ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 19 -- United States Patent no. 12,251,966, issued on March 18, was assigned to The Yokohama Rubber Co. LTD. (Tokyo).
"Run-flat tire" was invented by Shunya Harada (Hiratsuka, Japan).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A run-flat tire includes a reinforcing rubber layer with a roughly crescent-shaped meridian cross-section disposed in sidewall portions at both sides in a tire width direction. The tread portion is provided formed of a tread rubber that includes a cap tread rubber and an undertread rubber disposed on an inner side of the cap tread rubber in a tire radial direction and having a higher hardness than the cap tread rubber. In a meridian cross-section, a gauge of the...