Tire wear detection system and pneumatic tire

• US 7,577,532 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Hiromitsu, Hada, Hiromasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charioui; Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US11/630,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 702/34, 702/41, 702/47, 702/96, 702/98, 702/104, 702/116, 702/138, 702/141, 702/148, 702/167, 702/193, 701/80, 701/29, 701/180, 731/46, 340/438, 340/442
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/24 Wear-indicating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/243 Tread wear sensors, e.g. electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0623 using piezoelectric gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/56 Investigating resistance to wear or abrasion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10027 with wear indicating feature

Abstract

A tire wear detection system includes a detection unit (70) which detects acceleration applied to a wear bar (40) arranged in a groove of a tread section of a pneumatic tire (10), and a wear judgment unit (82) which judges that a tire has been worn based on the acceleration detected by the detection unit (70).

Claims

1. A tire wear detection system comprising:

a detection unit which detects acceleration applied to a wear bar arranged in a groove of a tread section of a pneumatic tire; and

a wear judgment unit which judges that a tire has been worn based on the acceleration detected by the detection unit,

wherein the detection unit is arranged in a tire diameter inside of the wear bar, and

wherein the wear judgment unit judges that the tire has been worn when the acceleration detected by the detection unit satisfies the following equation;

G1′

/G2′

≧

kG1/G2

where G1 is acceleration while a tire tread surface near the wear bar is in contact with the ground when the tire is new, G2 is acceleration while the tire tread surface near the wear bar is not in contact with the ground when the tire is new, G1′

is acceleration while the tire tread surface near the wear bar is in contact with the ground, G2′

is acceleration while the tire tread surface near the wear bar is not in contact with the ground, and K is a predetermined value larger than 1.

2. The tire wear detection system according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for storing reference acceleration which becomes a reference in the pneumatic tire,

wherein the wear judgment unit also judges that the tire has been worn when a difference between the reference acceleration and the acceleration detected by the detection unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

3. The tire detection system according to claim 2, wherein the reference acceleration is acceleration when the tire is new.

4. The tire wear detection system according to claim 2, wherein the reference acceleration is an average of acceleration detected by the detection unit within a predetermined time.

5. The tire wear detection system according to claim 1, wherein the acceleration is acceleration of a vertical direction.

6. The tire wear detection system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is arranged in a surface of an inner liner of the pneumatic tire.

7. The tire wear detection system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises a piezoelectric acceleration sensor or a piezo-resistive acceleration sensor.