Patents Issued the Week of May 6-10

5.10.24

Patent Protection & Registration

Patents grant property rights on new and useful inventions, allowing the patent holder to prevent others from using, making, or selling that invention without permission for a limited time. U.S. patents are permitted by the U.S. Constitution and are designed to promote scientific progress and invention. By allowing inventors to profit from licensing or selling their patent rights, inventors can recoup their research and development costs and benefit financially from their inventing efforts. There are three main types of patents utility, plant, and design. Utility and plant patents can last up to 20 years, while design patents can last up to 15 years. When a patent expires, the patented material enters the public domain, making it free to use by anyone without a license. U.S. patents are issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

U.S. Patent No. 11,975,573 entitled “Internally Cooled Tire-wheel System” issued May 7, 2024 to Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC of Nashville, Tennessee. Invented by Jon I. Stuckey of Uniontown, Ohio and Samuel O. Givens of Copley, Ohio. Abstract: A pneumatic tire may include a tread, an inner tire surface positioned opposite the tread, and an internal heat exchanger attached to the inner tire surface. The wheel assembly may include a wheel rim, the pneumatic tire, and a pump. The pneumatic tire may be attached to the wheel rim. The pump may be attached to the wheel rim outside of the pneumatic tire and configured to rotate with the wheel rim. The pump may be coupled to the internal heat exchanger through an opening in the wheel rim. The wheel assembly may further include a coolant disposed in the internal heat exchanger and configured to absorb heat from the pneumatic tire. The wheel assembly may also include an external heat exchanger configured to remove heat from the coolant.