Method and device for verifying the compatibility of the components of a wheel

• US 6,717,512 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2003
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Original Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Boulot, Jean-Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US10/351,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 340/442, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/5.1, 340/5.8, 340/10.1, 340/10.42, 340/679, 235/385, 235/376, 705/29, 700/110, 700/115
• US Class Current: 340/442
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 25/00 Apparatus or tools adapted for mounting, removing or inspecting tyres testing of tyres G01M17/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/02 Tyres

Abstract

A method for verifying the compatibility of the components of a wheel, having the following steps of: identifying each of the components of the assembly by means of an electronic label; after mounting the assembly, verifying at least two of these labels by checking the mutual compatibility of the components corresponding to the identification elements received by a management unit; detecting any situation in which at least one of the components is incompatible with one or more of the other components, and generating a suitable signal in the event of incompatibility.

The invention also relates to a device for carrying out this method, this device comprising an identification element combined with each of the components of the assembly that it is desired to verify, a data transmission means, the management unit being capable of identifying any condition of incompatibility of at least one of the components of an assembly and of generating a signal in the event of a condition of incompatibility.

Claims

1. A method for automatically verifying the compatibility of the components of an assembly comprising a rim, a tire capable of being mounted on the rim, said method having the following steps:

identifying each of the components of said assembly that it is desired to verify by means of automatically checkable identification elements;

mounting the assembly, and thereafter verifying at least two of these components by transmitting the corresponding identification elements to a data management unit;

checking the mutual compatibility of the components corresponding to the identification elements received by the management unit;

detecting any situation in which at least one of the components is incompatible with one or more of the other components;

generating a suitable signal in the event of an incompatibility.

2. The verification method according to claim 1, wherein the assembly also comprises a safety support intended at least partially to support the tread of the tire under conditions of reduced pressure.

3. The verification method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the identification elements corresponding to each of the components to a data management unit further comprises the sub-step of reading the data corresponding to each component.

4. The verification method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the identification elements corresponding to each of the components to a data management unit further comprises the sub-step of interrogating the data corresponding to each component.

5. The verification method according to claim 1, wherein step of transmitting the identification elements corresponding to each of the components to a data management unit is performed by transmitting the data by an active label.

6. The verification method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of emitting a suitable signal “

OK”

when all the compatibility conditions of the various components are satisfied.

7. The verification method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of emitting a suitable signal in the event of non-recognition of at least one of the components.

8. The verification method according to claim 1, wherein the step of checking compatibility is performed using a compatibility table.

9. The verification method according to claim 8, wherein said compatibility table comprises data for all the components to be arranged on the same assembly.

10. The verification method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of performing a simplified pre-test by comparing the components detected at a time T2 with those detected at a time T1.

11. The verification method according to claim 1, wherein said time T1 and said T2 correspond, respectively, to a first and a second powering up of the data management unit.

12. The verification method according to claim 1, wherein all of the components of all of the active wheels of the vehicle are verified.

13. The verification method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of measuring the pressure in the tire cavity.

14. A device for verifying the compatibility of the elements of an assembly comprising a rim and a tire capable of being mounted on the rim, said device comprising:

an identification element combined with each of the components of said assembly that it is desired to verify,

a transmission means, capable of allowing the transmission of data between each of the components of said assembly and a management unit, wherein

said management unit is capable of;

identifying a condition of incompatibility of at least one of the components of an assembly;

generating a signal corresponding to said condition of incompatibility.

15. The verification device according to claim 14, wherein said assembly further comprises a safety support intended at least partially to support the tread of the tire under conditions of reduced pressure.

16. The verification device according to claim 14, wherein each component comprises a label capable of containing the identification elements for that component.

17. The verification device according to claim 16, wherein said labels are of electronic and electronically checkable type.

18. The verification device according to claim 14, wherein said assembly further comprises a pressure detector capable of measuring the pressure inside the tire cavity.

19. The verification device according to claim 14, wherein the transmission means comprises an antenna.

20. The verification device according to claim 14, wherein the transmission means is of transponder type.

21. The verification device according to claim 14, wherein said transmission means is of radio transmitter/receiver type.

22. The verification device according to claim 14, wherein the assembly further comprises a display.