Tire characteristic judging method and tire characteristic judging device

• US 7,624,629 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2008
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Hanada, Ryoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US12/143,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20090000371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/146
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/022 the tyre co-operating with rotatable rolls

Abstract

A tire characteristic judging device judges a tire characteristic in the following way. At first, a load applied to a tire and a cornering force generated in the tire in time series while the tire is rolling are acquired. Then, an applied load variation amount is calculated from the acquired time-series applied load information and a cornering force variation amount calculated from the acquired time-series cornering force information. Next, an evaluation value is calculated based on the applied load variation amount and the cornering force variation amount. The calculated evaluation value and a preset reference value are compared with each other and whether or not the tire satisfies a desired characteristic is judged according to a result of comparison.

Claims

1. A tire characteristic judging method of judging a tire characteristic, comprising the steps of:

acquiring each of applied load information representing a load applied to a tire and cornering force information representing a cornering force generated in the tire in time series while the tire is rolling at a predetermined rolling speed to be in contact with a road surface with a predetermined slip angle being applied to the tire;

calculating an applied load variation amount representing a time-series variation of the applied load information from the acquired time-series applied load information and a cornering force variation amount representing a time-series variation of the cornering force information from the acquired time-series cornering force information;

obtaining an evaluation value determined based on the applied load variation amount and the cornering force variation amount; and

comparing the evaluation value and a preset reference value with each other and judging whether or not the tire satisfies a desired characteristic according to a result of comparison.

2. The tire characteristic judging method according to claim 1, wherein:

the load applied to the tire is applied by a load application machine for applying the load to the tire in the step of acquiring each information; and

the load application machine performs a feedback control to make the load applied to the tire closer to a given value according to a value of the currently acquired applied load information during the step of acquiring each information.

3. The tire characteristic judging method according to claim 1, wherein:

the load applied to the tire is applied by a load application machine for applying the load to the tire in the step of acquiring each information; and

the load application machine varies the applied load in time during the step of acquiring each information.

4. The tire characteristic judging method according to claim 3, wherein:

a distance between a tire shaft of the tire and a ground-contact surface is obtained in time series; and

the load application machine adjusts the distance according to information of the currently acquired distance to make the distance to be a target distance which corresponds to a preset time-series condition of the distance, thereby varying the applied load in time series.

5. The tire characteristic judging method according to claim 1, further comprising repeating the steps of acquiring each information and calculating the variation amounts prior to the step of obtaining the evaluation value, wherein:

plural sets of the applied load variation amount and the cornering force variation amount, each set obtained in each repetition time of the step of calculating the variation amounts are used to derive an approximate function expression which represents a relation between the applied load variation amount and the cornering force variation amount in an approximated manner in the step of obtaining the evaluation value; and

the derived approximate function expression is used to calculate the evaluation value.

6. The tire characteristic judging method according to claim 5, wherein:

the approximate function expression is a linear function expression in which the cornering force variation amount is determined according to the applied load variation amount; and

a slope of the linear function expression is calculated as the evaluation value.

7. The tire characteristic judging method according to claim 1, wherein:

a value of the cornering force variation amount when the applied load variation amount is within a predetermined range is calculated as the evaluation value in the step of calculating the evaluation value; and

the predetermined range corresponds to 5 to 30% of an average value of the applied load information.

8. The tire characteristic judging method according to claim 7, wherein:

a value of the cornering force variation amount when the applied load variation amount is a predetermined value is obtained as the evaluation value in the step of obtaining the evaluation value; and

the predetermined value corresponds to 5% of the average value of the applied load information.

9. The tire characteristic judging method according to claim 1, wherein:

the obtained evaluation value and the preset reference value are compared with each other in the step of the judging;

a degree of handling stability and controllability of the tire is classified according to a result of comparison; and

a result of classification is output.

10. The tire characteristic judging method according to claim 9, wherein the reference value is the evaluation value obtained for a standard tire in the step of obtaining the evaluation value, the standard tire having a known degree of the handling stability and controllability.

11. The tire characteristic judging method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined slip angle is in a range of 1 to 3 degrees.

12. The tire characteristic judging method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined rolling speed is in a range of 80 to 120 (km/hour).

13. A tire characteristic judging device for judging a tire characteristic, comprising:

an information acquisition portion for acquiring each of applied load information representing a load applied to a tire and cornering force information representing a cornering force generated in the tire in time series while the tire is rolling at a predetermined rolling speed to be in contact with a road surface with a predetermined slip angle being applied to the tire;

a variation amount calculating portion for calculating an applied load variation amount representing a time-series variation of the applied load information from the acquired time-series applied load information and a cornering force variation amount representing a time-series variation of the cornering force information from the acquired time-series cornering force information;

an evaluation value deriving portion for calculating an evaluation value determined based on the applied load variation amount and the cornering force variation amount; and

a judgment portion for comparing the evaluation value and a preset reference value with each other and judging whether or not the tire satisfies a desired characteristic according to a result of comparison.

14. The tire characteristic judging device according to claim 13, wherein:

the acquiring the applied load information and the cornering force information and the calculating the applied load variation amount and the cornering force variation amount are repeated in the information acquisition portion and the variation amount calculating portion; and

the evaluation value deriving portion uses plural sets of the applied load variation amount and the cornering force variation amount, each set calculated in each repetition time to derive an approximate function expression which represents a relation between the applied load variation amount and the cornering force variation amount in an approximated manner and uses the derived approximate function expression to calculate the evaluation value.

15. The tire characteristic judging device according to claim 14, wherein:

the approximate function expression is a linear function expression representing the cornering force variation amount determined according to the applied load variation amount; and

a slope of the linear function expression is calculated as the evaluation value.