The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

The General Tire & Rubber Company

Richard Nicholas Crano

John Michael Fenkanyn

Robert Leon Benedict

Cheng-Hsiung Lin

Joseph Carmine Lettieri

Thulasiram Gobinath

Peter Ross Shepler

Stephen Frederick Roth

Mario Vincent Orosa

John A Welch

Dale Roy Norton

Joseph Paul Batcho, Sr

Dennis E Bible

Adam Joseph O'Donnell

Rajat Jain

Sr Joseph Paul Batcho

An antenna assembly includes a stand having a convex outer surface positioned to intercept and engage a vehicle tire as the vehicle tire passes over the convex stand surface. The height and contour of the convex stand surface slows the rotational rate of the vehicle tire, and thereby a transmitting device carried by the tire, to a preferred rotational read rate as the vehicle tire passes over the convex surface. One or more antenna members mount to the stand proximal to the convex surface, each antenna having a directionally aimed tilted antenna field positioned to continuously receive data transmission from the electronic transmitting device as the vehicle tire passes over the convex stand surface at the reduced rotational read rate.

Antenna assembly for a tag reader

An air maintenance tire and pump assembly includes a pair of inline valves are positioned on respective opposite sides of an in-tire air passageway inlet junction and a pair of outlet valves positioned at a downstream side of a respective inline valve. A bypass valve is further provided extending between the downstream valve sides of the inline valves, the bypass valve operative to open and bypass the flow of inlet air through the outlet valves to the tire cavity in the event that a tire cavity pressure is greater than a preset pressure level and close when a tire cavity pressure is less than the preset pressure level.

Bypass air maintenance tire and pump assembly

A method of testing an electronic tag includes: embedding the electronic tag within an elongate carrier strip composed of a material having material properties simulating an end product material within which the tag resides embedded during end product use; positioning the embedded tag substantially within the carrier strip at a mid-portion between opposite end portions of the strip; positioning the mid-portion of the strip and the embedded tag over at least one curved support surface; engaging the end portions of the strip; and positioning a reader in a position operative to receive information from the electronic tag during a testing transmission sequence; reciprocally moving the strip mid-portion in a forward direction and a reverse direction over the curved support surface; and rendering the reader operational to receive information transmitted from the electronic tag as the strip mid-portion reciprocally moves in the forward and reverse directions.

Method for testing embedded RFID tags

A testing apparatus includes an elongate carrier strip encapsulating an electronic device such as an RFID tag therein. The apparatus includes multiple rollers positioned in sequence and defining a serpentine path for receiving and supporting a carrier strip mid-portion. A drive mechanism engages the end portions of the strip and reciprocally moves the strip mid-portion in a forward direction and a reverse direction against curved surfaces of the rollers. A reader is further provided and positioned to detect the presence or absence of transmission error by the electronic device as the strip mid-portion reciprocally moves in the forward and reverse directions over the apparatus support surface during a testing sequence.

Testing apparatus for embedded RFID tags

A test fixture and electronic tag assembly includes an electronic tag comprising an electronic device and a half wave dipole antenna of antenna length L. The antenna is configured as first and second coiled dipole antenna segments connecting with and extending in opposite directions from the electronic device. The assembly further includes a support frame; first and second electrically conductive pads positioned in spaced apart relationship within the support frame; and apparatus for fixedly holding end segments of the first and second coiled dipole antenna segments respectively against the first and second conductive pads in an overlapping relationship. A combined length of the first and second coiled dipole antenna segments and the conductive pads less the length of the overlapping end segments define a calculated effective antenna length for operative utility in performance measurement of the electronic tag in air analogous with the performance of the performance of the tag in a non-air medium such as in a tire. The spacing between the conductive pads may be selectively altered to accommodate the testing of tags of varying lengths within the fixture.

RFID tire tag test fixture and method

A tire and wheel rim assembly includes a tire supporting rim having an outward facing mounting surface and at least one tire body mounted to the rim and positioning an internal tire cavity over the rim mounting surface. A tire pressure monitoring module assembly mounts to the rim mounting surface and includes a housing having an internal pressure chamber; a pressure sensing device and/or a temperature measuring sensor within the housing pressure chamber; and an elongate connecting member extending through the housing and the rim mounting surface. A crossover pipe connects the housing pressure chamber with a remote portion of the rim. The inflation pressure in the tire cavity is transferred through the axial passageway of the crossover pipe to the pressure chamber within the module housing.

Rim mounted pressure monitoring system for a tire with protected monitoring module

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

A tire and wheel rim assembly includes a tire supporting rim having an outward facing mounting surface and at least one tire body mounted to the rim and positioning an internal tire cavity over the rim mounting surface. A tire pressure monitoring module assembly mounts to the rim mounting surface and includes a housing having an internal pressure chamber; a pressure sensing device and/or a temperature measuring sensor within the housing pressure chamber; and an elongate connecting member extending through the housing and the rim mounting surface. The connecting member has an axial through-passageway communicating with the internal tire cavity and the housing pressure chamber. The connecting member may be configured as an externally threaded bolt having an axial through-passageway. The bolt is in threaded engagement with a threaded opening in the housing and extends through the rim outside mounting surface to couple the housing to the rim. The inflation pressure in the tire cavity is transferred through the axial passageway of the threaded bolt to the pressure chamber within the module housing. The tire pressure monitoring module assembly, attached to the rim outward mounting surface, is positioned in a non-contacting relationship with the one or more tire bodies mounted to side of the rim opposite the rim mounting surface.

Rim mounted tire pressure monitoring system

A pneumatic tire assembly is capable of supporting a vehicle wheel rolling for a limited distance when the air in the assembly has escaped. The tire of the assembly is prevented from going completely flat by an annular insert, preferably of a high modulus elastomeric material, that is placed inside the tire and fits over the wheel rim and between the beads of the tire. The annular insert is of a novel construction that is lightweight and flexible enough to be stretched over a conventional rim, yet is able to support the load normally borne by the inflated tire and also resists unseating of the beads.

Pneumatic tire assembly

A method and apparatus are provided for qualitatively determining relative tire wear of pneumatic tires. The shoulder ribs and adjacent ribs of the tire tread of the tire are radially, preferably statically loaded preferably against a movable follower member positioned in an opening in a bearing surface against which the remaining tire tread is radially loaded. The follower member is pivoted to prevent motion radial to the tire and attached to deflection members on which are mounted at least one strain gauge. The lateral deflection of the tread ribs adjacent to the shoulder portions are thus measured. Tires associated with the greater of the lateral deflection under radial load have a correspondingly greater wear rate.

Growing community of inventors

Akron, OH, United States of America

Richard Nicholas Crano