June Patents

Patent as compiled by the editors of Rubber World for June 2024.

Rubber composition and a rubber product
U.S. patent: 11,834,569
Issued: December 5, 2023
Inventors: Marc Weydert, Suzanne Michelle, Laura Puchot, Acerina Trejo
Machin and Pierre Verge
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: The present invention is directed to a rubber composition
comprising 100 phr of one or more diene based elastomers, 30 phr to 200
phr of a filler and a benzoxazine which is the reaction of (i) a diphenol
comprising two phenol groups and a bridge covalently connecting the two
phenol groups, (ii) an aldehyde derivative and (iii) an amine, wherein the
bridge is connected to at least one of the phenol groups at a meta position
of said at least one phenol group. The present invention is also directed to a
rubber product comprising such a rubber composition and the use of such
rubber products in tire components.

Surface modification of elastomers via encapsulated glass (SiO2) U.S. patent:
11,833,769
Issued: December 5, 2023
Inventors: Scott W. Slabaugh, Liliya Lyandres and Warren Taylor
Assigned: Apple
Key statement: A composite is provided to include an elastomer substrate
comprising methyl groups. The composite may also include a layer of glass
comprising SiO2 formed over the elastomer substrate. A method of
fabricating the composite is provided. The method may include diffusing an
ozone-rich gas into the substrate of an elastomer substrate comprising
methyl groups. The method may also include exposing the elastomer
substrate to UV radiation for a period of time. The method may further
include converting a surface portion of the elastomer substrate into a layer
of glass formed over the elastomer substrate.

Crosslinked plastomers as a replacement for rubber
U.S. patent: 11,845,836
Issued: December 19, 2023
Inventors: Jari-Jussi Ruskeeniemi, Jeroen Oderkerk, Oscar Prieto, Stefan
Hellström, Tanja Piel, Daniela Mileva and Floran Prades
Assigned: Borealis AG
Key statement: Articles comprising a polymer composition, wherein the
polymer composition is obtainable by grafting an ethylene copolymer with
comonomer units comprising hydrolyzable silane groups, wherein the
polymer composition shows high gel content and low compression set at
-25°C. These articles have applications in automotive weatherstripping, such
as sealing systems for doors, trunks and hoods.

Tire guard device
U.S. patent: 11,807,081
Issued: November 7, 2023
Inventors: Davy Russ Bingman
Key statement: A device for protecting a tire affixed to a vehicle. The tire
guard device includes an interlocking U-shaped guard member that forms a
housing with an interior volume when connected with a second U-shaped
guard member. Each guard member includes a sidewall and an open end
with an exposed interface edge disposed along the sidewall, wherein the
interface edges overlap to secure to enclose around the tire. An upper edge
of the sidewall includes a lip that protrudes outward from the interior
volume to prevent mice and other pests from accessing the tire. The
sidewall includes a cutaway region on an interior side that can receive an
axle extending from the tire. The cutaway region is sizable to the vehicle and
allows for coverage of various vehicle and tire/wheel makes and models.

Pneumatic tire comprising a rubber composition containing a thermoplastic polyurethane
U.S. patent: 11,814,515
Issued: November 14, 2023
Inventors: Cyrille Guery and Jose-Carlos Araujo Da Silva
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A tire which has improved mechanical properties comprises
a rubber composition based on at least one diene elastomer, at least one
thermoplastic polyurethane and a crosslinking system; the composition
does not comprise any reinforcing filler or comprises less than 25 parts by
weight thereof per hundred parts by weight of elastomer, phr, the carbon
black content in the composition being less than 20 phr.

Tire dressing composition and methods of making thereof
U.S. patent: 11,820,907
Issued: November 21, 2023
Inventors: Tsao-Chin Clarence Huang and Ali Alwattari
Assigned: Illinois Tool Works
Key statement: A tire dressing composition is provided that includes
petroleum distillates in which a polybutene or isobutene/ butene copolymer
is dissolved to form a clear solution. In the water-based approach, the
polybutene or isobutene/ butene copolymer was emulsified by a surfactant.
A wetting agent is also present in the composition to render the
composition self-leveling. The sprayable tire dressing composition provides
a high gloss and good wettability to a tire surface that develops a uniform
coating on the treated tire surface.

Rubber composition for covering electromagnetic tag and electromagnetic tag module
U.S. patent: 11,827,783
Issued: November 28, 2023
Inventor: Kyung Hoon Chung
Assigned: Nexen Tire
Key statement: A rubber composition for covering an electromagnetic tag is
proposed. The rubber composition may include a base rubber and a
reinforcing filler comprising carbon black or boron nitride. The rubber
composition may also include an insulating filler comprising at least one
selected from silica, titanium dioxide, talc and calcium carbonate. The
rubber composition may further include a reinforcing resin comprising an
alkyl phenol formaldehyde resin or a resorcinol formaldehyde resin. Based
on 100 parts by weight of the base rubber, the total amount of the
reinforcing filler and the insulating filler may be 40 parts by weight or more,
the amount of the insulating filler may be 10 parts by weight or more and
the amount of the reinforcing resin may be 0.5 parts by weight to 5 parts by
weight.

Rubber composition and a tire
U.S. patent: 11,827,791
Issued: November 28, 2023
Inventors: Virginie Elyane Michelle Catherine Picard, Jérôme Joel Daniel
Delville, Pascal Patrick Steiner and Malik Djelloul-Mazouz
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a rubber
composition comprising 70 phr to 90 phr of styrene butadiene rubber,
wherein said styrene butadiene rubber comprises a first styrene butadiene
rubber having a glass transition temperature within a range of −49°C to
−15°C, and a second styrene butadiene rubber having a glass transition
temperature within a range of −50°C to −89°C. Furthermore, the rubber
composition comprises from 10 phr to 30 phr of one or more of natural
rubber and synthetic polyisoprene rubber, 100 phr to 200 phr of silica and
at least 25 phr of at least one terpene resin having a weight average
molecular weight (Mw) of at most 1,000 g/mol. Moreover, the invention is
directed to a tire comprising such a rubber composition, in particular in the
tread of the tire.

Reinforcement of elastomers by reactive ionic surfactant
U.S. patent: 11,827,769
Issued: November 28, 2023
Inventors: Li Jia and Mengsha Qian
Assigned: The University of Akron
Key statement: Curable rubber compositions that include reactive ionic
surfactants as reinforcing fillers are described, as well as methods for
preparing composite rubber compounds by direct addition of ionic
surfactant solutions into rubber latex.

Golf ball rubber composition and golf ball using the same
U.S. patent: 11,826,615
Issued: November 28, 2023
Inventors: Kai Hayashi, Kazuyoshi Shiga, Hikaru Nagakura and Takahiro Shigemitsu
Assigned: Sumitomo Rubber Industries
Key statement: An object of the present invention is to provide a cured
product of a golf ball rubber composition imparting excellent durability. The
present invention provides a cured product of a golf ball rubber
composition cured from a golf ball rubber composition containing (a) a base
rubber, (b) an α,β- unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms
and/or a metal salt thereof as a co-crosslinking agent and (c) a crosslinking
initiator, wherein the cured product of the golf ball rubber composition
satisfies the following mathematical formula (1): Y < (0.1×X) − 1.30 (1)
In the formula (1), Y represents an effective crosslinking density of the cured
product of the rubber composition (mmol/cc) and X represents an amount
of the component (b) with respect to 100 parts by mass of (a) the base
rubber (parts by mass).