Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC

Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC

Bridgestone/firestone, Inc.

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

Bridgestone Corporation

Bfs Diversified Products, LLC

Paul B. Wilson

John D. Rensel

Robert J. Trew

John D Rensel

Paul B Wilson

Russell W Koch

Sheel Agarwal

Hao Wang

Michael C Howard

David A Weitzenhof

Gordon E Hardman

Robert J Trew

Francis L Merat

Steven Luo

Isao Watanabe

John L Turner

Georg G A Böhm

John W Pyne

Douglas B Costlow

Adam Karl Nesbitt

Hans R Dorfi

Andrew T Miklic

Francis Merat

Guy J Walenga

Jack Dutcher

Jason B Smith

Ross W Widenor

Gregory D Chaplin

Joseph C Norka

Michelle A Correll

Mark McEwen

James C Updegraff

Frank L Merat

Saturo Kawamata

Guy Walenga

Terrence E Wei

The present invention is directed to an air spring sleeve comprising: an outer layer, at least one reinforcing layer, and an inner layer that form the sleeve; the outer layer and the inner layer are formed of an elastomeric composition, with the proviso that the elastomeric composition does not comprise epichlorohydrin; and the at least one reinforcing layer comprises a plurality of reinforcing elements disposed between a layer of the elastomeric composition, wherein the elastomeric composition of the at least one reinforcing layer is identical to the elastomeric composition of the outer layer and the inner layer.

Air spring sleeve

An apparatus for mounting an object within a tire includes a ply having a first side for mounting against an innerliner of the tire and a pedestal extending upwards from a second side of the ply. The pedestal has a recessed planar top surface, with an elongated front cavity, an elongated rear cavity, and a substantially cylindrical central cavity disposed therein. The substantially cylindrical cavity is defined by an internal sidewall. The internal sidewall includes mating structure selected from the group consisting of threads and a plurality of downwardly extending slots.

Attachment patch for mounting devices

A process for preparing a blend of trans-1,4-polybutadiene and syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene, the process comprising the steps of (i) polymerizing 1,3-butadiene in the presence of a lanthanide-based catalyst to form a polymerization mixture including trans-1,4-polybutadiene, where the lanthanide-based catalyst includes (a) a lanthanide-containing compound, and (b) an organomagnesium compound; and (ii) polymerizing 1,3-butadiene in the presence of an iron-based catalyst within the polymerization mixture including trans-1,4-polybutadiene to form syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene within the polymerization mixture including trans-1,4-polybutadiene and thereby produce a blend of trans-1,4-polybutadiene and syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene; where the iron-based catalyst includes (a) an iron-containing compound, (b) an organomagnesium compound, and (c) a silyl phosphonate.

Process for preparing blends of trans-1,4-polybutadiene and syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene

An air spring having an airsleeve, wherein at least one layer of said airsleeve includes the vulcanization product of an elastomer and syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene.

Rubber articles subjected to repeated deformation and compositions for making the same

A tire monitor assembly includes a rubber ply having a first side affixable to an interior surface of a tire. A pedestal extends from a second side of the rubber ply, wherein the pedestal has a top surface and at least one sidewall. The pedestal has a groove disposed in the at least one sidewall that extends along a perimeter of the pedestal, wherein the pedestal has a cavity disposed in the top surface, extending towards the rubber ply. The assembly further includes a tire monitoring device and a fastener connected to the tire monitoring device and further connected to the pedestal such that the fastener is disposed in at least one of the cavity and the groove.

Attachment patch for mounting various devices

A sensor system for obtaining data from an air spring having elastomeric body with a plurality of wireless sensors embedded therein. The sensor length-scales range from nano- to micro-scale devices that are small enough to avoid becoming occlusions within the elastomeric body. The air spring may include a spring wall having an internally reinforced elastomeric body portion with the sensors embedded within. The air spring may include a spring wall having an unreinforced elastomeric body portion with the sensors embedded within. The sensors may be configured to provide data related to one or more of temperature, pressure, sidewall flex, stress, strain and other parameters. The sensors may be LCD sensors, and/or conductive polymer sensors, and/or bio-polymer sensors and/or polymer diodes suitable for sensing data during the operation of the air spring.

Air spring having wireless micro and nano sensors

A multi layered tire former bladder and a method for making the bladder is described. The multi layered bladder includes a elastomeric bladder having an outer surface and an inner surface; a release coating on the outer surface of the bladder; and at least two fabric reinforcing plies which include a first outer ply embedded in the bladder below the outer surface and an inner surface fabric ply at the inner surface of the bladder. In the method of making the bladder an air dried release coating is applied to the outer elastomeric surface of the bladder.

Tire former bladder and method for making same

A sensor system for obtaining data from an elastomeric article includes at least one wireless sensor. The sensor length-scales range from nano- to micro-scale devices that are small enough to avoid becoming occlusions within the article. The article may include sensors embedded within one of the materials of the article, a layer of sensors built into the article, and a string of sensors disposed within a component or embedded within a component of the article. The sensors may be configured to provide data related to one or more of temperature, pressure, sidewall flex, stress, strain and other parameters. The sensors may be LCD sensors, and/or conductive polymer sensors, and/or bio-polymer sensors and/or polymer diodes suitable for sensing data during the operation of the tire. A power circuit using energy generated by the tire may provide power to the sensors.

Tire having wireless micro and nano sensors

Elastomeric article with wireless micro and nano sensor system

A non-attached monitoring device includes monitoring assembly and an antenna configured to radiate signals from the monitoring assembly. The antenna is configured to radiate through the oriented attenuating body of the tire sidewall regardless of the position of the monitoring device with respect to the tire sidewall. In one embodiment, the antenna has a body that is looped back on itself. The body may be parallel to or perpendicular to the antenna ground plane. In another embodiment, a radiating slot antenna is configured to provide transmissions through the tire sidewall regardless of the position of the monitoring device.

Non-attached tire monitoring device

A monitoring device and patch assembly includes a patch that removably and re-attachably holds the monitoring device. The patch is adapted to connect the monitoring device to a pneumatic tire when the monitoring device is held by the patch. The patch is configured to hold a monitoring device having a rounded outer surface. The patch holds the rounded monitoring device by having a resilient tube with an outlet having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the monitoring device. The monitoring device of the invention includes a feature that allows it to be removed from the patch.

Electronic monitoring device and patch assembly

Growing community of inventors

Tallmadge, OH, United States of America

John D Rensel