Patents for March

Patent News as compiled by the editors of Rubber World Magazine for March 2025.

Self sealing tire
U.S. patent: 12,036,756
Issued: July 16, 2024
Inventors: George Jim Papakonstantopoulos, Michael Lawrence Gersman,
Frank J. Feher and Stephan Rodewald
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: This invention reveals a method of manufacturing a puncture sealing pneumatic rubber tire which comprises: (1) building an unvulcanized tire including a circumferential rubber tread, a supporting carcass therefore, two spaced beads, two rubber sidewalls connecting said beads, an inner liner and a solid sealant formulation layer disposed inwardly from said supporting carcass and outwardly from said inner liner, wherein said solid sealant formulation layer is comprised of (a) polyisobutylene, (b) a peroxide and (c) a reinforcing filler, wherein the polyisobutylene is present in the sealant layer at a level of at least 50 weight percent; and (2) shaping and vulcanizing said tire in a tire mold under conditions of heat and pressure and simultaneously forming in situ a puncture sealant layer in said tire by both crosslinking and partially depolymerizing said polyisobutylene rubber in said sealant layer formulation.

Tire inflation system and connection arrangement
U.S. patent: 12,036,823
Issued: July 16, 2024
Inventors: Joshua Coombs, Brian Vinson and Gary Meyers
Assigned: ArvinMeritor Technology
Key statement: A connection arrangement for a tire inflation system. The connection arrangement includes a rotary union and a hose assembly. A main body of the hose assembly is insertable into and removeable from a receptacle cavity of the rotary union when in a first rotational position. A locking protrusion of the hose assembly is received in the locking opening of the rotary union to secure the main body to the rotary union when in the second rotational position.

Pneumatic tire comprising a rubber composition based on epoxidized
polyisoprene and a polyamide having a low melting point
U.S. patent: 12,036,819
Issued: July 16, 2024
Inventors: Jose-Carlos Araujo Da Silva and Romain Libert
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A tire has improved mechanical properties and comprises a rubber composition based on at least one elastomeric matrix mainly comprising at least one epoxidized polyisoprene having a molar degree of epoxidation greater than 40%, at least one polyamide of which the melting point is less than 170°C and a crosslinking system.

Tire pressure monitor communication system, electromagnetic transmission
system having cancellation and an antenna assembly for use therewith and
methods
U.S. patent: 12,043,067
Issued: July 23, 2024
Inventors: Mark Andrew Compton, Kevin Ray Spencer, Warren Edwin
Guthrie, Eric Joshua Emens, Brandyn Jaymes Blehm, Andrew Scott Homrich
and Timothy Cullen Davison
Assigned: JR Automation Technologies
Key statement: A tire pressure monitoring system is configured to communicate with a tire pressure sensor and has an antenna assembly and a transmitter. The antenna assembly has a transmitting and a canceling antenna. The transmitting antenna has a wire loop defined by a plurality of coils with a first terminal and a second terminal. The canceling antenna has a wire loop defined by a plurality of coils with a first terminal and a second terminal. The arrangement of the transmitting antenna and the cancelling antenna defines a proximal zone wherein a field from the transmitting antenna is configured to be sufficient to actuate the tire pressure monitor, while beyond the proximal zone, a field from the canceling antenna cancels the field from the transmitting antenna. The transmitter is coupled to the transmitting antenna and the canceling antenna. An antenna and methods are likewise disclosed.

Method for repairing self sealing tires
U.S. patent: 12,043,008
Issued: July 23, 2024
Inventors: George Jim Papakonstantopoulos, Michael Lawrence Gersman
and Andreas Frantzen
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: This invention discloses a technique for replenishing the level of sealant in self sealing tires at the time that a puncture in the tire is being repaired or when the tire is being recapped. This technique provides the tire with its original level of self sealing capabilities and will enhance the possibility of the tire remaining in service until it can be conveniently repaired. This method involves (1) injecting a liquid sealant formulation into the sealant layer of a self sealing tire through at least one puncture hole therein and (2) sealing the hole or holes in the supporting carcass and the innerliner of the tire. The sealant utilized is typically liquid polyisobutylene having a weight average molecular weight of 25,000 to 200,000. The sealant formulation used can optionally also contain a colorant or a pigment.

Conjugated diene based polymer composition and tire
U.S. patent: 12,043,741
Issued: July 23, 2024
Inventors: Shogo Sumitani, Shinichi Sekikawa, Kenta Hisamura and
Yoshifumi Araki
Assigned: Asahi Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha
Key statement: The present invention provides a conjugated diene based polymer composition excellent in rolling resistance, grip performance on a wet road surface and abrasion resistance when formed into a tire. Also provided is a conjugated diene based polymer composition containing: 10 to 90 parts by mass of a conjugated diene based polymer (A) having a glass transition temperature of -20°C or more; and 10 to 90 parts by mass of a conjugated diene based polymer (B) having a glass transition temperature of -25°C or less, wherein the conjugated diene based polymer (A) has an absolute molecular weight, measured by viscosity detector equipped GPC light scattering measurement, of 40 × 104 or more and 5,000 × 104 or less, and a branch number (Bn), measured by the viscosity detector equipped GPC light scattering measurement, of 8 or more.

Tire having a composition comprising an ethylene rich elastomer, a peroxide
and a specific acrylate derivative
U.S. patent: 12,049,107
Issued: July 30, 2024
Inventors: Guillaume Pibre, Andrea Messina and Benjamin Gornard
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A tire comprises a rubber composition based on at least one elastomeric matrix mainly comprising a random copolymer comprising ethylene units and conjugated diene units, the mole fraction of the ethylene units in the copolymer being within a range extending from 50% to 95%; a peroxide; and a specific acrylate derivative.

Foamed rubber shoe material and method for preparing the same
U.S. patent: 12,054,599
Issued: August 6, 2024
Inventor: Zhonghua Liu
Assigned: Guangzhou Kunhao Shoes
Key statement: A foamed rubber shoe material is obtained from a rubber shoe base material by vulcanization, foaming and cutting; the rubber shoe base material includes a rubber sheet and a cloth attached on the rubber sheet; the rubber sheet is prepared from a premixed rubber material in an open mill; the premixed rubber material includes the following components in parts by weight: 44-48 parts of rubber matrix, 24-28 parts of a filler, 5-7 parts of an oil material, 4-5 parts of a vulcanization agent, 1.8-2.2 parts of an antiager, 0.5-0.7 parts of an accelerator, 4-6 parts of triterpenoid saponin, 8-12 parts of n-butanol, 3-5 parts of an unsaturated fatty acid, 7-9 parts of sulfur, 1.6-2.4 parts of dicumyl peroxide and 10-14 parts of a foaming agent; the foaming agent includes a combination of 4,4′-oxybis(benzenesulfonyl hydrazide), petroleum ether, dichloroethane and at least one bicarbonate; and the rubber matrix includes a natural rubber.

Pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 12,049,110
Issued: July 30, 2024
Inventor: Takahiro Iida
Assigned: Yokohama Rubber
Key statement: In a tire tread pattern, lug grooves with sipes each include: a lug groove and a first sipe further extending from the lug groove to a second circumferential main groove and pass through a land portion region. Second sipes are alternately disposed with the lug grooves with sipes in a circumferential direction and pass through the land portion region. The second sipes extend inclined with respect to a lateral direction in a direction opposite to a direction in the circumferential direction in which the lug grooves with sipes are inclined. At an opening end at which the lug groove opens to a first circumferential main groove, the lug grooves with sipes and the second sipes are joined. Thus, triangular blocks surrounded by the second circumferential main groove, the lug grooves with sipes and the second sipes are disposed side by side in the land portion region in the circumferential direction.