DEVICES INCLUDING A MECHANOCHROMATIC MATERIAL FOR INDICATING PRESSURE

• US 20100236682A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Norgren Ltd. (New Zealand) (IMI PLC)
• Original Assignee: Norgren Ltd. (New Zealand) (IMI PLC)
• Inventors: Patient, Christopher Simon, Wheater, Christopher John
• Granted Patent: US 8,511,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/450
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/12 Alarms or signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/086 with optical transmitting or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10495 Pneumatic tire or inner tube

Abstract

The present invention relates to devices that include a mechanochromatic material (10) which changes color according to a pressure exerted on the device. As a result, the mechanochromatic material (10) functions as an indicator of pressure exerted on the device. A user can view the mechanochromatic material (10) to determine whether the pressure exerted on the device exceeds a threshold pressure, whereat a color change will occur in the mechanochromatic material (10).

Claims

1. A tire (50), comprising:

a pressurized inner surface (56);

an outer surface (54); and

a mechanochromatic material (10) that changes color according to a pressure of the tire (50).

2. The tire (50) according to claim 1, wherein the mechanochromatic material (10) is located on the outer surface (54).

3. The tire (50) according to claim 1, wherein the mechanochromatic material (10) is applied as a patch, a plug, a coating, or a paint.

7. The tire (50) according to claim 1, wherein the mechanochromatic material (10) reversibly changes from one color to another when the amount of pressure exceeds a threshold pressure.

8. The tire (50) according to claim 1, wherein the mechanochromatic material (10) is located below the outer surface (59) of the tire (50), is located below a viewing window (13) included on the tire (50), or a non-mechanochromatic material (12) is applied above the mechanochromatic material (10).

11. The tire (50) according to claim 1, wherein the mechanochromatic material (10) changes color in response to shear stress or in response to normal stress.

4-6. -6. (canceled)

9-10. -10. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. A conduit (80), comprising:

a pressurized inner surface (85);

an outer surface (86); and

a mechanochromatic material (10) that changes color according to a pressure of the conduit (80).

14. The conduit (80) according to claim 13, wherein the mechanochromatic material (10) is located on the outer surface (86).

15. The conduit (80) according to claim 13, wherein the mechanochromatic material (10) is applied as a patch, a plug, a coating, or a paint.

19. The conduit (80) according to claim 13, wherein the conduit (80) is extruded from the mechanochromatic material (10).

20. The conduit (80) according to claim 13, wherein the mechanochromatic material (10) reversibly changes from the color blue to the color red when the amount of pressure exceeds a threshold pressure.

21. The conduit (80) according to claim 13, wherein the mechanochromatic material (10) is located below the outer surface (86) of the conduit (80), is located below a viewing window (13) included on the conduit (80), or a non-mechanochromatic material (10) is applied above the mechanochromatic material (10).

24. The conduit (80) according to claim 13, wherein the mechanochromatic material (10) changes color in response to shear stress or in response to normal stress

16-18. -18. (canceled)

22-23. -23. (canceled)

25. (canceled)