JP2008531373A - System and method for reducing tire vibration - Google Patents

Abstract

A tire assembly incorporating a function for adjusting the resonance characteristics of a tire structure includes a pneumatic tire structure, a dielectric elastomer actuator structure, and a power source. The actuator structure is integrally incorporated at a selected internal surface location of the tire structure, and in one embodiment is a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions mounted between two rubber plates, or is voluminous. It may be a plurality of dielectric elastomer plates that are joined to define the cavity and / or may be a plurality of dielectric elastomer cords mounted between the inner sidewall positions of the tire structure. Each dielectric elastomer portion includes an elastomer material layer having first and second electrodes provided on opposite surfaces, and is a single plate, a folded plate, a corrugated plate or a rolled plate Can be used. The power source is coupled to a selected electrode of the first and second electrodes of the dielectric elastomer portion and is configured to selectively apply a voltage to the selected electrode. In some embodiments, the power supply also double functions as an energy storage device for storing the charge generated when the dielectric elastomer portion is subjected to mechanical force.

Description

  The present invention generally relates to a system and method for eliminating vibrations in a tire or corresponding wheel assembly. More specifically, it provides technology to control tire performance by eliminating tire cavity resonance, adjusting tire sidewall stiffness, and affecting the size of the tire contact surface. is there.

  The occurrence of wheel vibration is an inherent problem affecting the durability, performance and comfort levels associated with many types of mechanized transportation technology. As the vehicle travels on the ground, impact and frictional energy from the ground may be converted to vibration mode energy in its tire and / or wheel assembly. The vibration generated in this way tends to increase the temperature of the tire and also generate noise that can cause driver discomfort. Therefore, it would be desirable to limit the amount of mechanical vibration associated with a vehicle tire assembly.

  As with all physical systems that receive a driving force, the rotating tire acts as a cavity resonator. Thus, some of the mechanical energy of the tire is converted to resonant vibration at a specific vehicle speed. This phenomenon will be of particular interest to tire assemblies since resonant vibrations can often propagate with less damping compared to the energy of other vibration modes. By changing the resonance mode of the mechanical system, the resonance energy level can be damped and the physical vibration can be reduced.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention proposes an actuator mechanism that utilizes a dielectric elastomer to control the vibration and resonance properties of a tire or wheel assembly. As disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,545,384 (Pelline et al.) And US Patent Application Publication US2002 / 0130673 (Pelline et al.), Certain advantages of dielectric elastomers have been recognized in the past. These patents and patent applications are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. However, this technology is constantly improving and opening up new applications where dielectric elastomers can be used. The features of the present invention are directed to the interests disclosed herein and others related to the generation of vibration energy in tire and wheel assemblies and provide an improved method for reducing such vibration. The method and others of the present invention utilize a dielectric elastomer configuration that is integrated into the tire or wheel assembly (as will be described in detail elsewhere herein).
US Pat. No. 6,545,384 (Pelline et al.) US Patent Application Publication US2002 / 0130673 (Pelline et al.)

In view of the noted features of the present invention, improved features and methods have been developed to reduce tire vibration. Dielectric elastomer materials are used as actuator devices to adjust tire cavity resonance characteristics. This type of dielectric elastomer corresponds to a portion of the elastomer material in which the first and second electrodes are disposed on both sides of the elastomer.
Application of a controlled voltage to the electrode results in a proportional amount of deformation and mechanical actuation of the dielectric elastomer.

  The various functions and features of the dielectric elastomer technology and corresponding tire application of the present invention provide several advantages. The dielectric elastomer materials disclosed herein provide significant design flexibility due to their unique electrode configuration. Elastomer materials can be formed into plates, folded plates, rounded cords, or other shapes and can be customized to match a variety of specific mounting environments.

  Another advantage of the present invention is that the dielectric elastomer material disclosed herein can be used to eliminate tire cavity resonance and reduce tire vibration. Reduction of tire vibration can reduce the temperature in the tire and the noise caused by the tire assembly. By reducing vibrations, the life of the tire can be extended and the level of relative driver comfort can be increased.

  A still further advantage of the present invention is that the dielectric elastomer actuators disclosed herein can be used to affect the tire sidewall stiffness and thus certain performance characteristics of the tire. By controlling the sidewall deflection, the tire contact surface can be increased to improve traction, or the tire contact surface can be reduced to reduce rolling resistance and improve overall fuel efficiency.

  In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a tire assembly incorporating features for adjusting tire cavity resonance includes a pneumatic tire structure, a dielectric elastomer actuator structure, and a power source. The pneumatic tire structure includes a crown having an outer tread portion that contacts the ground, a bead portion for landing the tire on the wheel rim, a side wall portion extending between each bead portion and the crown, and an inner side. It has a crown surface and an inner side wall surface. A dielectric elastomer actuator structure is incorporated at selected locations on the crown and sidewall inner surfaces of the tire structure and includes at least one dielectric elastomer portion. The dielectric elastomer portion includes an elastomer material layer in which first and second electrodes are provided on opposite surfaces. A power source is connected to a selected one of the first and second opposing electrodes of the dielectric elastomer actuator structure to selectively apply a voltage to at least one dielectric elastomer portion; As a result, the effective surface area of the at least one dielectric elastomer portion can be adjusted.

  In yet another specific tire assembly embodiment, the dielectric elastomer actuator structure includes two rubber plates, open or fully closed for a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions mounted between the rubber plates. An enclosure can be constructed. In such a configuration, the spacing between the rubber plates can be adjusted by selecting the voltage level applied to the dielectric elastomer portion. Another dielectric elastomer actuator structure is one or more integrated dielectric elastomer plates that have a volume that varies in volume according to the charge level applied to the one or more dielectric elastomer plates. Form. Yet another dielectric elastomer actuator structure is a plurality of dielectric elastomeric cords that are attached to selected surfaces within the mutually opposite sidewall inner surfaces of the tire structure. In some embodiments, the dielectric elastomer portion may be a single plate, a folded plate, a corrugated plate, or a rounded cord.

  In yet another specific embodiment of the present invention, a microcontroller is connected to the power source and is configured to monitor and adjust the amount of voltage applied from the power source to the at least one dielectric elastomer portion. Condition response devices (eg, sensors, etc.) can be further connected to and coupled to the microcontroller to detect predetermined characteristics (eg, temperature, pressure, vibration level, noise level, etc.) associated with the tire structure. It can be constituted as follows. By monitoring such a characteristic level, it is possible to adjust the amount of variable voltage applied from the power source to the at least one dielectric elastomer portion. The vehicle operator can also provide input via a user input interface to manually control the level of applied voltage to achieve the desired level of vehicle performance.

  Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for adjusting tire cavity resonance. Providing at least one dielectric elastomer portion on a selected internal surface of the tire structure to monitor at least one predetermined characteristic (eg, temperature, pressure, vibration, noise) associated with the tire structure; Selectively applying a charge to at least one dielectric elastomer portion. The amount of charge applied is related to the monitored level of at least one predetermined characteristic, and the amount of charge applied determines the amount of mechanical deflection of the at least one dielectric elastomer portion, resulting in The resonance characteristics of the tire structure are adjusted. Providing at least one dielectric elastomer portion may correspond to providing a typical dielectric elastomer actuator structure as described above.

  Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a tire assembly that incorporates functions for adjusting tire sidewall stiffness and recovering electrical energy. Such a tire assembly includes a pneumatic tire structure as described above, a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions, and at least one energy storage device. A plurality of dielectric elastomer portions are mounted between selected surfaces of the inner surface of the pneumatic tire structure, each of the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions having a first and a second electrode on surfaces opposite to each other. Having an elastomeric material layer comprising a. The dielectric elastomer portion may be rounded to form a dielectric elastomer cord in certain embodiments. The dielectric elastomer portion is adapted to generate electrical energy when mechanical force is applied, while mechanically deforming when electrical energy is applied. At least one energy storage device connected to the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions stores a selected amount of the electrical energy generated by the dielectric elastomer portions and functions as a power source to provide various levels of mechanical energy. When deformation is required, a voltage can be applied from the power source.

  Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the following detailed description and will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. Further, it is understood that changes and modifications to the features and processes of the present invention described and illustrated in detail below can be implemented in various embodiments and methods of use of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention. That's right. Changes and modifications can be made by replacing the means, features, and processes described and illustrated below with equivalent means, features, and processes, as well as functions, operations, and positions of various parts, features, and processes. Including, but not limited to, inversion.

Further, the various embodiments and various presently preferred embodiments of the invention may be embodied in various combinations or arrangements of features, components, processes, arrangements or their equivalents disclosed herein (not explicitly shown in the drawings or Including combinations of features, parts, processes and arrangements not described in the detailed description with reference to the drawings). Other embodiments of the invention not necessarily described in the Summary of the Invention herein are discussed separately in the features, parts and processes mentioned in the Summary of the Invention herein, and / or elsewhere in the specification. Various combinations of other features, parts and process properties can also be included. By reviewing other portions of the specification, one of ordinary skill in the art will better understand the embodiments and other features described above.

  A full and practicable disclosure to the skilled artisan of the present invention, including the best mode, is made herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The same reference numbers are used in the specification and the accompanying drawings to represent the same or similar features or elements of the invention.

As described in the section “Means for Solving the Problems”, the present invention particularly relates to a function and method for adjusting the cavity resonance of a pneumatic tire structure. FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B illustrate various features of a first embodiment of a tire assembly having a pneumatic tire structure and a built-in dielectric elastomer actuator structure for adjusting tire resonance characteristics. Yes.
The first embodiment has a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions provided between two parallel rubber plates. Various features of the second embodiment of the tire assembly are illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 from a plurality of integrated dielectric elastomer plate portions suitable for attachment to the interior surface of the pneumatic tire structure. It has a variable volume cavity that is formed. FIG. 6 illustrates yet another embodiment of a dielectric elastomer actuator structure incorporated into a pneumatic tire structure. The embodiment of FIG. 6 has a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions attached at various locations on the inner surface of the tire sidewall. Such a configuration of the dielectric elastomer portion is used to adjust the tire sidewall stiffness and the size of the tire contact surface and to recover the electrical energy generated by the mechanical deformation of the dielectric elastomer portion. be able to. Various exemplary shapes of the dielectric elastomer portion, including single plate, folded plate, corrugated plate, rounded cord, are illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3D. Exemplary circuit components that couple with the dielectric elastomer actuator of the present invention are described with reference to FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a first exemplary tire assembly 10 of the present invention is illustrated. The tire assembly 10 is configured to have the feature of adjusting the cavity resonance of the pneumatic tire structure 12 by the incorporated dielectric elastomer actuator structure 14. The tire structure 12 is typically characterized by a crown 16 that supports the outer tread portion 18 and a sidewall 20 that extends to the bead portion 22. Tire beads 22 are generally provided so that the tire structure 12 can effectively land on the rim of the wheel assembly. An inner liner of air impermeable material forms the inner surface of the tire including the inner crown surface 24 and the inner sidewall surface 26. The carcass extends between the bead 22 through the side wall portion 20 and the crown 16 and defines the shape of the tire when tire pressure is applied to transmit forces for traction and steering. The belt package 21 is provided in the tire structure 12 substantially along the crown 16.

  When the tire structure 12 is attached to the rim and rotates on the ground to receive a driving force, the rotating tire structure 12 acts as a cavity resonator. Thus, some of the mechanical energy of the tire is converted to resonant vibration at a specific vehicle speed. This phenomenon may be of particular interest for tire assemblies, since resonant vibrations can often propagate with less attenuation than the energy of other vibration modes. Accordingly, the dielectric elastomer actuator structure 14 is incorporated into the pneumatic tire structure 12 to adjust the resonance mode of the mechanical system. As a result, the resonant energy level is damped and the physical vibrations can be reduced by selective actuation of the dielectric elastomer configuration 14.

  A more detailed view of the dielectric elastomer actuator structure 14 is shown in FIG. 2A. A typical actuator structure 14 has a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions 30 disposed between a pair of generally parallel rubber plates 32. The elimination of the cavity resonance of the tire structure 12 in which the actuator structure is incorporated is possible by adjusting the distance 34 between the rubber plates 32. The spacing 34 is adjusted by selective application of a power supply (voltage level) to the dielectric elastomer portion 30. FIG. 2B illustrates different positions of such a dielectric elastomer portion 30. The dielectric elastomer portion at position 30a (indicated by a solid line) illustrates an example in which no charge is applied, and the dielectric elastomer portion at position 30b (indicated by a dotted line) has a predetermined amount of An example in which a charge is applied is illustrated.

  The dielectric elastomer portion 30 can take a variety of different shapes. Some of them are illustrated in FIGS. 3A to 3D. The various shapes of each of the dielectric elastomer portions 30 shown herein are formed on a relatively thin insulating (dielectric) elastomeric polymer material layer 36 and two opposing surfaces of the elastomeric layer 36. One electrode layer 38 is generally provided. The electrode layer 38 is formed from a relatively stretchable material such as graphite, carbon black or other suitable material that can be applied to the elastomer layer by spraying, screen printing, photolithography or other techniques. The It should be understood that in certain embodiments, the opposite electrode layers 38 may be a plurality of separate electrode portions rather than a single continuous electrode layer. The dielectric elastomer portion 30 may be a single plate as shown in FIG. 3A, a folded plate as shown in FIG. 3b, a corrugated plate as shown in the developed view of FIG. 3C, or as shown in FIG. 3D. A plate rolled into a cord shape may be used. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 3B-3D, the surface area of the dielectric elastomer material is increased with a small volume, which reduces the possibility of mechanical deformation of the material compared to the single plate configuration of FIG. 3A. It is getting bigger. Although many different exemplary shapes for the dielectric elastomer portion 30 have been described and illustrated herein, it should be understood that other shapes are possible. The scope of the invention is not limited to the specific shapes disclosed herein.

  The principle of operation of the dielectric elastomer actuator is based on the nature of the elastomer material 36 that deforms the elastomer material 36 by Maxwell forces between the electrodes 38. When a voltage difference is applied to the dielectric elastomer actuator, a positive charge appears on one electrode and a negative charge appears on the other electrode. The charge attracts each other and exerts pressure between the electrodes, pressing the electrodes together and extending the surface area of the dielectric elastomer portion in its working surface. Other features of typical dielectric elastomers that can be utilized in embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in US Pat. These patent documents are incorporated herein by reference.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2A, one or two of the rubber plates 32 of the actuator structure 14 can be affixed to the inner surface of the tire structure 12, such as the inner crown surface 24. It will be appreciated that the actuator structure 14 can also be mounted at a location such as the inner sidewall surface 26, but the inner crown surface 24 is well suited for the purposes of the present invention. Further, the actuator structure 14 can be attached and cured within the tire structure 12, for example, between the carcass and the inner liner provided on the inner surfaces 24 and / or 26. Depending on the various possible mounting positions for the actuator structure 14, the term "incorporated" also includes being mounted on or integrated into the tire structure and includes all possible positions. It should be understood as including. The incorporation of the actuator structure 14 is facilitated by choosing a material for the rubber plate 32 that can be cured together with the material of the tire structure 12. If the outer electrode of the elastomer portion 30 can be formed from a graphite or carbon black material that is compatible with the rubber often utilized in the tire structure 12 and rubber plate 32, the dielectric elastomer portion 30 is formed by the actuator 14. It becomes easier to attach to the rubber plate 32.
Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, one embodiment of the actuator structure 14 is a dielectric elastomer portion 30 that is fully contained within a rubber package, instead of being provided between opposing plates. I can understand that you can.

  The tire assembly 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2A includes a dielectric elastomer actuator structure 14 that allows the cavity resonance to be adjusted when the pneumatic tire structure 12 reaches an undesirable vibration mode during operation. Yes. One or more characteristics of the tire structure 12 and corresponding tire performance (eg, temperature, pressure, vibration or noise level, etc.) can be monitored by a suitable sensing device. Based on the monitored tire characteristics, the spacing between the rubber plates 32 of the actuator structure 14 is selectively adjusted to optimize at least one of the characteristics. When the resonance mode of the mechanical tire system 10 is changed, more vibration energy is reduced and there is little noise, heat and vibration felt by the vehicle operator. This result can increase tire life and increase the overall comfort and performance of the vehicle. Details of other aspects of a typical circuit that couples to the actuator structure 14 to effectively monitor and control the operation of the actuator structure 14 are described below with reference to FIG.

  Another exemplary embodiment of a tire assembly incorporating features for adjusting the resonance characteristics of the tire is embodied in the tire assembly 10 'of FIG. The tire assembly 10 'includes the pneumatic tire structure 12 described above with respect to FIG. 1, and similar features are provided with the same reference numerals. The dielectric elastomer actuator structure 40 is provided as a variable volume cavity. Provided. By adjusting the volume of the variable volume cavity structure 40, the tire resonance mode can be weakened when the tire resonance mode approaches an undesirable level. This is similar to the actuator structure of FIG. 1 in terms of principle, although the overall shape is completely different.

  The actuator structure 40 of FIG. 4 is illustrated in more detail in FIG. Dielectric elastomer actuator structure 40 includes a plurality of dielectric elastomer plates 42 (each similar in shape to the dielectric elastomer portion shown in FIG. 3A) that are secured together to form a three-dimensional cavity. Is included). The variable volume cavity may or may not have a bottom surface and is integrated with the inner surface of the tire structure 12. This integral incorporation may be as described above for the incorporation of the actuator structure 14. FIG. 5 also illustrates how the volume formed by the actuator structure 40 varies and illustrates the range of its variable volume capability. The actuator structure in the typical state 40a (indicated by the solid line) illustrates the state in which no charge is applied to the dielectric elastomer plate, and the state 40b (indicated by the dotted line) Fig. 5 illustrates a state being applied to at least one of the dielectric elastomer portions.

  Yet another embodiment of the present invention, including the function to adjust the resonance characteristics of the tire, is represented by the tire assembly 10 "of FIG. 6. The tire assembly 10" has been described above with reference to FIG. A pneumatic tire structure 12 having a similar portion. Dielectric elastomer actuator structure 50 has a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions 52 mounted between predetermined end portions on the inner surface of tire structure 12. In one embodiment, the respective ends of each dielectric elastomer portion 52 are attached to opposite sidewall surfaces of the tire structure 12. In one embodiment, dielectric elastomer portion 52 may be a dielectric elastomer cord formed by rolling a dielectric elastomer material plate (eg, as illustrated in FIG. 3D), although other shapes may of course be employed. is there.

  By attaching a dielectric elastomer portion 52 between the opposing sidewall surfaces, the actuator structure 50 can not only eliminate the cavity resonance of the tire structure 12, but also adjusts the tire sidewall stiffness. You can also. By being able to influence the tire sidewall stiffness, it is also possible to simultaneously influence many characteristics of the tire performance. Sidewall stiffness adjustment can affect characteristics such as tire pressure level, comfort level during vehicle operation, tire ground contact size, and so on. For example, if the tire encounters a sandy or muddy ground, the size of the contact surface can be increased to improve tire traction. Similarly, the size of the ground contact surface can be reduced to reduce rolling resistance and improve overall fuel efficiency. Switching between one or more ground plane sizes is possible depending on the electronic device being coupled and the user options available.

  Referring now to FIG. 7, a typical electronic device component is shown coupled to a typical dielectric elastomer actuator structure of the present invention. The dielectric elastomer actuator illustrated in FIG. 7 can correspond to any of the above-described typical configuration examples 14, 40, or 50. One or more electrodes of each dielectric elastomer portion of the dielectric elastomer actuator 14/40/50 are preferably coupled to a power supply 54 that provides a voltage level to the respective dielectric elastomer portion. The power supply 54 can be a variety of different devices including a battery, a rechargeable capacitor, or a piezoelectric structure that generates charge in response to the mechanical movement of the tire assembly. In some embodiments, the exemplary power sources described above can be used in combination. For example, the piezoelectric structure may generate electric charge, and the generated electric charge may be accumulated in a rechargeable capacitor and selectively applied to the actuator 14/40/50. On the other hand, when sufficient electric charge is not supplied from the piezoelectric structure and / or the capacitor, a battery can be used as a power source and selectively applied to the actuator 14/40/50.

  Still referring to FIG. 7, the amount of charge applied from the power supply 54 to the actuator 14/40/50 can be controlled by the microcontroller 56. Microcontroller 56 can determine the amount of charge based on inputs received from one or more status response devices 58. The state response device 58 may be a sensor, an acoustic wave device, or other electronic component whose output changes in accordance with a change in input state. The condition response device 58 can be configured to sense characteristics such as tire temperature, pressure, vibration level, noise level, and the like. In response to the output of the state response device 58, the microcontroller 56 communicates with the power supply 54 and an appropriate level of voltage is automatically applied to the dielectric elastomer portion of the actuator 14/40/50 to measure. Optimize the characteristics. The microcontroller 56 may be preprogrammed to perform a predetermined adjustment to the level of charge applied from the power supply 54 to the actuator 14/40/50, or based on selective user input. May be configured to operate. When user inputs are available (eg, via user input interface 60), the voltage level applied from power supply 54 can be selected based on those inputs, or the selection of charge by microcontroller 56 can be applied. It is also possible to set the read level from the status response device 58 to be guaranteed. User input interface 60 may be as simple as a toggle switch, or it may be a peripheral computer into which the user can enter information for programming microcontroller 56.

  Still referring to FIG. 7, the options used in embodiments of the present invention when utilizing a dielectric elastomer structure to recover electrical energy from the dielectric elastomer structure as well as selective actuation. A typical configuration will be described. The dielectric elastomer portion of the actuator structure converts the applied electrical force into a mechanical force. However, dielectric elastomers can also function as transducers that can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Since the tire structure is subjected to a considerable amount of mechanical vibration during vehicle operation, the mechanical vibration causes mechanical deformation of the dielectric elastomer portion incorporated in the tire structure. When charge is generated by mechanical deformation of the dielectric elastomer portion, an energy storage device 62 can be provided to collect the generated charge. The charge stored in the energy storage device 62 can be used in combination with or in place of the power supply 52 to selectively apply a voltage to the actuator 14/40/50. The power from the energy storage device 62 may also be used to power components such as the microcontroller 56. Both the energy storage device 62 and the power supply 54 can be adjusted to the microcontroller 56 because the voltage level applied to the dielectric elastomer actuator 14/40/50 can be adjusted when the energy storage device 62 is used with the power supply 54. Can be combined.

  In some embodiments, the energy storage device 62 can be an electrolytic capacitor, although other types of capacitors including supercapacitors can be used. Another typical energy storage device may be a rechargeable battery. An additional power recovery circuit (not shown) may be provided in combination with the energy storage device 62 to form a conditional power source that couples with other electronic components. It should be understood that the types and types of electronic components that can be coupled to the circuit shown in FIG. 7 are extremely diverse and that the present invention is not limited to only the components disclosed herein.

  The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments. However, upon understanding the above description, those skilled in the art can change and modify the above embodiments or easily realize equivalents of the above embodiments. You will understand what you can do. Accordingly, the disclosure of the above embodiments is merely illustrative and is not meant to be limiting. Further, the disclosure of the above embodiments does not exclude changes, modifications, and additions that can be easily realized by those skilled in the art.

1 is an overall cross-sectional perspective view of a typical pneumatic tire structure and dielectric elastomer actuator structure in which a dielectric elastomer portion is provided between two rubber plates according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is. It is a perspective view of the dielectric elastomer actuator structure of FIG. 2B is a plan view of a typical dielectric elastomer cord from the dielectric elastomer actuator structure of FIGS. 1 and 2A, showing the state of the cord when charge is applied and when no charge is applied. FIG. 3A to 3D illustrate various different configurations of dielectric elastomer portions according to the present invention: single plate, folded plate, pleated plate, and rounded plate shape, respectively. Yes. FIG. 5 is an overall cross-sectional perspective view of an exemplary pneumatic tire structure and dielectric elastomer actuator structure, ie, a variable volume cavity formed of a dielectric elastomer portion, according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the exemplary variable volume cavity of FIG. 4 illustrating the location of the dielectric elastomer portion with and without charge applied. Exemplary pneumatic tire structure and dielectric elastomer actuator structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention, ie, configured to adjust the sidewall stiffness of the tire structure and to recover electrical energy therefrom FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the overall cross section of a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of exemplary electronic device components coupled to a dielectric elastomer actuator, according to selected embodiments of the present invention.

Claims (27)

A tire assembly incorporating a function for adjusting the cavity resonance of the tire assembly,
A crown having an outer tread portion in contact with the ground; a bead portion for landing a tire on a wheel rim; a side wall portion extending between each bead portion and the crown; an inner crown surface; and an inner side A pneumatic tire structure having a wall surface;
At least one dielectric comprising an elastomer material layer incorporated at selected locations on the inner surface of the crown and side walls of the pneumatic tire structure and provided with first and second electrodes on opposite surfaces. A dielectric elastomer actuator structure including a conductive elastomer portion;
Connected to a selected one of the first and second opposing electrodes of the dielectric elastomer actuator structure, selectively applying a voltage to the at least one dielectric elastomer portion; And a power supply capable of adjusting an effective surface area of the at least one dielectric elastomer portion.   The dielectric elastomer actuator structure is attached between at least two rubber plates and the rubber plate, and selectively adjusts the distance between the rubber plates based on the amount of voltage applied from the power source. The tire assembly of claim 1 having a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions configured to do so.   The tire assembly of claim 2, wherein the at least two rubber plates form an enclosure that completely surrounds the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions.   The plurality of dielectric elastomer portions comprise one or more of a dielectric elastomer plate configuration, a folded dielectric elastomer plate configuration, a wavy dielectric elastomer plate configuration, and a rounded dielectric plate configuration. The tire assembly according to claim 3.   The dielectric elastomer actuator structure comprises one or more integral dielectric elastomer plates formed to define a volume region for attachment to an interior surface of the pneumatic tire structure, the one or more dielectric elastomer plates. The volume region formed by an integral dielectric elastomer plate is variable according to the amount of voltage applied from the power source to the one or more integral dielectric elastomer plates. The tire assembly according to.   The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein the dielectric elastomer actuator structure comprises a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions mounted between mutually opposing inner sidewall surfaces of the pneumatic tire structure.   The plurality of dielectric elastomer portions comprise one or more of a dielectric elastomer plate configuration, a folded dielectric elastomer plate configuration, a wavy dielectric elastomer plate configuration, and a rounded dielectric plate configuration. The tire assembly according to claim 6.   A microcontroller coupled to the power supply is further provided, the microcontroller configured to monitor and adjust the amount of voltage applied from the power supply to the at least one dielectric elastomer portion. The tire assembly according to claim 1.   A condition response device coupled to the microcontroller is further provided, wherein the condition response device senses at least one predetermined characteristic associated with the pneumatic tire structure and receives the at least one from the power source. 9. A tire assembly according to claim 8, which facilitates adjustment of a variable amount of voltage applied to the dielectric elastomer portion.   And further comprising a user input interface coupled to the microcontroller, the user input interface being selectable to adjust a variable level of a voltage applied from the power source to the at least one dielectric elastomer portion. The tire assembly according to claim 8, wherein a correct input can be provided.   The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises one of a battery, a rechargeable capacitor, and a piezoelectric device. A method for adjusting cavity resonance of a tire structure,
Providing at least one dielectric elastomer portion on a selected internal surface location of the tire structure;
Monitor at least one predetermined characteristic associated with the tire structure;
Selectively applying a charge to the at least one dielectric elastomer portion;
The amount of charge applied to the at least one dielectric elastomer portion is responsive to a monitored level of the at least one predetermined characteristic;
A method wherein the amount of charge applied to the at least one dielectric elastomer portion determines a mechanical deformation amount of the at least one dielectric elastomer portion to adjust a resonance characteristic of the tire structure. .   The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one predetermined characteristic associated with a tire structure is one of temperature, pressure, vibration level, and noise level.   Adjusting the amount of charge applied to the at least one dielectric elastomer portion by a microcontroller coupled to a power source and a state response device for monitoring the at least one predetermined characteristic. The method according to claim 12.   The method of claim 12 including providing user input to indicate a selected amount of charge applied to the at least one dielectric elastomer portion.   Providing the at least one dielectric elastomer portion is mounted between at least two rubber plates and the rubber plate, and determines a distance between the rubber plates based on a selectively applied voltage amount. 13. The method of claim 12, comprising providing a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions configured to selectively adjust.   The at least one dielectric elastomer portion comprises one or more of a dielectric elastomer plate configuration, a folded dielectric elastomer plate configuration, a wavy dielectric elastomer plate configuration, and a rolled dielectric plate configuration. 13. A method according to claim 12, characterized in that   Providing the at least one dielectric elastomer portion comprises providing one or more integral dielectric elastomer plates formed to define a volume region for attachment to an interior surface of the tire structure. The volume region formed by the one or more integral dielectric elastomer plates is variable according to the amount of voltage applied to the one or more integral dielectric elastomer plates. The method of claim 12.   13. The providing of at least one dielectric elastomer portion comprises providing a plurality of dielectric elastomer portions mounted between mutually facing inner sidewall surfaces of a tire structure. the method of. A tire assembly incorporating functions for adjusting tire sidewall stiffness and recovering electrical energy,
A crown having an outer tread portion in contact with the ground; a bead portion for landing a tire on a wheel rim; a side wall portion extending between each bead portion and the crown; an inner crown surface; and an inner side A pneumatic tire structure having a wall surface;
A plurality of dielectric elastomer portions attached between selected inner surfaces of the pneumatic tire structure, wherein each of the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions has first and second electrodes on opposite surfaces. A plurality of dielectric elastomer portions provided, wherein the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions generate electrical energy upon application of a mechanical force to the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions, and the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions A plurality of dielectric elastomer portions that mechanically deform upon application of electrical energy; and
Connected to a selected one of the first and second electrodes of the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions, storing electrical energy generated by the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions, and level of mechanical deformation A tire assembly comprising: at least one energy storage device configured to apply a charge to the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions when it is necessary to change the temperature.   The plurality of dielectric elastomer portions are formed by rolling a dielectric elastomer material plate into a cord shape, and each dielectric elastomer material plate includes an elastomer material and first and second elastomer materials provided on opposite sides of the elastomer material. The tire assembly according to claim 20, further comprising a second electrode.   21. The tire assembly of claim 20, wherein the first and second electrodes of the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions comprise one of carbon black and graphite.   21. The tire assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one energy storage device comprises one comprising a battery or a rechargeable capacitor.   21. The tire assembly of claim 20, wherein the selective application of charge to the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions affects the sidewall stiffness and corresponding ground plane size of the pneumatic tire structure. .
And a microcontroller coupled to the at least one energy storage device, the microcontroller monitoring an amount of voltage applied from the at least one energy storage device to the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions. 21. A tire assembly according to claim 20, wherein the tire assembly is configured to adjust.   And further comprising a condition response device coupled to the microcontroller, wherein the condition response device senses at least one predetermined characteristic associated with the pneumatic tire structure and the at least one energy storage device. 26. The tire assembly according to claim 25, wherein adjustment of a variable amount of voltage applied to the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions is facilitated.   And a user input interface coupled to the microcontroller, the user input interface adjusting a variable level of a voltage applied from the at least one energy storage device to the plurality of dielectric elastomer portions. 26. The tire assembly of claim 25, wherein selectable inputs can be provided.

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