IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0215574
(2002-08-09)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Gast, Jr., George E.
- Gormish, Kenneth J.
- Zolton, Gary Paul
- Edwards, II, Henry Buel
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Continental Tire North America, Inc.
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
5 인용 특허 :
19 |
초록
▼
A method for directional force correction of pneumatic tires that simultaneously corrects radial and tangential force exerted by the tire. The method allows for the correction of tangential force regardless of the rotational direction of the tire. This invention accomplishes this end through an impr
A method for directional force correction of pneumatic tires that simultaneously corrects radial and tangential force exerted by the tire. The method allows for the correction of tangential force regardless of the rotational direction of the tire. This invention accomplishes this end through an improved force correction technique, wherein at least two rotary grinders are employed. In the inventive method, the rotational direction of one grinder is reversed in relation to the rotational direction of the other grinder(s). Therefore, at least one grinder will engage the tire in an “up-grinding” manner, and at least one grinder will engage the tire in a “down-grinding” manner. The result is that across the width of the tire's tread surface, some tread blocks will have a “heel-to-toe” appearance, while others will appear “toe-to-heel.” The effect is that, no matter what direction the tire is rotating while in use on an automobile, tangential force variation has been reduced.
대표청구항
▼
1. An improved method for reducing tangential force variation exerted by a pneumatic tire rotating against a load, the improvement comprising:(a) mounting a tire on a known tire uniformity machine having at least two grinding wheels; and (b) employing said uniformity machine to grind the tire whereb
1. An improved method for reducing tangential force variation exerted by a pneumatic tire rotating against a load, the improvement comprising:(a) mounting a tire on a known tire uniformity machine having at least two grinding wheels; and (b) employing said uniformity machine to grind the tire whereby at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in an up-grinding manner creating a first slope in one of a shoulder rib and a center rib, and at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in a down-grinding manner creating a second slope in one of a shoulder rib and a center rib, wherein one of said first and second slopes is a positive slope and the other of said first and second slopes is a negative slope. 2. The improved invention of claim 1, wherein:(a) there are two grinding wheels; and (b) said grinding wheels are positioned to grind one or more of the shoulder ribs of the tread surface of the tire, or opposing center ribs of the tread surface of the tire. 3. An improved method for reducing tangential force variation exerted by a pneumatic tire rotating against a load, the improvement comprising:(a) mounting a tire on a known tire uniformity machine having two grinding wheels, wherein said grinding wheels are positioned to grind one or more shoulder ribs or opposing center ribs of the tread surface of the tire; (b) employing said uniformity machine to grind the tire whereby at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in an up-grinding manner and at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in a down-grinding manner; and (c) applying an unequal grinding pressure to the tire, wherein a grinding pressure applied to the tire by the grinding wheel engaging the tire in a down-grinding manner is greater than a grinding pressure applied to the tire by the grinding wheel engaging the tire in an up-grinding manner. 4. The improved invention of claim 3, wherein the grinding pressure applied by the grinding wheel engaging the tire in a up-grinding manner corresponds to a load on the grinding wheel motor of about 60 to 80% of the load applied to the motor of the down grinding wheel.5. An improved method for reducing tangential force variation exerted by a pneumatic tire rotating against a load, the improvement comprising:(a) mounting a tire on a known tire uniformity machine having three grinding wheels; and (b) employing said uniformity machine to grind the tire whereby at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in an up-grinding manner and at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in a down-grinding manner; (c) wherein the tread surface of the tire has a center and two shoulders, and two of said grinding wheels are positioned to grind the two shoulders, both of said grinding wheels being driven in the same rotational direction relative to each other; and (c) the third of said grinding wheels is positioned to grind the center of the tread surface of the tire, said grinding wheel being driven in the opposite rotational direction relative to the grinding wheels positioned on the two shoulders of the tire. 6. The improved invention of claim 5, wherein unequal grinding pressures are applied to the tire, so that a grinding pressure applied by the center grinding wheel is greater than a grinding pressure applied by the grinding wheels engaging the tire on the two shoulders.7. The improved invention of claim 5, wherein the grinding pressure applied by the shoulder grinding wheels corresponds to a load on the grinding wheel motors of about 30 to 70% of a load applied to the motor of the center grinding wheels.8. An improved method for reducing tangential force variation exerted by a pneumatic tire rotating against a load, the improvement comprising:(a) mounting a tire on a known tire uniformity machine having at least two grinding wheels; and (b) employing said uniformity machine to grind the tire whereby at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in an up-grinding manner and at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in a down-grinding manner; wherein unequal grinding pressures are applied to the tire, so that a grinding pressure applied by the grinding wheel(s) engaging the tire in a down-grinding manner is greater than a grinding pressure applied by the grinding wheel(s) engaging the tire in an up-grinding manner. 9. An improved method for reducing tangential force variation exerted by a pneumatic tire rotating against a load, the improvement comprising:(a) mounting a tire on a known tire uniformity machine having at least two grinding wheels; and (b) employing said uniformity machine to grind the tire whereby at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in an up-grinding manner and at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in a down-grinding manner; wherein a grinding pressure applied by the grinding wheel(s) engaging the tire in a up-grinding manner corresponds to a load on the grinding wheel motor of about 30 to 80% of the load on the grinding wheel motor of the down-grinding wheel(s). 10. An improved method for simultaneously correcting radial and tangential force variation exerted by a pneumatic tire rotating against a load, regardless of the tire's rotational direction, including the reduction of the tangential force variation component that is resultant from the uniformly sloped tread-blocks of conventional radial force correction, the improvement comprising:(a) mounting a tire, having two shoulders, on a tire uniformity machine having two grinding wheels, wherein one grinding wheel is positioned on each shoulder of the tire; (b) employing said uniformity machine to grind the tire whereby one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in an up-grinding manner and the other grinding wheel is engaging the tire in a down-grinding manner; and (c) applying unequal grinding pressures to the tire, wherein a grinding pressure applied by the grinding wheel engaging the tire in a down-grinding manner is greater than the grinding pressure applied by the grinding wheel engaging the tire in an up-grinding manner. 11. The improved invention of claim 10, wherein the grinding pressure applied by the grinding wheel engaging the tire in a up-grinding manner corresponds to a load on the grinding wheel motor of about 60 to 80% of a load on the grinding wheel motor of the down-grinding wheel.12. An improved method for simultaneously correcting radial and tangential force variation exerted by a pneumatic tire rotating against a load, regardless of the tire's rotational direction, including the reduction of the tangential force variation component that is resultant from the uniformly sloped tread-blocks of conventional radial force correction, the improvement comprising:(a) mounting a tire, having a tread with two shoulders and a center, on a tire uniformity machine having three grinding wheels, wherein a grinding wheel is positioned on each shoulder of the tire, and the remaining grinding wheel is positioned in the center of the tread surface; (b) employing said uniformity machine to grind the tire whereby at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in an up-grinding manner and at least one of the grinding wheels is engaging the tire in a down-grinding manner; (c) driving the grinding wheels positioned on the shoulders of the tire in the same rotational direction relative to each other, and driving the grinding wheel positioned in the center of the tread surface in the opposite rotational direction relative to that of the other grinding wheels; and (d) applying unequal grinding pressures to the tire, wherein a grinding pressure applied by the center grinding wheels is greater that a grinding pressure applied by the shoulder grinding wheels. 13. The improved invention of claim 12, wherein the grinding pressure applied by the shoulder grinding wheels corresponds to a load on the grinding wheel motor(s) of about 30 to 70% of a load on the motor of the center grinding wheel.14. An improved method for reducing tangential force variation exerted by a pneumatic tire rotating against a load, the improvement comprising:(a) mounting a tire on a on a known tire uniformity machine having two grinding wheels; (b) grinding one or more shoulder ribs of said tire whereby the grinding wheels are rotating in the same direction relative to each other, creating a similarly sloped heel-to-toe profile across the tread surface of the tire; (c) determining the rotational direction of the tire which corresponds to the tread blocks rotating heel-to-toe; (d) determining on which side of a vehicle said tire should be mounted so that it rotates heel-to-toe when the vehicle moves in the forward direction; and (e) identifying the tire so that it is to be mounted the specific side of the vehicle, as determined above. 15. An improved method for reducing tangential force variation exerted by a pneumatic tire rotating against a load, the improvement comprising:(a) mounting a tire on a on a known tire uniformity machine having two grinding wheels; (b) grinding one or more shoulder ribs of said tire whereby the grinding wheels are rotating in the same direction relative to each other, creating a similarly sloped heel-to-toe profile across the tread surface of the tire; (c) determining the rotational direction of the tire which corresponds to the tread blacks rotating heel-to-toe; and (d) determining on which side of a vehicle said tire should be mounted so that it rotates heel-to-toe when the vehicle moves in the forward direction.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.