The present invention relates generally to a tire traction management system. More specifically, the present invention includes a fender skirt, a tire pressure management system, and a traction tread cover to ensure that the tire(s) is operating under optimal conditions. The present invention allows for the user to monitor and control the pressure and temperature of the tire(s) to ensure optimal conditions and maximum traction in adverse conditions such as snow and rain.
Millions of automotive vehicles travel on snow covered roads each year. Such road conditions can be extremely dangerous to the occupants of vehicle and any individuals sharing the road. Snow or ice road surfaces are hazardous conditions to motor vehicles because the vehicle's tires are not able to gain enough traction to accelerate, stop, or change directions. This causes numerous accidents which result in property damage and human casualties. Currently, regular rubber tires can be dangerous and do not provide enough traction in snowy/icy weather conditions. There are two means for overcoming these hazardous road conditions, snow tires and chains. Snow tires utilize studs and sipes to increase traction in adverse road conditions. The protruding metal pins, studs, reduce slippage and skidding. However, snow tires reduce traction on dry pavement and therefore are often only used during winters. This method is expensive, cumbersome, and inefficient as it requires the user to own both summer and winter tires that have to be professionally installed and balanced each year. The alternative and a more crude approach is the use of chains. Also known as snow chains, tire chains are metallic chains that are designed to wrap around the tire and increase traction. This approach works to a certain degree but is illegal in many states as the chains damage the road surfaces. It is therefore an object of the present invention to introduce a system which ensures that the tires of an automotive vehicle are adequately prepared and are operating under optimal conditions in hazardous weather conditions such as snowy and icy roads. The present invention is a tire management system that automatically controls the temperature and pressure of a plurality of tires. Additionally, the present invention also includes a means for increasing traction in the snow conditions through an easy to install two-piece tire cover.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is a tire traction management system. The system includes a means for monitoring and automatically adjusting the air pressure and temperature of an automotive wheel 1. Additionally, the system includes a physical cover for a tread portion of a tire which increases traction in hazardous conditions such as snow or ice covered roads; the traction cover does not require professional installation. The system may be configured to be used in conjunction with any type of automotive vehicle and tire design. Automotive vehicle types include, but are not limited to, sedans, hatchbacks, pick-up trucks, coupes, off-road vehicles, semi-trailer trucks, buses, mini-vans, and vans to name a few non-limiting examples. The system is especially beneficial for vehicles that carry heavy cargo across long distances and as a result experience a variety extreme road conditions. One such type of vehicle is a semi-trailer truck. The tires of a semi-trailer truck are constantly under stress from extended use, heavy cargo, extreme road conditions, or a combination thereof.
The present invention comprises a tire pressure management system 6, a fender skirt 17, a plurality of ducts 25, a traction tread cover 29, and a control module 35. The system is positioned in and around a wheel 1 of a vehicle 100 as seen in
Referring to
The pneumatic valve connector 13 is an air-tight adaptor that attaches to the air pump 7 at one end and a valve stem 15 of the tire 3 at the other to allow for the exchange of fluids in between the two components. The pneumatic valve connector 13 may contain a one way valve or a mechanically/electronically operated two way valve like a solenoid valve. Through the pneumatic valve connector 13, the air pump 7 is in fluid communication with the valve stem 15 of the tire 3 allowing the air pump 7 to inflate the tire 3 at any time; it is preferred that the pump be activated only when the wheel 1 is not spinning to ensure the air pump 7 does not experience any unnecessary forces which could cause damage. In alternative embodiments, the rotational motion of the wheel 1 may be used as the mechanism to compress air and inflate the tire 3. The pressure sensor 8 and the temperature sensor 9 are operatively integrated into the pneumatic valve connector 13 such that a pressure reading and a temperature reading may be obtained. Different types of technologies may be used for the pressure sensor 8 and the temperature sensor 9.
The microprocessor 10 receives pressure and temperature data from the pressure sensor 8 and the temperature sensor 9 and relays this data to the control module 35. The control module 35 in turn determines if the relayed data is within the required range and distributes instructions in accordance to reaching the required range. The microprocessor 10 additionally relays those instructions from the control module 35 to the air pump 7 to initiate or stop system operations such as inflating or deflating the tire 3. Consequently, the microprocessor 10 needs to be electronically connected to the air pump 7, the pressure sensor 8, the temperature sensor 9, and the wireless communication device 12. The microprocessor 10 is also communicably coupled to the control module 35 through the wireless communication device 12 so that real-time tire status may be transmitted directly to the control module 35 and be seen by the driver; any traditional wireless communication technologies may be used for this coupling. The air pump 7, the pressure sensor 8, the temperature sensor 9, the wireless communication device 12, and the microprocessor 10 are electrically connected and powered by the rechargeable power supply 11. The rechargeable power supply 11 may comprise a variety of different types of batteries.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the tire 6 pressure management system 6 further comprises an auxiliary tire valve 16 that allows for traditional method of tire inflation and deflation. The auxiliary tire valve 16 is integrated into the pneumatic valve connector 13 and is therefore in fluid communication with the valve stem 15 of the tire 3. A three-way valve connector could be used for this connection. The auxiliary tire valve 16 allows an external pump to be attached to directly inflate the tire 3. The auxiliary tire valve 16 is an alternative means for adjusting the pressure of the tire 3 in case the tire pressure management system 6 is damaged, fails, or stops operating for any reason. In yet another alternative embodiment, the auxiliary tire valve 16 is a solenoid valve that is connected to the microprocessor 10. The solenoid valve would allow the pressure management system 6 to deflate the tire 3 as well.
Referring to
The interior surface of the first half shell 30 and the second half shell 31 is preferably populated by anti-slip elements such as minor channels, semi-annular ribs, and or other similar structures. These elements prevents slippage in between the tire 3 and the traction tread cover 29 and in turn ensures efficient torque transfer from the tire 3 to the traction tread cover 29. To further strengthen the engagement between the tire 3 and the traction tread cover 29 the first half shell 30 and the second half shell 31 are attached to each other by the interlocking mechanism 33. The interlocking mechanism 33 is preferably a female-male snap engagement as seen in
The plurality of traction features 34 ensures the tire 3 does not lose traction in adverse road conditions by either expelling water from beneath the tire 3 and or by physically “biting” into the surface. The plurality of traction features 34 is externally integrated across the first half shell 30 and the second half shell 31. Included among the types of traction features from the plurality of traction features 34 are, but are not limited to, shell studs, siping systems, water channels, deep tread patterns, and a combination thereof. One of the more important traction features 34 is the shell studs as these are especially effective in providing traction on snow and ice covered surfaces.
The fender skirt 17 heats or cools the exterior of the tire 3 and ensures the tire 3 is operating at optimum thermal conditions. The fender skirt 17 is positioned around a portion of the wheel 1. The fender skirt 17 comprises a radial shroud 18, an outer lateral shroud 19, an attachment system 21, and an at least one main distribution line 24 as seen in
In one embodiment of the present invention, the fender skirt 17 further comprises an inner lateral shroud 20. Similar to the outer lateral shroud 19, the plurality of ducts 25 is also integrated and distributed throughout the inner lateral shroud 20. The inner lateral shroud 20 is perpendicularly connected to the radial shroud 18, adjacent to the tire 3 and opposite to the outer lateral shroud 19. This configuration positions the inner lateral shroud 20 around the corresponding suspension and drive components of the wheel 1, the inner lateral shroud 20 contains a variety of cutouts which allow for fender skirt 17 to conform to said components without rubbing and or interfering.
The attachment system 21 attaches the fender skirt 17 to the fender 2 of the wheel 1 and comprises a plurality of railings 22 and a plurality of sockets 23. Each of the plurality of railings 22 and each of the plurality of sockets 23 are oriented parallel to a rotation axis of the wheel 1 allowing the fender skirt 17 to be removed by simply applying a lateral force. The plurality of railings 22 is distributed about the tread 4 in between the fender 2 and the radial shroud 18 and is mounted to the fender 2. Each of the plurality of railings 22 is preferably a tubular extrusion spanning the width of the fender 2 and composed of galvanized steel to prevent rusting. The plurality of sockets 23 is connected onto the radial shroud 18, distributed about the tread 4 in between the fender 2 and the radial shroud 18. Each of the plurality of sockets 23 spans a portion of the width of the radial shroud 18 and is sized to receive a corresponding railing from the plurality of railings 22. The fender skirt 17 is attached to the fender 2 of the wheel 1 with each of the plurality of railings 22 being positioned into a corresponding socket from the plurality of sockets 23.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/944,169 filed on Feb. 25, 2014.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61944169 | Feb 2014 | US |