Alarm safety insert

• US 6,543,500 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
• Original Assignee: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
• Inventors: Dufournier, Arnaud
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnstone, Adrienne C.
• Application Number:
  US09/621,833
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 152/158, 152/516, 152/518-520, 152/340.1, 152/341.1
• US Class Current: 152/158
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 17/061 comprising lateral openings
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2019/006 Warning devices, e.g. devices generating noise due to flat or worn tyres
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0403 Mechanically generated audible signals, e.g. by buzzer or whistle signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0469 Transmission by sound, e.g. ultra-sound
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/063 Generating directly an audible signal by deformation of the tyre by touching the ground B60C23/085

Abstract

A safety insert is designed to be mounted in an assembly including a tire and a rim of a vehicle, so that on bearing of the tire against the insert, the insert will generate multiple vibrating signals of the rotation frequency of the tire. In one embodiment, the vibrating signals are generated by a variation of at least one of the outer radius and radial stiffness as a function of azimuth α, which presents at least four maxima distributed in at least twice two different values M1 and M2.

Claims

1. A safety insert intended to be mounted in an assembly comprising a tire and a rim of a vehicle and, radially outward from the rim, said insert having a radially outer bearing surface which defines a radial support for the crown of the tire when said tire is deflated and means for generating vibrating warning signals on a run-flat condition, in which said means comprise a variation of a first characteristic M chosen from the group of outer radius and radial stiffness of said insert as a function of azimuth α

, which presents at least four maxima distributed in two groups having different values M1 and M2, each group having at least two maxima regularly distributed as a function of azimuth α and

offset from each other.

2. A safety insert according to claim 1, in which said characteristic M presents as a function of azimuth α

two maxima M1 diametrically opposite and two maxima M2 diametrically opposite and placed at 90°

from the maxima M1.

3. A safety insert according to claim 1, in which said characteristic M presents as a function of azimuth α

two maxima M1 diametrically opposite and three maxima M2 distributed over the circumference and offset from the maxima M1.

4. A safety insert according to claim 1, in which said characteristic M presents as a function of azimuth α

two maxima M1 diametrically opposite and four maxima M2 placed at 90°

from one another an offset by 45°

from the maxima M1.

5. A safety insert according to claim 1, in which on both sides of each maximum M1 or M2 there is a single value minimum M3.

6. A safety insert according to claim 1, in which said means comprise, in combination with the variation of said first characteristic, a variation as a function of the azimuth of a second characteristic M of the other of the outer radius and radial stiffness of said insert.

7. A safety insert according to claim 6, in which said means comprise a combination of a variation of the outer radius and a variation of the radial stiffness of said insert as a function of azimuth α

, so that the insert under load presents a crushed radius as a function of azimuth α

containing at least four maxima.

8. A safety insert according to claim 7, in which the variation of radial stiffness as a function of azimuth α

depends on the amplitude of the radial stress to which the support is subjected.

9. A safety insert according to claim 8, in which, beyond a given radial stress threshold, the variation of radial stiffness as a function of azimuth α

increases very markedly.

10. A safety insert according to claim 1, in which the variation of radial stiffness as a function of azimuth α

ranges between 10 and 1000%.

11. A safety insert according to claim 1, in which said first characteristic is the outer radius, and the variation of outer radius as a function of azimuth α

ranges between 0.1 and 7 mm.

12. A safety insert according to claim 1, in which the variations of radial stiffness and/or outer radius of the insert are applied axially only on a part of the insert intended to be placed toward the inside of the vehicle.

13. A safety insert according to claim 1, in which the variations of radial stiffness and/or outer radius of the insert present a complementary axial development as a function of azimuth α

.

14. A safety insert intended to be mounted in an assembly comprising a tire and a rim of a vehicle and, radially outward from the rim, said insert having a radially outer bearing surface which defines a radial support for the crown of the tire when said tire is deflated and means for generating vibrating warning signals on a run-flat condition, in which said means comprise a variation of a characteristic M chosen from the group of outer radius and radial stiffness of said insert as a function of azimuth α

, which presents at least four maxima distributed in at least twice two different values M1 and M2, said insert further comprising a cylindrical base intended to be fitted around the rim, a cylindrical crown intended to come in contact with the tire in case of pressure loss, and walls appreciably connecting the base and the crown radially.

15. A safety insert according to claim 14, in which said insert is made of flexible elastomeric material, with arc-shaped walls.

16. A safety insert according to claim 14, in which said first characteristic is radial stiffness, and the radial variations of stiffness are obtained by varying the thickness of the walls.

17. A safety insert according to claim 14, in which said first characteristic is radial stiffness, and the radial variations of stiffness are obtained by varying the shape of the walls.

18. A safety insert according to claim 14, in which said first characteristic is outer radius, and the variations of outer radius are obtained by varying the length of the walls.