Patents for February
Patents as compiled by the editors or Rubber World for February 2022.
Steel cord for reinforcing rubber article, method for manufacturing same and tire
U.S. patent: 11,220,136
Issued: January 11, 2022
Inventors: Naohik Obana and Mikito Kondo
Assigned: Bridgstone
Key statement: Provided is a multi-twisted steel cord for reinforcing a rubber article, the steel cord having cord strength with a small loss as compared to the total strength of filaments constituting the cord and a high rubber penetration. The steel cord includes a plurality of twisted strands in a multi-twisted structure, each strand including a plurality of twisted filaments in two or more layers, in which at least some of the filaments have a tensile strength of 3,000 MPa or more, the steel cord satisfying a filament occupancy of 48% or more and less than 54%, a cord twist angle of 78° or more and less than 84°, an average crossing angle between adjacent filaments other than wrapping filaments of less than 17° and a gap between adjacent sheath filaments constituting the strand of 0.065 mm or more.
Supplemental tire tread for a solid tire
U.S. patent: 11,220,137
Issued: January 11, 2022
Inventors: Tom Zaleski, Sr. and Tom Zaleski, Jr.
Key statement: A supplemental tire tread for installation on an outer surface of a solid tire, the outer surface of the solid tire defining opposed sidewalls and a tread surface that extend between the sidewalls. The supplemental tire tread has a tread body having an outer tread surface, an inner surface and an attachment for attaching the tread body around the tread surface of the tire. The inner surface of the tread body has tire supports with tire receiving receptacles that open away from the inner surface of the tread body and receive the solid tires when installed. The tread body has anchor receptacles that engage anchors that pierce the solid tires to support the tread body against relative rotation of the solid tire and the tread body.
Pneumatic tire with annular sidewall concavity
U.S. patent: 11,220,140
Issued: January 11, 2022
Inventors: Avishay Novoplanski and Lucy Edery Azulay
Assigned: Galileo Wheel
Key statement: A pneumatic tire has a non-stretchable tread (30) flanked by two shoulder regions (34) and two non-stretchable bead regions (36) for mounting the tire to a wheel, each bead region being connected via a sidewall to the corresponding bead region Each sidewall has a first portion (38) connected via a sidewall to the corresponding bead region. Each sidewall has a first portion (38) extending inwardly relative to a width of the tire from one of the bead regions (36) to a deflection region (40) and a second portion (42) extending outwardly relative to the width of the tire from the deflection region (40) to a corresponding one of the shoulder regions (34). A non-stretchable girth-limiting configuration (44, 46, 56) and a radial reinforcing structure (48, 50, 52) are associated with the first portion (38) of each of the sidewalls, thereby limiting radial flexing of first portion (38) and maintaining an annular concavity between the bead region (36) and the shoulder region (34).
Rubber composition comprising a specific hydrocarbon resin
U.S. patent: 11,220,591
Issued: January 11, 2022
Inventors: Benoit De Gaudemaris and Philippe Labrunie
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A rubber composition based on at least: from 50 to 100 phr of one or more diene elastomers, referred to as very low glass transition temperature (Tg) diene elastomers, having a Tg within a range of from -110°C to -70°C, selected from butadiene homopolymers, copolymers of butadiene and of a vinylaromatic monomer, having a content of vinylaromatic units of between 0 and 5% by weight and mixtures thereof a reinforcing filler a crosslinking system; and from 40 to 150 phr of at least one hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin predominantly composed of units derived from C9 monomers, the resin having a content of aromatic protons of less than 25% and a content of ethylenic protons of less than 1%.
Tire imbalance correction using coating method
U.S. patent: 11,220,142
Issued: January 11, 2022
Inventor: Takuma Watanabe
Assigned: Sumitomo Rubber
Key statement: A method of correcting imbalance of a tire comprises a step of forming a coated layer on the inner surface of the tire at the point of lightest weight of the tire so as to reduce the imbalance of the tire. The coated layer has a black color substantially the same as the color of the inner surface so that it becomes difficult to recognize the correction of the weight imbalance.
Reinforced rubber containing silylated triglyceride oil
U.S. patent: 11,220,595
Issued: January 11, 2022
Inventors: Joseph John Kulig, Kelsey Elizabeth Cantwell and George Jim Papakonstantopoulos
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: It has been unexpected found that silylated triglyceride oils can be incorporated into tire
y p y g y p
tread rubber formulations that include reinforcing fillers to provide improved wet traction characteristics, rolling resistance and tread wear without compromising cured stiffness (dry traction) and ultimate properties (chip/chunk resistance). The level of silica coupling agent needed in such a formulation can also typically be reduced. The present invention more specifically discloses a rubber formulation which is comprised of (1) a rubbery polymer; (2) a reinforcing filler, such as silica or carbon black; and (3) a silylated triglyceride oil. The silylated triglyceride oil will include silyl groups of the structural formula: — (CH2)n–Si(OR)3, wherein n represents an integer within the range of 1 to 8 and wherein R represents an alkyl group containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms.
Tire
U.S. patent: 11,225,108
Issued: January 18, 2022
Inventor: Daisuke Nakajima
Assigned: Bridgestone
Key statement: An object of the present disclosure is to provide a highly durable tire using a resin composition, and a solution to the problem is a tire obtained by using a resin composition containing a polyamide resin and an elastomer having a glass transition temperature of 25°C or less, wherein the melt viscosity ν (Pa·sec) at 240°C and the average distance between elastomer interfaces, τ (μm), satisfy the relationship of the following expression (1):
Unique ID electronic tag for tire
U.S. patent: 11,225,113
Issued: January 18, 2022
Inventors: Pi Sung Su, Hsin Cheng Pao, Yun-Da Jung and Chi Chun Hsieh
Assigned: Mutual-Pak Technology
Key statement: The present invention provides a unique ID electronic (UID) tag for a tire, which is suitable to be mounted on a surface of a tire or embedded in a tire, comprising: a tag unit; a pliable protective layer; and a vulcanizable bonding layer. The pliable protective layer is provided on two opposite sides of the tag unit. The vulcanizable bonding layer is provided on one or each of the two opposite sides of the pliable protective layer to bond the UID tag tightly to the tire during a vulcanization process. Further, the tag unit comprises a circuit substrate provided with an antenna circuit and an integrated circuit (IC) chip electrically connected to the antenna circuit.
Modified conjugated diene-based polymer, polymer composition and rubber composition
U.S. patent: 11,225,534
Issued: January 18, 2022
Inventors: Koichi Hasebe, Ryo Suzuki and Hiromi Nakafutami
Assigned: Asahi Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha
Assigned: Asahi Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha
Key statement: A modified conjugated diene-based polymer according to the present invention has a weight average molecular weight of 20 x 104 or more and 300 x 104 or less, has a molecular weight distribution Mw/Mn of 1.6 or more and 4.0 or less, has a modification ratio of 30% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less with respect to a total amount of the conjugated diene-based polymer and includes 5% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less of a component having a molecular weight of 1,000,000 or more and 5,000,000 or less in GPC (gel permeation chromatography), wherein a modification ratio of the component having a molecular weight of 1,000,000 or more and 5,000,000 or less is 90% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
Aircraft tire
U.S. patent: 11,225,567
Issued: January 18, 2022
Inventors: Jean-Luc Cabioch and Jean- Luc Mangeret
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: An aircraft tire has a tread comprising a composition based on at least one elastomeric matrix comprising from 20 to 100 phr of isoprene elastomer and from 0 to 80 phr of a copolymer of butadiene and styrene; a reinforcing filler predominantly comprising carbon black; from 1 to 30 phr of at least one hydrocarbon resin predominantly composed of units derived from aromatic and cycloaliphatic monomers; and a crosslinking system.
Rubber composition for inner liner and pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 11,225,575
Issued: January 18, 2022
Inventor: Ryo Kumamoto
Assigned: Toyo Tire
Key statement: A rubber composition for an inner liner that has a carbon black and a modified silicone oil having a silanol group at a molecular terminal thereof can give a vulcanized rubber excellent in air permeability resistance and resistance to fatigue from flexing. This rubber composition can give a vulcanized rubber which can be restrained from being lowered in air permeability resistance and which is excellent in resistance to fatigue from flexing even when the rubber composition contains a process oil.
Extruder, masterbatch manufacturing method and tire manufacturing method
U.S. patent: 11,230,046
Issued: January 25, 2022
Inventor: Makoto Tanaka
Assigned: Toyo Tire
Assigned: Toyo Tire
Key statement: An extruder is disclosed including: a barrel; and a screw provided with a helical groove; wherein the screw comprises a dewatering portion comprising a first portion and a second portion at a location downstream from the first portion; wherein, at the dewatering portion, clearance between the groove and the barrel decreases as one proceeds downstream; and wherein clearance reduction ratio at the first portion is greater than clearance reduction ratio at the second portion.
Rubber composition having improved properties in the raw state and in the cooked state
U.S. patent: 11,230,636
Issued: January 25, 2022
Inventors: Lionel Belin, Claire Dalliere, Eve-Anne Filiol and Eric Jordery
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A rubber composition is based on at least an elastomeric matrix comprising at most 70 parts by weight, per hundred parts by weight of elastomer, phr, of a polyisoprene and at least 30 phr of a butadiene/styrene copolymer, the butadiene/styrene copolymer exhibiting a content of styrene units of between 20% and 40% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the butadiene/styrene copolymer, a content of trans-1,4-butadiene unit of greater than 65% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the butadiene units, a content of vinyl unit of less than 8% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the butadiene units and a glass transition temperature of between -60°C and -35°C; from 35 to 75 phr of a carbon black exhibiting a BET specific surface of between 90 and 100 m2/g and a COAN absorption index of between 90 and 100 ml/100 g; and a crosslinking system.
Tire for preventing irregular tread wear
U.S. patent: 11,235,624
Issued: February 1, 2022
Inventors: Hae In Jeon, Eun Chang Chun and Ha Eun Koog
Assigned: Hankook Tire
Key statement: A tire includes a reinforcing rib formed on a groove to prevent irregular wear of a tread and including an auxiliary hidden groove formed in the groove to enhance capabilities of water absorption and drainage of the tire even when the reinforcing rib is formed on the groove. The tire can include a reinforcing rib coupled to a first sidewall, which is one of both sidewalls forming the groove and protruding toward the groove from the first sidewall, a hidden groove formed in one portion of a second sidewall which is the other of the sidewalls forming the groove and a remaining tread part protruding toward the groove from a side surface of the hidden groove, the remaining tread part being the other portion of the second sidewall.
Implementing tire tread depth and wear patterns monitoring with RFID
U.S. patent: 11,235,625
Issued: February 1, 2022
Inventors: Matthew S. Doyle, Layne A. Berge, Jason J. Bjorgaard, John R. Dangler, Thomas W. Liang and
Manuel Orozco
Assigned: International Business Machines
Key statement: A method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing tire tread depth and wear patterns monitoring. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is provided with an associated tire to be monitored. A dipole antenna structure is coupled to the RFID tag and routed within a position in the tire tread and routed substantially circumferentially in the associated tire. A resonant frequency of the dipole antenna structure is detected to monitor tire tread wear.