Measuring and testing – Tire – tread or roadway
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-03
2003-01-14
Oen, William (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Tire, tread or roadway
C073S008000, C180S271000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06505506
ABSTRACT:
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The present invention pertains to a method for influencing the traction of automobile tires made from polymer materials which are mounted and in the operating/driving state, in particular, pneumatic tires for motor vehicles.
The traction of an automobile tire represents the only link between the road and the automobile and consequently is of the utmost importance in all driving conditions, e.g., for lateral traction, steering, transmitting deceleration and acceleration forces, etc.
Weather-related changes of the road or the ground or other influences on traction caused by the condition of the road surface, i.e., a wet or icy road, usually result in safety risks and accidents due to the loss of traction.
Various measures according to the state of the art are used for increasing traction of an automobile tire in such instances.
One option is the arrangement of studs or similar elements over the running surface band of the tire; however, this has the disadvantage that the road surface is subject to increased wear when the road is dry.
Another known option consists of spraying sand or a similar medium or even chemical substances onto the road in front of the automobile tire in order to increase traction. However, the problem with this solution lies in the dirtying of the road and the removal of these materials.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to influence or increase traction of mounted automobile tires that are in the operating/driving state which eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages.
The above and other objects of the present invention can be achieved by a method for influencing the traction of automobile tires made from polymer materials which are mounted and in the operating/driving state, in particular, pneumatic tires for motor vehicles, wherein an ionized gas or plasma is generated in the vicinity of the surface of the rolling automobile tire that is in the operating state. The ionized gas is conveyed onto a region of the tire surface in such a way that the ionized gas acts upon the respective surface region before this surface region rolls into the road contact surface region of the tire.
It is a feature of the invention that the ionized gas is generated and conveyed onto a region of the tire surface depending on the driving conditions, e.g., during braking maneuvers, acceleration, steering maneuvers, while driving around curves, etc.
In carrying out the present invention, there is a device arranged on the motor vehicle which contains the following:
a) a device for generating an ionized gas which is arranged in the vicinity of the tire surface and contains a guide element
ozzle for conveying the ionized gas onto a region of the tire surface that, with respect to the rolling motion of the tire, occupies a location shortly before it rolls into the road contact surface of the tire,
b) distance measuring and positioning devices for positioning the device for generating an ionized gas and the guide element
ozzle relative to the tire surface,
c) sensors and corresponding processing devices for measuring the parameters that characterize the driving condition, e.g., the rotational speed of the wheels, the wheel slip, the wheel position, braking maneuvers, acceleration and steering maneuvers or driving around curves,
d) one or more storage devices for tire data and reference values for the driving conditions, and
e) a processing unit for controlling and regulating the generation and the guidance of the ionized gas based on the measured parameters and stored values.
Another feature of the invention resides in an automobile tire where the outer surface of the automobile tire contains, at least in partial regions, a mixture that has a defined reactivity under the influence of an ionized gas.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5350035 (1994-09-01), Bodier et al.
patent: 4115367 (1992-11-01), None
patent: 5-256738 (1994-01-01), None
Gilnz Michael
Hellweg Hans-Bernd
Homt Günter
Continental Aktiengesellschaft
Jenkins Jermaine
Oen William
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
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