System for evaluating the condition of a tire

• US 10,222,299 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Compagnie générale des établissements Michelin
• Original Assignee: Compagnie générale des établissements Michelin
• Inventors: Ledoux, Thomas, Pernot, Alexandre, Martin, Denis, Pages, Alexandre, Forissier, Timothee, Heredia, Guillaume, Claeyssen, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Son T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sinha, Tarun
• Application Number:
  US15/305,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20170038278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 73146
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/243 Tread wear sensors, e.g. electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/246 Tread wear monitoring systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/007 outside surface measuring profile depth G01B11/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/0551 mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/26 for measuring depth
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/02 Tyres

Abstract

A system, which is structured to evaluate a condition of a tire, includes a housing, a tire-wear detector, a tire-presence detector, and an electronic activator. The housing, when the system is deployed, is placed on a ground surface. The tire-presence detector detects a presence of a tire on the housing. The electronic activator activates the tire-wear detector when the tire-presence detector detects the presence of the tire on the housing. The tire-wear detector, when activated, detects a wear condition of the tire when the tire passes over the housing.

Claims

1. A system for evaluating a tire condition, the system comprising:

a housing;

a tire-wear detector, which detects a tire-wear condition;

a tire-presence detector, which detects a presence of a tire on the housing; and

an electronic activator, which activates the tire-wear detector when the tire-presence detector detects the presence of the tire on the housing,

wherein the tire-wear detector, upon activation, detects the tire-wear condition of the tire when the tire passes over the housing while the housing is placed on a ground surface,

wherein the tire-presence detector detects the presence of the tire on the housing by detecting vibrations caused by contact of the tire on the housing, and

wherein the tire-wear detector is deactivated in accordance with a signal from the tire-wear detector.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein a distance, projected over a surface parallel to the ground surface, between the tire-presence detector or an access ramp and the tire-wear detector is greater than a distance traveled by a vehicle at a predetermined speed for a time duration corresponding to an amount of time necessary for activating the tire-wear detector.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tire-presence detector detects vibrations from a shock wave that spreads in the housing upon contact of the tire on the housing.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tire-presence detector includes at least one of:

a ferroelectric sensor, an organic piezoelectric sensor, a piezoelectric cable, a piezoelectric fibre, a piezoelectric transducer, a piezoelectric bimetallic strip, and a sensor formed of an inorganic piezoelectric composite applied to a support.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the tire-presence detector is fixed directly on the housing.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the tire-presence detector is fixed on a printed circuit or a plate that is rigidly connected to the housing.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein the tire-presence detector is embedded in a material forming the housing.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a second tire-presence detector, which detects a presence of a tire on the housing.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a threshold detector, which detects an output value of the tire-wear detector relative to a predetermined threshold value, and which issues a command to the tire-wear detector to switch off based on a detection result.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a sensitivity adjustment circuit, which sets a sensitivity of the tire-presence detector.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic activator includes circuitry for modifying an operating mode of a microcontroller of the tire-wear detector.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic activator includes circuitry for affecting a power supply of the tire-wear detector.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the tire-wear detector is deactivated in accordance with a signal from the second tire-presence detector.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the sensitivity adjustment circuit sets a sensitivity of the tire-presence detector so that the tire-presence detector detects a heavier vehicle tire but not a lighter vehicle tire.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a ramp.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the tire-presence detector is not located in the ramp.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tire-presence detector comprises a piezoelectric detector.

14. A system for evaluating a tire condition, the system comprising:

a housing;

a tire-wear detector, which detects a tire-wear condition;

a tire-presence detector, which detects a presence of a tire on the housing; and

an electronic activator, which activates the tire-wear detector when the tire-presence detector detects the presence of the tire on the housing,

wherein the tire-wear detector, upon activation, detects the tire-wear condition of the tire when the tire passes over the housing while the housing is placed on a ground surface,

wherein the tire-presence detector detects the presence of the tire on the housing by detecting vibrations caused by contact of the tire on the housing, and

wherein the tire-wear detector is deactivated in accordance with a falling edge of a signal from the tire-wear detector.

15. A system for evaluating a tire condition, the system comprising:

a housing;

a tire-wear detector, which detects a tire-wear condition;

a tire-presence detector, which detects a presence of a tire on the housing; and

an electronic activator, which activates the tire-wear detector when the tire-presence detector detects the presence of the tire on the housing,

wherein the tire-wear detector, upon activation, detects the tire-wear condition of the tire when the tire passes over the housing while the housing is placed on a ground surface,

wherein the tire-presence detector detects the presence of the tire on the housing by detecting vibrations caused by contact of the tire on the housing, and

wherein the tire-wear detector is deactivated in accordance with a rising edge of a signal from the tire-wear detector.