Characterized By Chemical Composition Or Physical Properties Of External Sidewall Materials Patents (Class 152/525)
  • Publication number: 20040063859
    Abstract: The present invention is an elastomeric composition having a primary rubber component, a secondary rubber component, and an elastomeric component. More particularly, in one embodiment the elastomeric composition has from 50 to 95 phr natural rubber as the primary rubber component, from 5 to 40 phr of a copolymer of a C4 to C7 isoolefin and a para-alkylstyrene as the elastomeric component, and from 0 to 40 phr of polybutadiene as a secondary rubber component. In one embodiment, the copolymer includes a terpolymer of isobutylene, para-methylstyrene and para-bromomethylstyrene, wherein the para-bromomethylstyrene is present from 0.2 mol % to 3.0 mol %. Further, the composition desirably contains carbon black. The compositions are useful for tire treads and tire sidewalls having improved winter wear properties such as high DIN abrasion values and improved Tangent Delta values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Inventors: Walter H. Waddell, Robert R. Poulter
  • Publication number: 20040060630
    Abstract: A pneumatic rubber tire having a sidewall of a rubber composition of elastomers comprised primarily of a combination of a brominated copolymer of isobutylene and para-methylstyrene and high trans 1,4-polybutadiene polymer, of which a minor portion thereof is one or more additional conjugated diene-based elastomers exclusive of any appreciable amount of high cis 1,4-polybutadiene rubber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Inventor: Paul Harry Sandstrom
  • Patent number: 6710116
    Abstract: Transparent and colorable elastomeric compositions are provided. The transparent elastomeric compositions can be covulcanized with rubbers such as polybutadiene, polyisoprene, styrene-butadiene rubber, styrene-isoprene-butadiene rubber, isoprene-butadiene rubber, ethylene-propylene diene rubber or natural rubber and a processing aid. The colorable rubber compositions have sufficient properties to function as a reinforcing member in a shoe sole or automobile tire. Preferably, both the transparent and colorable elastomeric compositions include at least one copolymer of a C4 to C7 isoolefin and a para-alkylstyrene, silica and a high cis-polybutadiene rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Harvey Waddell, Robert Ryan Poulter
  • Publication number: 20040050473
    Abstract: A tire having a visible sidewall of a rubber composition containing a combination of:
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventor: Paul Harry Sandstrom
  • Publication number: 20040050471
    Abstract: The present invention relates to colored compositions used as coatings for tires. The present invention relates to a tire having an outer rubber surface based at least in part on essentially unsaturated diene elastomers, which is covered with the colored coating. The coating comprises at least one layer in contact with the air and has a composition comprising a majority proportion of polyurethane produced from a polyol selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyethers, aliphatic polyesters, polyethers having a main chain that is semi-aromatic and polyesters having a main chain that is semi-aromatic, and flakes of aluminum in an amount of between 20 and 150 parts of flakes per hundred parts of dry polyurethane, phr, wherein the bond between the elastomer and the polyurethane being produced due to the polar functions. The present invention also relates to methods of producing the composition and the tire comprising the composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Alain Cottin, Georges Peyron
  • Publication number: 20040045650
    Abstract: Tyre for a vehicle wheel, comprising at least one first component comprising an elastomeric material which is crosslinked in substantial absence of sulphur, and at least one second component comprising an elastomeric material which is crosslinked with sulphur, said first component being in contact with said second component, in which: said elastomeric material which is crosslinked in substantial absence of sulphur, forming part of said first component, comprises an elastomeric polymer containing carboxylic groups which is crosslinked by reaction with an epoxidized liquid organic compound containing epoxide groups located internally along the molecule; said elastomeric material which is crosslinked with sulphur, forming part of said second component, comprises at least one elastomeric polymer functionalized with at least one group chosen from epoxide and carboxyl.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Inventors: Antonio Serra, Marco Nahmias Nanni
  • Publication number: 20040025999
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply tire 100 for use on aircraft has a radial reinforced carcass 20 having at least one axially inner ply 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D of textile cords 21 wound around a pair of bead cores 33. The improved bead structure 30 has a flipper 50 having an axially inner leg LI and axially outer leg LE. The ends LI, LE of the flippers 50 are above the bead core height Bh and below the apex A of an elastomeric strip 40 satisfying the relation Bh<LE<0.7D and Bh<LI<0.7D. Additionally, the tire carcass 20 has at least one axially outer ply 2E, 2F of textile cords 21 extending from bead 30 to bead 30 along the turn-ups 20A, 20B, 20C and 20D of the axially inner plies 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D. The plies 21 are closely spaced along the natural ply path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Applicant: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Ueyoko
  • Patent number: 6688358
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a pair of sidewall portions each provided on the axially outer surface thereof with a side protector, the side protector comprising at least two concentric ribs and at least one circumferential groove defined therebetween, the circumferential groove composed of a series of deep parts and shallow parts which alternate in the tire circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuya Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20040020575
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a camouflage tire suitable for use in various vehicle use environments wherein it is desirable to reduce or eliminate a viewer's visual perception of the tire against the given environmental background.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: David John Zanzig, David Andrew Benko, James Joseph Nespo, Terry John Waibel, Michael Julian Crawford, Timothy Michael Rooney, Bina Patel Botts, George Frank Balogh
  • Publication number: 20040016495
    Abstract: A tyre for a motor vehicle includes at least one carcass ply, a belt structure radially external to the at least one carcass ply, a tread band radially external to the belt structure, a pair of sidewalls axially-external to the at least one carcass ply, and a pair of beads. The beads include bead wires or circumferentially-inextensible annular inserts. Opposite lateral edges of the at least one carcass ply are associated with respective beads. The at least one carcass ply includes a first composition having an elastic modulus at 70° C. less than or equal to 5.0 MPa and a viscous modulus at 70° C. less than or equal to 0.50 MPa. The sidewalls include a second composition having an elastic modulus at 70° C. greater than or equal to 3.5 MPa and a viscous modulus at 70° C. less than or equal to 0.50 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: Antonio Serra, Angela Amaddeo, Luciano Garro, Marco Nahmias Nanni
  • Publication number: 20040011449
    Abstract: A rubber-coated fabric 10 for a tire, obtained by rubber-coating a rattan blind woven stuff 14 in which wefts 11 and warps 12 made of tire cords 13 are woven into a rattan blind form. The wefts 11 have a break elongation of 4 to 30% and a break strength of 3 to 15 N.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Inventor: Ikuji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6675851
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rubber-based product, having at least one buffer zone to trap oxygen external to said product in order to protect at least one sensitive zone of said product from oxidation, said buffer zone comprising a composition containing at least one elastomer and at least one iron (III) salt selected from iron (III) acetylacetonate and an iron (III) salt of a carboxylic acid having the formula Fe(CnH2nO2)3 in which n is between 13 and 23. This product is produced by incorporating, by mechanical working, said iron (III) salt into the composition in order to obtain said buffer zone. The buffer zone composition is advantageously used in a tire and imparts improved rolling resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Michelin & Cie
    Inventors: Francois Masson, Francis Renault
  • Patent number: 6672350
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic rubber tire with an outer, circumferential tread wherein said tread has a tread configuration comprised of spaced apart, raised lugs designed to be shock absorbingly ground contacting, wherein said tread and lugs are comprised of rubber selected from butyl rubber, halobutyl rubber or isobutylene-derived rubber. Said tire may also contain sidewalls comprised of one or more of such rubber. Thus, such tread is a combination of specific structural configuration and specific rubber composition to create a shock absorbing effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Paul Harry Sandstrom, Lewis Timothy Lukich, Neil Arthur Maly
  • Publication number: 20030234067
    Abstract: A rubber composition is disclosed that contains 5 to 100 phr of a bloom compound, 30 to 100 phr of a white filler, and at most 10 phr of a black filler, wherein the bloom compound preferably contains at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an aromatic amine compound, an aliphatic compound, and an organometallic compound. A tire using the rubber composition for a tread portion and/or a sidewall portion of the tire is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Publication date: December 25, 2003
    Inventors: Takahiro Kataoka, Kunihiko Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20030230370
    Abstract: A tire mold has radially inner surfaces for forming a tread and a pair of sidewalls, the tire mold having at least one sidewall forming portion having a surface finish of less than 15 micro inches, preferably less than 10 micro inches. A tire produced in a tire mold has at least one sidewall having a surface gloss greater than 10 as measured using a 60-degree gloss reading per ASTM Designation D523-89.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Inventors: Kent Alan Stubbendieck, John Richard White
  • Patent number: 6660122
    Abstract: A rubber tire component (10, 20, 30, 40) is laden with a mixture of fibers (12). The fibers (12) being sensitive to induction heating can be rapidly cured using a variety of methods. The preferred method permits a selective induction curing of the fiber laden component (10, 20, 30, 40) in combination with conventional curing presses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Amit Prakash, David Thomas Reese, Frederick Forbes Vannan, Jr., Terry Kenneth Woods
  • Patent number: 6651714
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a toroidal carcass satisfies the following expressions: Ra/D≦0.08; Rb/D≦0.08; 0<&PHgr;a≦50°; and 0<&PHgr;b≦50°. Alternatively, the pneumatic tire has a tire section constant J per a unit circumferential length of 0.8 or smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Chieko Aoki
  • Patent number: 6649678
    Abstract: One aspect of the invention is directed to a rubber composition which includes at least one sulfur-vulcanizable elastomer containing olefinic unsaturation, a first processing aid, and a second processing aid of the formula: wherein each of R1 and R2 independently is selected from the group consisting of alkyls having from 12 to 24 carbon atoms, and alkenyls having from 12 to 24 carbon atoms. The elastomer is present in an amount of 100 parts by weight. Also, the first processing aid may be present in an amount of 0 to 20 phr, and the second processing aid may be present in an amount of 0.2 to 20 phr. Another aspect of the invention is directed to a method of making the rubber composition described immediately above, with the method including the step of mixing the elastomer, first processing aid, and second processing aid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Paul Harry Sandstrom
  • Publication number: 20030205309
    Abstract: A pneumatic rubber tire having at least one visually exposed component comprised of a carbon black reinforced rubber composition which is exclusive of silica particularly synthetic amorphous silica, synthetic organo-silica material and silica coupler particularly organosilane polysulfide based silica coupler and contains a significant amount of at least one ester of a polyhydroxy alcohol, including ethoxylated esters thereof. Such tire component particularly including a film thereof on the visually observable outer surface of such tire component. Such tire component may be, for example, at least a portion of a tire sidewall. Such ester, particularly said film, may be, for example, a sorbitan ester, or mixtures thereof, and particularly, for example, sorbitan monostearate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Inventor: Paul Harry Sandstrom
  • Publication number: 20030201049
    Abstract: A pneumatic rubber tire having at least one visually exposed component (e.g. sidewall) comprised of a carbon black reinforced rubber composition and contains a significant amount of at least one alkylphenoxypoly(alkyleneoxy) alkanol. Such tire component particularly contains a film thereof on a visually observable outer surface thereof Such tire component may be, for example, at a least a portion of a tire sidewall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventor: Paul Harry Sandstrom
  • Publication number: 20030140999
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a motor vehicle tire, preferably a colored motor vehicle tire. The tire is configured so that a significant portion of the external surface of the tire displays colors. Preferably, the chemical composition of the tire is colored so that when the tire is formed the tire is colored throughout its depth and colorfast, and in the case of the tread portion does not change color significantly with wear. In a preferred embodiment, the chemical composition of the tire is provided with a coloring agent or additive such as a pigment or dye that will yield a desired color upon completion of the tire manufacturing process. Such dye or pigment may be enhanced by the use of reflective, luminescent or photochromic agents that will enhance certain effects and appearances of the tire including ease of visibility, other safety concerns including wear, puncture identification, and enhanced aesthetic appearance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Inventors: Krag C. Smith, William L. Klima, Walter F. Klima
  • Patent number: 6598632
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire the sidewalls of which comprise a vulcanized rubber composition. The composition comprises between 0.5 phr and 10 phr (weight parts per hundred parts of rubber) of at least one polymer which comprises an oxy group defined by the formula —O— and, linked to the one side of the oxy group, at least one polyoxyalkylene block according to the formula (CnH2nO)x, where n is equal to 2 or 3 and x is equal to from 2 through 15 and the at least one block is linked to a hydrogen atom at the chain end, so that the hydrogen atom forms an alcohol function with the terminal oxygen atom of the block. According to the invention, the polymer comprises, linked to the other side of the oxy group, an aliphatic moiety selected from the group consisting of a blend of aliphatic alkyl chains having an average number of carbon atoms of from 10 through 14, and an aliphatic chain which comprises an alkyl chain having 13 carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: John Calloway Moreland, Claude Ringot, Salvatore Pagano, Brooke Conger-Murray, Janine Cartoux
  • Patent number: 6598645
    Abstract: A tire with at least one component of a rubber composition which contains oriented exfoliated platelets derived from an intercalated clay. Such tire component may be, for example, a rubber/cord laminate and, optionally, a sidewall insert and, optionally, an apex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Brent Kevin Larson
  • Patent number: 6598637
    Abstract: There is disclosed a pneumatic tire having a rubber component comprising a sulfur cured rubber composition composed of, based on 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr): (a) 99 to 50 parts by weight of a first rubber containing olefinic unsaturation; and (b) 1 to 50 parts by weight of a second rubber which is different from said first rubber and which is an elastomeric block copolymer of (1) from 15 to 65 percent by weight, based on the total block copolymer, of butadiene, and (2) from 35 to 85 percent by weight, based on the total block copolymer, of styrene, which block copolymer has: (a) at least two blocks A which have polymerized units of styrene, a glass transition temperature Tg above 25° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Annette Lechtenböhmer, Maurice Peter Catharina Jozef Klinkenberg
  • Publication number: 20030136489
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a rubber member containing a short fiber (A′) formed by the fibrillation of a short fiber (A) whose cross section takes a sea-island structure essentially composed of at least two polymers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Daisuke Kanenari, Riichiro Mama, Kazuto Yamakawa, Takeo Masaki, Zenichiro Shida, Junichi Ohtani, Tsuyoshi Kunugi
  • Publication number: 20030127170
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for anti-ozone protection of at least a part of the outer surface of a vulcanized tire, where the composition of the tire is based on essentially unsaturated dienic elastomers. The present method comprises: (1) subjecting the surface of the vulcanized tire to a treatment in order to polarize and functionalize the elastomers of the surface; (2) applying at least one layer comprising an aqueous polyurethane dispersion to this treated surface; and (3) allowing this layer to dry until a protective coating is formed. The present invention further relates to a tire comprising an anti-ozone protective coating, where the protective coating is formed according to the method described above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Inventors: Alain Cottin, Georges Peyron
  • Publication number: 20030089440
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, a cord spacing between an axially outer cord layer and an axially inner cord layer such as: a turnup portion and a main portion of a carcass ply; or a bead reinforcing cord layer and a carcass ply turnup portion, is increased from the radially inside to the outside of the tire to improve the durability of the bead portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ueyoko, Tsuneyuki Nakagawa, Minoru Nishi, Tomoyasu Shibata, Kazumi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6562895
    Abstract: The subject invention discloses a liquid isoprene-butadiene rubber (IBR) which is particularly valuable for use in making treads for high performance automobile tires, including race tires, that exhibit superior dry traction characteristics and durability. The isoprene-butadiene rubber of this invention is a liquid at room temperature and is comprised of repeat units which are derived from about 5 weight percent to about 95 weight percent isoprene and from about 5 weight percent to about 95 weight percent 1,3-butadiene, wherein the repeat units derived from isoprene and 1,3-butadiene are in essentially random order. The IBR of this invention also has a low number average molecular weight which is within the range of about 3,000 to about 50,000 and has a glass transition temperature which is within the range of about −50° C. to about 20° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Edward John Blok, Mark Leslie Kralevich, Jr., Paul Harry Sandstrom, Wen-Liang Hsu, Adel Farhan Halasa
  • Publication number: 20030079817
    Abstract: A steel cord-rubber composite is provided, that has improved initial adhesion property and adhesion property against aging between the steel cord and the rubber composition with improved manufacturing cost efficiency. A steel cord-rubber composition composite includes a coating layer and a steel cord, and the coating layer includes an inner coating layer formed of a rubber composition containing a rubber component, a cobalt compound and sulfur and directly covering the steel cord, and an outer coating layer formed of a rubber composition of which contents of cobalt compound and sulfur are smaller than those of the inner coating layer and coating the outer portion of the inner coating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: Shinichi Miyazaki, Toru Fukumoto, Osamu Toda, Toru Iizuka
  • Patent number: 6554037
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire the sidewalls of which comprise a vulcanized elastomeric composition, and a process for forming an even, varnished film on at least one of said sidewalls. According to the invention, the composition comprises in combination: a polymer containing an oxy radical of the formula —O— therein, the polymer having an alkyl group on one side of the oxy radical and, on the other side of the oxy radical, at least one alkene polyoxide block of the formula (CnH2nO)z joined to a hydrogen atom at the chain end thereof, such that the hydrogen atom and the end terminal oxygen of the alkene polyoxide block form an alcohol function, in the amount of between 0.3 and 5 phr (parts by weight per 100 parts elastomer), and an alkali metal salt of an alkylsulphonic or alkylsulphuric acid, in an amount of between 0.5 and 10 phr.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Francois Bataille, Claude Ringot
  • Publication number: 20030075253
    Abstract: Process for producing tyres, wherein crosslinking is carried out on a composition comprising: (a) an elastomeric polymer containing carboxylic groups, and (b) an epoxidized liquid organic compound containig epoxide groups located internally on the molecule. Upon heating, the elastomeric material reaches a high degree of crosslinking without the addition of conventional crosslinking agents, with crosslinking times maintained within limits which are acceptable for an industrial use. These compositions are particularly suitable for producing tread bands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventors: Antonio Serra, Marco Nahmias Nanni
  • Publication number: 20030062105
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire constituting part or all of the part members constituting the pneumatic tire by a rubber composition containing, based on a total 100 parts by weight of a rubber containing at least 70 parts by weight of an ethylenic unsaturated nitrile-conjugated diene-based highly saturated rubber having a content of conjugated diene units of not more than 30 percent by weight, 0 to 120 parts by weight of zinc methacrylate and 0 to 60 parts by weight of carbon black and having a total formulations of zinc methacrylate and carbon black of 10 to 120 parts by weight, and providing, between the above part members and the adjoining diene-based rubber layer, a bonding rubber layer comprising of a rubber composition containing, based on a total 100 parts by weight of a predetermined diene-based rubber and acrylonitrile butadiene copolymer rubber, 5 to 80 parts by weight of a predetermined aromatic petroleum resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Applicant: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Kanenari, Yoshiaki Hashimura, Zenichiro Shida, Tadashi Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20030041943
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply tire 100 for use on aircraft has a radial reinforced carcass 20 having at least one axially inner ply 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D of textile cords 21 wound around a pair of bead cores 33. The improved bead structure 30 has a flipper 50 having an axially inner leg LI and axially outer leg LE. The ends LI, LE of the flippers 50 are above the bead core height Bh and below the apex A of an elastomeric strip 40 satisfying the relation Bh<LE<0.7D and Bh<LI<0.7D. Additionally, the tire carcass 20 has at least one axially outer ply 2E, 2F of textile cords 21 extending from bead 30 to bead 30 along the turn-ups 20A, 20B, 20C and 20D of the axially inner plies 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D. The plies 21 are closely spaced along the natural ply path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Ueyoko
  • Publication number: 20030037855
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a body, a belt package, and a tread package. The tire includes a layer of rubber disposed between the body and the tread package. The layer of rubber creates a thickness of between about 0.5 millimeters and about 1.5 millimeters between the cords in the body and the cords in the belt package. The layer of rubber is fabricated from a rubber having a stiffness greater than the rubber in the body of the tire. This configuration provides a tire having improved cornering coefficient, reduced vibrational levels, and less coarse road noise with only a small increase in rolling loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Yokota, John Daniel Clothiaux, Andrew Karl Reinhardt, Steven Michael Vossberg
  • Patent number: 6523590
    Abstract: A non-black rubber composition for pneumatic vehicle tire sidewalls consists of one or more rubber components, at least one processing agent, at least one additive, a first filler containing silica, 5 to 30 phr of a second filler containing mica platelets having a metal oxide coating, wherein the mica platelets have an average platelet size of up to 2·10−4 m, 0.1 to 8 phr of a third filler in the form of aluminum powder having an average particle size of up to 8·10−5 m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Continental Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Heinrich Meier, Reinhard Teves
  • Patent number: 6523585
    Abstract: An antistatic tire having a tread made from a first mix (MP1) and having two annular shoulders and a peripheral rolling surface, two opposite annular portions of the rolling surface being defined by outer annular surfaces of the shoulders. Each shoulder is made from a second mix (MPC), which is electrically conducting, and which, under low strain, has substantially the same rigidity as the first mix (MP1), and, under high strain, has a greater rigidity than the first mix (MP1). In a second embodiment, an electrically conducting element is inserted inside the tread. The conducting element and the shoulders both being made of an electrically conducting third mix, which, under low strain and in the cured state, has the same mechanical characteristics as the first mix in the cured state, and, under high strain, has the same mechanical characteristics as the second mix in the cured state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Stefano Ducci, Yochiro Kondo, Paolo Straffi, Jose Silicani
  • Publication number: 20030010108
    Abstract: A vehicle tire comprising a tread and a pair of sidewalls has a radially inner track and a radially outer track on a sidewall, each track being formed of a plurality of magnetically active sectors arranged in an angular serial manner to one another. Each sector is delimited from the next following sector by a respective sector transition and has a different magnetic property than the next following sector. A first group of the sector transitions have a radial extent forming a first angle relative to a radius of the tire and a second group of the sector transitions have a radial extent forming a second angle relative to a radius of the tire which is different than the first sector transition angle. Conclusions concerning the tangential tire deformation can be drawn from signals generated by magnetically sensing the phase shift of the magnetically active track sectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Applicant: Continental Aktiengessellschaft
    Inventors: Marius Goslar, Klaus Kleinhoff
  • Publication number: 20030000619
    Abstract: The rubber-reinforcing fiber of the present invention is provided with a coating layer of a thickness of 10 Å to 40 &mgr;m. The coating layer is formed by dry plating and contains at least one metal and/or metal compound selected from the group consisting of cobalt, zinc, copper, titanium, silver, nickel and compounds of the aforesaid metals. With such a coating layer, the rubber-reinforcing fiber of the present invention forms a firm adhesion to a rubber component and drastically improves the fatigue resistance and durability of a rubber article, particularly, a pneumatic tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Masaaki Nakamura, Masato Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20020179218
    Abstract: The present invention relates to block copolymers intended to constitute an elastomeric matrix of a cross-linkable rubber composition with reduced hysteresis, to such a rubber composition which is usable in the cross-linked state in a tire tread, to such a tire tread and to a tire comprising said tire tread which exhibits reduced rolling resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: Robert Pierre, Jean-Michel Favrot, Jean-Luc Cabioch, Bernard Voullemier
  • Patent number: 6478064
    Abstract: A heavy duty radial tire comprises: a carcass ply turned up around a bead core in each bead portion from the inside to outside of the tire so as to form a pair of turnup portions and a main portion therebetween; a bead apex rubber disposed between each of the turnup portions and the main portion, each. of the turnup portions extending radially outwardly beyond a radially outer end of the bead apex to adjoin the main portion; a chafer rubber disposed along at least an axially outer surface of each of the bead portions so as to define at least a flange-contacting part for contacting with a flange of a wheel rim; the height of the radially outer end of the bead apex being in the range of from 7 to 35% of the height of the carcass at the tire equator and being less than the height of the radially outer end of the chafer rubber; and the flange-contacting part being devoid of a concave profile. When the carcass ply is made of steel cords whose sectional area is in the range of from 0.10 to 0.25 sq.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Ueyoko
  • Patent number: 6476110
    Abstract: Rubber compositions filled with an unusually high content of solid magnetizable particles such as iron oxide or strontium ferrite but having great resistance to crack initiation and crack growth. This allows generation of strongly magnetized areas in rubber articles built with a rubber composition according this invention. This gives—also in those applications where a large distance between a row of magnetized areas and a sensor is necessary due to deformation—well-reproducible and well-recognizable signals despite existence of disturbing magnetic fields. The magnetizable particles are bonded to a rubber matrix by a bonding agent, namely an organo-functional silane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Continental AG
    Inventors: Frank Paul Papp, Duane Marle Oxley, James Michael Giustino
  • Patent number: 6474382
    Abstract: A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement and a crown reinforcement composed of at least two crown plies and of inextensible reinforcing elements, preferably wire, crossed from one ply to the next by forming an angle with the circumferential direction that can range between 5° and 45°, and radially outside a tread, characterized in that said tread, composed of rubber compounds of different colors, is axially formed by at least three longitudinal parts, two lateral parts of rubber compound of a first color and, axially between said two parts, at least one rubber compound part of a second color other than black, each axial end A—visible outside—of the colored part with the second color being away from the end—situated on the same side relative to the equatorial plane of the tire—of the axially narrowest ply by a distance at least equal to 30 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Compagnie Generales des Establissements Michelin-Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: François Finck
  • Patent number: 6473682
    Abstract: An apparatus and method that determines a maximum road friction coefficient for each wheel regardless of whether the tire is in a predetermined drive slip state, and whether the wheel is a driving wheel. The braking force of each wheel is calculated, and the longitudinal force of the tire of each wheel is calculated. Then, the driving force of the vehicle is calculated, and the lateral force of the tire of each wheel is calculated. Next, the reaction force of the road to each wheel is calculated, and the vertical load of each wheel is calculated. Finally, the ratio of variation in reaction force of the road to variation in composite slip ratio is calculated for each wheel. The sum of the ratio of the reaction force of the road to the vertical load, and the product of a predetermined coefficient and the ratio of variation in reaction force of the road to variation in composite slip ratios is calculated for each wheel as the maximum road friction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akira Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20020156202
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a product based on rubber, of the type comprising at least one buffer zone provided in order to trap oxygen external to the said product so as to protect from oxidation at least one sensitive zone of the said product, in which the said or each such buffer zone contains a composition based on at least one elastomer containing at least one salt of iron (III) provided to activate oxidation in the said composition, characterized in that the said salt is an iron (III) salt of an aromatic mono-carboxylic acid comprising one or more aromatic rings which may or may not be substituted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventors: Salvatore Pagano, Lucette Dumergue, Emmanuelle Averty
  • Patent number: 6457503
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a toroidal carcass satisfies the following expressions: Ra/D≦0.08; Rb/D≦0.08; 0<&phgr;a≦50°; and 0<&phgr;b≦50°. Alternatively, the pneumatic tire has a tire section constant J per a unit circumferential length of 0.8 or smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Chieko Aoki
  • Publication number: 20020108691
    Abstract: Halogenated isobutylene-co-paramethylstyrene polymer, preferably brominated isobutylene-co-paramethylstyrene polymer (BIMS) and blends thereof, preferably blends of isobutylene based rubber, show improved heat resistance versus butyl inner tube compositions and retain the superior barrier properties of butyl inner tube compositions versus inner tube compositions with butyl/EP blends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventors: Donald S. Tracey, Ilan Duvdevani, Hsien-Chang Wang, Takashi Takeda, Shinichiro Yamashita, Arthur E. Parente, Utpal Paul
  • Patent number: 6431236
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a non-black rubber composition provided at the at least one portion thereof, at least a portion of said non-black rubber composition comprising 100 part by weight of at least one synthetic rubber and 5 to 100 parts by weight of strontium aluminate or calcium aluminate a long afterglow phosphorescent substance having an average particle size of 1 to 100 Am and having no substantial amounts of carbon black and staining antioxidant, and crosslinked with a crosslinking agent other than sulfur or a pneumatic tire having two or more layer structure of a surface layer of the above phosphorescent rubber composition layer and a lower layer of a blight-colored reflecting layer or the transparent or translucent cover layer and the under phosphorescent rubber composition layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Kanenari, Hiroyuki Kaido
  • Patent number: 6427743
    Abstract: In a pneumatic tire, a cord spacing between an axially outer cord layer and an axially inner cord layer such as: a turnup portion and a main portion of a carcass ply; or a bead reinforcing cord layer and a carcass ply turnup portion, is increased from the radially inside to the outside of the tire to improve the durability of the bead portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ueyoko, Tsuneyuki Nakagawa, Minoru Nishi, Tomoyasu Shibata, Kazumi Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20020100530
    Abstract: Rubber blends of brominated isobutylene/para-methylstyrene copolymers of 9.5 to 20 weight percent aromatic monomer content and 0.2 to 1.0 mole percent benzylic bromine content. The blends have good cure characteristics, good adhesion and flex crack resistance, as well as ozone resistance. The blends are useful in tire sidewalls, and other applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2002
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: Kenneth Odell McElrath, Mun-Fu Tse, Andrew Louis Tisler
  • Publication number: 20020088522
    Abstract: In a tire is used a rubber-steel cord composite of a steel cord and a rubber composition comprising at least one rubber ingredient and a bismaleimide compound, wherein an amount of the bismaleimide compound is 0.1-5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the rubber ingredient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Uchino, Shun Nakamura