Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Advics Co., Ltd.

Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.

Akihiro Miyoshi

Tamio Tsurita

Kenji Hatakenaka

Kenichi Mineta

Miwa Kunii

Keita Nakano

Motoshi Suzuki

Akira Katagiri

Takehiro Yamada

A method for estimating the magnitude of a tire force acting on a rolling tire is disclosed, wherein: using at least seven sensors mounted on a tire sidewall portion, surface strain is simultaneously measured at seven measuring positions; with respect to a combination of the seven measuring positions, a coefficient matrix representing correlation with seven force components is defined, and a equation including the coefficient matrix is defined; using the data on the surface strain measured with the sensors, the equation is computed to find at least one of the seven force components, e.g. air pressure. The estimated air pressure is compared with a reference pressure, to determine whether the tire pressure is dropped or not. Further, a secondary sensor is mounted in a peculiar region where the surface strain is substantially not affected by the vertical load.

Method for estimating tire force acting on rolling tire

A method for estimating the magnitude of a back-and-forth-direction force exerted on a tire comprises: using a plurality of strain sensors fixed to a tire sidewall capable of outputting data on the magnitude of a strain occurred at the position of the strain sensor; reading the output data from the strain sensors when come to fixed measuring positions predetermined around the tire rotational axis; in relation to each of the strain sensors at the respective measuring positions, calculating the back-and-forth-direction force as an intermediate result by the use of the data read from the strain sensor and a relational expression, whereby the intermediate results are obtained from the respective strain sensors; and computing a mean value of only the valid intermediate result(s) so as to output it as the estimated magnitude of the force.

Method for estimating magnitude of back-and-forth-direction force exerted on tire

A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion, a pair of bead portions and a pair of sidewall portions, and at least one of the sidewall portions is provided with at least three strain sensors disposed at least three circumferentially different mounting positions, respectively. The at least three strain sensors are oriented at angles &#x3b8; with respect to tire radial directions at the respective mounting positions. The orientation angles &#x3b8; of at least two of the at least three strain sensors are different from one another and their difference(s) is(are) not less than 20 degrees in absolute value.

Pneumatic tire with specifically arranged strain sensors

A system and method for determining the magnitude of a force acting on a tire are disclosed. Further, a sensor and a tire suitable for use in the system and method are also disclosed. The system comprises: a tire strain sensor mounted on the tire, for detecting a tire strain at the mounted position, and generating data representing tire strain; a sensor locator for locating the sensor on the tire; a memory in which data on the relationship between the tire strain and force acting on the tire at each of measuring points are stored; and a processor computing the magnitude of the force, using the data representing tire strain obtained from the tire strain sensor and the data on the relationship acquired from the memory based on the data on the sensor location obtained from the sensor locator. The method comprises: obtaining data on tire strain from a tire strain sensor mounted on the tire; locating the tire strain sensor, to obtain data on the position of the tire strain sensor; obtaining data on a relationship between the tire strain and the force at the located position of the tire strain sensor, from previously stored data on relationships between the tire strain and force at a plurality of sensor positions; and computing the force using the obtained data on the tire strain and the obtained data on the relationship between the tire strain and the force.

System and method for determining tire force

A subframe structure for an automotive vehicle wherein a subframe is attached through a rubber mount to a vehicle body, suspension components are assembled onto the subframe so that the suspension components are held connected to the vehicle body through the subframe, and a detecting assembly capable of providing an output signal according to a load that acts between a subframe and a vehicle body is provided. A rubber mount for use in this subframe structure is also disclosed.

Subframe structure and vibration damper for the same

An apparatus for detecting a longitudinal force of a tire is provided with at least one mark () provided in on one circumferential line (j) in a tire (), a first sensor () disposed in a vehicle body side () and capable of detecting a passage of the mark (), a second sensor () capable of detecting a rotation angle (&#x3b8;) of an axle (), and a computing device () for computing a longitudinal force (Fr) of the tire () on the basis of an information of the first and second sensors (). The computing device () sequentially stores a rotation angle (&#x3b8;r) of the axle () when the mark () passes through the first sensor (). Further, the computing device () computes a tire warp angle (&#x3b1;r) corresponding to a difference (&#x3b8;o&#x2212;&#x3b8;r) between a no-load rotation angle &#x3b8;o (a rotation angle of the axle () in a no-load state) stored in advance and the rotation angle &#x3b8;r, and sequentially computes a tire longitudinal force (Fr) of a tire applied during the running from the warp angle (&#x3b1;r), using a previously determined relational equation F=f(&#x3b1;) between the warp angle (&#x3b1;) and the tire longitudinal force (F).

Method of detecting longitudinal force of tire and longitudinal force detecting apparatus used therein

A studless tire with a tread pattern comprising blocks that are defined by longitudinal and transverse grooves and having at least one row of blocks that extends in the peripheral direction of the tire. The peripheral rows of blocks are such that at least one sub-block is provided within one pitch of the tread pattern outside an adjacent block in the tire's rotating axle. And the sub-block is separated from the block by a sub-groove less deep than the longitudinal and transverse grooves and has the longer side in the peripheral direction and the shorter side in the direction of the rotating axle.

Growing community of inventors

Kobe, Japan

Akihiro Miyoshi