Tire Wear Detection System and Pneumatic Tire

• US 20080027658A1
• Filed: 06/20/2005
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Hiromitsu, Hada, Hiromasa
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/24 Wear-indicating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/243 Tread wear sensors, e.g. electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0623 using piezoelectric gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/56 Investigating resistance to wear or abrasion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10027 with wear indicating feature

Abstract

A tire wear detection system includes a detection unit (70) which detects acceleration applied to a wear bar (40) arranged in a groove of a tread section of a pneumatic tire (10), and a wear judgment unit (82) which judges that a tire has been worn based on the acceleration detected by the detection unit (70).

Claims

1. A tire wear detection system comprising:

a detection unit (70) which detects acceleration applied to a wear bar (40) arranged in a groove of a tread section of a pneumatic tire (10); and

a wear judgment unit (82) which judges that a tire has been worn based on the acceleration detected by the detection unit (70).

2. The tire wear detection system according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit (83) for storing reference acceleration which becomes a reference in the pneumatic tire (10),

wherein the wear judgment unit (82) judges that the tire has been worn when a difference between the reference acceleration and the acceleration detected by the detection unit (70) is equal to or higher than a certain value.

3. The tire detection system according to claim 2, wherein the reference acceleration is acceleration when the tire is new.

4. The tire wear detection system according to claim 2, wherein the reference acceleration is an average of acceleration detected by the detection unit (70) within a predetermined time.

5. The tire wear detection system according to claim 1, wherein the wear detection unit (82) judges that the tire has been worn when the acceleration detected by the detection unit (70) satisfies the following equation:

G1′

/G2′

≧

kG1/G2 ·

·

·

(1)

where G1 is acceleration while a tire tread surface near the wear bar (40) is in contact with the ground when the tire is new, G2 is acceleration while the tire tread surface near the wear bar (40) is not in contact with the ground when the tire is new, G1′

is acceleration while the tire tread surface near the wear bar (40) is in contact with the ground, G2′

is acceleration while the tire tread surface near the wear bar (40) is not in contact with the ground, and K is a predetermined value larger than 1.

6. The tire wear detection system according to claim 1, wherein the acceleration is acceleration of a vertical direction.

7. The tire wear detection system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit (70) is arranged in a tire diameter inside of the wear bar (40).

8. The tire wear detection system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit (70) is arranged in a surface of an inner liner (60) of the pneumatic tire (10).

9. A tire wear detection system comprising:

a detection unit (70) which detects a physical amount equivalent to contact of a wear bar (40) arranged in a groove of a tread section of a pneumatic tire (10) with a road surface (100); and

a wear judgment unit (82) which judges that a tire has been worn based on a size of the physical amount.

10. A pneumatic tire comprising:

a detection unit (70) which detects acceleration applied to a wear bar (40) arranged in a groove of a tread section of the pneumatic tire (10).

11. A pneumatic tire comprising:

a detection unit which detects a physical amount equivalent to contact of a wear bar (40) arranged in a groove of a tread section of the pneumatic tire (10) with a road surface (100).