Patents for February 2023
USPTO patents as compiled by the editors of Rubber World for February.
Tire for vehicle wheels
U.S. patent: 11,491, 823
Issued: November 8, 2022
Inventors: Diego Ettore Speziari, Stefano Montesello and Vito Bello
Assigned: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
Key statement: A tire for vehicle wheels comprises a tread band (2), on which a first circumferential rib (14) is formed, on which a plurality of first notches (20) are formed, which extend as a whole over at least 80% of the width of the first circumferential rib and each of which comprises a first portion (21) which is substantially rectilinear and has a first inclination with respect to a circumferential direction, a second portion (22) which is substantially rectilinear and has a second inclination with respect to the circumferential direction having a sign opposite to said first inclination and a connecting portion (23) that extends between said first portion and said second portion; respective pluralities of the second and the third notches (30; 40), which are blind and substantially parallel to the first (21) and the second portion (22), respectively, of said first notches (20), are further formed on the first circumferential rib (14).
Rubber composition
U.S. patent: 11,492,459
Issued: November 8, 2022
Inventors: Anne-Frederique Salit, Benoit Schnell, Sophie Gander, Sergey Ivanov and Etienne Fleur
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A rubber composition based on at least one diene elastomer, a reinforcing filler and a 1,3-dipolar compound comprising an epoxide group is provided. The epoxide group is a three-membered ether ring in which a first member is a carbon atom exhibiting a connection to the dipole of the 1,3-dipolar compound and a second member is a tertiary or quaternary carbon. Such a rubber composition exhibits improved properties at break and improved processing, as well as good hysteresis properties.
Functionalized polymer, rubber composition and pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 11,492,426
Issued: November 8, 2022
Inventors: Seth Cody Ensign and Robert Alan Woloszyne
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: A functionalized elastomer comprising the reaction product of a living elastomeric polymer and a polymerization terminator of formula I
where B is boron; X is oxygen or nitrogen; R1 is independently vinyl, oxiranyl, phenyl, 1-alkenyl of 2 to 8 carbon atoms, alkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms including at least one halogen atom, 1-alkenyl of 2 to 8 carbon atoms including at least one halogen or one hydrogen; R2 is independently Cl to CS alkyl, CS to C14 aryl; or when m >1 R2 may be taken together to form a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic structure comprising 2 to 16 carbon atoms where the cyclic structure may be heterocyclic or non-heterocyclic; n is 1 or 2, m is 1 or 2, and n + m = 3.
Rubber composition comprising a specific hydrocarbon resin
U.S. patent: 11,492,465
Issued: November 8, 2022
Inventors: Benoit De Guademaris and Justin Belz
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A rubber composition is based on at least: from 60 to 100 phr of one or more diene elastomers, referred to as very low glass transition temperature (Tg) diene elastomers, exhibiting a Tg within a range extending from -110°C to -70°C, chosen from butadiene homopolymers, copolymers of butadiene and of vinylaromatic monomer, exhibiting a content of vinylaromatic unit of between 0% and 5% by weight and the mixtures of these; a reinforcing filler; crosslinking system; and from 50 to 150 phr of at least one hydrocarbon resin predominantly composed of units resulting from α-pinene monomers, the resin exhibiting an aliphatic proton content of greater than 95%.
Method for producing recycled material and tire and method for producing tire
U.S. patent: 11,492,554
Issued: November 8, 2022
Inventor: Koichiro Iwasa
Assigned: Sekisui Chemical
Key statement: There is provided a method for producing a recycled material, whereby a recycled material can be efficiently obtained from a tire. The method for producing a recycled material according to the present invention includes a step of subjecting a tire to a gasification treatment to generate a gas containing a Cl gas from the tire and a step of obtaining a recycled material containing at least one species selected from the group consisting of isoprene, butadiene, a butane dial compound, a butanol compound, a butenal compound, succinic acid and polymers of these compounds by using the gas containing the Cl gas.
Rubber composition comprising an epoxide resin and a specific amine hardener
U.S. patent: 11,499,036
Issued: November 15, 2022
Inventors: Emmanuel Landreau and Philippe Laubry
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A rubber composition exhibiting an improved processability/stiffness compromise is based on at least a diene elastomer, a reinforcing filler, a crosslinking system, between 1 and 30 parts by weight per hundred parts by weight of elastomer, phr, of an epoxy resin and between 1 and 15 phr of a specific amine-comprising hardener comprising in particular at least two primary amine functional groups located on at least one six-membered aromatic ring and at least two Ri radicals, which are identical or different, selected from the group consisting of linear or branched C1-C6 alkyl radicals, halogens and ethers, tertiary amines, thioethers, ketones, esters and amides, substituted by linear or branched C1-C6 alkyl radicals, the said ring not comprising a hydrogen atom located in the ortho position with respect to the primary amine functional groups.
Tire tracking RFID label
U.S. patent: 11,494,604
Issued: November 8, 2022
Inventors: Pavel Janko and Denis Markov
Assigned: Avery Dennison
Key statement: Identification labels and their incorporation in rubber-based articles are described. The labels include RFID components and can be incorporated in tires. The labels can withstand the relatively harsh conditions associated with vulcanization.
Tread composition and tire produced by using the same
U.S. patent: 11,499,038
Issued: November 15, 2022
Inventor: Hyeonjae Kim
Assigned: Bridgestone
Key statement: The present disclosure relates to a rubber composition that includes an aromatic compound based resin and a styrene butadiene copolymer and a tire using the same as the tread rubber or a component thereof. The rubber composition provides improved wet traction.
Modified butadiene polymer and rubber composition
U.S. patent: 11,505,623
Issued: November 22, 2022
Inventors: Yu Shinke and Kazuya Uenishi
Assigned: Yokohama Rubber
Key statement: The present invention provides a compounding agent which, when used in a rubber composition containing a reinforcing filler, exhibits excellent dispersibility, workability, toughness, low heat buildup and wear resistance; and a rubber composition containing the compounding agent. A modified butadiene polymer of the present invention has a functional group containing a nitrogen atom and silicon atom at a terminal, a weight average molecular weight of the modified butadiene polymer being from 1,000 to 15,000 and a molecular weight distribution of the modified butadiene polymer being 2.0 or less.
Method for forming tire components
U.S. patent: 11,505,001
Issued: November 22, 2022
Inventors: Christopher David Dyrlund and Jacob Steven Wood
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a method for applying a dual compound coextruded continuous strip of a first compound and a second compound, the method comprising a first extruder for processing a first compound and a second extruder for processing a second compound, wherein the outlet from the first extruder is in fluid communication with a first channel of a housing and the outlet from the second extruder is in fluid communication with a second channel of the housing, wherein a gear pump is positioned in each channel, wherein a nozzle is in fluid communication with an outlet of the first channel and an outlet of the second channel and a coextruded continuous strip is produced. The ratio of the first compound to the second compound may be adjusted instantaneously.