Traveling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059154-B2
Application number	US-201214005790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2012
Priority date	Mar 18, 2011
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A traveling device includes a pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle, an air pressure adjusting device that adjusts air pressure of the pneumatic tire, and an air pressure control device that increases the air pressure to be higher than a recommended inflation pressure when travel speed of the vehicle is not more than a designated speed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A traveling device, comprising:
a pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle;
an air pressure adjusting device that includes a control unit, and adjusts air pressure of the pneumatic tire; and
an air pressure control device that includes a processing unit, a memory unit, and an input/output unit, and increases the air pressure to be higher than a recommended inflation pressure when travel speed of the vehicle is not more than a designated speed, wherein
the air pressure control device makes the air pressure to be equal to the recommended inflation pressure when a distance between the vehicle and a vehicle that drives ahead of the vehicle is not more than a designated value, and
the recommended inflation pressure is a designated air pressure set for each vehicle, a low pressure is less than the recommended inflation pressure and a high pressure greater than the recommended inflation pressure to limit a range of the air pressure.

2. The traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein the air pressure control device makes the air pressure to be equal to the recommended inflation pressure when the vehicle is turning or an electronic stability control system of the vehicle is activated.

3. The traveling device according to claim 2 , wherein the air pressure control device increases the air pressure to be higher than the recommended inflation pressure when travel speed of the vehicle is greater than a designated speed and when the vehicle is advancing forward at a constant speed.

4. The traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein the air pressure control device changes the air pressure based on road conditions.

5. The traveling device according to claim 4 , wherein the air pressure control device increases the air pressure to be higher than the recommended inflation pressure when travel speed of the vehicle is greater than a designated speed and when the vehicle is advancing forward at a constant speed.

6. The traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein the air pressure control device increases the air pressure to be higher than the recommended inflation pressure when the vehicle is parked.

7. The traveling device according to claim 6 , wherein the air pressure control device increases the air pressure to be higher than the recommended inflation pressure when travel speed of the vehicle is greater than a designated speed and when the vehicle is advancing forward at a constant speed.

8. The traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein the air pressure control device has an air pressure adjusting switch that can change air pressure by manual operation.

9. The traveling device according to claim 8 , wherein the air pressure control device increases the air pressure to be higher than the recommended inflation pressure when travel speed of the vehicle is greater than a designated speed and when the vehicle is advancing forward at a constant speed.

10. The traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein the air pressure control device increases the air pressure to be higher than the recommended inflation pressure when travel speed of the vehicle is greater than a designated speed and when the vehicle is advancing forward at a constant speed.

11. The traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein the air pressure control device increases the air pressure to be not less than 50 kPa higher than the recommended inflation pressure when the travel speed of the vehicle is not more than the designated speed.

12. The traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein the air pressure control device increases the air pressure to be not less than 80 kPa higher than the recommended inflation pressure when the travel speed of the vehicle is not more than the designated speed.

13. The traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein the designated speed is at least 30 km/h.

14. The traveling device according to claim 13 , wherein the designated speed is less than or equal to 40 km/h.

15. A traveling device, comprising:
a pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle;
an air pressure adjusting device that includes a control unit, and adjusts air pressure of the pneumatic tire; and
an air pressure control device that includes a processing unit, a memory unit, and an input/output unit, and increases the air pressure to be higher than a recommended inflation pressure when travel speed of the vehicle is not more than a designated speed, wherein
the air pressure control device makes the air pressure to be equal to the recommended inflation pressure when a distance between the vehicle and a vehicle that drives ahead of the vehicle is not more than a designated value,
the recommended inflation pressure is a designated air pressure set for each vehicle, a low pressure is less than the recommended inflation pressure and a high pressure is greater than the recommended inflation pressure to limit a range of the air pressure,
the air pressure control device increases the air pressure to be higher than the recommended inflation pressure when the vehicle is accelerating, and
the air pressure control device makes the air pressure to be equal to the recommended inflation pressure when the vehicle is braking.

16. The traveling device according to claim 15 , wherein the air pressure control device increases the air pressure to be higher than the recommended inflation pressure when travel speed of the vehicle is greater than a designated speed and when the vehicle is advancing forward at a constant speed.

17. The traveling device according to claim 15 , wherein the air pressure control device makes the air pressure to be equal to or lower than the recommended inflation pressure when the vehicle is turning.

18. A traveling device, comprising:
pneumatic tires mounted on a vehicle;
an air pressure adjusting device that includes a control unit, and adjusts air pressure of the pneumatic tires; and
an air pressure control device that includes a processing unit, a memory unit, and an input/output unit, and increases the air pressure to be higher than a recommended inflation pressure when travel speed of the vehicle is not more than a designated speed, wherein
the recommended inflation pressure is a designated air pressure set for each vehicle, and included in a range defined with an upper limit and a lower limit, and
the air pressure control device makes the air pressure to be equal to the recommended inflation pressure, and makes the air pressure of right pneumatic tires different from the air pressure of left pneumatic tires within the range when the vehicle is turning or an electronic stability control system for the vehicle is activated.

19. The traveling device according to claim 18 , wherein
The upper limit is 260 kPa, and
The lower limit is 210 kPa.

20. The traveling device according to claim 18 , wherein
The upper limit is 290 kPa, and
The lower limit is 230 kPa.

21. A traveling device, comprising:
pneumatic tires mounted on a vehicle;
an air pressure adjusting device that includes a control unit, and adjusts air pressure of the pneumatic tires; and
an air pressure control device that includes a processing unit, a memory unit, and an input/output unit, and increases the air pressure to be higher than a recommended inflation pressure when travel speed of the vehicle is not more than a designated speed, wherein
the recommended inflation pressure is a designated air pressure set for each vehicle, and included in a range defined with an upper limit and a lower limit, and
the air pressure control device ma

Assignees

• Tanno Atsushi
• Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanno Atsushi

Classifications

• B60C23/004

  the control being done on the wheel, e.g. using a wheel-mounted reservoir · CPC title

• B60C23/002 Primary

  by monitoring conditions other than tyre pressure or deformation · CPC title

• B60S5/04

  Supplying air for tyre inflation (arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles B60C23/00; tyre pressure gauges G01L17/00 {; pumps actuated by muscle power F04B33/00}) · CPC title

• B60C23/10 Primary

  Arrangement of tyre-inflating pumps mounted on vehicles · CPC title