Patent news.

Soft tire manufacturing process
U.S. patent: 6,447,702
Issued: September 10, 2002
Inventor: Michihiro Ichihara
Assigned: Maruichi Advantec

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Interpenetrating polymer network
of polytetrafluoroethylene and silicone
elastomer for use in electrophotographic
fusing applications
U.S. patent: 6,447,918
Issued: September 10, 2002
Inventors: David J. Gervasi, George
A. Riehle, George J. Heeks, Arnold
W. Henry and Santokh S. Badesha
Assigned: Xerox Corporation

Antimicrobial articles made from
nitrile or natural rubber
U.S. patent: 6,448,306
Issued: September 10, 2002
Inventors: John G. Lever, Geoffrey
R. Haas, William O. Burke, III,
Bhawan Patel and Robert C. Kerr
Assigned: Milliken & Company
Keywords: The invention utilizes catalyst
species that permit vulcanization
for long-term antimicrobial performance
of silver-based compounds.

Rubber composition containing a
silica coated with a liquid low molecular
weight expodized butadiene
polymer
U.S. patent: 6,448,325
Issued: September 10, 2002
Inventors: Friedrich Visel, Thierry
Florent Edme Materne and Giorgio
Agostini
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Partially crosslinked elastomeric
polyolefin mixtures
U.S. patent: 6,448,335
Issued: September 10, 2002
Inventors: Vittorio Braga and Roberto
Bonari
Keywords: Functionalized with carboxylic
acids which are neutralized

from 1 to 100% with metallic ions.

Pneumatic tire having improved
wet traction
U.S. patent: 6,450,223
Issued: September 17, 2002
Inventors: Samuel Patrick Landers,
Billy Joe Ratliff, Jr., Craig David
Miller and John Kevin Clark
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber

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Noise damper for pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 6,450,225
Issued: September 17, 2002
Inventors: Naoki Yukawa, Masami
Nishikawa, Chieko Aoki and Hideaki
Sugihara
Assigned: Sumitomo Rubber Industries

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Tire tube manufacturing apparatus
U.S. patent: 6,451.162
Issued: September 17. 2002
Inventor: Toshio Yamagiwa
Assigned: Honda Giken Kogyo
Kabushiki Kaisha

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Flexure endurant composite
elastomer compositions
U.S. patent: 6,451,396
Issued: September 17, 2002
Inventors: Michael Allen Zumbrum
and Jason William Muller
Assigned: Gore Enterprise Holdings
Keywords: An elastomer reinforced
with a continuous phase of microporous,
expanded polytetrafluoroethylene
used to fabricate pump tubing,
pump diaphragms, gaskets and bellows.

Carcass structure for vehicle tires
U.S. patent: 6,457,504
Issued: October 1. 2002
Inventor: Renato Caretta
Assigned: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A

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Life of radial-carcass tires by using
specific cohesive, low-hysteresis
compositions
U.S. patent: 6,455,624
Issued: September 24. 2002
Inventor: Frederic Serre
Assigned: Michelin Recherche et
Technique S.A.
Keywords: Low-hysteresis compositions
comprising small amounts of
reinforcing fillers to improve the life.

Tire provided with protuberance
for deflecting lateral sprays
U.S. patent: 6,460,584
Issued: October 8, 2002
Inventor: Bertrand Gamier de
Labareyre
Assigned: Michelin Recherche et
Technique S.A.

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Tire with tread compound
contacting belt cords
U.S. patent: 6,460,585
Issued: October 8, 2002
Inventors: Daniel G. Osborne,
James Anderson, Tim Vance, Bernad
Thevand and Pedro Costa Pereira
Assigned: Michelin Recherche et
Techniques, S.A.

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Cationic deproteinized natural rubber
latex, method of preparing the
same, and treating agent used in the
method
U.S. patent: 6,462,159
Issued: October 8, 2002
Inventors: Akihiko Hamada, Naoya
Ichikawa and Masaharu Hayashi
Assigned: Sumitomo Rubber Industries
and Kao

Pen reinforcement for rubber
composites
U.S. patent: 6,460,588
Issued: October 8, 2002
Inventors: Walter Kevin Westgate
and James Cletus Sykora
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber

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Process for the manufacture of a
tire without bead wire
U.S. patent: 6,461,460
Issued: October 8, 2002
Inventors: Michel Ahouanto and Lue
Bestgen
Assigned: Michelin Recherche et
Technique S.A.

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Surface devulcanization of cured
rubber crumb
U.S. patent: 6,462,099
Issued: October 8, 2002
Inventors: David Andrew Benko and
Roger Neil Beers
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Keywords: Suitable for being recompounded
and recurred into high performance
rubber.

Flexible magnetic rubber brush for
generators
U.S. patent: 6,464,230
Issued: October 15, 2002
Inventors: Wel Tong, Robert Russell
Mayer and Mahmut Faruk Aksit
Assigned: General Electric
Keywords: Flexible magnetic brush
seal employed as a low flow fluid film
seal and/or diffusion and mass transfer
prevention seal in a hydrogen generator.

Vehicle tire including wide carbon
black reinforced rubber parts and
narrow silica reinforced rubber
parts
U.S. patent: 6,463,973
Issued: October 15, 2002
Inventor: Isamu Tsumori
Assigned: Sumitomo Rubber Industries

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Resilient shaft coupling
U.S. patent: 6,464,587
Issued: October 15, 2002
Inventor: Gerhard Kirschey
Assigned: Centa-Antriebe Kirschey,
GmbH

Precipitated silica used as reinforcing
fillers for elastomers
U.S. patent: 6,468,493
Issued: October 22, 2002
Inventors: Yvonick Chevalllier.
Philippe Cochet and Patarick Fourre
Assigned: Rhodia Chimie
Keywords: A novel process for the
preparation of precipitated silica.

Tire having sacrificial bridging
U.S. patent: 6,467,517
Issued: October 22, 2002
Inventor: Robert Ciprian Radulescu
Assigned: Michelin Reserche and Technique,
S.A.
Keywords: Improves traction and minimizes
undesirable surface anamolies.