GB2603163A

GB2603163A - Tyre Wear Awareness

Info

Publication number: GB2603163A
Application number: GB2101199.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Glover Paul
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-01-28
Filing date: 2021-01-28
Publication date: 2022-08-03
Also published as: GB202101199D0

Abstract

A tyre wear indication system comprising reinforced tubes 1a that are provided in the tyre tread and a cavity 1c. The cavity is filled with a material of a different density to the tyre. The tube and cavity are positioned in the tyre so that when the tyre wears to a critical wear level, the end of the tube is worn down such that the material contained in the cavity is released it causes vibrations which alerts the driver to the tyre wear. The cavity may additionally comprise a pad 1d that comprises a variety of materials that cause a weight imbalance once the tubes or cavity have worn and release the material stored inside. The material may also be coloured so that when the tube is worn by road surface a visual indicator is provided around the tyre and complements the vibrations felt by the driver as a indication means. The system may also be retro fitted by a professional to a tyre without this system.

Description

Tyre Wear Awareness This invention relates to a device that alerts the vehicle user and observers of rubber tyre tread wear.

Vehicles these days require the user to carry out less and less daily maintenance without being prompted by the on-board computer systems fitted to vehicles. Just about every aspect of the car is monitored, even down to tyre pressure and temperatures. If there is a problem the vehicle alerts you to this, so you as the user can deal with it. But sadly, not tyre tread wear, there is nothing that draws the user to a tyre tread that has worn, out or close to wearing out, while operating the vehicle. Yet this is one of the most important checks to carry out on a vehicle.

Driving with worn out tyres is a huge safety issue as in the wet there is considerably less grip which could lead to a loss of control of the vehicle.

The conventional way to check for tyre tread wear of vehicles is to look at the physical tyre, look at the tyre wear indicator bars set between the tread blocks, these are spread across the width of the tyre. Or purchase a tread wear indicator tool. Neither of these are easy tasks to carry out, as in some cases viewing the full width of the tyre is not easy due to reduced visibility of the full width of the tyre especially while the vehicle is on the ground.

This invention intends to draw awareness to the tyre tread being worn out, or nearly worn out by making it vibrate while driving and or releasing a coloured material that leaves a residue around the tyre, thus prompting the user to inspect the tyre or take it to a tyre specialist to have it professionally inspected.

This system works by a reinforced tube / cavity or multiple cavities manufactured or inserted into the tyre in such a position that when the tyre wears down to the point it has worn out, or close to wearing out, the tube / cavities or cavity are worn through by the road surface thus releasing the material that is inside the tubes which is of a different density to the rubber tyre, creating a tyre imbalance that can be felt by the user as this imbalance will cause a vibration to be felt throughout the vehicle.

Optionally, the material that is inside the cavities or cavity could also be coloured to give the user of the vehicle and observers a visual awareness as well once worn through.

This reinforced tube / cavity could be singular or multiple reinforced tubes / cavities set within the tyre tread block at a set depth within the tread block, so it wears through when the tyre is worn out, or close to wearing out thus creating a tyre in-balance as the material in the cavity is released. This tyre imbalance creates a vibration that is felt by the user.

The reinforced tube or tubes could be inserted post manufacture by a professional.

The present invention will now be described by the way of example only in the following drawings, in which; Figures la, lb,lc, id are a cross-sectional illustration according to the invention; la shows the reinforced rubber tube with the end filled with rubber set in the tread block. lb is the tread block as on all tyres. lc is a cavity created by the pad that is manufactured or bonded to the inside of the tyre. This cavity is filled with a material that is of a different density to the rubber tyre, this material could also be pigmented. Due to driving the vehicle the tyre naturally wears on the road surface, when the tyre gets close the legal limit it will wear through the end of the reinforced tube and the material inside the tube and la and material in the cavity lc will be released thus creating a tyre imbalance which will be felt by the user as a vibration and seen by observers as the pigmented material will leave as coloured residue around the tyre and wheel arch. The material in the cavity lc is held in place by the pad id that is bonded to the inside of the tyre or manufactured into the tyre.

Claims

Claims Tyre Wear Awareness 1. A reinforced tube or a number of reinforced tubes are manufactured into the tyre tread to create a cavity, these are filled with a material of a different density to the rubber tyre, these tubes / cavities are positioned so when the tyre wears to the point it has worn out, or close to wearing out, the end of the tube is worn down to the point where the material inside is released from the tube and the cavity created by the pad that is either manufactured or bonded to the inside of the tyre, this causes an imbalance and vibration felt throughout the vehicle thus altering the user to a problem.
2. The reinforced tube or tubes and cavity in the pad are bonded or manufactured into to the inside of the tyre according to claim 1, the reinforced tubes or tubes set in the tyre tread are set at a depth that when the tyre has worn out, or close to wearing out, these tubes or cavities are worn through, these tubes or cavities could be filled with various materials to cause a weight imbalance once the tube / tubes or cavities have worn through thus releasing the material stored inside.
3. These tube / tubes or cavities could be retro fitted into a tyre post manufacture by a professional, a suitable hole would be created in the tyre, they would be inserted and bonded in place.
4. The material according to claims 1, 2, or 3 that is inside the tubes! cavities or cavity could also be coloured so when the cavities are worn through by the road surface leave a residue around the tyre thus giving the user of the vehicle and observers a visual awareness as well as well as vibration felt throughout the vehicle.