof is configured as a single ply, and both ends thereof are folded back around left and right bead cores (7) so as to wrap bead fillers (8). A folded-back portion (4t) is wrapped on the inner side of an end of a belt layer (5) in a range not greater than 10% of the maximum width of the belt layer (5). The hardness of the bead fillers is 65 to 80 in terms of JIS durometer A hardness, and a height hb of the bead fillers (8) from a bead base is brought to 10 to 20% of the height H of a tire cross-section.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2007Publication date: April 16, 2009Applicant: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.Inventor: Hiroyuki Kojima
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Patent number: 7506675Abstract: A composite sheet has confined flexibility and is used in a safety pneumatic tire which is self-supporting under zero inflation pressure. The composite sheet comprises a matrix of high modulus solid objects, low modulus material, and optionally a matrix of cords, the high modulus solid objects being assembled to form a mechanism which allows the composite sheet to bend easily within predetermined ranges and confines the composite sheet from further bending when the limits of the predetermined ranges are reached. The safety pneumatic tire comprises a pair of the composite sheets disposed at sidewall regions under a carcass and/or a layer of the composite sheet disposed above a belt package. A method of making the composite sheet includes forming a chain of the high modulus solid objects having a desired locking position.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2004Date of Patent: March 24, 2009Inventors: Lifeng Su, Qi Gao
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Patent number: 7503360Abstract: A high aspect ratio agricultural pneumatic tire has a carcass including a pair of bead portions each having a bead core and two pair of first and second carcass plies of synthetic cords oriented radially and wrapped from the inside of each bead core around to an axially outer turnup end. The first pair of plies is radially inward and adjacent the second pair of plies between the bead cores and having the turnup ends T1, T1? wrapped about the bead cores and the turnup ends T2, T2? of the second pair of plies. The turnup end of the first pair of plies extends outwardly and radially along the bead filler wherein T1, T1? are located between 60% and 80% of the radial location Y of maximum section width (SW) of the tire and T2, T2? are located between 30% and 50% of Y.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2005Date of Patent: March 17, 2009Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyInventors: Kevin Michael Rielly, Thomas Edward McGaffick
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Publication number: 20090038726Abstract: [Problem] To reduce road noise in running by disposing a noise damper made of a spongy material in a cavity of a tire. [Solution] A pneumatic tire-rim assembly 1 including a rim 2, a pneumatic tire 3 attached to the rim 2, and a noise damper 4 made of a spongy material which is disposed in a tire cavity “i” surrounded by the rim 2 and the pneumatic tire 3 and extends in the tire circumferential direction, wherein the noise damper 4 has a volume of 0.4 to 20% of the whole volume of the tire cavity “i” and is fixed to an inner surface 2i or 3i of the tire or rim, the noise damper 4 has a height of 30 mm or less from the inner surface, and the spongy material of the noise damper 4 has a hardness of 10 to 250 N, a tensile strength of 70 kPa or more and a specific gravity of 0.014 to 0.052.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2006Publication date: February 12, 2009Inventor: Naoki Yukawa
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Patent number: 7472732Abstract: The present invention provides a rubber composition, which has improved gripping performance that is required in a competition tire, high hardness and high stiffness. Specifically, the present invention provides a rubber composition comprising 10 to 100 parts by weight of carbon black having nitrogen-adsorbing specific surface area of 160 to 300 m2/g, and 15 to 70 parts by weight of an oil, based on 100 parts by weight of a rubber component comprising 20 to 95% by weight of a styrene butadiene copolymer rubber having styrene content of at least 30% and vinyl content of at least 30% and 5 to 80% by weight of butadiene rubber, and silica in an amount of 20 to 100% by weight of the carbon black; wherein the total amount of the carbon black and the silica is 20 to 120 parts by weight.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2004Date of Patent: January 6, 2009Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Hideki Otsuji, Shuichi Sakamoto, Akihiro Mine
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Patent number: 7469733Abstract: A tyre for a vehicle wheel comprising two sidewalls, a tread, beads, the sidewall intended to be positioned on the interior side of the vehicle being shorter than that intended to be positioned on the exterior side of the vehicle, a reinforcement structure extending between the beads and maintained in said beads by anchoring zones, each of the beads comprising a specific and distinct arrangement of the anchoring zone thereof, such that the anchoring zone of the bead intended to be positioned on the exterior side of the vehicle exhibits a greater anchoring capacity than the anchoring zone of the bead intended to be on the interior side of the vehicle. The internal and external anchoring zones are thus arranged in such a manner as to produce, in operation, a rim clamping load which is substantially identical on each side.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2006Date of Patent: December 30, 2008Assignee: Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.A.Inventors: Bernard Guerinon, James Robert Anderson, David Jardine, Jean-Jacques Drieux
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Patent number: 7448422Abstract: A pneumatic run-flat tire has a bead configuration wherein the axially inner end is radially inward of the axially outer end of the bead. The sidewall of the tire, from the bead region to the upper sidewall is reinforced to form a pillar support in the sidewall. The bead configuration and the pillar reinforcement enable the tire to lock itself onto a tire rim during low pressure operation and be self-supporting.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2005Date of Patent: November 11, 2008Assignees: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Societe de Technologie MichelinInventors: Michael Spiro Markoff, David Charles Poling, Samuel Patrick Landers
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Patent number: 7438102Abstract: A bead portion 4 of a pneumatic tire 1 includes a vertical rising surface portion Sw1 which is connected to a bead base surface Sb through an arc bead heel surface Sh, and a straight or convex arc flange receiving surface portion Sw2 which is diagonally extending from the rising surface portion Sw1 radially outward and axially outward of the tire. In a normal internal pressure in which no load is applied, the flange receiving surface portion Sw2 is not in contact with a flange surface Rf, and in a load state in which 50% or more of normal load is applied, the flange receiving surface portion Sw2 comes into contact with the flange surface Rf.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2005Date of Patent: October 21, 2008Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Nobuyoshi Yoshinaka
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Publication number: 20080251179Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a shoulder land portion and a narrow groove, the narrow groove comprises a first enlarged portion enlarging a groove width at a groove bottom only on the sacrificed portion side, a second enlarged portion being formed adjacently on the tread face side of the first enlarged portion and enlarging a groove width only on the sacrificed portion side, a projection portion being formed between the first enlarged portion and the second enlarged portion while projecting toward the main body land portion from an inner wall on the sacrificed land portion side, and a flat face portion having a depth, from the tread face, of 30% or more of a groove depth of the narrow groove, and having an inner wall on the sacrificed land portion side and an inner wall on the main body land portion side.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2007Publication date: October 16, 2008Applicant: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yuichi Nakamura, Hiroaki Sugimoto
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Patent number: 7434605Abstract: The invention relates to a tire for heavy vehicle of the agricultural or construction type, comprising a carcass reinforcement radially surmounted by a crown reinforcement, itself topped radially by a tread, said tread being joined to two beads by means of two sidewalls. According to the invention, the tire is such that the form ratio H/S is less than 0.75 and the ratio of the width of the tread A to the height of deflection B of the crown is greater than 17.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2005Date of Patent: October 14, 2008Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventors: Hien Vu, Gilles Godeau
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Publication number: 20080223497Abstract: The present invention is an inner tube apparatus, and article of manufacture, that comprises an inflatable compartment capable of surrounding a wheel. The tube comprises a first and second end that allows the user to replace the inner tube without removing the wheel, or other elements of the vehicle, for repair.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2007Publication date: September 18, 2008Inventor: John Balzowski
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Publication number: 20080156407Abstract: A green tire includes a surface layer defining a green tire surface and made up of a plurality of windings of an unvulcanized rubber tape. A part of each of the windings is exposed on the green tire surface so that the exposed part has a width of from 50% to 80% of the width W1 of the rubber tape. Each of the windings has a substantially rhomboid cross section and has one end at an acute angle corner exposed on the green tire surface and the other end at the opposing acute angle corner. An angle theta of a diagonal line of the rhomboid drawn between the one end and the other end is not more than 30 degrees with respect to a tangential line to a profile line of the green tire surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2007Publication date: July 3, 2008Inventors: Masayuki Sakamoto, Toshiaki Ono, Toshiyuki Mafune, Takamichi Sagawa
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Patent number: 7387142Abstract: A pneumatic tire with rim protectors protruding outwardly from the outer side of a tire a distance greater than the outer surface on at least one outer surface of the sidewalls from the bead portions toward the tread and continuously formed in the tire circumferential direction. The rim protectors have the first top portion protruding outwardly from the tire outer side a distance greater than the outer surface through a first hillside portion in a cross-sectional shape from the bead portions toward the tread and a second top portion protruding in a stepped state from the first top portion through the second hillside portion. The second hillside portion extends more to the tire inner side and connects a vertex of the first top portion and an end point in a tread side of a virtual arc on the outer surface of the sidewalls.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2006Date of Patent: June 17, 2008Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tetsuji Miyazaki
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Publication number: 20080099117Abstract: Disclosed is a low noise pneumatic tire in which a plurality of noise absorbing members of a porous material are attached to the tire inner peripheral surface with intervals in the tire circumferential direction. The number of the noise absorbing members is from 5 to 50. The total length obtained by integrating the lengths of the noise absorbing members in the tire circumferential direction is not less than 75% of the tire maximum inner peripheral length. The distance between each adjacent two of the noise absorbing members is equal to or more than the maximum thickness of the noise absorbing members at the end portions thereof in the tire circumferential direction, while being not more than 15% of the tire maximum inner peripheral length.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2006Publication date: May 1, 2008Applicant: YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD, THEInventor: Atsushi Tanno
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Publication number: 20080099116Abstract: Disclosed is a pneumatic tire including a single or a plurality of noise absorbing members formed of a porous material attached to one side of surfaces of an elastic band in the longitudinal direction thereof, and also disposed on the tire inner peripheral surface by using the elastic band along the circumferential direction. Further, the tire includes a plurality of width-direction reinforcing members disposed with intervals in the tire circumferential direction on surfaces, facing the elastic band, of the corresponding noise absorbing members and also extending from the elastic band to both ends of the corresponding noise absorbing members in the width direction thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2006Publication date: May 1, 2008Applicant: YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD. THEInventor: Atsushi Tanno
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Publication number: 20080035261Abstract: A heavy duty tire comprises a bead filler disposed in each bead portion (4). The bead filler (8) comprises: a main layer (13) having a complex elastic modulus E*2 of from 2.0 to 6.0 Mpa; and a fastening layer (12) having a complex elastic modulus E*1 of from 20 to 70 Mpa. The fastening layer comprises a base portion (12B) and an axially inner portion (12A) to have a L-shaped cross section. The height Ha of the axially inner portion (12A) is 35 to 100 mm and not more than the height Hb of the main layer (13), and the radial height Hb is 40 to 100 mm, each from the bead base line.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2007Publication date: February 14, 2008Inventor: Kiyoto Maruoka
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Patent number: 7281557Abstract: A tire includes at least one carcass-type reinforcement structure anchored on each side in a bead, each bead being extended radially towards the outside by a sidewall having at least one substantially resilient circumferential cord disposed in the substantially median portion of the sidewalls. The carcass-type reinforcement structure includes a ply of carcass cords extending from the bead to the crown within a sidewall. The carcass cords are arranged in such a way that, in a sidewall zone restricted to the median portion of the sidewall, the carcass cords exhibit different respective axial positions, so as to form around the circumference a succession of substantially regular undulations defining an undulating circumferential profile. Outside of the sidewall zone, the carcass cords of the ply do not form undulations. At reduced pressure the undulations tend to straighten out and rigidify the sidewall in such a way as to be able to bear the load.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2005Date of Patent: October 16, 2007Assignee: Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.A.Inventor: José Merino Lopez
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Patent number: 7275573Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply passenger tire (10) having a tread (20), a casing with two sidewalls (14, 16), one or more radial plies (18) extending from and wrapped about two annular beads (13) and a belt reinforcement structure (15) located radially between the tread and the plies. The tread has a first contour-defining curve extending outwards from the equatorial plane of the tire towards the sidewalls, an adjacent second contour-defining curve disposed between the first contour defining curve and the sidewalls and an adjacent third contour defining curve extending outwards from the second contour defining curve and the sidewalls. The first, second and third contour-defining curves have first (R1) and second (R2) and third (R3) radii chosen such that R2>R1>R3.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2003Date of Patent: October 2, 2007Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyInventors: Gia Van Nguyen, Sébastien Morin, Anne-France Gabrielle Jeanne-Marie Cambron, Xavier Sébastien Benoît Fraipont
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Patent number: 7275575Abstract: Disclosed are improved wheels and tires for simulating the appearance of larger-diameter wheels mounted within low-profile tires. The improved tires are intended to be mounted on wheels with an extended outer flange. An embodiment of the tire comprises an outboard tire wall, an inboard tire wall, a tread therebetween, a laterally extending wheel protector, a ledge, and a flange seat. The flange seat is optionally contoured to match the inner face of an outer flange of the improved wheel.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2004Date of Patent: October 2, 2007Assignee: Tezzen Wheel CorporationInventors: Frank J. Hodges, Sergio Anca
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Publication number: 20070193670Abstract: In a pneumatic tire of the present invention provided with a pair of bead cores, a troidal-shaped carcass surrounding said bead cores, a tread rubber, a carcass, a plurality of belt layers 6 reinforced by a steel cords 7, wherein in at least one of said belt layers 6, the maximum value of deviation of an angle ?c of said steel cords 7 is not greater than 3 degrees with respect to the angle made by said steel cords 7 at the center in the tire width direction and the tire circumferential direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2007Publication date: August 23, 2007Applicant: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Naoto Kashihara
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Patent number: 7249622Abstract: A tire is manufactured on standard tire building equipment and cured in standard curing presses. The tire tread has at least one deep circumferentially extending groove. Within the groove is a separately assembled ring. The ring may be fitted into the deep groove after vulcanization of the tire. For very wide tires, two grooves with two external rings may be used or more than two grooves and beads, depending upon the tire width.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2003Date of Patent: July 31, 2007Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyInventor: John Kolbjoern Roedseth
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Patent number: 7234495Abstract: An underground mine tire 20 having a nominal bead diameter of 20.0 inches or less has a carcass, a tread 25 and a pair of rubber sidewalls 23, each extending along the outer periphery of the carcass 21 below the tread 25. The tire 20 has a nominal bead width D greater than 8.50 inches and an overall diameter of less than 55 inches. The carcass 21 has at least one radial steel cord reinforced ply 24.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2005Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyInventors: Maurice Jacob Frank, Steven Michael Wilton, Lance Reed Wilkinson, Brian Ernest McMahon, Nicholas Lynn Sticklen
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Patent number: 7204283Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a pair of bead portions each having a bottom face and an axially outer side face which contact with a bead seat and a flange of a wheel rim, respectively, wherein the axially outer side face comprises a radially outer part for contacting with a radially outermost curved portion of the rim flange; and a radially inner part for contacting with a radially inner flat portion of the rim flange. In a meridian section of the tire, the radially inner part is a substantially straight line, and the radially outer part is (A) a substantially straight line or (B) convex line or (C) a curved concave line having a radius of curvature of not less than 300 mm, and the radially outer part extends radially outwards from the radially outer end of the radially inner part while inclining axially outwards.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2004Date of Patent: April 17, 2007Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Nobuyoshi Yoshinaka
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Patent number: 7137425Abstract: A high-performance, low-profile tire for four-wheeled passenger car comprises a carcass comprised of at least two carcass cord plies each extending between a pair of bead cores and wound around the respective bead core from an inside of the tire toward an outside thereof, a belt, a tread rubber, a bead apex extending outward from the bead core in the radial direction of the tire and having a tapered sectional form, a flipper arranged outside the carcass in the radial direction of the tire and wound around the bead core and bead apex from an inside of the tire toward an outside thereof, and at least one bead-side reinforcing layer arranged to pass between a turnup portion of the flipper and the bead apex and extend up to a vicinity of a tire maximum width, and has an aspect ratio of 35–55%.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2005Date of Patent: November 21, 2006Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Kazuo Hayashi
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Patent number: 7093633Abstract: A self-supporting pneumatic tire is molded in such a manner that ride comfort is improved, durability is increased, and a greater run-flat capability can be achieved. The self-supporting run-flat tire is molded such that the molded bead base width is equal or less than the rim width of the intended rim upon which the tire is to be mounted. By molding the tire with a bead width less than or equal to the rim width, the sidewall inserts are not subjected to additional stress during and after inflation of the tire and the strain energy is more evenly distributed through the sidewall pillar construction.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2003Date of Patent: August 22, 2006Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyInventors: Johan Peter Dahlberg, Laurent Luigi Domenico Colantonio, Walter Dale Allen
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Patent number: 7086438Abstract: A stabilizing system for a pneumatic tire and wheel assembly includes complimentary projections and grooves on internal regions of the tire which contact each during an under-inflated condition. The projections and grooves mate with each other during the under-inflated condition to provide mechanical and positive interconnection between the regions in a direction of travel thereby inhibiting lateral movement between the tire and the rim.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2000Date of Patent: August 8, 2006Inventor: Stephen M. Vossberg
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Patent number: 7082977Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes two or more carcass layers for reinforcing between a pair of annular beads, and a reinforcing layer having a cord arranged on an outer peripheral surface of the carcass layer below a tread surface in a circumferential direction of a tire. The pneumatic tire has a flattening of 70% or less. The cord constituting the carcass layers are arranged substantially in a radial direction in a region of the tire from the bead to a position near a tire maximum width, and from that position to a grounding end. The angle with respect to a circumferential direction of the tire is gradually changed between 20° and 60° in the vicinity of the grounding end, and between 20° and 50° at the tread surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2004Date of Patent: August 1, 2006Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Nakakura, Kietsu Maeda
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Patent number: 7036541Abstract: A standard grounding surface shape F0 becomes a maximum grounding length Lc at a tire equator C and becomes a shortest grounding length Lm between the tire equator C and a grounding edge TE. The shortest grounding length Lm is located in a region away from the tire equator C by a distance of 0.5 to 0.9 times of a tread half width TW. A rubber thickness t1 between the carcass cord and the belt cord is gradually increased outward in the axial direction of the tire from the tire equator, and the rubber thickness t1 in a half width position Q which is away from the tire equator by a distance of 0.55 times of the tread half width TW is set to 0.5 to 3.0 mm. A ratio t2q/t2c between a tread entire thickness t2c in the half width position Q and a tread entire thickness t2c in the tire equator is set to 1.01±0.05.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2002Date of Patent: May 2, 2006Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Kiyoto Maruoka, Minoru Nishi, Atsushi Yamahira, Satoshi Tsuda
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Patent number: 7025101Abstract: There is provided a pneumatic radial tire for a motorcycle capable of developing an excellent steering stability in a high-speed cornering subjected to a large camber angle, and having an aspect ratio of 0.50–0.85, in which a tensile strength at break of a carcass ply cord is not less than 980 MPa, and an absolute value of a carcass total rigidity obtained by adding carcass rigidities of carcass plies is not less than 30000, and a tensile strength at break of a belt layer cord is not less than 2350 MPa, and an absolute value of a belt total rigidity obtained by adding belt rigidities of belt layers is not less than 170000, and a bending rigidity ratio as a ratio of out-of-plane bending rigidity to in-plane bending rigidity is within a range of 4.20–9.10.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2003Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Takashi Ootsuka
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Patent number: 6994138Abstract: The invention relates to a tire for a two-wheeled motorized vehicle and more particularly a motorcycle. Such a tire comprises at least one carcass-type reinforcement structure, formed of reinforcement elements forming with the circumferential direction an angle of between 65° and 90°, anchored on either side of the tire to a bead whose base is intended to be fitted on a rim seat, each bead being extended radially towards the outside by a sidewall, the sidewalls meeting up, radially towards the outside, with a tread whose Ht/Wt ratio is greater than 0.15, said carcass reinforcement being radially surmounted at least in the zone of the tread by a crown reinforcement formed of at least one layer of circumferential reinforcement elements.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2004Date of Patent: February 7, 2006Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Yann Chaylard
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Patent number: 6977020Abstract: In the method of mounting a pneumatic radial tire comprising a spiral belt and a pair cross belt members arranged in parallel to each other at both sides of an equational plane of the tire and at a given opening space onto a vehicle body, the tire is mounted as a front tire and/or a rear tire so as to contact a portion of the cord in the belt member facing the opening space with ground under a given condition in a forward rotating direction of the tire.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2001Date of Patent: December 20, 2005Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Tsutomu Nakamura
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Patent number: 6971426Abstract: An elastomeric tire with arch shaped shoulders for mounting onto a rim that is manufactured by spin casting or molding methods that includes an annular cavity that is centered under the tire tread having equal thicknesses of side walls and an area under the tread whose slope outwardly into shoulder that the side walls upper ends intersect that have greater thickness and which side walls lower ends include beads that are each spaced a selected distance from the surfaces of the side wall ends that slope upwardly from inner to outer surfaces and with the tire preferably including plies that extend across the tire having ends that wrap around the beads and belts fitted around the tire circumference, above the plies, and including porous spacers fitted between the layers of plies and belts to pass a flow of the elastomeric material therethrough during tire formation.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2004Date of Patent: December 6, 2005Assignee: AmerityreInventor: Richard A. Steinke
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Patent number: 6941991Abstract: A radial ply, passenger vehicle tire has a tread with a substantially flat tread profile, a belt structure, and a carcass comprising two sidewalls, two beads and one or more plies. The one or more plies have a loaded shoulder ply radius that is smaller than the tire's unloaded shoulder ply radius. This design eliminates tread-lift and eliminates the need for decoupling grooves in the shoulder regions of the tread.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2003Date of Patent: September 13, 2005Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyInventors: Gia Van Nguyen, Marco Joseph Eicher, Alain Alphonse Zelie Samuel Klepper
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Patent number: 6941990Abstract: Pneumatic off-road tires having structure for improving sidewall puncture resistance to penetrating objects. The structure may include multiple deflection pads arranged concentrically about the sidewall or a single deflection pad extending in a spiral about the sidewall. Each deflection pad incorporates inclined surfaces arranged for deflecting penetrating objects in a radial direction so that the likelihood of a sidewall puncture is significantly reduced.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2002Date of Patent: September 13, 2005Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyInventor: Timothy Michael Rooney
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Patent number: 6913051Abstract: Tire, comprising at least one carcass-type reinforcement structure extending circumferentially from the bead to the sidewall and a crown reinforcement, each of the beads further comprising a main anchoring zone for supporting the reinforcement structure, the tire comprising a rim protector provided by a rubber projection extending axially outwardly relative to the sidewall and comprising at least one secondary anchoring zone comprising a plurality of circumferential cord windings, the windings cooperating with an adjacent portion of a secondary reinforcement structure via a rubber anchoring mix. Since anchoring is distributed between the bead and the rim protector, new architectural or design possibilities are opened up, for example permitting the use of the restricted space of the bead in an optimum manner. Thus, for example, the presence of the secondary anchoring zone at the rim protector helps greatly to improve the behavior of the tires, in particular resistance to drift.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2003Date of Patent: July 5, 2005Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Pascal Auxerre
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Patent number: 6901983Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a carcass folded turned up around a bead core, a belt layer arranged outside of a crown portion of the carcass to have an overlapping portion with the carcass folded portion, a first reinforcing rubber layer arranged between a carcass body portion and the carcass folded portion, and a second reinforcing rubber layer arranged inside the carcass body portion, wherein an overlapping width W1 from an upper end position RE of the first reinforcing rubber layer to an end BE of the belt layer is specified; an overlapping width W2 from an upper end position RF of the second reinforcing rubber layer to the end BE of the belt layer is specified; and thickness RW of the second reinforcing rubber layer on a line TL connecting the end BE of the belt layer and a tread end TE is specified.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2002Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Assignee: The Ohtsu Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.Inventor: Takehiko Murata
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Patent number: 6892779Abstract: The invention provides an assembly of a pneumatic tire and a rim. The tire has at least one carcass ply 2 and a belt layer 8. The ply 2 is composed of ply cords and has end portions. The belt layer 8 is composed of belt cords provided outside of the ply 2. Each belt cord extends in a direction intersecting the ply cord. Each of the end portions is held in the rim 12. The width of the tire is maximum in a circumferential cross section “T” with a cylindrical shape with respect to the center axis “D” of the tire. The cross section “T” extends through the rim 10. When the tire is rolled under a load and a stress is applied on the tire as an arrow “X”, a neighboring portion 2d near the end portions 2a, 2b is considerably bending-deformed as arrows “Y” to absorb the stress. The roundness of the belt layer 8 is thus preserved to reduce the rolling resistance of the tire considerably.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2001Date of Patent: May 17, 2005Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventors: Ken Masaoka, Hiroki Sawada, Mitsuo Hashimoto, Yuichiro Ogawa
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Patent number: 6883568Abstract: A tire comprising two beads, a crown and sidewalls that connect the crown to said beads, the tire being reinforced by a carcass reinforcement anchored in each bead to at least one annular anchoring element, each sidewall comprising an additional, inextensible sidewall ring located axially inside the axially outermost carcass ply and a coupling section located radially between the annular anchoring element in the bead and said sidewall ring and positioned axially inside the axially outermost carcass ply. The tire is characterized in that the line segments passing through the centers of gravity of the sections of the annular anchoring rings in the beads and through the center of gravity of the sidewall rings on the same respective side, make angles respectively of ?1 and ?2 relative to the rotation axis, these angles being different.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2004Date of Patent: April 26, 2005Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Oliver Muhlhoff
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Patent number: 6880599Abstract: When a tread thickness from a second belt ply 7B is defined as T, Tmin is provided in a region Y which is away from a tire equator C by a distance of 0.5 to 0.7 times of a tread grounding half width WT/2. A ratio Tmin/Tc between said minimum value Tmin and the tread thickness Tc at the position of the tire equator C is 0.92 to 0.97, and a ratio Tb/Tc between a tread thickness Tb at a position of an outer end of the second belt ply and Tc is 0.95 to 1.10. When a tread thickness from a carcass 6 is defined as K, Kmin is provided in region Y. A ratio Kmin/Kc is 0.97 to 0.998, and a ratio Kb/Kc is 1.2 to 1.5.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2002Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Kiyoto Maruoka, Minoru Nishi, Atsushi Yamahira
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Patent number: 6843291Abstract: A tire comprising a carcass extending through sidewall regions and a ground contacting tread region and a tread reinforcing breaker disposed radially outward of the carcass in the tread region, inboard and outboard tread regions each extending between the tread circumferential centerline (X) and axially spaced-apart inboard and outboard tread edges (IE,OE), the inboard tread edge (IE) for mounting nearest to the vehicle longitudinal centerline, characterised in that in the condition that the tire is mounted on its scheduled wheelrim and inflated to its scheduled pressure, the axial width (LR) of the tread between its tread edges (OE, IE) is not less than 75% of the maximum tire width (G), the axial width (LC) of the breaker is not less than 97% of the tread width (LR) and the difference in the breaker width (LC) and the tread width (LR) is not more than 25% of the difference between the maximum tire width (G) and the tread width (LR).Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2000Date of Patent: January 18, 2005Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyInventor: Yves Gaudin
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Patent number: 6834694Abstract: Tire comprising a carcass reinforcement of at least one ply of reinforcing elements parallel to one another within each ply and making with the circumferential direction an angle &agr; such that 60°<&agr;<90°, said ply being anchored in each bead to an anchoring element in the bead and each bead being connected radially to a tread by a sidewall comprising an inextensible reinforcement ring and a profiled element of rubber mixture located axially inside said ply and located radially between said anchoring element and said sidewall ring.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2003Date of Patent: December 28, 2004Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.Inventor: Olivier Muhlhoff
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Patent number: 6834696Abstract: A runflat tire is provided that may be used in applications currently requiring a large aspect ratio tire. The runflat tire of the invention may be substituted in these applications while providing desirable ride characteristics. The runflat tire includes a sidewall with a radial portion and a cantilever portion. The cantilever portion may be fabricated by extending a sidewall insert in the axially inward direction or by extending the bead filler in the axially outward direction. In other embodiments, the cantilever sidewall portion is formed by a combination of the sidewall insert and the bead filler. The resulting runflat tire has desired durability in the uninflated operating condition while having desired ride characteristics in the inflated condition. The sidewall structure allows the tire to be used in applications presently requiring a tire with a high aspect ratio.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2000Date of Patent: December 28, 2004Assignee: Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLCInventors: Martin A. Yurjevich, Charles D. Spragg, Stephen M. Vossberg, James M. Kirby
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Publication number: 20040238094Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises: a tread portion defining an overall diameter of the tire under a normally-inflated unloaded state and a ground contacting width under a normally inflated loaded state; a pair of sidewall portions defining an overall width of the tire therebetween under the normally-inflated unloaded state; a pair of bead portions each with a bead core therein; a carcass extending between the bead portions through the tread portion and sidewall portions; and a belt disposed radially outside the carcass in the tread portion, wherein the overall diameter of the tire is in a range of from 750 to 820 mm; the ground contacting width is in a range of from 85 to 90% of said overall width of the tire; and the carcass comprises an ultrahigh-turnup ply extending between the bead portions through the tread portion and sidewall portions and turned up around the bead core in each of the bead portion so that the turned-up portions each extend radially outwardly into the tread portion through the sidewall pType: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2004Publication date: December 2, 2004Inventor: Hiroaki Kajita
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Publication number: 20040226642Abstract: A tire comprising two beads, a crown and sidewalls that connect the crown to said beads, the tire being reinforced by a carcass reinforcement anchored in each bead to at least one annular anchoring element, each sidewall comprising an additional, inextensible sidewall ring located axially inside the axially outermost carcass ply and a coupling section located radially between the annular anchoring element in the bead and said sidewall ring and positioned axially inside the axially outermost carcass ply. The tire is characterized in that the line segments passing through the centers of gravity of the sections of the annular anchoring rings in the beads and through the center of gravity of the sidewall rings on the same respective side, make angles respectively of &bgr;1 and &bgr;2 relative to the rotation axis, these angles being different.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2004Publication date: November 18, 2004Applicant: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.Inventor: Oliver Muhlhoff
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Patent number: 6814117Abstract: A tire having a carcass reinforcement, a crown reinforcement and a tread joined to two beads by means of two sidewalls, the axially outer edges of the single mix of the tread being folded over on to the radially outer edges of the rubber mixes of the sidewalls, and the circular junction J between the sole rubber mix of the tread and the rubber mix of the sidewall being positioned such that its radius RC on the axially outer wall of the tire lies firstly between 0.9 RS+0.1 RB and 0.8 RS+0.2 RB and secondly between RSS and 0.9 RSS+0.1 RB, RS being the equatorial crown radius of the tread, RSS the equatorial radius of the center line of the carcass reinforcement and RB the radius of the bead seat.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2000Date of Patent: November 9, 2004Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin-Michelin & CieInventor: Noël Morel
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Publication number: 20040206440Abstract: Disclosed are a pneumatic tire which enables improvement of durability when air column resonance sound is reduced by adding a member to a bead portion to change a sectional shape of a closed space in a tire circumferential direction, and a pneumatic tire manufacturing method which enables improvement of productivity. In the pneumatic tire in which a carcass layer is arranged between a pair of left and right bead portions and an inner liner layer is provided on an inner side of the carcass layer, volume adjusting members are intermittently arranged between the carcass layer and the inner layer in the bead portions in a tire circumferential direction so as to change a sectional shape of a closed space formed between the tire and a wheel in the tire circumferential direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2004Publication date: October 21, 2004Inventors: Shuichi Tsukada, Hiroshi Yamauchi, Yasuji Akiyoshi
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Publication number: 20040200556Abstract: A tire comprising at least one reinforcement structure of carcass type anchored on each side of the tire in a bead, a crown reinforcement, each bead being extended radially towards the outside by a sidewall, said reinforcement structure being discontinuous over at least a portion of the crown of the tire, said crown reinforcement comprising on the one hand at least one primary reinforcement structure covering substantially the entire width of the crown and comprising on the one hand, on each side of the tire, a lateral primary reinforcement structure portion disposed radially outside the adjacent carcass-type reinforcement structure portion and on the other hand a median primary reinforcement structure portion disposed radially more to the inside than the lateral primary reinforcement structure portions and at least one substantially axial row of median circumferential reinforcements disposed radially to the outside, substantially adjacent the median primary reinforcement structure portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2004Publication date: October 14, 2004Applicant: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.Inventors: David Jardine, Pascal Auxerre
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Patent number: 6802350Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a innerliner, a carcass, a belt, one or more cap layers and a tread, in which the belt is comprised of at least two belt layers each containing rubberized metal or organic fiber monofilament cords, and a rubber gauge between the monofilament cords located in the adjacent belt layers is made 1.5-5 times of a diameter of the monofilament cord.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2001Date of Patent: October 12, 2004Assignee: Bridgestone CorporationInventor: Kenichi Ohura
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Publication number: 20040187994Abstract: A vehicle tire fabrication method in which a raw tire tube is adhered with two annular hook members and two annular rubber packing members one the inside and an airtight sealing layer and a combination outer tire wall layer on the outside, and then the raw tire thus obtained is put in a vulcanizing mold and vulcanized into a finished vehicle tire, and then the annular rubber packing members are removed from the finished vehicle tire.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2003Publication date: September 30, 2004Inventor: Shut Chen Hsu
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Publication number: 20040187995Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a pair of bead portions each having a bottom face and an axially outer side face which contact with a bead seat and a flange of a wheel rim, respectively, wherein the axially outer side face comprises: a radially outer part for contacting with a radially outermost curved portion of the rim flange; and a radially inner part for contacting with a radially inner flat portion of the rim flange. In a meridian section of the tire, the axially outer side face is provided with a profile such that the radially inner part is a substantially straight line, and the radially outer part is (A) a substantially straight line or (B) a convex line or (C) a curved concave line having a radius of curvature of not less than 300 mm, and the radially outer part extends radially outwards from the radially outer end of the radially inner part while inclining axially outwards.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2004Publication date: September 30, 2004Inventor: Nobuyoshi Yoshinaka