Fuel efficiency system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9944126-B2
Application number	US-201514605743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2015
Priority date	Jan 26, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

Vehicle systems and components are set forth, which aim to reduce rolling friction caused in part by the contact between the vehicle's tires and the ground surface over which the vehicle is traversing. These systems and/or components thereof may increase the overall fuel efficiency of a vehicle. In the examples provided, the systems and/or components change the tread contact patch of one or more tires during movement of the vehicle.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A system for improving the fuel efficiency of a vehicle, comprising:
at least one wheel comprised of a tire mounted to a rim and forming an inner cavity, the tire having sidewalls that extend outwardly from the rim to shoulders that are interconnected via a tread at a crown area of the tire;
a linear actuator including a bellows, wherein the bellows includes reinforcement means for causing the bellows to extend primarily in the lengthwise direction, the linear actuator positioned within the inner cavity of the tire and configured to apply opposite forces against the tire and the rim as the linear actuator actuates from a tire normal state to a tire extended state, wherein the linear actuator contacts both the rim at one end and the tire at the other end as the linear actuator extends from the tire normal state to the tire extended state;
a power storage source configured to store power, the power storage source selectively connected to the linear actuator, wherein the power storage source includes a compressed gas tank; and
a controller configured to selectively supply power from the power storage source to the linear actuator in order to extend the linear so as to lengthen the side walls of the tire from the tire normal state, in which a section of the tread forms a ground contact patch, to the tire extended state, in which a subsection of the section of the tread forms a system activated contact patch, in order to reduce the amount of tread that contacts the ground.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a valve arrangement comprised of one or more controllable valves, the valve arrangement disposed in gas communication between the compressed gas tank and the bellows, wherein the one or more controllable valves are configured to selectively supply pressurized gas from the compressed gas tank to the bellows based on control signals from the controller.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more controllable valves are configured to selectively discharge pressurized gas from the bellows to atmosphere based on control signals from the controller.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more controllable valves are configured to be either manually or electrically controlled.

5. The system of claim 3 , further comprising at least one sensor connected in communication with the controller, the at least one sensor configured to generate a signal, wherein the controller is configured to control the valve arrangement in response to the signal generated by the at least one sensor.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one sensor is selected from a group consisting of a speed sensor, a brake sensor, an accelerometer, a vehicle yaw sensor, and a vehicle roll sensor.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of vehicle speed and wherein the controller is configured to control the valve arrangement in response to the at least one sensor indicating a vehicle speed greater than a threshold minimum value.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of vehicle speed and wherein the controller is configured to control the valve arrangement in response to the at least one sensor indicating one of a vehicle speed greater than a minimum threshold value but less than a maximum threshold value, a vehicle speed less than a minimum threshold value, or a vehicle speed greater than a threshold minimum value.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to control the valve arrangement in order to discharge gas from the bellows in response to the at least one sensor indicating a vehicle speed is below the minimum threshold value.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to control the valve arrangement in order to supply gas to the bellows in response to the at least one sensor indicating a vehicle speed above the minimum threshold value.

11. The system of claim 3 , further comprising at least one sensor connected in communication with the controller, wherein the at least one sensor includes a brake sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of brake system activation, and wherein the controller is configured to control the valve arrangement in order to discharge gas from the bellows in response to the brake sensor indicating brake system activation.

12. A system for improving the fuel efficiency of a vehicle, comprising:
a wheel comprised of a tire mounted to a rim and forming an inner cavity, the tire having sidewalls that extend outwardly from the rim to shoulders that are interconnected via a tread at a crown area of the tire;
a linear actuator positioned within the inner cavity of the tire such that the linear actuator contacts the rim at one end and the section of the tire adjacent the tread at the other end, wherein the linear actuator is configured to apply opposite forces again the tire and the rim primarily in the radial direction of the wheel as the linear actuator actuates from a tire normal state to a tire extended state;
a power storage source configured to store power, the power storage source selectively connected to the linear actuator; and
a controller configured to selectively supply power from the power storage source to the linear actuator in response to signals from one or more sensors in order to transition the linear actuator from the tire normal state to the tire extended state, wherein the transition from the tire normal state to the tire extended state of the linear actuator lengthens the side walls of the tire and reduces the amount of tread that contacts the ground.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the reduction of tread that contacts the ground is greater than 50% of the tread contact when the actuator is in the normal state.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the power storage source is a compressed gas tank, and wherein the linear actuator includes a bellows having reinforcement means for causing the bellows to extend primarily in the lengthwise direction.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a valve arrangement comprised of one or more controllable valves, the valve arrangement disposed in gas communication between the compressed gas tank and the bellows, wherein the one or more controllable valves are configured to selectively supply pressurized gas from the compressed gas tank to the bellows based on control signals from the controller.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more controllable valves are configured to selectively discharge pressurized gas from the bellows to atmosphere based on control signals from the controller.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the valve arrangement to:
supply pressurized gas to the bellows in response to sensor signals indicative of vehicle speed greater than 45 miles per hour; and
discharge pressurized gas to the bellows in response to sensor signals indicative of vehicle speed less than 45 miles per hour or brake system activation.

Assignees

• Wood Richard Bryan
• Paccar Inc

Inventors

• Wood Richard Bryan

Classifications

• B60C17/01

  utilising additional inflatable supports which become load-supporting in emergency · CPC title

• B60C5/22 Primary

  the chambers being annular · CPC title

• B60C19/00

  Tyre parts or constructions not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B60C23/001

  Devices for manually or automatically controlling or distributing tyre pressure whilst the vehicle is moving · CPC title

• B60C23/003

  comprising rotational joints between vehicle-mounted pressure sources and the tyres · CPC title