US4910411A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for inspecting a side wall of a tire
Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd
•
Filing: 1989-02-02
•
Granted: 1990-03-20
•
Expires: 2009-02-02
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for inspecting a side wall of a tire including an optical sensor provided so as to face a side wall surface of a rotatable tire for reading a variation of distance to the side wall surface as an irregularity signal, memory means for storing an irregularity signal read by the optical sensor, usable data discrimination means for discriminating whether or not the signal read out from the memory means is usable as irregularity inspection data, correction means for removing detection-unrequired irregularities from the data discriminated as usable data by the usable data discrimination means, height calculation means for finding out an irregularity falling within a predetermined condition in the corrected data and calculating the height of the irregularity, and determination means for determining based on the height of the irregularity calculated by the height calculated means where there is an abnormal irregularity.
Inventors
- 👤 Takashi Teraguchi
- 👤 Atsuhiko Tanaka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:22
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01M; G01M17/00; G01M17/007; G01M17/02; G01M17/027; G01B; G01B11/00; G01B11/24; G01B11/245
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
An apparatus for inspecting a side wall of a tire comprising an optical sensor provided so as to face a side wall surface of a rotatable tire for reading a variation of distance to the side wall surface as an irregularity signal, memory means for storing an irregularity signal read by the optical sensor, usable data discrimination means for discriminating whether or not the signal read out from the memory means is usable as irregularity inspection data, correction means for removing detection unrequired irregularities from the data discriminated as usable data by the usable data discrimination means, height calculation means for finding out an irregularity falling within a predetermined condition in the corrected data and calculating the height of the irregularity, and determination means for determining based on the height of the irregularity calculated by the height calculation means whether there is an abnormal irregularity.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
145 words
An apparatus for inspecting a side wall of a tire comprising an optical sensor provided so as to face a side wall surface of a rotatable tire for reading a variation of distance to the side wall surface as an irregularity signal, memory means for storing an irregularity signal read by the optical sensor, usable data discrimination means for discriminating whether or not the signal read out from the memory means is usable as irregularity inspection data, correction means for removing detection unrequired irregularities from the data discriminated as usable data by the usable data discrimination means, height calculation means for finding out an irregularity falling within a predetermined condition in the corrected data and calculating the height of the irregularity, and determination means for determining based on the height of the irregularity calculated by the height calculation means whether there is an abnormal irregularity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the optical sensor is able to move to and away from the side wall surface and set at a most suitable detection position specified in advance in accordance with one of tire categories and tire sizes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the optical sensor has a spot diameter of 1.00 mm or smaller, and further comprises signal sampling means for sampling a signal of the sensor in such an interval that detection areas do not overlap one another in a circumferential direction of the tire.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a plurality of optical sensors facing the side wall surface are provided in a radial direction of the tire at an interval.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the correction means finds out the width of an irregularity and checks whether the irregularity has a flat center portion so that an detection-unrequired irregularity is removed from the data discriminated as usable data by the usable data discrimination means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein a plurality of optical sensors facing the side wall surface are provided in a radial direction of the tire at an interval.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the correction means finds out te width of an irregularity and check whether the irregularity has a flat center portion so that an detection-unrequired irregularity is removed from the data discriminated as usable data by the usable data discrimination means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the correction means finds out the width of an irregularity and checks whether the irregularity has a flat center portion so that an detection-unrequired irregularity is removed from the data discriminated as usable data by the usable data discrimination means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4095464A
Cited
US4280624A
Cited
US4488648A
Cited
US4638354A
Cited
US4776466A
Cited
US4679075A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-03-19 | 1993-09-18 | 1994-03-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-03-19 | 1997-09-18 | 1998-03-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-03-19 | 2001-09-18 | 2002-03-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |