Patents for October
Patents as compiled for October by Rubber World Magazine
Apparatus and method for cutting a tire into strips, cutting tire strips into chips and stripping a tire bead
U.S. patent: 11,077,573
Issued: August 3, 2021
Inventors: Ted Bushman Rogers and Michael Bradley Swenson
Assigned: Eco Green Equipment
Key statement: An apparatus for cutting a whole tire into strips may include a cutting device having a first rotary blade and a second rotary blade. The tire is positioned between the first rotary blade and the second rotary blade, which cut the tire into one or more strips. The apparatus may further include a positioning system operable to orient the tire between a plurality of vertical, horizontal and intermediate positions, relative to the cutting device. The apparatus may include one or more support rollers. The apparatus may further include a control system that controls the operation of the cutting device and tire positioning system as the tire is cut into strips by the cutting device. The apparatus may include a chipper to cut the tire strips into chips. The apparatus may include a bead peeler to remove the exterior rubber sheath from the wire bead.
Method of forming non-pneumatic tire including pressure application between an intermediate section and an outer shear band ring
U.S. patent: 11,077,633
Issued: August 3, 2021
Inventors: Eric Rivers, Clayton Bohn, Jr. and Brian D. Wilson
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A method of forming a non-pneumatic tire is provided that includes the steps of providing an outer shear band ring (12) that has an inner diameter. An intermediate section (14) is provided that has a supporting structure. An outer diameter (102) of the intermediate section (14) in the uncompressed state is greater than the inner diameter (70) of the outer shear band ring (12). The intermediate section is compressed from the uncompressed state to a compressed state and is inserted inside of the outer shear band ring (12). Compression of the intermediate section is released when the intermediate section is inside of the outer shear band ring and the intermediate section (14) moves from the compressed state to a state of interference fit with the outer shear band ring (12).
Laminate of thermoplastic resin film and rubber, inner liner material and pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 11,077,710
Issued: August 3, 2021
Inventor: Hirokazu Shibata
Assigned: Yokohama Rubber
Key statement: A laminate of a thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic elastomer composition film and a rubber composition layer, which can be used as an inner liner for a pneumatic tire, with improved adhesive strength at the interface of the thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic elastomer composition film and the rubber composition layer. A laminate comprising a thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic elastomer composition film and a rubber composition layer, the rubber composition containing a rubber component, a condensate of a phenol compound and formaldehyde and methylene donor and a vulcanizing agent, wherein 2.5-40% by mass of the rubber component is halogenated isomonoolefin-palkyl styrene copolymer, the content of the condensate is 0.5-20 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component and the content of the methylene donor is 0.25- 200 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component.
Pneumatic tire with innerliner, mold release agent layer and sealant layer
U.S. patent: 11,077,725
Issued: August 3, 2021
Inventors: Naoki Yukawa, Mutsuki Sugimoto and Satoshi Yamada
Assigned: Sumitomo Rubber
Key statement: Provided is a pneumatic tire having sufficient sealing performance. The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire including a sealant layer located radially inside an innerliner, the sealant layer being formed by applying a sealant to the inner periphery of a tire from which mold release agents have
been removed.
Tire for bicycle wheels
U.S. patent: 11,077,712
Issued: August 3, 2021
Inventors: Pierangelo Misani and Paolo Brivio
Assigned: Pirelli Tyre
Key statement: A tire for bicycle wheels, having a carcass structure, a belt layer arranged in a radially outer position with respect to the carcass structure and a tread band arranged in a radially outer position with respect to the belt layer. The carcass structure has a carcass ply engaged with a pair of annular anchoring structures and including a plurality of reinforcing cords. The cords are inclined, with respect to an equatorial plane of the tire, at a first angle between about 65° and about 90°. The belt layer has a reinforcing cord wound onto the carcass structure according to a winding direction oriented, with respect to the equatorial plane, at a second angle between about 0° and about 30°.
Thermoplastic elastomer composition, use thereof, method for producing same, ethylene/α-olefin/ unconjugated polyene copolymer and use thereof
U.S. patent: 11,078,352
Issued: August 3, 2021
Inventors: Kotaro Ichino, Tomohiro Yamaguchi, Yukio Aita and Yuji Noguchi
Assigned: Mitsui Chemicals
Key statement: (Problem) The purpose of the invention is to provide: a thermoplastic elastomer composition capable of providing molded articles that are lightweight, have better oil resistance than those provided by conventional crosslinked thermoplastic elastomers and have hardness and mechanical
properties such as tensile strength and tensile elongation that are equal to or superior to those provided by conventional crosslinked thermoplastic elastomers; and an ethylene/ α-olefin/unconjugated polyene copolymer having little compression set at low temperature as well as flexibility and an excellent balance
of rubber elasticity at low temperature and tensile strength at normal temperature. (Solution) Produced are: a thermoplastic elastomer composition obtained by dynamically crosslinking a mixture containing a crystalline olefin polymer (A), an ethylene/α-olefin (having 4-20 carbon atoms)/unconjugated polyene copolymer (1B) that satisfies specific requirements and a phenol resin-based crosslinking agent (C); and an ethylene-α-olefin/unconjugated polyene copolymer (2B) that satisfies specific requirements.
Rubber composition and pneumatic tire using same
U.S. patent: 11,084,326
Issued: August 10, 2021
Inventors: Yuko Sekine, Makoto Ashiura and Fumito Yatsuyanagi
Assigned: Yokohama Rubber
Key statement: Provided is a rubber composition which contains a diene rubber and a reinforcing filler. The diene rubber contains a styrene-butadiene copolymer component including at least one type of styrene-butadiene copolymer and satisfying: (1) the bonded styrene content is from 5 to 50 wt.%; (2) among components obtained by ozone decomposition, the content of a decomposed component V1 containing one 1,2-bonded butadienederived unit out of the total of 100 mol % of decomposed components containing styrene-derived units and/or 1,2-bonded butadiene-derived units is not less than 20 mol %; (3) among components obtained by ozone decomposition, the content of a decomposed component S2V1 containing two styrene- derived units and one 1,2-bonded butadiene-derived unit out of the total of 100 mol % of decomposed components containing styrene-derived units and/or 1,2-bonded butadiene-derived units is not less than 4 mol %; and (4) the vinyl content of a butadiene moiety is not less than 20% and less than 50%.
Radar wear sensing for tire applications
U.S. patent: 11,084,332
Issued: August 10, 2021
Inventors: Terence E. Wei and Paul B. Wilson
Assigned: Bridgestone Americas
Key statement: A radar-based-sensing system for a tire includes a plurality of sensors disposed circumferentially around a tire annulus. Each sensor in the plurality of sensors is permanently disposed within the tire annulus. Each sensor in the plurality of sensors is further disposed radially above any metal structures within the tire annulus and each sensor in the plurality of sensors emits waves and senses reflected waves when rotating.
Tire repair method
U.S. patent: 11,084,233
Issued: August 10, 2021
Inventor: Koichi Yoshimura
Assigned: Bridgestone
Key statement: Repair materials made of at least unvulcanized rubber are applied on a repair site of a damaged part of a tire, heating pads are applied on surfaces of the repair materials, wood pieces or other stuffing members differing in size are stuffed inside the tire, in a tire circumferential direction where the repair materials are applied. The tire circumferential is fastened and pressed from surroundings by bands and the repair site is heated by the heating pads to vulcanize the unvulcanized rubber of the repair materials, to thereby repair the tire. This repair method provides a low cost tire repair method capable of maintaining the shape of the tire at the time of pressing and vulcanization, in various kinds of tires.
Tire reinforcement
U.S. patent: 11,084,328
Issued: August 10, 2021
Inventors: Taylor David Niehaus and James Gregory Gillick
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: A reinforcement structure for a polymer ply includes a plurality of flat woven cords. Each flat woven cord has a width between 0.5 mm and 1.6 mm and a thickness between 0.2 mm and 0.8 mm thereby producing the reinforcement structure with an overall width between 25.0 mm and 26.0 mm. Each flat woven cord includes materials with melting points between 130°C and 230°C.
Winter tire stud
U.S. patent: 11,084,331
Issued: August 10, 2021
Inventors: Frederic Michel-Jean Pons, Arnaud Caron and Damian Wilhelm Georges
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: A stud is inserted into a tread portion of a tire. The first stud includes a tip end protruding from the tread portion for contacting a surface, the tip end comprising a radially outer portion with a first surface, a second surface, a third surface, a fourth surface, a fifth surface, a sixth surface and a seventh surface, the first surface defining an irregular quadrilateral and extending radially inward from the fourth surface toward a planar side of the tip end; and a base including a flanged bottom portion provided on an end opposite the tip end and extending radially outward, a stump portion provided between the bottom portion and the tip end, and a shank portion interconnecting the stump portion and the bottom portion, the base being embedded and secured in the tread portion of the tire in which the first stud is installed, the bottom portion having a teardrop shape comprising three planar sides and one semicylindrical side.
Rubber composition for tires and pneumatic tire
U S patent: 11 098 180
U.S. patent: 11,098,180
Issued: August 24, 2021
Inventors: Mikako Yoshioka, Haruko Sawaki and Takahiro Mabuchi
Assigned: Sumitomo Rubber
Key statement: Provided are a rubber composition for tires that provides a balanced improvement of snow and ice performance and abrasion resistance and a tire including the rubber composition. The rubber composition for tires contains: a rubber component including an isoprene-based rubber and BR; silica; and a terpene-based resin having a softening point of 60-150°C, an α-pinene unit content of 65-100% by mass, a β-pinene unit content of 0-35% by mass, and a limonene unit content of 10% by mass or lower, the rubber component including, based on 100% by mass thereof, 5-80% by mass of the isoprenebased rubber and 5-80% by mass of the BR, with a combined amount of the isoprene-based rubber and the BR of 60% by mass or more, the rubber composition containing, per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component, 1-500 parts by mass of the silica and 0.1-100 parts by mass of the terpene-based resin.
Multi-component copolymer, rubber composition, crosslinked rubber composition and rubber article
U.S. patent: 11,098,146
Issued: August 24, 2021
Inventors: Madoka Kimura, Tomoe Tanabe and Shigeki Oishi
Assigned: Bridgestone
Key statement: Provided is a multi-component copolymer capable of improving the rollability of a rubber composition while having excellent low heat generating property. The multi-component copolymer comprises conjugated diene units, nonconjugated olefin units and aromatic vinyl units, wherein: a ratio among all of the aromatic vinyl units of at least one aromatic vinyl unit existing in amorphous parts inclusive of the conjugated diene units is less than 50%.
Method for preparing precipitated silicas, novel precipitated silicas and uses thereof, particularly for polymer reinforcement
U.S. patent: 11,104,583
Issued: August 31, 2021
Inventors: Cedric Boivin, Laurent Guy, Eric Perin and Kilani Lamiri
Assigned: Rhodia Operations
Key statement: The invention relates to a process for preparing a precipitated silica, to precipitated silicas and to uses thereof. The process of the invention generally includes reacting a silicate with an acidifying agent, so as to obtain a suspension of precipitated silica; filtering the precipitated silica to obtain a filter cake; subjecting the filter cake to a liquefaction operation to form a second filter cake; and drying the second filter cake. In the process of the invention, at least one polycarboxylic acid is added to the filter cake, during or after the liquefaction operation.
Pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 11,118,036
Issued: September 14, 2021
Inventors: Nihat Ali Isitman, Manuela Pompei and Eric Engeldinger
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 40 to about 90 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from -40°C to 0°C; (B) from about 60 to about 10 phr of polybutadiene; and (C) from 5 to 50 phr of a hydrocarbon resin having a Tg ranging from -40°C to 20°C; (D) optionally, a rubber process oil; (E) optionally, a hydrocarbon resin having a Tg ranging above 20°C wherein the total amount of hydrocarbon resins and oils is less than 65 phr and the weight ratio of silica to the total of hydrocarbon resins and oils is greater than 2; (F) from 70 to 130 phr of silica.
Tire with sensor attachment reservoir and method of attaching sensor
U.S. patent: 11,117,429
Issued: September 14, 2021
Inventors: Julien Plattier, Jean-Claude Patrice Philippe Griffoin, Jason Mark Middelberg, Kevin Erik M. Pierret, Etienne Marie Willy Legrand, Olivier Jean-Pierre Richard, Mike Klein, Benoit Julien A. Debout,
Andreas Frantzen, Laurent Roger Andre Dubos and Lothar Braun
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: A tire with a sensor attachment reservoir is provided. The tire includes a pair of bead areas, a sidewall extending from each respective bead area to a tread, a carcass extending toroidally between each of the bead areas and an innerliner disposed inwardly of the carcass. A compound ring is secured to the innerliner, and the compound ring defines a reservoir upon being secured to the innerliner. A sensor adhesive is disposed in the reservoir and a sensor is secured to the tire innerliner by the sensor adhesive. A corresponding method of attaching a sensor to a tire is also provided