Patents for April
Patents as compiled by the editors of Rubber World for April 2023
Crosslinked rubber composition and production method therefor
U.S. patent: 11,578,143
Issued: February 14, 2023
Inventors: Naoyuki Akahori, Akishige Seo, Naoki Iwase, Toshikazu Takata and Toyokazu Tsutsuba
Assigned: Toyoda Gosei and Tokyo Institute of Technology
Key statement: A crosslinked rubber composition contains ethylene-propylene- diene copolymer rubber crosslinked with a rotaxane compound having a cyclic molecule and an axial molecule penetrating through the cyclic molecule. In the crosslinked rubber composition, the ethylene propylene diene copolymer rubber contains vinylnorbornene, dicyclopentadiene or tetrahydroindene as a diene component, and the rotaxane compound has a nitrile oxide group on the cyclic molecule and one end of the axial molecule and the cyclic molecule is crown ether.
Floorings prepared from composites comprising expanded thermoplastic elastomer particles
U.S. patent: 11,577,486
Issued: February 14, 2023
Inventors: Frank Prissok, Zhen Yu, Jiandong Cai, Anna Kristin Herbst, Xue Dong Li and Kun Luo
Assigned: BASF SE
Key statement: The present invention relates to a composite comprising (1) a bottom layer comprising expanded thermoplastic elastomer particles; and (2) a surface layer on the bottom layer and the use of such composites in flooring surfaces sports, sports hall floorings, swimming pool hall floorings, running tracks, sports facilities, playgrounds, kindergartens, park walkway and pavements.
Low water vapor permeability polyolefin elastomer film and method for preparing the same
U.S. patent: 11,578,196
Issued: February 14, 2023
Inventors: Long Wang, Xi Xiong, Guodong Tang, Hongbing Hou, Guangda Zhou and Jianhua Lin
Assigned: Hangzhou First Applied Material
Key statement: The present disclosure discloses a low water vapor permeability polyolefin elastomer film and its preparation method. The film comprises: 50-100 mass parts of a matrix resin, 0-40 mass parts of a modified resin, 0.001-2 mass parts of an activator, 0.1-3 mass parts of an organic peroxide, 0.02-5 mass parts of an assistant crosslinker, 0.02-2 mass parts of a silane coupling agent, 0.005-2 mass parts of a light stabilizer and 0-20 mass parts of a water blocking filler. In the present disclosure, by adding the modified resin and the activator that have an active group, a crosslinking degree and a crosslinking density of the film are improved and a water vapor permeability is reduced; by adding the water blocking filler, the water blocking property of the film is further improved, thereby ensuring reliability of the assembly and prolonging service life of the assembly.
Reinforced resilient support for a non-pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 11,577,549
Issued: February 14, 2023
Inventors: Kevin Corbett Miles and Steven M. Cron
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A support structure for a non-pneumatic tire and a tire incorporating such support structure. A continuous membrane extends between a radially inner leg and a radially outer leg. Joints and reinforcement may be provided on sides of the membrane. An annular band may be connected with the radially outer leg. A wheel, hub or other structure may be connected with the radially inner leg.
Pneumatic Tire
U.S. patent: 11,584,165
Issued: February 21, 2023
Inventor: Yuta Uchida
Assigned: Yokohama Rubber
Key statement: In a tread portion of a pneumatic tire, a first sipe wall surface of a sipe includes at least two first peak portions and at least one first valley portion at each position of the sipe extension direction, which are bent in a wavelike shape to form surface recesses and protrusions along a sipe depth direction. The first valley portion is sandwiched between the two first peak portions in the sipe depth direction and extends from one end of the sipe in the extension direction to the other end of the sipe in the extension direction. A recess depth of the first valley portion with respect to the two first peak portions gradually reduces. A position of at least one of the two first peak portions in the sipe depth direction and a position of the first valley portion in the sipe depth direction become gradually closer.
Reinforced resilient support for a non-pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 11,577,548
Issued: February 14, 2023
Inventors: Steven M. Cron and Damon Lee Christenbury
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A support structure for a non-pneumatic tire and a tire incorporating such support structure. A support membrane extends continuously between a radially inner end and a radially outer end. Joints may be positioned at each end. An annular band may be connected with the radially outer end. A wheel, hub or other structure may be connected with the radially inner end.
Thermo-dielectric elastomer cell
U.S. patent: 11,588,420
Issued: February 21, 2023
Inventor: Farouk Dakhil
Key statement: Methods, systems and apparatuses related to thermo-dielectric elastomer cells may be shown and described. In one embodiment a thermo dielectric elastomer cell (TDEC) can include a layer of carbon nanotubes that absorb sunlight; a layer of photo switchable molecules; a plurality of dielectric elastomer layers, each of the plurality of dielectric elastomer layers comprising a layer of dielectric elastomer material and a layer of N-P junction transistors between the layers of dielectric elastomer material; a layer of insulators separating each of the plurality of dielectric elastomer layers; and an elastic cushioning which is placed between the plurality of dielectric elastomer layers and surrounding the dielectric elastomer material.
Method for producing rubber wet masterbatch and method for producing rubber composition
U.S. patent: 11,584,832
Issued: February 21, 2023
Inventor: Akihito Mitsui
Assigned: Toyo Tire
Key statement: A method for producing a rubber wet masterbatch, the method including: adding a rubber latex solution to a carbon black containing slurry aqueous solution in which a carbon black is dispersed in water and mixing the solutions to produce a carbon black containing rubber latex aqueous solution; coagulating the carbon black containing rubber latex aqueous solution obtained to produce a carbon black containing rubber coagulum; cleaning the carbon black containing rubber coagulum obtained to produce a cleaned carbon black containing rubber coagulum; and dehydrating and drying the cleaned carbon black containing rubber coagulum obtained to produce a rubber wet masterbatch, wherein an amount of an acetone extract from the cleaned carbon black containing rubber coagulum is 2% by mass or less after drying the coagulum at 23°C for 24 hours and further at 90°C for 2 hours. Vulcanized rubber having excellent low exothermicity and excellent abrasion resistance can be obtained by the method.
Heavy duty tire rubber compositions and tires
U.S. patent: 11,590,799
Issued: February 28, 2023
Inventors: Daisuke Koda and Hiroshi Kanbara
Assigned: Kuraray
Key statement: The invention provides a heavy duty tire rubber composition excellent in wet grip performance and steering stability and a tire tread, a bead filler, a tire belt and a heavy duty tire which each partially include the composition. The heavy duty tire rubber composition includes 100 parts by mass of a solid rubber (A), 0.1 to 50 parts by mass of a modified liquid diene rubber (B) having a functional group derived from a silane compound with a specific structure, and 20 to 200 parts by mass of a filler (C), the modified liquid diene rubber (B) satisfying the following (i) and (ii): (i) the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is not less than 1,000 and not more than 120,000 and (ii) the vinyl content is not less than 30 mol % and less than 70 mol %.
Tire having reinforced sidewalls
U.S. patent: 11,577,554
Issued: February 14, 2023
Inventors: Christopher Barton, Christophe Chebaut, Mael Jude and Maxime Rolland
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement, made up of a single layer of reinforcing elements anchored in each of the beads by being turned up around a bead wire, reinforced by a stiffener. In the sidewall of the tire, the profile of the outer surface of the tire is at a constant distance from the carcass reinforcement layer between the points F and A and meets the outer surface of the bead at the point C, forming two successive circular arcs.