Slip-control method and device

• US 7,725,235 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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: Mousty, Hervé, Fandard, Gérard
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/591,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20070289795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/71, 701/72, 701/73, 701/74, 701/75, 701/82, 701/85, 731/46, 702/169, 702/188, 180/197
• US Class Current: 701/71
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/20 Devices for measuring or signalling tyre temperature only
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/12 Friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17616 Microprocessor-based systems

Abstract

A method for controlling the slip of a tire (1) of an automobile, said tire comprising a tread (3). The method comprises adjusting said slip using the measurement of a variable linked to the surface temperature (T₂) of the tread in the contact area (2) of the tire.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the slip of a pneumatic tire of an automobile and for optimizing the grip of the pneumatic tire, said pneumatic tire comprising a tread, said method comprising:

adjusting said slip using a measurement of a variable linked to a surface temperature (T₂) of the tread in a contact area of the pneumatic tire, and

adjusting said slip to bring the surface temperature (T₂) towards an optimal temperature.

2. The control method according to claim 1, in which said linked variable is a surface temperature (T₃) of the tread and is measured outside the contact area of the pneumatic tire.

3. The control method according to claim 2, in which the surface temperature (T₃) of the tread is measured in the vicinity of an exit from the contact area of the pneumatic tire.

4. The control method according to claim 2, in which the measurement of the surface temperature (T₃) of the tread is an optical measurement.

5. The control method according to claim 2, further comprising obtaining calibration data including recording a series of measurements of said linked variable and a corresponding series of measurements of forces or accelerations to which the automobile is subjected in order to determine a preferred value of calculation data used in controlling the slip.

6. A device for controlling the slip of a pneumatic tire of an automobile adapted for using the method of claim 1, said device comprising a means capable of adjusting the slip and a means for measuring the variable linked to the surface temperature (T₂) of the tread of said pneumatic tire in the contact area.

7. The device according to claim 6, in which the means capable of adjusting the slip comprises a means for controlling a torque supplied by an automobile engine to a wheel.

8. The device according to claim 6, in which the means capable of adjusting the slip comprises a management system for braking power or a braking torque of a wheel.

9. The device according to claim 6, in which the means for measuring the linked variable is an optical means for measuring the temperature (T₃) of the tread outside the contact area.

10. The device according to claim 9, in which the optical measurement means is a thermal camera placed opposite an exit from the contact area.

11. The device according to claim 6, further comprising a means for measuring acceleration of the automobile.

12. A method for optimizing the grip of a pneumatic tire comprising a tread, the method comprising:

obtaining a linked variable linked to a surface temperature (T₂) of the tread in a contact area of the pneumatic tire, and

adjusting the slip of the pneumatic tire to bring the surface temperature (T₂) towards an optimal temperature with respect to the grip of the pneumatic tire, thereby optimizing the grip of the pneumatic tire.

13. The method according to claim 12, in which the linked variable is a surface temperature (T₃) of the tread and is measured outside the contact area of the pneumatic tire.

14. The method according to claim 13, in which adjusting the slip of the pneumatic tire comprises increasing the slip of the pneumatic tire to bring the surface temperature (T₂) towards an optimal temperature when the surface temperature (T₃) of the tread is less than the optimal temperature.

15. The method according to claim 13, in which adjusting the slip of the pneumatic tire comprises decreasing the slip of the pneumatic tire to bring the surface temperature (T₂) towards an optimal temperature when the surface temperature (T₃) of the tread is greater than the optimal temperature.