7977results about "Tyre tread bands/patterns" patented technology

Arrangement and method for monitoring a tire mounted to the vehicle in which a thermal radiation detecting device detects the temperature of the tire at different circumferential locations along the circumference of the tire. The detected temperatures of the tire are analyzed to determine, for example, whether a difference in thermal radiation is present between the circumferential locations of the tire, and if so, an action is effected in response to the analysis. The thermal radiation detecting devices are preferably supplied with power wirelessly, e.g., through an inductive system, a capacitive system or a radio frequency energy transfer system.

System for obtaining information about a vehicle or a component therein includes sensors arranged to generate and transmit a signal upon receipt and detection of a radio frequency (RF) signal and a multi-element, switchable directional antenna array. Each antenna element is directed toward a respective sensor and transmitter RF signals toward that sensor and receive return signals therefrom. A control mechanism controls transmission of the RF signals from the antenna elements, e.g., causes the antenna elements to be alternately switched on in order to sequentially transmit the RF signals and receive the return signals from the sensors or cause the antenna elements to transmit the RF signals simultaneously and space the return signals from the sensors via a delay line in circuitry from each antenna element such that each return signal is spaced in time in a known manner without requiring switching of the antenna elements.

A system and method for monitoring belt wear or tread wear of a tire includes at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag with unique identification embedded in the belt or tread of the tire at one or more wear points. An RF tag reader periodically monitoring signals from the at least one RFID tag. If the RF tag reader fails to obtain any signals from the at least one RFID tag, indicating a destroyed RFID tag, the user can be warned about a wear problem of that belt or tire. RFID tags can be distributed at different depths of the tire(s), or across the tread at the same depth, of the tire(s) to determine different wear problems. The same RFID tag can also be used for inventory tracking purposes.

An apparatus and method for transporting a payload over a surface is provided. A vehicle supports a payload with a support partially enclosed by an enclosure. Two laterally disposed ground-contacting elements are coupled to at least one of the enclosure or support. A motorized drive is coupled to the ground-contacting elements. A controller coupled to the drive governs the operation of the drive at least in response to the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle to dynamically control balancing of the vehicle.

A curved surfaces for adhering to contact surfaces is provided. The structure includes a curved surface with a plurality of nano-fibers disposed thereon. When the curved surface is in a first position, at least one of the plurality of nano-fibers contacts the contact surface and provides an adhesive force at the contact surface. When the curved surface rotates to a second position from the first position, the at least one of the plurality of nano-fibers is leveraged way from the contact surface.

The invention relates to a tire of a structural combination of tire tread and sidewall components with compositional limitations containing minimal, if any, of in situ formed alcohol and methyl isobutyl ketone byproducts. The tread component rubber composition contains pre-hydrophobated silica reinforcement. The sidewall component contains low unsaturation EPDM or brominated copolymer of isobutylene and p-methylstyrene and may contain pre-hydrophobated silica reinforcement. The silica reinforcement for said tread and sidewall components is a pre-hydrophobated precipitated silica. The pre-hydrophobated silica is prepared, prior to mixing with the elastomer(s), by reacting hydroxyl groups (e.g. silanol groups) contained on the surface of a precipitated silica with an alkoxyorganomercaptosilane or a combination of an alkoxyorganomercaptosilane and a substituted alkylsilane or with a bis-3(trialkoxysilylalkyl) polysulfide which contains an average of from 2 to 4 connecting sulfur atoms in its polysulfidic bridge to form a composite thereof. The alcohol byproduct therefrom is removed from the composite prior to its introduction into the rubber composition(s). In another aspect of the invention, the connecting sidewall rubber composition, and optionally the tread composition is free of N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine antidegradant (referred herein to as 6PPD) in order to prevent in situ formation of methyl isobutyl ketone byproduct from the reaction of 6PPD with atmospheric oxygen and / or ozone.

A structurally supported tire includes an outer annular band, and a plurality of web spokes extending transversely across and radially inward from the annular band and anchored in a wheel or hub. The annular band may further comprise a shear layer, at least a first membrane adhered to the radially inward extent of the shear layer, and at least a second membrane adhered to the radially outward extent of the shear layer. A preferred web spoke has a cutaway section transverse to the annular band. The cutaway section has a profile formed by straight line segments joined by a blending radius. The profile of the cutaway comprises a height and a maximum depth greater than five percent of the height and less than thirty percent of the maximum width. The profile has an angle alpha formed by a line tangent to the profile relative to the horizontal at least equal to ten degrees at the radially outermost and radially innermost extent of said profile. The minimum radius of curvature of the profile is at least equal to twenty percent of the height of the cutaway section.

A tire includes a nail-type force sensor embedded, for example, in an isolated element such as a tread pattern block (T112). The sensor comprises a rigid shank (1) designed to be acted upon by the force to be determined and a head (2). The head (2) comprises an element attached to the shank (1) capable of being deformed when the shank is displaced. This deformable element carries means to measure the deformation and comprises anchoring points which have a position relative to the shank (1) at rest and which essentially maintain that position when the shank (1) is displaced.

A structurally supported tire includes a ground contacting tread portion, a reinforced annular band disposed radially inward of the tread portion, and a plurality of web spokes extending transversely across and radially inward from the reinforced annular band and anchored in a wheel or hub. The reinforced annular band comprises an elastomeric shear layer, at least a first membrane adhered to the radially inward extent of the elastomeric shear layer and at least a second membrane adhered to the radially outward extent of the elastomeric shear layer. Each of the membranes has a longitudinal tensile modulus sufficiently greater than the shear modulus of the shear layer, and a longitudinal compression modulus of a second membrane is at least equal to the longitudinal tensile modulus of a first membrane so that when under load the ground contacting portion of the tire deforms to a flat contact region through shear strain in the shear layer while maintaining constant the length of the membranes. The web spokes transmit load forces between the annular band and the hub through tension in the web spokes not connected to the ground contacting portion of the tire.

A pneumatic tire having an air permeation preventive layer comprising a low permeability thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising a thermoplastic elastomer having a thermoplastic resin composition as a continuous phase and a rubber composition as a dispersed phase, in which a barrier resin composition is contained, which low permeability thermoplastic elastomer composition has a phase structure in which the barrier resin composition is dispersed in the form of a flat state in the thermoplastic elastomer, is abundant in flexibility, is superior in gas permeation preventive property, and enables the tire to be reduced in weight.

This invention relates to a tread rubber composition for tires with the addition of crosslinked resinous nanoparticles having a high glass transition temperature (Tg) into elastomeric base polymers. The invention demonstrates greatly improved handling performance without deteriorating controllability and stability during high-speed running. The present invention more specifically discloses a tire which is comprised of a generally toroidal-shaped carcass with an outer circumferential tread, two spaced beads, at least one ply extending from bead to bead and sidewalls extending radially from and connecting said tread to said beads; wherein said tread is adapted to be ground-contacting; and wherein the tread is comprised of a rubber composition comprising: (1) a rubbery polymer; (2) from 1 to 30 parts per hundred parts of rubber by weight of pre-crosslinked polymer particles, wherein the pre-crosslinked polymer particles have a mean number average particle size as determined by light scattering which is within the range of 30 nm to 500 nm, wherein the pre-crosslinked polymer is comprised of repeat units that are derived from at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylate monomers, acrylonitrile monomer, and vinyl halide monomers, wherein the pre-croslinked polymer is in the form of core-shell particles having a core and a shell, and wherein the pre-crosslinked polymer has a glass transition temperature which is within the range of 30° C. to 200° C.; and (3) 10 to 150 parts per hundred parts of rubber by weight of at least one filler selected from the group consisting of carbon black and silica.