Wheel Assembly with Internal Pressure Reservoir and Pressure Fluctuation Warning System

• US 20080093814A1
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pirelli Tyre SPA (Pirelli & C SPA)
• Original Assignee: Pirelli Tyre SPA (Pirelli & C SPA)
• Inventors: Caretta, Renato, Filippi, Massimo
• Granted Patent: US 7,444,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/63
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/004 the control being done on the wheel, e.g. using a wheel-mounted reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/006 having two wheels only
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre

Abstract

Method of allowing control of a vehicle provided with at least two wheels in case of puncture of a tire, each wheel having a rim and a tire associated therewith, including the steps of inflating each tire to an operating pressure at a reference temperature; admitting a fluid compressed to a first pressure higher than the operating pressure of the tire at the reference temperature into at least one tank associated with at least one of the rims; bringing the tire into communication with the tank when the inner pressure of the tire is lower than the operating pressure by a predetermined first threshold value; measuring the inner pressure of the tire with a predetermined frequency; calculating a variation of the inner pressure in the time unit; generating an alarm signal when the variation of the inner pressure corresponds to a reduction and is higher than a predetermined value; and transmitting the alarm signal to the driver.

Claims

1-56. -56. (canceled)

57. A method of allowing control of a vehicle with at least two wheels in case of puncture of a tyre, each wheel comprising a rim and a tyre associated therewith, comprising the steps of:

inflating each tyre to an operating pressure;

admitting a fluid compressed to a first pressure higher than the operating pressure of said tyre into at least one tank associated with at least one of said rims;

bringing said tyre into communication with said tank when inner pressure of said tyre is lower than a predetermined first threshold value;

measuring the inner pressure of said tyre with a predetermined frequency;

calculating a variation in said inner pressure in a time unit;

generating an alarm signal when inner pressure variation corresponds to a reduction and is higher than a predetermined value; and

transmitting said alarm signal to a driver.

58. The method as claimed in claim 57, wherein said tank is integrated into said rim.

60. The method as claimed in claim 57, wherein said vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle and said rim associated with said tank belongs to a rear wheel.

61. The method as claimed in claim 57, comprising the step of interrupting said communication between said tyre and tank when the inner pressure of said tyre is substantially the same as said operating pressure.

62. The method as claimed in claim 57, wherein said predetermined frequency is about 0.05 Hz to about 50 Hz.

63. The method as claimed in claim 62, wherein said predetermined frequency is about 0.1 Hz to about 10 Hz.

64. The method as claimed in claim 57, wherein said predetermined value of the variation of the inner pressure in the time unit is about 0.005 bar to about 0.1 bar.

65. The method as claimed in claim 64, wherein said predetermined value of the variation of the inner pressure in the time unit is about 0.01 bar to about 0.05 bar.

66. The method as claimed in claim 57, wherein said predetermined first threshold value is about 0.8 PE to about 0.95 PE.

67. The method as claimed in claim 57, comprising the step of generating an alarm signal when the pressure of the fluid contained in said tank is lower than a predetermined second threshold value.

68. The method as claimed in claim 67, wherein said second threshold value is about 1.5 PE to about 2.5 PE.

69. The method as claimed in claim 67, wherein said signal is transmitted to a driver.

70. The method as claimed in claim 57, comprising the step of measuring inner temperature of said tyre.

71. The method as claimed in claim 70, comprising the step of calculating, for each inner pressure measured according to said predetermined frequency at the inner temperature of the tyre, the pressure corresponding to a reference temperature.

72. The method as claimed in claim 57, comprising the step of bringing said tyre into communication with said tank when the variation of the inner pressure corresponds to a reduction and is higher than a predetermined value.

59. The method as claimed 57, wherein said vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle and said rim associated with said tank belongs to a front wheel.

73. A vehicle having at least two wheels, comprising:

at least one rim with which a tank adapted to be filled with a fluid to a first pressure is operatively associated;

a tyre mounted on said rim and inflated to an operating pressure, said operating pressure being lower than said first pressure;

at least one valve adapted to regulate communication between said tank and tyre so as to bring said tank and tyre into mutual communication when inner pressure of said tyre is lower than a predetermined first threshold value;

at least one pressure sensor operatively associated with said wheel to measure the inner pressure of said tyre with a predetermined frequency;

at least one calculation unit to calculate a variation in said inner pressure in a time unit; and

at least one signal generator operatively associated with said calculation unit and capable of generating an alarm signal when pressure variation corresponds to a reduction and is higher than a predetermined value.

74. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein said tank is integrated into said rim.

75. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein said vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle and said rim associated with said tank belongs to a front wheel.

76. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein said vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle and said rim associated with said tank belongs to a rear wheel.

77. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein a ratio between the volume of said tank and the inner volume of said tyre is about 0.1 to about 0.4.

78. The vehicle as claimed in claim 77, wherein said ratio between the volume of said tank and the inner volume of said tyre is about 0.12 to about 0.3.

79. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein a ratio between said operating pressure of said tyre and said first pressure is about 0.1 to about 0.6 at a reference temperature.

80. The vehicle as claimed in claim 79, wherein the ratio between said operating pressure of said tyre and said first pressure is about 0.2 to about 0.4 at said reference temperature.

81. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein said pressure sensor is placed on said rim.

82. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein said pressure sensor is placed on said tyre.

83. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein a second pressure sensor is operatively associated with said tank to measure pressure of said fluid contained in said tank.

84. The vehicle as claimed in claim 83, wherein said second pressure sensor is operatively associated with said signal generator to generate an alarm signal when the pressure of the fluid contained in the tank is under a predetermined second threshold value.

85. The vehicle as claimed in claim 84, wherein said predetermined second threshold value is about 1.5 PE to about 2.5 PE.

86. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein said signal generator is operatively associated with a transmission system to transmit the alarm signals generated by said generator to the driver.

87. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein said valve is a solenoid valve.

88. The vehicle as claimed in claim 87, wherein said pressure sensor measuring the inner pressure of the tyre controls said communication between said tank and tyre by means of said valve.

89. The vehicle as claimed in claim 88, wherein said pressure sensor controls said communication by means of said signal generator.

90. The vehicle as claimed in claim 87, wherein said solenoid valve is operatively associated with said signal generator to bring said tyre into communication with said tank when inner pressure variation corresponds to a reduction and is higher than a predetermined value.

91. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein a temperature sensor is provided which is operatively associated with said wheel to measure the inner temperature of the tyre.

92. The vehicle as claimed in claim 91, wherein said temperature sensor is operatively associated with said calculation unit to calculate the pressure corresponding to a reference temperature for each inner pressure measured according to said predetermined frequency at an inner temperature of the tyre.

93. The vehicle as claimed in claim 91, wherein said temperature sensor is integrated with said pressure sensor.

94. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein said first threshold value is about 0.8 PE to about 0.95 PE.

95. The vehicle as claimed in claim 73, wherein said first pressure is about 8 bars to about 12 bars.

96. A wheel comprising:

at least one rim with which a tank adapted to be filled with a fluid to a first pressure is operatively associated;

a tyre mounted on said rim and inflated to an operating pressure, said operating pressure being lower than said first pressure;

at least one valve adapted to regulate communication between said tank and tyre so as to bring said tank and tyre into mutual communication when the inner pressure of said tyre is lower than a predetermined first threshold value; and

at least one pressure sensor to measure the inner pressure of said tyre with a predetermined frequency,

said pressure sensor capable of being operatively associated with a calculation unit calculating a variation in said inner pressure in the time unit.

97. The wheel as claimed in claim 96, wherein said tank is integrated into said rim.

98. The wheel as claimed in claim 96, wherein a ratio between volume of said tank and inner volume of said tyre is about 0.1 to about 0.4.

99. The wheel as claimed in claim 98, wherein said ratio between the volume of said tank and the inner volume of said tyre is about 0.12 to about 0.3.

100. The wheel as claimed in claim 96, wherein a ratio between said operating pressure of said tyre and said first pressure is about 0.1 to about 0.6 at a reference temperature.

101. The wheel as claimed in claim 100, wherein the ratio between said operating pressure of said tyre and said first pressure is about 0.2 to about 0.4 at said reference temperature.

102. The wheel as claimed in claim 96, wherein said pressure sensor is placed on said rim.

103. The wheel as claimed in claim 96, wherein said pressure sensor is placed on said tyre.

104. The wheel as claimed in claim 96, wherein a second pressure sensor is operatively associated with said tank to measure pressure of said fluid contained in said tank.

105. The wheel as claimed in claim 104, wherein said second pressure sensor is capable of being operatively associated with a signal generator to generate an alarm signal when the pressure of the fluid contained in the tank is under a predetermined second threshold value.

106. The wheel as claimed in claim 105, wherein said predetermined second threshold value is about 1.5 PE to about 2.5 PE.

107. The wheel as claimed in claim 96, wherein said valve is a solenoid valve.

108. The wheel as claimed in claim 107, wherein said pressure sensor measuring the inner pressure of the tyre controls said communication between said tank and tyre by means of said valve.

109. The wheel as claimed in claim 96, wherein a temperature sensor is provided to measure the inner temperature of the tyre.

110. The wheel as claimed in claim 109, wherein said temperature sensor is integrated with said pressure sensor.

111. The wheel as claimed in claim 96, wherein said first threshold value is about 0.8 PE to about 0.95 PE.

112. The wheel as claimed in claim 96, wherein said first pressure is about 8 bars to about 12 bars.