Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited

Akira Kamigoro

Kei Tajima

Takaaki Ishida

Fumikazu Yamashita

Yasuaki Kuniyasu

Yurie Tanami

Yasufumi Kozono

A pneumatic tire comprises a sidewall reinforcing rubber disposed axially inside the carcass in each of the sidewall portion, and in order improving the ride comfort during normal running without deteriorating runflat performance, the axially inner surface of the sidewall reinforcing rubber is provided with a circumferentially extending groove. When the tire is deflated, the groove in the ground contacting patch is closed and the sidewall reinforcing rubber supports the tire load. When the tire is inflated-normally, as the sidewall portion can be bent around the groove, the ride comfort is improved.

Runflat tire

A fender for absorbing the impact of a vessel is provided, which is formed of rubber and fixed to a fixing surface of a dock and adapted to have an impact receiving plate secured to a distal end of a body of the fender. The fender comprises a first bumper member having an elongated hollow cylindrical body of a constant outside diameter and affixed to the impact receiving plate at one end, and a second bumper member connected at one end to an opposite end of the cylindrical body of the first bumper member. The second bumper member at the opposite end thereof is fixed to the fixing surface at a portion having a hollow conical body with its distal end being greater in outside diameter than its closest end, and the second bumper member buckling radially outwardly upon receiving a compressive force from the vessel thereby absorbing the impact of the vessel; and a shoulder formed along an outer periphery of a connection portion between the first and second bumper members.

Fender with step and/or projection

Growing community of inventors

Kobe, Japan

Akira Kamigoro