Systems and methods for controlling handling characteristics of a tire
OwnerMatthew Bruce Tropperinventor
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Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention relates to systems and methods for controlling handling characteristics of a tire. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a tire having controllable handling characteristics.
Claims30
A tire having controllable handling characteristics which are variable in real-time, comprising:
- a mechanism for varying the amount of flexing that the tire is permitted to undergo, which mechanism includes a fluid selected from the group of:
- (a) an electrorheological fluid;
- (b) a magnetorheological fluid;
- and (c) a ferrofluid;
- and
- a mechanism for applying to or removing from the fluid at least one of:
- (a) an electric current;
- and (b) a magnetic field.
A system for controlling, in real-time, handling characteristics of a tire which is used on a vehicle driven by a driver on a driving surface, comprising:
- a mechanism for detecting at least one of:
- (a) a change in input from the driver;
- (b) a condition of the driving surface;
- and (c) a state of the vehicle and for generating a control signal in response thereto;
- a mechanism for varying the amount of flexing that the tire is permitted to undergo, which mechanism includes a fluid selected from the group of:
- (a) an electrorheological fluid;
- (b) a magnetorheological fluid;
- and (c) a ferrofluid;
- and
- a mechanism responsive to the control signal for applying to or removing from the fluid at least one of:
- (a) an electric current;
- and (b) a magnetic field.
A method for controlling, in real-time, handling characteristics of a tire which is used on a vehicle driven by a driver on a driving surface, comprising:
- detecting at least one of:
- (a) a change in input from the driver;
- (b) a condition of the driving surface;
- and (c) a state of the vehicle;
- and
- applying to or removing from a fluid selected from the group of:
- (a) an electrorheological fluid;
- (b) a magnetorheological fluid;
- and (c) a ferrofluid;
- at least one of:
- (a) an electric current;
- and (b) a magnetic field responsive to the detection of at least one of:
- (a) a change in input from the driver;
- (b) a condition of the driving surface;
- and (c) a state of the vehicle.
A method for controlling, in real-time, handling characteristics of a tire which is used on a vehicle driven by a driver on a driving surface, comprising:
- detecting at least one of:
- (a) a change in input from the driver;
- (b) a condition of the driving surface;
- and (c) a state of the vehicle;
- and
- varying the amount of flexing that the tire is permitted to undergo in response to the detection of at least one of:
- (a) a change in input from the driver;
- (b) a condition of the driving surface;
- and (c) a state of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.