Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC

Bridgestone Americas, Inc.

Robert W Asper

Sharon E Reinhardt

John J Regallis

Keith A Dumigan

Andrew V Haidet

Douglas B Costlow

Hans R Dorfi

Adam Karl Nesbitt

Martin A Yurjevich

Jason R Barr

Timothy F Robinson

Jacob R Kidney

Hyeonjae Kim

Dennis W Snyder

Samuel O Givens

Paul Zakelj

Christopher R Baker

John R Lewis

A pneumatic tire includes a pair of sidewalls, a pair of bead portions, and a circumferential tread having a plurality of circumferential ribs and a plurality of circumferential grooves. A reinforcing layer is disposed in at least one of the plurality of circumferential ribs. No part of the reinforcing layer extends directly below a bottom surface of any of the plurality of circumferential grooves. The reinforcing layer has a consistent gauge along its entire lateral width. A top surface of the reinforcing layer is located radially higher than the bottom surface of each of the plurality of circumferential grooves.

Tire having circumferential tread with reinforced ribs

A method of mounting a tire on a vehicle includes providing a tire having a first side, a second side, and a circumferential tread disposed about the tire. The first side defines a first forward rotation direction that is a rotation of the tire in a counterclockwise direction when the tire is mounted on a vehicle in a first orientation and viewed from the first side. The second side defines a second forward rotation direction of the tire that is a rotation of the tire in the counterclockwise direction when the tire is mounted on the vehicle in a second orientation opposite the first orientation and viewed from the first side. The circumferential tread includes a plurality of tread elements. At least one of the tread elements includes a sipe arrangement that causes the tire to exhibit a first tire performance when the tire is mounted on the vehicle in the first orientation and rotated in the first forward rotation direction. The sipe arrangement causes the tire to exhibit a second tire performance that is different from the first tire performance when the tire is mounted on the vehicle in the second orientation and rotated in the second forward rotation direction. The method further includes mounting the tire on the vehicle in the first orientation for driving the vehicle in a first set of conditions, and mounting the tire on the vehicle in the second orientation for driving the vehicle in a second set of conditions.

Tire with bi-directional performance

A nonpneumatic tire includes an annular outer surface, an annular inner surface, and a webbing extending from the annular outer surface to the annular inner surface. The nonpneumatic, tire also includes a plurality of shear elements extending circumferentially around the annular outer surface and spaced laterally apart from each other. Each shear element includes a substantially inelastic lower region, a substantially inelastic upper region, and an elastic region disposed between the substantially inelastic lower region and the substantially inelastic upper region. The nonpneumatic tire further includes a tread layer extending circumferentially around the plurality of shear elements.

Nonpneumatic tire having multiple shear hoops

A tire includes a central region configured to be mounted to a wheel and a crown region including a circumferential tread and a shear element disposed below the circumferential tread. The shear element includes an upper reinforcement layer, a lower reinforcement layer, and an elastic region disposed between the upper reinforcement layer and the lower reinforcement layer. A radial distance between the upper reinforcement layer and the lower reinforcement layer varies along an axial width of the tire. The tire also includes an intermediate region extending from the central region to the crown region.

Tire with variable shear element

A green tire includes a plurality of sheets of green rubber having a substantially circular shape, with each sheet having a tread region disposed along a circumference. A plurality of objects are sandwiched between adjacent sheets of green rubber in the tread region. Each object is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of steel, polyester, nylon, carbon fiber, aramid, fiber glass, cotton, hemp, polyurethane and other plastic, other synthetic or natural fibers and other metal materials.

Tire with shaped tread

A noise damper, annulus for reducing tire noise, and tire and noise damper assembly are disclosed. The noise damper, annulus for reducing tire noise, and tire and noise damper assembly mitigate sound produced by a moving tire. The noise damper and annulus for reducing tire noise may move within a tire cavity.

Devices for reducing tire noise

A pneumatic tire is described as having one or more electrical conductive strips for discharging electrical build up in the tire. The electrical conductive strips provide a static electricity conductive path from the tire rim to a ground-contacting surface. The strips are arranged around the outer surface of the tire from a first bead portion to a second bead portion. The strips can lay over the outer surface of the sidewalls and the tire tread. As positioned over the tire tread, a portion of the electrical conductive strip remains in contact with the ground as the tread wears during use to provide continued dissipation of static electricity away from the tire.

Electrical conductive gum strip

A method of making a tire includes placing substantially circular sheets of polymeric material on top of each other until a tire is built to a predetermined width. A predetermined tread shape is formed along a circumference of the substantially circular sheets of polymeric material.

A tire mold has a cavity with a flexible bladder disposed in a central portion of the cavity. The tire mold further includes a first ring connected to a first end of the flexible bladder, and a second ring connected to a second end of the flexible bladder. At least one of the first and second rings is configured to move between a first position and a second position. The flexible bladder is stretched to a maximum axial length when the first and second rings are in a first position. When the first and second rings are in the first position the sum of the first axial length and second axial length is greater than a space between the first ring and the second ring.

Bladder rings for tire vulcanization mold

A tire includes a circumferential tread having a tread element disposed thereon, wherein the tread element includes a top surface that defines a first plane. The tire further includes at least one substantially helicoid-shaped sipe disposed in the tread element. The substantially helicoid-shaped sipe is defined by an opening in the top surface extending in a first direction in the first plane when the tire is new, and is further defined by a base extending in a second direction in a second plane parallel to the first plane. The second direction is disposed at an angle between 45&#xb0; and 135&#xb0; with respect to the first direction.

Tire with substantially helicoid-shaped sipe

A tire includes at least one body defining a plurality of body ply layers, and a toroidal element located between the body ply layers. The toroidal element includes inner and outer regions formed by the body ply layers, and a central region formed by an inner rubber component located between the body ply layers. At least a portion of the central region is more elastic than the inner and outer regions. The toroidal element includes a first sidewall portion extending along at least a portion of the first sidewall region of the tire, and a second sidewall portion extending along at least a portion of the second sidewall region of the tire. The toroidal element is pre-stressed such that the first sidewall portion of the toroidal element exerts a first axially outward force, and such that the second sidewall portion of the toroidal element exerts a second axially outward force.

Tire with pre-stressed toroidal element

Non-pneumatic tire

A tire includes a tread formed in a crown region of the tire and sidewall regions extending from the crown region to bead areas. The tire further includes a toroidal element extending across a crown region of the tire, and further extending along at least a portion of each sidewall region of the tire. The toroidal element has a central region located between inner and outer regions. The central region is more elastic than the inner and outer regions.

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Wadsworth, OH, United States of America

Robert W Asper