17 patents in this list

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Managing heat in tires is critical for maintaining performance and safety across diverse driving conditions. As tires roll, they generate heat, which can affect grip, wear, and fuel efficiency. The challenge is to disperse this heat effectively, ensuring tires remain reliable and efficient under stress, whether on a racetrack or a highway.

Professionals in the field face the task of balancing thermal management with material durability and performance. Tire components must withstand high temperatures while maintaining structural integrity and traction. This requires innovative materials and designs that can adapt to varying thermal demands without compromising safety or efficiency.

This page presents a range of solutions, including advanced rubber compositions with differential thermal conductivity and tread regions engineered for optimal heat distribution. You'll also find insights into specific tire designs that incorporate thermal management features, such as thermoplastic elastomer sidewalls and dual-layer tread rubbers. These strategies aim to enhance tire longevity and performance by effectively regulating heat buildup and dissipation.

1. Controller-Driven Wheel Warm-Up System for All-Wheel-Drive Vehicles Using Selective Braking and Powering Sequences

Ford Global Technologies, LLC, 2023

System to warm up all driven wheels of all-wheel-drive vehicles for better tire performance by using line-lock mode. The system involves a controller that selectively brakes and powers the wheels in a specific sequence to warm them up. This involves braking one wheel while powering the opposite wheel and then swapping to brake the other wheel and powering the first wheel. The controller alternates braking and powering the wheels in phases to warm them up.

2. Pneumatic Tire with Differential Thermal Conductivity Tread Regions

SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD., 2023

A pneumatic tire that exhibits excellent grip performance and durability during high-speed running, and also improved fuel efficiency. The tire achieves this by having tread regions with different thermal conductivities. These regions are made of rubber compositions with high and low thermal conductivity. The high thermal conductivity composition dissipates heat generated during high-speed running, preventing overheating and maintaining grip. The low thermal conductivity composition retains heat and provides durability.

3. Rubber Composition Including Diene-Based Rubber, Filler, and Hydrazide Compound Additive

OTSUKA CHEMICAL CO., LTD., 2023

Rubber composition for tire treads that have low rolling resistance and heat generation while maintaining high wear resistance. The composition includes a diene-based rubber, a filler like carbon black or silica, and a specific hydrazide compound additive. The hydrazide compound enhances the interaction between the rubber and filler for improved properties.

4. Tire with Thermoplastic Elastomer Sidewall Featuring Specific Heat Capacity and Surface Modulations

SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD., 2023

A tire with enhanced durability during high-speed running. The tire has a sidewall made from a thermoplastic elastomer with a specific heat capacity of 1.7 J/(g·K) or less. The sidewall also has depressions or projections between the tread ground contact edge and the tire's maximum width position.

US20230202236A1-patent-drawing

5. Rubber Composition Incorporating 3,4-Dihydroxycinnamic Acid as Antioxidant for Enhanced Heat Aging Resistance

Toyo Tire Corporation, 2023

Rubber composition for tire sidewalls, inner liners, and other rubber tire components provides improved heat aging resistance compared to conventional rubber compositions. The composition contains a compound, such as 3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid, that acts as an antioxidant to prevent oxidation deterioration of the rubber.

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6. Pneumatic Tire with Dual-Layer Tread Rubber Featuring Differential Loss Tangents

Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., 2023

Pneumatic tire design with a tread rubber that reduces noise without sacrificing durability. The tire has an inner tread rubber with a lower loss tangent than the outer tread rubber. The lower loss tangent reduces heat buildup in the tread while still allowing the noise-damping properties of the inner rubber to be effective. This prevents excessive heat buildup in the tread which could degrade durability.

7. Rubber Composition with Specified Carbon Black Surface Area and Transmittance

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, 2023

Rubber composition for improved wear resistance and low heat generation in tires, achieved by using a specific combination of carbon blacks. The composition contains natural rubber, butadiene rubber, and carbon black at a specific content range. The key is using three types of carbon black with different surface areas and transmittance. The composition includes carbon black A with a specific surface area and transmittance.

US20230174751A1-patent-drawing

8. Diene Rubber Composition with Tin-Modified Polybutadiene, Carbon Black, Silica, Amino Group-Containing Compound, and Silane Coupling Agent

TOYO TIRE CORPORATION, 2023

A tire rubber composition for heavy-duty tire treads that improves low heat generation and modulus properties. The composition contains a diene rubber with a tin-modified polybutadiene rubber, carbon black, silica, an amino group-containing compound, and a silane coupling agent. The composition has reduced carbon black and increased silica compared to previous compositions.

US20230167278A1-patent-drawing

9. Rubber Composition Incorporating Alkali or Alkaline Earth Metal Compounds for Adjusted Hysteresis Properties

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, 2023

Rubber composition for tires and other rubber products that balances low-strain and high-strain hysteresis losses. The composition includes a rubber component and specific compounds containing alkali or alkaline earth metals. These compounds improve the balance between low-strain and high-strain hysteresis losses, reducing heat generation while maintaining durability in applications like tires.

US20230151132A1-patent-drawing

10. Masterbatch Manufacturing Method Involving Surfactant-Stabilized Carbon Black Slurry and Rubber Latex Coagulation

Toyo Tire Corporation, 2023

Masterbatch manufacturing method to improve rubber properties and tire manufacturing method using the masterbatch. In masterbatch manufacturing, carbon black is in a slurry using a surfactant having an aromatic ring. This slurry is mixed with rubber latex and then coagulated to form a high-dispersion carbon black crumb. This improves the rubber's rupture strength and heat generation reduction when vulcanized. The tire manufacturing uses this masterbatch to prepare the rubber compound for the tire, leading to improved tire performance.

11. Non-Pneumatic Tire with Specific Beam Volume-to-Surface Area Ratio and Beam Thickness Relative to Wheel Diameter

CAMSO INC., 2023

A non-pneumatic tire design that addresses key challenges and enables high-performance non-pneumatic wheels for vehicles. The design features an optimized ratio of beam volume to surface area, beam thickness relative to wheel diameter, openings in the beam, reduced crack propagation susceptibility, and other characteristics to improve thermal management, impact resistance, and durability compared to existing non-pneumatic tires.

12. Rubber Composition Containing Hydrazide Compound, Zinc Oxide, and Carbon Black in Diene Rubber

The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD., 2023

Rubber composition for construction vehicle tires that reduces heat buildup while maintaining durability. The composition contains a specific hydrazide compound, zinc oxide, and carbon black mixed with diene rubber. Mixing conditions are optimized.

US20230073273A1-patent-drawing

13. Automated System for Applying High Molecular Organic Material Layer on Inner Liner of Tires

TOHOKU ANZENGARASU LTD, 2023

Process and system to manufacture high self-sealing tires using an automated, precision process that provides a layer of high molecular organic material on the tire's inner liner. The process includes cleaning the tire, spraying heated self-sealing material on the inner liner, and forced cooling. The cleaning involves soaking, scrubbing, rinsing, rotating, and air drying. The spraying uses an accelerated rotating tire and heated material. The forced cooling uses directed air to rapidly cool the sprayed material.

14. Siloxane-End-Capped Conjugated Diene Polymer for Enhanced Silica Compatibility

ZEON CORPORATION, SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED, ZS ELASTOMERS CO., LTD., 2023

A modified conjugated diene rubber that can be used in rubber compositions for tires that provide low rolling resistance, high wet grip, and improved durability. The modified rubber is made by end-capping a conjugated diene polymer chain with a siloxane compound. This end-capping with siloxane functional groups enhances compatibility with silica fillers, reduces heat buildup, improves wet grip, and provides excellent operation stability.

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15. Tire Tread Composition Comprising Styrene Elastomer and Urethane Particle Blend

SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD., 2023

Tire tread composition to reduce the increase in hardness and decrease in wet grip from before to after heat aging. The tread contains a blend of styrene elastomer and urethane particles.

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16. Tire Rubber Composition Incorporating Cellulose Nanofiber via Masterbatch Method for Enhanced Dispersion

Toyo Tire Corporation, 2023

Tire with improved balance of rigidity and heat buildup properties using cellulose nanofiber. The tire rubber composition contains natural rubber and cellulose nanofiber. The cellulose nanofiber is dispersed into the rubber using a specialized masterbatch manufacturing method. The master batch involves mixing cellulose nanofiber slurry with natural rubber latex, coagulating the mixture, and dewatering the coagulum. This allows better dispersion of cellulose nanofiber in the rubber compared to adding it directly. The improved dispersion of cellulose nanofiber increases tire rigidity while minimizing the negative impact of heat buildup.

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17. Pneumatic Tire with Specified Rubber Tan δ Ratios for Bead Fillers, Undertread, Sidewall, and Rim Cushion Rubbers

The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD., 2023

Pneumatic tires are designed to reduce rolling resistance at low temperatures while suppressing variations in fuel economy due to temperature changes. The tire has specific rubber properties to achieve this, including tan δ values of the rubber at 20°C and 60°C satisfying 0.50≤T20/T60≤2.00 and T20≤0.22. These values are set for the bead fillers, undertreated, sidewall rubbers, and rim cushion rubbers to allow reduced rolling resistance at low temperatures without sacrificing wet performance or experiencing large variations in rolling resistance with temperature changes.

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Tire heat management technologies have advanced to meet the problem of effectively dispersing heat while maintaining other performance attributes like rolling resistance and tread longevity. Innovative rubber compositions and tire designs are constantly improving heat management, making tires safer and longer-lasting.