Tire wear forecasting method and apparatus

• US 20010022802A1
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Published: 09/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Kurata, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,883,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/45
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/027 using light, e.g. infrared, ultraviolet or holographic techniques

Abstract

The temperature of the tread surface part of a tire is increased by running the tire in contact with a drum. The increase in the temperature of the tread surface part is due to the heat of friction between the tread surface part and the drum. Because large increases in temperature indicate that the friction is causing a large amount of wear, it is possible to forecast with ease the amount of wear of the tire from the increase in temperature of the tread surface part. The temperature of the tread surface part can be measured using a thermography machine, and the wear in the tread can be determined by looking at an image that shows the temperature.

Claims

1. A tire wear forecasting method comprising:

forecasting wear on a tire based on an increase in temperature of a tread surface part of the tire or based on a temperature of the tread surface part after increasing the temperature of the tread surface part, by causing the tire to come into contact with, and to be run on, a road surface.

2. The tire wear forecasting method of

claim 1

, comprising measuring the temperature of the tread surface part during an interval when, compared to the temperature of a groove in the tread, the temperature of the tread surface part is higher.

3. The tire wear forecasting method of

claim 1

, comprising measuring the temperature within 90 seconds after the tire is started running.

4. The tire wear forecasting method of

claim 1

, wherein the temperature of the tread surface part, before the tire starts running, is lower than the temperature of the road surface.

5. The tire wear forecasting method of

claim 4

, comprising cooling the tire before running it so that the temperature of the tread surface part is lower than the temperature of the road surface.

6. The tire wear forecasting method of

claim 4

, comprising heating the road surface so that the temperature of the road surface is higher than the temperature of the tread surface part.

7. The tire wear forecasting method of

claim 1

, comprising correcting a measured temperature of the tread surface part based on a length of a tire contact surface.

8. The tire wear forecasting method of

claim 1

, comprising forecasting the tire wear based on a temperature differential calculated by subtracting the temperature of the tread surface part before the tire is rotated from the temperature of the tread surface part after rotation begins.

9. The tire wear forecasting method of

claim 1

, comprising measuring the temperature of the tread surface part using a non-contact radiant thermometer.

10. The tire wear forecasting method of

claim 9

, wherein the non-contact radiant thermometer is a thermography machine.

11. A tire wear forecasting apparatus that forecasts tire wear based on a temperature of a tread surface part of a tire after causing the tire to come into contact with, and to be run on, a road surface, in order to increase the temperature of the tread surface part, said tire wear forecasting apparatus comprising:

a tire support that supports the tire so that the tire can rotate;

a road surface that contacts the tire;

means for driving the tire and/or the road surface in order to cause the tire to rotate; and

means for measuring, without contact, the temperature of the tread surface part and for discerning a temperature distribution of the tread surface part from the measured temperature.

12. The tire wear forecasting apparatus of

claim 11

, comprising a memory device for recording multiple temperature measurement results, and a calculating device for calculating temperature differences of the temperature measurement results from a first temperature measurement and the temperature measurement results from a second temperature measurement at temperature measurement locations.

13. The tire wear forecasting apparatus of

claim 11

, comprising:

an inputter that inputs a length of a tire contact surface; and

a compensator that corrects at least the measured temperature based on the length of the tire contact surface that has been input by the inputter.

14. The tire wear forecasting apparatus of

claim 11

, comprising a display part whereon at least the measured temperature is visible.

15. The tire wear forecasting apparatus of

claim 11

, comprising means for cooling the tire.

16. The tire wear forecasting apparatus of

claim 11

, comprising means for heating the road surface.

17. A tire wear forecasting method comprising:

contacting and running a tire on a surface;

measuring a temperature of the tire or an increase in the temperature of the tire a predetermined period of time after said running step is started; and

forecasting wear on the tire based on a result of said measuring step.

18. The tire wear forecasting method of

claim 17

, wherein said forecasting step comprises forecasting a relative amount of wear and a location of the wear on a tread surface of the tire.

19. A tire wear forecasting apparatus, comprising:

a sensor which senses a temperature of a tire after it is run on a surface for a predetermined period of time, and without the sensor contacting the tire; and

a computer which forecasts wear on the tire based on the temperature sensed by said sensor.

20. The tire wear forecasting apparatus of

claim 19

, wherein the sensor is a non-contact radiant thermometer.