Vehicle Tyre Checking System

• US 20120101746A1
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wheelright Limited
• Original Assignee: Wheelright Limited
• Inventors: Taylor, Paul Michael Gerald, Rathbone, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,935,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/146 for measuring force distributions, e.g. using force arrays G01L1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/005 using a sensor contacting the exterior surface, e.g. for measuring deformation

Abstract

Apparatus (4; 5) for checking the inflation pressure of a tyre (3) of a vehicle (2) whilst the tyre is being moved over the apparatus in a direction of travel (A). The apparatus comprises a base (7), a platform (8) which is mounted over the base, a first load sensor system (9) arranged between the platform and the base, and a second load sensor system (12) mounted on an upper surface of the platform and comprising a linear array of high resolution sensors (13, 25) extending across the platform. A data processing unit (6) processes data obtained by sampling the outputs of the first and second sensor system and provides an indication of the inflation pressure of the tyre. The data obtained by sampling the output of the first sensor system may be used to determine the total load borne by the platform, and/or the direction of travel of the tyre over the platform, and/or the speed of travel of the tyre over the platform and/or the tracking angle of the vehicle tyre. The data may also be used to determine a time interval during which data from the second sensor system is to be used to provide a representative sensor load value.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. Apparatus for checking the inflation pressure of a vehicle tyre whilst being moved over the apparatus in a direction of travel, comprising:

a lateral array of sensors extending across the direction of travel, the array having a lateral extent sufficient to accommodate the width of a vehicle tyre, wherein each of the sensors in the lateral array is a load sensor which provides varying outputs indicative of the value of the load on the sensor whilst the tyre is moved in the direction of travel;

a first sampling system for sampling the outputs of the sensors of the lateral array;

a data processing system configured to process the data obtained from sampling the outputs of the sensors of the lateral array and to calculate an indication of the inflation pressure of the tyre using such processed data;

a platform mounted over a base and having an upper surface on which the lateral array of sensors is mounted, the platform being of sufficient extent in the direction of travel and laterally of the direction of travel to accommodate the entire footprint of a vehicle tyre;

a platform load sensor system disposed between the platform and the base, for providing data indicative of varying loads exerted on the base by the platform whilst the tyre is moved over the platform in the direction of travel; and

a second sampling system for sampling the outputs of the platform load sensor system;

wherein the data processing system is also configured to process the data obtained from sampling the outputs of the platform load sensor system.

22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the data processing system is configured so that the data obtained from sampling the outputs of the platform load sensor system is processed to provide an indication of the total load on the tyre borne by the platform.

23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the data processing system is configured so as to calculate the indication of the inflation pressure of the tyre as a function of (i) the processed data obtained from sampling the outputs of the sensors of the lateral array and (ii) the total load on the tyre borne by the platform obtained from processing the sampled outputs of the platform load sensor system.

24. Apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein the data processing system is configured so as to calculate the indication of the inflation pressure of the tyre without it being necessary to calculate the tyre footprint area.

25. Apparatus as claimed in claim 23 wherein the data processing system is configured so that the processed data obtained from sampling the outputs of the sensors of the lateral array is a representative sensor load value.

26. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the platform load sensor system comprises a plurality of sensors distributed as an array over the base, and the data processing system is configured to process the data obtained from sampling the outputs of the platform load sensor system so as to obtain data representative of an angle of travel of the tyre over the lateral array.

27. Apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the data processing system is configured so that the angle of travel of the tyre over the lateral array of sensors is used in calculation of the tyre inflation pressure.

28. Apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the data processing system is configured so that the angle of travel of the tyre over the lateral array of sensors is used in calculation of any of (i) the tyre width, (ii) the tyre footprint area, and (iii) the tracking angle of the tyre.

29. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the data processing system is configured to process the data obtained from sampling the outputs of the platform load sensor system so as to obtain data representative of the speed of travel of the tyre over the platform.

30. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the representative sensor load value is obtained using the output of the sensor of the lateral array of sensors which provides the highest value.

31. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the representative sensor load value is obtained from averaging the values output from the sensors of the lateral array of sensors.

32. Apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein the representative sensor load value is obtained from averaging the values output from a range of sensors of the lateral array of sensors which provide the highest values.

33. Apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein the representative sensor load value is obtained from averaging the values output from a range of sensors of the lateral array of sensors, excluding extreme values.

34. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the lateral array of sensors is a linear array.

35. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the lateral array of sensors comprises a plurality of elongate parallel, resiliently deflectable members whose longitudinal direction extends in the direction of travel, each deflectable member being provided with at least one sensing portion mounted thereon having electrical properties which vary in accordance with deflection of the member.

36. Apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein the resiliently deflectable members are defined by a substrate of a resiliently deformable material which is provided with a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending slots in the substrate which are spaced from each other in the lateral direction so that between any adjacent pair of slots there is defined a said elongate deflectable member with at least one end thereof being integrally connected to the remainder of the substrate.

37. Apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein each said elongate deflectable member is mounted in cantilever fashion with one end free to deflect.

38. Apparatus as claimed in claim 36, wherein each said elongate deflectable member is mounted in cantilever fashion with one end free to deflect and the other end connected to the remainder of the substrate.

39. Apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein each said elongate deflectable member is provided with at least two sensing portions mounted thereon having electrical properties which vary in accordance with deflection of the member, the sensing portions being connected electrically in a bridge arrangement.

40. Apparatus for checking the inflation pressure of a vehicle tyre whilst being moved over the apparatus in a direction of travel, comprising:

a lateral array of sensors extending across the direction of travel, the array having a lateral extent sufficient to accommodate the width of a vehicle tyre, wherein each of the sensors in the lateral array is a load sensor which provides varying outputs indicative of the value of the load on the sensor whilst the tyre is moved in the direction of travel;

a first sampling system for sampling the outputs of the sensors of the lateral array; and

a data processing system configured to process the data obtained from sampling the outputs of the sensors of the lateral array and to calculate an indication of the inflation pressure of the tyre using such processed data;

wherein the lateral array of sensors comprises a plurality of elongate parallel, resiliently deflectable members whose longitudinal direction extends in the direction of travel, each deflectable member being provided with at least one sensing portion mounted thereon having electrical properties which vary in accordance with deflection of the member.

41. Apparatus as claimed in claim 40, wherein the resiliently deflectable members are defined by a substrate of a resiliently deformable material which is provided with a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending slots in the substrate which are spaced from each other in the lateral direction so that between any adjacent pair of slots there is defined a said elongate deflectable member with at least one end thereof being integrally connected to the remainder of the substrate.

42. Apparatus as claimed in claim 40, wherein each said elongate deflectable member is mounted in cantilever fashion with one end free to deflect.

43. Apparatus as claimed in claim 41, wherein each said elongate deflectable member is mounted in cantilever fashion with one end free to deflect and the other end connected to the remainder of the substrate.

44. Apparatus as claimed in claim 40, wherein each said elongate deflectable member is provided with at least two sensing portions mounted thereon having electrical properties which vary in accordance with deflection of the member, the sensing portions being connected electrically in a bridge arrangement.

45. Apparatus as claimed in claim 40, wherein there is further provided:

a platform mounted over a base and having an upper surface on which the lateral array of sensors is mounted, the platform being of sufficient extent in the direction of travel and laterally of the direction of travel to accommodate the entire footprint of a vehicle tyre;

a platform load sensor system disposed between the platform and the base, for providing data indicative of varying loads exerted on the base by the platform whilst the tyre is moved over the platform in the direction of travel; and

a second sampling system for sampling the outputs of the platform load sensor system;

wherein the data processing system is also configured to process the data obtained from sampling the outputs of the platform load sensor system.