Truck tire scrub intervention
AssigneeCompagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
InventorZachary Alexander Merrill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and apparatus that reduces tire scrub on a truck and or trailer during turns. The system minimizes the redistribution of the load among the tires thereby spreading the load of the trailer or truck among the tires avoiding unnecessary overloading. The system operates without operator intervention and is capable of operating automatically on trailers, without control signals from the truck.
Claims15
A system for controlling downforce on at least one of a plurality of tires on a vehicle in order to reduce scrubbing, the vehicle having at least one forward axle and at least one rearward axle spaced apart from the forward axle, each axle having at least one right tire and at least one left tire, an axle downforce adjustment mechanism to adjust of the downforce of at least one tire, the system comprising:
- a sensor attached to the vehicle for detecting vehicle turns;
- a vehicle axle control unit;
- wherein said sensor sends a sensor signal to the vehicle axle control unit;
- wherein the vehicle axle control unit uses the sensor signal to determine if the vehicle is turning;
- wherein the vehicle axle control unit determines if the vehicle is moving forward or is moving backwards;
- wherein when the vehicle axle control unit determines the vehicle undergoing a counterclockwise turn and is below a given speed and the vehicle is moving forward the vehicle axle control unit sends a control signal to the axle downforce adjustment mechanism to reduce the downforce at the left forward axle tire, and wherein downforce at the right forward axle tire is maintained and not modified;
- wherein when the vehicle axle control unit determines the vehicle undergoing a clockwise turn and is below the given speed and the vehicle is moving forward the vehicle axle control unit sends the control signal to the axle downforce adjustment mechanism to reduce the downforce at the right forward axle tire, and wherein downforce at the left forward axle tire is maintained and not modified;
- wherein when the vehicle axle control unit determines the vehicle is below a given speed and turning and the vehicle is moving backwards the vehicle axle control unit sends the control signal to the axle downforce adjustment mechanism to reduce the downforce at the right forward axle tire and to reduce the downforce at the left forward axle tire.
A vehicle that controls the downforce on at least one of a plurality of tires on the vehicle in order to reduce scrubbing, the vehicle comprising:
- at least one forward axle having at least one right tire and at least one left tire;
- at least one rearward axle spaced apart from the forward axle, the rearward axle having at least one right tire and at least one left tire;
- an axle downforce adjustment mechanism to adjust the downforce of the at least one axle tire,
- a sensor attached to the vehicle for detecting vehicle turns;
- a vehicle axle control unit;
- wherein said sensor sends signal data to the vehicle axle control unit;
- wherein the vehicle axle control unit determines if the vehicle is moving forward or is moving backwards;
- wherein when the vehicle axle control unit determines the vehicle undergoing a counterclockwise turn and is below a given speed and the vehicle is moving forward the vehicle axle control unit sends a control signal to the axle downforce adjustment mechanism to reduce the downforce at the left forward axle tire, and wherein downforce at the right forward axle tire is maintained and not modified;
- wherein when the vehicle axle control unit determines the vehicle undergoing a clockwise turn and is below the given speed and the vehicle is moving forward the vehicle axle control unit sends the control signal to the axle downforce adjustment mechanism to reduce the downforce at the right forward axle tire, and wherein downforce at the left forward axle tire is maintained and not modified;
- wherein when the vehicle axle control unit determines the vehicle is below a given speed and turning and the vehicle is moving backwards the vehicle axle control unit sends the control signal to the axle downforce adjustment mechanism to reduce the downforce at the right forward axle tire and to reduce the downforce at the left forward axle tire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.