Method and apparatus for testing tires
First Claim
1. A method of testing a tire by determining form changes of the tire caused by changing an inner tire pressure, and determining structural characteristics and defects of the tire, comprising the following steps:
- (a) rotating the tire relative to a camera;
(b) projecting light sections on a tire surface;
(c) capturing projected light sections by the camera at defined rotary positions of the tire relative to the camera;
(d) applying signals representing the captured projected light sections to an image processing system;
(e) determining the shape of the captured projected light sections by the image processing system;
(f) determining the shape of the tire surface from the shape of the captured projected light sections;
(g) repeating steps (a) through (f) for different inflation pressures of the tire; and
(h) comparing the shapes of the tire surface obtained in step (f) for different inflation pressures of the tire for determining shape changes of the tire due to changes in the inflation pressure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for testing tires performs the following steps: rotating the tire relative to a camera; projecting light sections on a tire surface; capturing projected light sections by the camera at defined rotary positions of the tire relative to the camera; applying signals representing the captured projected light sections to an image processing system; determining the shape of the captured projected light sections by the image processing system; determining the shape of the tire surface from the shape of the captured projected light sections; repeating the above steps for different inflation pressures of the tire; and comparing the determined shapes of the tire surface for different inflation pressures of the tire for determining shape changes of the tire due to changes in the inflation pressure.
19 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of testing a tire by determining form changes of the tire caused by changing an inner tire pressure, and determining structural characteristics and defects of the tire, comprising the following steps:
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(a) rotating the tire relative to a camera;
(b) projecting light sections on a tire surface;
(c) capturing projected light sections by the camera at defined rotary positions of the tire relative to the camera;
(d) applying signals representing the captured projected light sections to an image processing system;
(e) determining the shape of the captured projected light sections by the image processing system;
(f) determining the shape of the tire surface from the shape of the captured projected light sections;
(g) repeating steps (a) through (f) for different inflation pressures of the tire; and
(h) comparing the shapes of the tire surface obtained in step (f) for different inflation pressures of the tire for determining shape changes of the tire due to changes in the inflation pressure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for testing tires, comprising:
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(a) means for inflating the tire to different pressures;
(b) a light section system including (1) a light section device for projecting a light section onto a tire surface; and
(2) a camera for capturing images of projection of said light section on the tire surface;
(c) means for rotating the tire about an axis relative to said camera and said light section system;
(d) an image processing system connected to said camera for receiving image-representing signals from said camera; and
(e) means for determining, from the signals, a surface contour at different inflation pressures for ascertaining structural characteristics or defects in the tire. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification