Method and device for adapting tires of a means of locomotion to given travel situations

• US 20080087361A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daubner & Stommel Gbr Bau-Werk-Planung
• Original Assignee: Daubner & Stommel Gbr Bau-Werk-Planung
• Inventors: Stommel, Matthias
• Granted Patent: US 7,743,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/152.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/00 Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0058 with different cap rubber layers in the axial direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/0083 characterised by the curvature of the tyre tread
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/00 Tyre parts or constructions not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/002 by monitoring conditions other than tyre pressure or deformation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10279 Cushion

Abstract

A method for adapting tires (14) of an, in particular, motor-driven means of locomotion to given travel situations, in particular of a passenger car, of a lorry or the like. The shape of at least one tire (14), preferably of a plurality of tires (14) or of all the tires (14), is changed selectively, and preferably automatically, during the journey as a function of the travel situation.

Claims

1. A method for adapting tires of a motor-driven means of locomotion to given travel situations, comprising the step of selectively changing the shape of at least one tire (14) during a journey as a function of the travel situation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the at least one tire (14) is changed in such a way that the tire contact area which is effective during the journey is increased or decreased depending on the travel situation.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the at least one tire (14) is changed by performing open-loop and/or closed-loop control of shape-changing means (18) which are assigned to the at least one tire (14), and on which in particular open-loop and/or closed-loop can be performed electronically.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the shape of the tire (14) is changed by means of the shape-changing means on which open-loop and/or closed-loop control can be performed, said change being carried out by virtue of the fact that air pressure or gas pressure within the tire (14) is raised or lowered as a function of the travel situation.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the shape-changing means on which open-loop and/or closed-loop control can be performed have traction means (20) which act on the tire (14) and with which traction forces, by means of which sidewalls (14a, 14b) of the tire (14) can be moved towards one another, are generated as a function of the travel situation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the tire (14) is changed in such a way that the effective tire contact area is smaller when the means (18) of locomotion is travelling straight ahead without being braked or accelerated than when it is travelling around bends and/or during braking or acceleration processes.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the tire (14) is changed as a function of braking and/or acceleration processes and/or as a function of steering processes.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the actual travel situation is sensed by means of suitable sensors.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means of locomotion is selected from the group consisting passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, and aircraft.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shape of the at least one tire (14) changed automatically.

19. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the shape-changing means (18) is located on the walls of the tire (14a, 14b).

20. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the air pressure or gas pressure within the tire is within a tire hose chamber which is arranged in the tire (14).

9. A means of locomotion having a tire (14) which can be deformed as a function of a travel situation in order to adapt tires of a motor-driven means of locomotion to given travel situations so as to selectively change the shape of the tire (14) during a journey as a function of the travel situation, wherein the means of locomotion comprises an open-loop and/or closed-loop control device by means of which the shape of the tire (14) can be adapted to the travel situation.

10. The means of locomotion according to claim 9, wherein the means of locomotion comprises shape-changing means (18) on which open-loop and/or closed-loop control can be performed electronically by the open-loop and/or closed-loop control device and by means of which the shape of the tire (14) can be changed, said means being traction means (20) which act on the tire (14).

11. The means of locomotion according to claim 10, wherein the traction means (20) are embodied in such a way that traction forces by means of which sidewalls (14a, 14b) of the tire (14) can be moved towards one another can be generated as a function of the travel situation.

12. The means of locomotion according to claim 10, wherein the traction means (20) act on the sidewalls (14a, 14b) of the tire (14).

13. The means of locomotion according to claim 11, wherein the shape-changing means (18) have polymer extrudates which are assigned to the tires and which are preferably integrated into the sidewalls (14a, 14b) of the tire (14).

14. The means of locomotion according to claim 10, wherein energy-generating means which are based on an induction effect are arranged in the tire (14) in order to supply the shape-changing means (18) and/or the open-loop and/or closed-loop control device with electrical energy.

15. The means of locomotion according to claim 10, wherein tread (13) of the tire (14) has at least two different sections which are each formed from material with different coefficients of friction relative to the underlying surface and/or have different profiles.

16. The means of locomotion according to claim 15, wherein at least one section of the tread (13), which is on the outside in a cross-sectional view of the tread (13), is formed from a material with a coefficient of friction which is relatively high compared to the underlying surface (16), and at least one tread section, which is on the inside in a cross-sectional view of the tread (13), is formed from a material with a coefficient of friction which is relatively low compared to the underlying surface (16).