Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Automobile
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-01
2004-03-23
Cariaso, Alan (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Automobile
C152S523000, C152S154200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06709138
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a safety tire with illumination and more particularly pertains to allowing a tire to illuminate at night to prevent accidents, and to illuminate in a distinct tire to indicate undue tread wear.
The visibility of a vehicle is a major factor in accident avoidance. Any steps which seek to make a vehicle more visible are generally preferred and are implemented by automobile manufacturers. Vehicle visibility can be especially important when attempting to recover vehicles who have left the road in rural areas.
The use of illuminating objects is known in the prior art. More specifically, illuminating objects heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of allowing objects to be seen in the dark are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Japanese Patent No. 8-318715 discloses a tire which can have a multiple color scheme, to enhance the visual appearance of the tire. The color scheme can be provided by using fluorescent paint in the grooves of the tire.
However, tire treads play an important role in maintaining frictional contact with the road surface, even during adverse weather condition. However, when tire treads wear, traction can be severely impacted. Unfortunately, undue tire wear is not readily apparent without a close inspection. Thus, most automobile owners do not realize that their tires are worn until they have difficulty maintaining control of their vehicle.
Certain devices have been proposed which seek to indicate tire wear to the driver. While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, these patents do not describe a safety tire with illumination for allowing a tire to illuminate at night to prevent accidents.
In this respect, the safety tire with illumination according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing a tire to illuminate at night to prevent accidents, make the vehicle more visible even during the daytime, and indicate to a user when tire wear mandates immediate tire replacement.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved safety tire with illumination, which can be used for allowing a tire to illuminate at night to prevent accidents. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of illuminating objects now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved safety tire with illumination. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved safety tire with illumination and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a tire adapted for operative positioning on a vehicle. The tire has a plurality of treads extending circumferentially around a perimeter thereof, and a plurality of annular recesses therebetween. Fluorescently colored rubber of a first color are disposed within the annular recesses of the plurality of treads of the tire. Steel belts extend within the treads which are fluorescently colored of a second color so that when the tires wear the second color is exposed to indicate undue wear. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved safety tire with illumination, which has all the advantages of the prior art illuminating objects and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved safety tire with illumination, which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved safety tire with illumination, which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved safety tire with illumination which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such safety tire with illumination economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved safety tire with illumination for allowing a tire to illuminate at night and be more visible during the day to prevent accidents.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved safety tire which illuminates in a second color when the tire has experienced undue tread wear. Accordingly, an unsafe tire is readily apparent to the driver and to others who can inform the driver thereabout.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved safety tire with illumination including a tire adapted for operative positioning on a vehicle. The tire has a plurality of treads extending circumferentially around a perimeter thereof and annular recesses therebetween. A fluorescently colored rubber is disposed within the annular recesses of the plurality of treads of the tire in a first color. Steel belts of a second color are located within the treads, which are exposed once the tire has experienced undue wear.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3607498 (1971-09-01), Kubota
patent: 3729041 (1973-04-01), Kubota
patent: 5303756 (1994-04-01), Hill
patent: 6286573 (2001-09-01), Hine
Cariaso Alan
Goldstein & Lavas P.C.
Negron Ismael
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