Dunlop Gmbh

Sp Tyres UK Limited

Thomas Holmes

Tom French

Michael J Kenney

Phillip N Griffiths

William Eric Mitchell

William F Mitchell

John C Walker

A method of detecting a deflated tire on a vehicle which includes sensing the angular velocity of each wheel and producing a signal proportional thereto, processing the four signals in a processor unit which subtracts the sum of the signals from one pair of diagonally opposite wheels from the sum of the signals from the other pair of diagonally opposite wheels, sensing when the magnitude of the result is between 0.05% and 0.60% of the mean of the two sums, comparing the signals for each of the four wheels in turn with the signals for each of the other wheels, sensing when one of said signals is different from the average of all four signals by more than 0.1% and in the event of both sensed signal factor being present, operating a warning device to indicate a tire is partially or completely deflated.

Method of detecting a deflated tire on a vehicle

A vehicle wheel rim is disclosed a pair of bead seats, and axially inwards of and adjacent to each bead seat a circumferentially extending tire toe engaging groove. There is a secondary bead retaining means between the bead seat and the groove comprising a hump having a height measured radially from the bead seat surface adjacent to the hump of 1 to 3.0 mm. The hump preferably has a steep surface on its axially outer edge. The resultant wheel still correctly seats a normal tire with the toe engaging the hump when the tire is deflated and correctly engages in a TD type of tire with the toe in the groove.

Vehicle wheels

A tire is disclosed, including a tread portion, sidewalls and a pair of beads each containing a substantially inextensible annular bead core, having a bead seat and an extended toe portion. The extended toe portion includes an elastomeric material, extending lengthwise from the bead core in a direction radially and axially inwards thereof, the toe of a rigidity in the direction of its length such that in use of the tire on a wheel rim having a groove complementary to the toe and engaging the toe when an axially inward force is applied to the tread portion, a radially and axially outwardly directed force is generated at the bead core to affect bead retention. The toe has a substantially continuous, circumferentially extending toe decoupling means at the junction of the tire bead seats and the toe so that the toe is effectively decoupled from the bead in bending of the toe axially inwards of the tire. The decoupling means may be a single cut of a small groove. The resultant tire may safely be fitted to a normal wheel rim without the usual groove for a TD type of tire.

Tires

A tire and wheel rim assembly wherein the wheel rim includes adjacent to at least one bead seat a circumferentially extending groove and the tire bead has a radially and axially projecting extended toe portion which is axially and radially located within said groove. The toe is flexible in a direction substantially perpendicular to its length and substantially rigid in the direction of its length and provides an effective bead lock to retain the tire bead in position on the rim.

Tire and wheel rim assemblies

A pneumatic tire and wheel rim assembly comprises a one-piece wheel rim comprising a pair of annular flanges, inwardly of the outboard rim flange a bead seat adjacent and axially inwardly of which is a circumferential notch, a center portion of diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the bead seat, a well wide enough to accept a single tire bead adjacent the inboard rim flange and a blanking member blanking off said well and acting as at least a part of a bead seat for the inboard bead of the tire.

Tire and wheel assemblies

A method and apparatus for preventing a continuing non-rotating wheel condition in a wheel on a moving vehicle, comprising applying, by means for driving the wheel, a positive drive to the wheel to drive the wheel up to a predetermined low speed and disengaging, by means for disengaging the drive, the drive from the wheel when the wheel is rotating at a speed above said predetermined speed, of which the following is a specification.

Growing community of inventors

Sutton Coldfield, United Kingdom

Thomas Holmes