The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Peter Ross Shepler

Robert Leon Benedict

William M Hopkins

James Earl Koerner

Nathan A Gammon

Charles Kenneth Schmalix

Franz Hillenmayer

Thomas H Wells

Russell A Carolla

Bruce Raymond Hahn

Joseph Carmine Lettieri

Richard Nicholas Crano

Stephen Frederick Roth

Perry W Bell

Dieter Wagner

Jack Edward Brown, Jr

Jon A Gerspacher

Tony W Parsons

Charles K Schmaltx

A tire and electronic device assembly is disclosed, the electronic device measuring one or more tire parameters. The electronic device attaches to a cellular insert member to create a sub-assembly, the insert member having an inward surface attached on a centerline of the tire to an inward facing tire surface defining a tire cavity. The electronic device attaches to the cellular insert member between raised regions of the cellular insert member with an outward surface of the device uncovered and exposed and recessed below outward boundaries of the raised regions.

Tire and electronic device assembly

A method of effecting an improved adhesive bond between a rubber surface and a device adhered thereto is disclosed. In pneumatic tires, monitoring devices are more securely adhered to the innerliner of the tire utilizing a room temperature vulcanizable adhesive wherein curing is facilitated in the presence of moisture. The innerliner formulation is prepared by incorporating a material which has incomplete compatibility with the rubber of the innerliner formulation, and which has hygroscopic properties which thereby tends to attract moisture.

Rubber formulation with adhesive-compatible surface

A tire and wheel rim assembly includes a tire supporting rim having an outward facing mounting surface; a tire mounted to the rim positioning an internal tire cavity over the rim mounting surface; a passageway extending through the rim for communicating air pressure between the tire cavity and a side of the rim opposite the tire cavity; and means for controllably regulating the flow of air through the passageway. A connecting member such as a bolt may extend through the rim outside mounting surface to affix a tire pressure monitoring housing to the rim and the axial passageway through the rim may be an axial bore through the bolt. Regulation of air flow through the passageway may be effected by setting the diameter of the passageway sufficiently small; or incorporating a needle orifice in the passageway; or incorporating a porous insert body into the passageway. The insert body may be composed of sintered metal and may be fused to the internal sidewalls of the bolt.

Leak down device for tire pressure monitoring system

Methods of monitoring tire pressure and responding to a tire pressure error. A tire pressure monitoring apparatus provides signals to a vehicle control representing pressures in respective ones of the tires. The vehicle control first detects a tire pressure error in one of the tires, and then presents to a user a first signal representing the tire pressure error in the one of the tires. Then, a user input representing a prospective tire filling activity is detected. Thereafter, a second signal is presented to the user in response to a pressure in the one of the tires being substantially equal to a desired tire pressure.

Tire pressure monitoring method

A system and method for post-cure application of electronics to a tire includes: a first stage assembly in which an ends of an annular antenna wire are positioned within conductive grommets in a base member; a second stage in which a plug is affixed to the base member to hold the antenna ends in place during shaping and curing of the antenna wire into a tire; and a third stage in which the plug is replaced by a tag carrier, the carrier including means for establishing and maintaining electrical contact between the antenna ends and the tag.

System and method for post-cure application of electronics to a tire

A housing for a tag assembly comprises an internal chamber defined by sidewalls and a bottom wall; a peripheral flange projecting from the housing; convergent surfaces extending at an upper housing end to an upper surface; and a sensor portal projecting through the housing upper surface in communication with the housing chamber. The housing is positioned within a mold block with the upper housing end resident within a mold block cavity. An upper surface of the peripheral flange and housing sidewall superior to the flange abut sidewall portions of the mold block to isolate the upper housing end with the cavity while carrier strip material is induced into the mold to partially embed the housing therein. An annular apparatus is thus formed comprising an annular carrier strip having a transponder housing at least partially embedded therein in which an upper housing end remains free of the carrier strip.

Tag housing and assembly method for annular apparatus

A device for detecting the tire pressure of a motor vehicle tire ( ) has an electronic unit ( ) with an antenna ( ) that is connected therewith. The electronic unit ( ) and the antenna ( ) are mounted on an elastic, circular support ( ), which is fixed coaxially to the wheel axle ( ) on the tire sidewall ( ) in proximity of the wheel rim ( ). The support ( ) is fixed to the tire ( ) only with its inner circumferential side while the outer circumferential side protrudes freely into the interior of the tire.

Device for detecting the tire pressure of a motor vehicle tire

A tread for a unidirectional pneumatic tire has first and second circumferentially extending zones. The edges of the zones are parallel to the equatorial plane of the tire. Each zone has a width between 40% and 60% of the tread width. The first zone has substantially aligned lateral wide groove segments extending across the width of the first zone. The segments form an angle between 70 and 90 degrees with the equatorial plane. The net-to-gross ratio of the first zone is at least 3% more than that of the second zone. The leading edge of the blocks in the first zone are narrower than the trailing edge. The second zone has substantially aligned lateral wide groove segments extending across the width of the second zone. The segments form an angle between 10 and 45 degrees with the equatorial plane.

Symmetrical and directional pneumatic tire tread

An improved tire/vehicle system for an automotive vehicle has two pneumatic front tires and two pneumatic rear tires. The rear tire treads are wider than the front tire treads and are divided circumferentially into first and second portions. The first portion of each rear tire tread has a width between 50% and 90% of the rear tire's tread width and is arranged to longitudinally track at least a majority of one of the front tire treads. The second portion of the rear tire tread does not longitudinally track any portion of such front tire tread. Each rear tire tread has a tread groove pattern that is asymmetric in character, the respective net-to-gross ratios in each of the first portions of the rear tire treads being at least 27% different from the net-to-gross ratios of their second portions.

Front and rear tire tread patterns in a four-wheeled tire/vehicle system

A tread for a unidirectional pneumatic tire has first, second and third circumferentially extending zones. The edges of the zones are parallel to the equatorial plane of the tire. The width of the first zone is between 25% and 50% of the tread width, the width of the second zone is between 15% and 35%, and the width of the third zone is between 25% and 50%. The first zone has substantially aligned lateral wide groove segments extending across the width of the first zone. The segments form an angle between 70 and 90 degrees with a plane in the first zone parallel to the equatorial plane. The second zone has substantially aligned lateral wide groove segments extending across the width of the second zone. The segments form an angle between 10 and 45 degrees with a plane in the second zone parallel to the equatorial plane. The third zone has substantially aligned lateral wide groove segments extending across the width of the third zone which are generally perpendicular to the lateral wide groove segments of the second zone. The segments form an angle between 45 and 70 degrees with a plane in the third zone parallel to the equatorial plane.

Tread for a unidirectional pneumatic tire

The tread (28) of a tire (10) has a plurality of traction elements (34), each of which has a ground-engaging surface. The ground-engaging surfaces are convex in either an axial direction, a circumferential direction, or both directions. The convex paths followed by the ground-engaging surfaces vary between ground-engaging surfaces across the axial width of the tread in relationship to the unit tread pressure of the tire, and may also vary between ground-engaging surfaces that are axially aligned but located at different places around the circumference of the tire.

Tire treads with convex elements

A pneumatic vehicle tire (10) has a plurality of radial carcass plies (16,18). One of the carcass plies (16) has a high turn-up that ends under the belt reinforcing structure (42). The other carcass ply (18) has its lateral edges (34,36) located radially inwardly of the widest part of the tire (SD).

Growing community of inventors

Stow, OH, United States of America

Peter Ross Shepler