Resilient tires and wheels – Tires – resilient – Pneumatic tire or inner tube
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2001-10-30
Knable, Geoffrey L. (Department: 1733)
Resilient tires and wheels
Tires, resilient
Pneumatic tire or inner tube
C152S450000, C152S525000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308758
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an elastomeric tire and a method of manufacturing same and, more particularly, to a tire with a sidewall having a magnetized outer layer, the sidewall outer layer being peripherally divided into sections of alternating polarity with radially extending ribs between each adjacent pair of sections, and a method of manufacturing same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Published European Patent Application 849 597 describes a tire comprising at least one magnetized area which can be used for instance for providing information about the rotary speed of the tire when mounted on a vehicle and to measure other physical quantities. The subject of this published patent application is a tire that, at least at one predetermined location, contains a rubber mixture that is permeated with magnetizable particles. These magnetizable locations, in general an annular band in the sidewall of the tire, have successive sections of alternating magnetization, either equidistant or in a pattern. Thus, with the aid of a sensor that is secured to the chassis, not only the rotational speed of the respective wheel can be provided, but also, by measuring the tire distortion through deflection of the applied magnetized sections, forces acting on the tires can be determined.
This known tire is manufactured by mixing ferromagnetic particles into the rubber mixture which is applied to the area where the magnetization is carried out. The magnetization is then achieved by applying magnetic fields with lines of flux that extend in the peripheral direction of the tire in alternating polarizations. This magnetization is effected after installation of the magnetizable rubber mixture and after vulcanization thereof. Also described is an apparatus to carry out the magnetization.
It has been found, however, that, on the tire described, the desired magnetization is very hard to achieve. Depending on the method applied, either there is no identifiable signal at all, or the magnetized areas of opposite polarizations are not separated by the desired narrow line but, instead, wide lines are formed which blur and distort the signals detected by a respective sensor. Thus the measurements obtained are imprecise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a tire with a sidewall having a magnetized outer layer. The sidewall outer layer is peripherally divided into sections with radially extending ribs between each adjacent pair of sections. The ribs protrude above the sections. In the peripheral direction, the ribs are significantly narrower than the sections. The sections are magnetized in a peripheral direction, but with alternating polarity. The ribs close the circles of magnetic flux by allowing lines of magnetic flux to enter and exit the sidewall outer layer after moving through the surrounding air and the magnetized sections, respectively.
The ribs focus the location of the entry and exit of the lines of magnetic flux into and out of the sidewall outer layer. This focused entry and exit is achieved by the accumulation of magnetized material in the ribs which causes the lines of magnetic flux moving through the ribs to point in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the tire sidewall. As a result of this focused entry and exit, sharp edges between the areas of opposite polarization are achieved which enables the precise measurement of the peripheral locations of the lines of magnetic flux. By enabling such a precise measurement, the present invention provides for a more accurate determination of information relating to the dynamic behavior of the tire.
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Cetin A. Yuecel
Giustino James M.
Calfee Halter & Griswold LLP
Continental AG
Knable Geoffrey L.
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