Patents for January 2023
Patents for January 2023 as compiled by the editors of Rubber World Magazine
Footwear and rubber sole containing zinc rosinate
U.S. patent: 11,478,040
Issued: October 25, 2022
Inventor: Paul Harry Sandstrom
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: The invention relates to a footwear with a rubber sole where such sole is comprised of a rubber composition which contains zinc rosinate. The zinc rosin is provided to include zinc rosinate as a product formed in situ within the rubber composition of zinc oxide and freely added rosin acid. The footwear rubber sole is intended for ground engagement. In one embodiment, the rubber composition for the rubber sole further contains triglyceride vegetable oil. In one embodiment, the rubber composition for the rubber sole addition ally contains a traction promoting resin.
Apparatus and method for thermally demanufacturing tires and other waste products
U.S. patent: 11,479,723
Issued: October 25, 2022
Inventors: Wayne MachÓn, Brian Seguin and Alan Krauss
Assigned: PRTI Global Management
Key statement: An apparatus and process for thermally demanufacturing tires and other materials. The apparatus is a retort chamber with various zones in which tires are combusted to provide energy for the thermal depolymerization reaction, depolymerization takes place and products leave the retort chamber. In one embodiment, the process reacts water with iron present in steel-belted tires to produce hydrogen, which helps to break sulfur-sulfur bonds in vulcanized materials. The water also helps control the temperature of the reaction, which allows for control over the types and relative amounts of the various depolymerization products.
Flat free tire
U.S. patent: 11,479,064
Issued: October 25, 2022
Inventor: Daniel Shane Sheibani Davidson
Key statement: A self-sealing pneumatic tire having at least one cohesive sandwich radially inward of the pneumatic tire is provided. The at least cohesive sandwich may include a cohesive material under pressure, facilitating a recovery capacity upon being pierced by a sharp object, whereby the molecules of the cohesive material cohesively reattach, self-sealing any passageway or space created by the sharp object. The self-sealing pneumatic tire may also provide a loculated diamond-section layer located radially inward of the outer cohesive sandwich, further supporting the self-sealing pneumatic tire. The external rubber tread is disposed along the circumference of the tire in some embodiments can be separate from the surface of the tire yet secured in place by attachments. Once fully utilized, this external rubber tread can be replaced by a new version without having to replace the entire tire.
Rubber Composition, aging-resistant rubber product using the same
U.S. patent: 11,479,661
Issued: October 25, 2022
Inventors: Tao Xu, Zhi Sheng Fu and An Yang Wu
Assigned: Hangzhou Xinglu Technologies
Key statement: The present invention discloses a rubber composition, a processing method thereof and an aging resistant rubber product using the rubber composition. The rubber composition comprises a rubber matrix and essential components, wherein, based on 100 parts by weight of the rubber matrix, the rubber matrix comprises a branched polyethylene with a content represented as A, in which O < A ≤ 100 parts and an EPM and an EPDM with a content represented as B, in which 0 ≤ B < 100 parts; and the essential components comprise 1.5-10 parts of a crosslinking agent, 30-200 parts of a reinforcing filler and 5-250 parts of a plasticizer. The rubber composition provided by the present invention has good processability and can be used for producing rubber products with high aging resistance and compression set resistance.
System for estimating tire tread depth
U.S. patent: 11,486,797
Issued: November 1, 2022
Inventor: Cheng-Hsiung Lin
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: A system is provided for estimating a tread depth of a tire supporting a vehicle. The tire includes a pair of sidewalls extending to a tread. The system includes a sensor unit, which includes a time of flight sensor. The sensor includes an emitter that emits a first pulse to an outer surface of the tread and a lens that captures the reflected first pulse. A processor measures a time from emission to capture of the first pulse and calculates a tread surface distance from the time. The emitter emits a second pulse to a base of a tread groove and the lens captures the reflected second pulse. The processor measures a time from emission to capture of the second pulse and calculates a reference distance from the time. The processor determines a depth of the tread from a difference between the tread surface distance and the reference distance.
Modified conjugated diene-based polymer and rubber composition including the same
U.S. patent: 11,485,800
Issued: November 1, 2022
Inventors: Tae Chul Lee, Min Soo Kim, Ki Seok Son and No Ma Kim
Assigned: LG Chem
Key statement: A modified conjugated diene-based polymer and a rubber composition including the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the modified conjugated diene-based polymer includes a functional group derived from a modification monomer represented by formula 1 and a functional group derived from a modifier and the polymer has a unimodal molecular weight distribution and a polydispersity index of 1.0 to less than 1.7. The polymer has excellent processability, tensile properties and viscoelasticity properties.