Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

Carnegie Mellon University

Hans R Dorfi

Kevin E Scheifele

Robert W Asper

Terence Eugene Wei

Thomas R Branca

Takeshi Ishida

Paul B Wilson

John D Rensel

Douglas B Costlow

Thomas A Sams

Andrew T Miklic

Adam Karl Nesbitt

Sharon E Reinhardt

Stephen M Vossberg

Anthony Rowe

Ross W Widenor

Russell A Moser

Jacob R Kidney

Hyeonjae Kim

Dennis W Snyder

Jason R Barr

Samuel O Givens

Swarun Kumar

Srikrishna Doraiswamy

Benjamin Robert Rethmel

Vaibhav Singh

Adrian C Stalnaker

Brian D Steenwyk

Anoop G Varghese

Akarsh Prabhakara

John R Lewis

Prashanta Gautam

Amit K Agarwal

Thomas W Rodgers

Terrence E Wei

Tire sensing systems operable to determine one or more physical characteristics of a tire include millimeter wave transmitting and receiving devices. A processor is communicatively coupled with a memory that includes instructions to transmit and receive a millimeter wave toward and from the tire. Memory also includes instructions to image first and second radial extents of the tire based on the received millimeter wave as well as instructions to determine a dimensional difference between the first and second radial extents of the tire. Vehicles including such tire sensing systems as well as non-transitory machine-readable storage mediums and methods are also included.

Tire sensing systems and methods

A tire electronics assembly includes a base and a plurality of modules. The base is mechanically attached to the tire and includes an electronic device. A plurality of mechanical attachment elements are arranged on the base in a circular array. Each module includes an electronic device and a mechanical attachment element. Each mechanical attachment element on a module is configured to releasably mechanically attach to any one of the mechanical attachment elements on the base. In this configuration, the modules are interchangeably mechanically attachable to the base in the circular array. The base further includes a plurality of electrical terminals arranged in a circular array. Each module has an electrical terminal that is configured to releasably electrically connect with any one of the electrical terminals on the base, whereby the modules are interchangeably electrically connectable with the base in the circular array.

Daisy tire electronics assembly

A method of mounting a tire on a vehicle includes providing a tire having a first side, a second side, and a circumferential tread disposed about the tire. The first side defines a first forward rotation direction that is a rotation of the tire in a counterclockwise direction when the tire is mounted on a vehicle in a first orientation and viewed from the first side. The second side defines a second forward rotation direction of the tire that is a rotation of the tire in the counterclockwise direction when the tire is mounted on the vehicle in a second orientation opposite the first orientation and viewed from the first side. The circumferential tread includes a plurality of tread elements. At least one of the tread elements includes a sipe arrangement that causes the tire to exhibit a first tire performance when the tire is mounted on the vehicle in the first orientation and rotated in the first forward rotation direction. The sipe arrangement causes the tire to exhibit a second tire performance that is different from the first tire performance when the tire is mounted on the vehicle in the second orientation and rotated in the second forward rotation direction. The method further includes mounting the tire on the vehicle in the first orientation for driving the vehicle in a first set of conditions, and mounting the tire on the vehicle in the second orientation for driving the vehicle in a second set of conditions.

Tire with bi-directional performance

An electronics assembly is provided for use with a tire. The assembly includes a plurality of printed circuit boards, each of which includes an electronic device configured to sense a condition of the tire. Attachment pegs are provided to attach the printed circuit boards together in stacked positions that are spaced apart by the attachment pegs. Each attachment peg has a lower end portion configured to attach to any one of the printed circuit boards. Each attachment peg further has an upper end portion configured to attach to any other one of the printed circuit boards. This enables the printed circuit boards to be attached interchangeably between the stacked positions.

Tire electronics assembly

A tire electronics assembly includes a base and a plurality of modules. The base is mechanically attached to the tire and includes an electronic device. The base also includes a plurality of mechanical attachment elements arranged side-by-side in a row. Each module includes an electronic device and a mechanical attachment element. Each mechanical attachment element on a module is configured to releasably mechanically attach to any one of the mechanical attachment elements on the base. In this configuration, the modules are interchangeably mechanically attachable to the base in side-by side positions in row. The base further includes a plurality of electrical contacts arranged side-by-side in a row. Each module has an electrical contact that is configured to releasably electrically connect with any one of the electrical contacts on the base, whereby the modules are interchangeably electrically connectable with the base in side-by-side positions in a row.

Tire electronics assembly attached to a tire by a base including multiple mechanical attachment elements

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for estimating tread depth remaining on a tire mounted on a vehicle. One or more sensors are provided for detecting operational data associated with the vehicle and tire measurements corresponding to ambient temperature and contained air temperature, which may be directly measured or derived from measured tire pressure. A thermal mass of the tire is estimated based on at least the detected operational data and tire conditions, and a current tread depth of the tire is estimated based at least in part on the respective estimated thermal mass. In certain embodiments, the thermal mass estimation may be performed using heat transfer models limited to measurements captured during a cooling down phase of the tire while the vehicle is not moving, thereby simplifying calculation of a corresponding time constant.

Estimating tread depth remaining on vehicle-mounted tire by estimating thermal mass of tire based on detected changes in detected operational data and tire condition data over time

A tire mold has a cavity with a flexible bladder disposed in a central portion of the cavity. The tire mold further includes a first ring connected to a first end of the flexible bladder, and a second ring connected to a second end of the flexible bladder. At least one of the first and second rings is configured to move between a first position and a second position. The flexible bladder is stretched to a maximum axial length when the first and second rings are in a first position. When the first and second rings are in the first position the sum of the first axial length and second axial length is greater than a space between the first ring and the second ring.

Bladder rings for tire vulcanization mold

A tire includes a circumferential tread having a tread element disposed thereon, wherein the tread element includes a top surface that defines a first plane. The tire further includes at least one substantially helicoid-shaped sipe disposed in the tread element. The substantially helicoid-shaped sipe is defined by an opening in the top surface extending in a first direction in the first plane when the tire is new, and is further defined by a base extending in a second direction in a second plane parallel to the first plane. The second direction is disposed at an angle between 45&#xb0; and 135&#xb0; with respect to the first direction.

Tire with substantially helicoid-shaped sipe

A method of modeling a tire includes providing a tire having a first tire design, rotating the tire under a vertical load, and measuring a plurality of forces at a plurality of selected conditions. The method further includes using a computer to plot the plurality of forces against the plurality of conditions, using the computer to plot a plurality of moments against the plurality of conditions, and using the computer to fit a first force curve to the plurality of plotted forces at the plurality of conditions, such that the first force curve is asymmetric. The method also includes using the computer to fit a first moment curve to the plurality of plotted moments at the plurality of conditions, evaluating the first force curve and the first moment curve, and making a second tire design based on the evaluation of the first force curve and the first moment curve.

Method of modeling tire performance

An apparatus and method are disclosed for modeling at least a portion of a rolling tire (). A finite element model of at least a portion of a tire () rolling against a tire contacting surface () is input into a finite element analysis system (). The system executed instructions that result in the application of a constant force to the model tire () or portion thereof by the tire contacting surface (). The application of force control boundary conditions, as opposed to displacement control, provides significant benefit in terms of computational time of the finite element analysis solution. A finite element analysis simulation of the model against the tire contacting surface () is performed while maintaining the force on the model tire (). Alternatively, a camber (&#x3b3;) is also applied to the tire and maintained throughout the simulation.

System and method for steady state simulation of rolling tire

A method of mounting an object on a tire includes providing a tire having a sidewall, wherein the sidewall includes a mounting portion configured to receive an object. The method further includes mounting the object on the mounting portion of the sidewall, such that the object is visible without extending outwardly beyond the mounting portion.

Tire structure for externally mounted device

A pneumatic tire construction is provided using one or more folded body ply sheets constructed such that upon formation of the tire, the turn-ups in the sidewalls are looped turn-ups such that there are no free turn-up ends in the sidewalls.

Tire construction having a continuous body ply turn up structure

A system and method for modeling a distribution of a tire footprint boundary () include inputting a finite element model of a tire rolling against a road surface described by discrete road surface coordinates into a finite element analysis system (). A finite element analysis simulation of tire model rolling against the road surface for a plurality of time increments is performed. A plurality of tire footprint boundary () data are generated, each having road surface coordinates on which a footprint boundary () overlaps during a unique one of a second plurality of time increments. The number of second plurality of time increments during which the footprint boundary () overlaps the each of the discrete road surface coordinates is determined for each of the time increments of the simulation. For each coordinate, the number of the second plurality of time increments may be associated with a color scale or grayscale ().

System and method for determining statistical distribution of a rolling tire boundary

Provided is an apparatus for testing an associated tire. The apparatus may comprise a substantially transparent test platform. The test platform may comprise a low friction test surface. The low friction test surface may comprise a layer of lubricant. The layer may be less than 3 millimeters thick The apparatus may further comprise an optic or acoustic data acquisition system or appliance. The optic or acoustic data acquisition system or appliance may comprise either a camera positioned to view the test surface through the substantially transparent test platform, or ultrasonic equipment positioned to acquire data regarding the test surface through the substantially transparent test platform.

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Akron, OH, United States of America

Hans R Dorfi