Patent Application
20110239753
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d).
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of tires and more specifically relates to smart tires providing indication means such that a driver is able to visually determine a safe air pressure is present in tires.
2. Description of the Related Art
In modern society, automobiles are an essential transportation means as they may be used to efficiently transport people and goods between various locations. Modern vehicles used on streets and highways typically use rubber tires as the means to make contact between the moving vehicle and the non-moving road surface to provide shock absorption and facilitate vehicle handling/maneuvering. Inflatable or pneumatic tires have particular maintenance requirements that should be followed in order to realize the greatest possible life of the tires and to meet safety requirements.
Tire inflation pressures are normally specified by vehicle manufacturers, which permit safe operation within the specified load rating and vehicle loading. Most tires are stamped with a maximum pressure rating. For passenger vehicles and light trucks, the tires should be inflated to what the vehicle manufacturer recommends, which is usually located on a decal just inside the driver's door or in the vehicle owners handbook. Tires should not generally be inflated to the pressure on the sidewall; this is the maximum pressure, rather than the recommended pressure. It may be very dangerous to allow tire pressure to drop below the recommended placard vehicle pressure, although this commonly occurs because of non-descript leakage. The reason that this is a dangerous condition is that it increases the amount of tire wall movement creating heat and uneven tire contact with the road surface. Should a low pressure tire be forced to perform an evasive maneuver, the tire wall will be more pliable than had it been at a higher pressure, thus causing it to “roll” under the wheel. This increases the entire roll movement of the car, potentially causing a vehicle to lose control.
Further, with low tire pressure—due to the side wall being more pliable—the tire will absorb more of the irregular forces from normal driving, and with this constant bending of the side wall as it absorbs the contours of the road, it heats up the tire wall to possibly dangerous temperatures, as well as degrades the steel wire reinforcement; this often leads to side wall blow-outs. Due to the low tire pressure, the side wall at the contact area may also temporarily collapse when contacting a pot-hole, thereby wedging the tire between the wheel and road, resulting in a tire laceration and blow-out, as well as a damaged wheel. Feathering occurs on the junction between the tire tread and side wall, as a result of too low tire pressures. This is as a result of the inability of the tire to perform appropriately during cornering forces, leading to aberrant and shearing forces on the feathering area. This is due to the tire moving sideways underneath the wheel as the tire pressures are insufficient to transmit the forces to the wheel and suspension. The inconvenience and time required for checking tire pressure is the single largest factor in under-inflated tires on the nation's highways, an easier method and means is needed. Likewise, over-inflation of tires is a safety hazard. Proper tire pressures maximize the life of the tire, save fuel consumption, greatly reduce tire sidewall failure, and maximize tread life.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,851,809; 6,055,925; 4,723,445; 6,832,573, 2,800,795; and 5,377,539. This prior art is representative of tires with pressure indicators. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, a tire pressure indicator should be quick, convenient and accurate, yet, would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable smart tire system to discern tire air pressures at a glance and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known tire pressure indicator systems art, the present invention provides a novel at-a-glance tire pressure indicating system. The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail is to provide a reliable and efficient tire pressure indication system.
The pneumatic tire pressure indication system as disclosed herein preferably comprises a pneumatic pressure indicator strip that is vulcanized to a pneumatic tire for use on vehicles. The pneumatic pressure indicator strip may comprise a pressure sealed tube chamber that contains a colored fluid and is sidewall-affixed to the pneumatic tire such that an individual is able to visually examine the colored fluid contained within the pneumatic pressure indicator strip to visually discern what the (relative) pressure of the pneumatic tire is. The pneumatic pressure indicator strip preferably contains a predetermined volume of colored fluid such that when the pneumatic tire is at a predetermined mass force per area, the colored fluid is caused to completely contact the inside surface of the outside diameter of the pneumatic pressure indicator strip providing a colored at-a-glance indication of the interior pressure (taking the cross-sectional form of an ellipse.) The predetermined volume of colored fluid is also such that when the pneumatic tire pressure is less than a predetermined mass force per area, the colored fluid does not completely contact the inside surface of the outside diameter of the pneumatic pressure indicator strip indicating that the tire is low on air (taking the general form of a circular cross-section—sphere—due to the decreased pressure acting upon the pneumatic pressure indicator strip.) Further, the pneumatic pressure indicator strip may have other visual indications such as air-bubbles, the colored fluid occupying only a lower portion of the pneumatic pressure indicator strip (nearest the bottom of the tire sidewall relative to the ground) or different colored fluid in other embodiments.
The colored fluid may comprise a low viscosity liquid with a depressed freezing point compatible with colder climates and can be matched to an exterior body paint color as well. The pneumatic tire pressure indication system colored fluid can be a glycol or an alcohol base or other suitable (preferably environmentally-friendly fluid.)
The pneumatic pressure indicator strip may be manufactured as an integral construction with the pneumatic tire in preferred embodiments and is transparent (see through), flexibly-deformable material, expanding and contracting with the tire for maximum longevity and retained-accuracy. The design is such that the colored fluid occupies the lower portion of the pneumatic pressure indicator strip when the pneumatic tire is under-pressured. The pneumatic pressure indicator strip preferably comprises an elliptical profile when the tire is correctly pressured allowing the colored fluid to be viewed on the sidewall of the tire via the transparent pneumatic pressure indicator strip. The pneumatic pressure indicator strip comprises an elliptical profile at correct pressure due to the pressure acting upon the device from inside the tire and equalizing with the ambient pressure (from outside the tire.) Further, in this profile the tire is dynamically-balanced for use on vehicles to prevent shaking. Vehicle(s) within this disclosure may comprise automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, or other land modes of transportation utilizing pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire pressure indication system further comprises a kit as discussed herein having at least one pneumatic tire(s) (or set of tires) with pneumatic pressure indicator strip(s) for use on vehicles, and a set of user instructions.
The method of use for a pneumatic tire pressure indication system may comprise the steps of: observing the relative position of the colored fluid within the pneumatic pressure indicator strip located on a sidewall of the pneumatic tire to determine a relative air pressure within the pneumatic tire; and adding or removing air from the pneumatic tire as needed to achieve a desired relative air pressure within the pneumatic tire.
The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as a pneumatic tire pressure indication system. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, Safe Tire, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a pneumatic tire pressure indication system and more particularly to a (smart) safe tire (system) as used to improve the speed and convenience of checking relative tire pressure.
Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference there is shown in
Pneumatic pressure indicator strip 110 within this particular embodiment preferably contains a predetermined volume of colored fluid 140 such that when pneumatic tire 150 is at a predetermined mass force per area, colored fluid 140 is caused to completely contact an inside surface of an outside diameter of pneumatic pressure indicator strip 110. Inside surface is thereby in complete touch-contact with colored fluid 140 around its entire circumference.
Referring now to
Pneumatic tire pressure indication system 104 as mentioned comprises colored fluid 140 which may be color-matched to an exterior body paint color of vehicle(s) 186. Pneumatic pressure indicator strip 110 may be available in a wide variety of colors. The exact specifications may vary such that different colors, densities, fluids and the like may be employed. Pneumatic pressure indicator strip 110 contains a predetermined volume of colored fluid 140 (dependent on tire size) such that when pneumatic tire 150 is pressured to less than a predetermined mass force per area, colored fluid 140 does not completely contact an inside surface of an outside diameter of pneumatic pressure indicator strip 110. Pneumatic tire pressure indication system 104 is for use on vehicle(s) 186, wherein vehicle(s) 186 may comprise automobiles 190 and bicycles 196. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as user preferences, design preference, structural requirements, marketing preferences, cost, available materials, technological advances, etc., other tire/wheel arrangements such as, for example, those used on wheel barrows, wagons, trailers, used on various truck, car, van, bus, airplane, etc., may be sufficient.
Referring now to
When colored fluid 140 occupies a lower portion of pneumatic pressure indicator strip 110 this serves as an indication that pneumatic tire 150 is under-pressured. As mentioned previously pneumatic pressure indicator strip 110 comprises an elliptical profile when correctly pressured. The elliptical profile allows the correctly dynamically-balanced pneumatic tire 150 to rotate properly thereby substantially preventing shimmy. Colored fluid 140 may comprises glycol 144 or other suitable media such as alcohol 142 or other low viscosity liquid 180. Pneumatic tire 150 and pneumatic pressure indicator strip 110 are preferably vulcanized together in the manufacturing process.
Referring now to
Referring now to
A method of use for a pneumatic tire pressure indication system 104 may comprise the steps of: step one observing the relative position of the colored fluid 140 within the pneumatic pressure indicator strip 110 located on a sidewall of pneumatic tire 150 to determine a relative air pressure within pneumatic tire 150; and step two adding or removing air from pneumatic tire 150 as needed to achieve a desired relative air pressure within the pneumatic tire 150. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods of use arrangements such as, for example, different orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc., may be sufficient.
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
The present application is related to and claims priority from prior provisional application Ser. No. 61/319,710, filed Mar. 31, 2010 which application is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61319710 | Mar 2010 | US |
