Patent news.

Rubber composition
U.S. patent: 6,333,375
Issued: December 25, 2001
Inventors: Masao Nakamura and
Yukio Takagishi
Assigned: Zeon
Keywords: A diene rubber having a
heteroatom-containing polar group,
improvements in heat build-up,
tensile strength, abrasion resistance and
processability.

Pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 6,334,476
Issued: January 1, 2002
Inventors: Nobuyuki Okamura and
Masahiro Hojo
Assigned: Bridgestone
Keywords: Vulcanization accelerator
represented by

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Pneumatic radial tire having cap base tread
U.S. patent: 6,336,486
Issued: January 8, 2002
Inventors: Shizuo Iwasaki, Kazuo
Yagawa, Naohiro Sasaka and Kazuo
Hayashi
Assigned: Bridgestone

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Rubber composition, hose of low
fuel permeation, and electroconductive
hose of low fuel permeation
U.S. patent: 6,333,386
Issued: December 25, 2001
Inventors: Takahiro Nishiyama,
Shinobu Kanbe, Atsuo Miyajima and
Kazuhiro Kato
Assigned: Tokai Rubber Industries

Deproteinized natural rubber and
process for producing the same
U.S. patent: 6,335,407
Issued: January 1, 2002
Inventors: Yasuyuki Tanaka, Yuichi
Hioki and Naoya Ichikawa
Assigned: Kao and Sumitomo Rubber Industry

Tire-vulcanizing machine
U.S. patent: 6,338,620
Issued: January 15, 2002
Inventors: Masato Yamada and
Nobuhiko Irie
Assigned: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Pneumatic tire including two wide circumferential grooves
U.S. patent: 6,340,041
Issued: January 22, 2002
Inventors: Hideaki Sugihara and Koji
Ohkita
Assigned: Sumitomo Rubber Industries

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Tire tread including sipe having
legs defining v-shape
U.S. patent: 6,341,633
Issued: January 29, 2002
Inventors: Ralph Adlon, Elmar Farrenkopf,
Stefan Kuster, Otto Sallein
and Thomas Strothjohann
Assigned: Pirelli Reifenwerke GmbH
& Co. KG

Pneumatic tire with side portions
having specified inner and outer
layer tan [delta]
U.S. patent: 6,341,636
Issued: January 29, 2002
Inventor: Shuichi Fujishiro
Assigned: Yokohama Rubber
Keywords: Inner layer, tan [delta] 0.25 to
1.00 and outer layer tan [delta] 0.15 to
0.20.

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Nanocomposite layered airfoil
U.S. patent: 6,341,747
Issued: January 29, 2002
Inventors: Wayde R. Schmidt and
Harry E. Eaton, Jr.
Assigned: United Technologies
Keywords: An elastomeric matrix
with reinforcing particles from about
5 to 100 nanometers.

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Rubber composition for a colored
tire
U.S. patent: 6,344,506
Issued: February 5, 2002
Inventor: Didier Vasseur
Assigned: Compagnie Generale des
Etablissements Michelin-Michelin &
Cie
Keywords: Comprising an anti-photo-oxidizing
system.