Erik F Knuth, 556072 Independence Dr, Hudson, OH 44236

6655202, Dec 2, 2003

Jun 8, 2001

09/878017

Gerald R. Potts - Fairlawn OH
Erik F. Knuth - Akron OH

Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC - Nashville TN

G01M 1702

73146, 73826, 701 37

The invention provides a system and method for measuring tire forces wherein the force contributions of the test machine may be separated from the force contributions of the tire. The invention achieves the separation of the forces by equipping the test station with a plurality of accelerometers that allow the forces and the moments of the components of the measurement station to be calculated and accounted for in the overall force measurement. In one embodiment, the test station uses a slip ring disposed between the rotating rotor to which the tire is mounted and the stationary bearing housing to allow data to be easily gathered from the accelerometers mounted on the rotor. The slip ring also allows tires to be easily mounted and dismounted.

7228732, Jun 12, 2007

Oct 18, 2004

10/967827

John L. Turner - Akron OH, US
David O. Stalnaker - Hartville OH, US
James D. Ulmer - Akron OH, US
Erik F. Knuth - Akron OH, US

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC - Nashville TN

G01M 17/02

73146, 73 8

A method of developing a set of input forces used to analyze tire wear includes the steps of characterizing a wear course by driving a vehicle over the wear course and measuring data related to a plurality of forces experienced by the vehicle. A vehicle characterization model for a target vehicle having at least one tire is developed. The vehicle characterization model is used to calculate force data that represents the forces that would be experienced by at least one tire of the characterized vehicle if the characterized vehicle were driven over the characterized wear test course in the first vehicle configuration. The force data is then used to analyze tire wear using a computer prediction technique or by running an indoor wear test on the tire.

8555698, Oct 15, 2013

Jan 26, 2011

13/013870

Paul M. Neugebauer - Akron OH, US
Erik Knuth - Hudson OH, US
David O. Stalnaker - Hartville OH, US
Craig K. McClung - North Canton OH, US
Alleva Lorenzo - Rome, IT
Kurata Takayuki - Kokubunji, JP
Yukitake Kosuke - Saitama, JP
Hiroshi Egami - Kodaira, JP
Alberto del Grosso - Kodaira, JP

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC - Nashville TN
Bridgestone Corporation - Tokyo

G01N 19/02

73 8, 73146, 73105

A method of fabricating a substantially rigid hardened wear surface for a tire tread wear testing apparatus is provided, the method comprising making a cast of a road surface on which tread wear of the tire is to be tested, providing a layer of adhesive mixed with at least one aggregate and configured for hardening to create the substantially rigid hardened wear surface, while the layer of adhesive is unhardened: (a) coating the layer of adhesive onto a road wheel of the tire tread wear testing apparatus, and (b) stamping an impression of the cast into the layer of epoxy adhesive for producing the wear surface adapted for emulating one or more surface roughness characteristics of the road surface.

5775467, Jul 7, 1998

Jul 29, 1996

8/688696

Erik Forrest Knuth - Columbus OH
Abraham Shawky Farag - Dayton OH
William Frank Borchers - Beavercreek OH
Loren Emil Majersik - Oakwood OH

General Motors Corporation - Detroit MI

B60T 842
H02K 524

188161

An electromagnetic brake system includes a motor having a rotor with a rotatable disk fixed to the rotor and an electromagnetic brake disposed about the disk to selectively prevent rotation of the rotor. The electromagnetic brake is carried on a resilient element so that it is suspended relative to the disk and isolated from the remainder of the system reducing the propagation of structural and airborne noise generated by actuation of the electromagnetic brake.

2021036, Nov 25, 2021

Jun 19, 2018

16/625388

- Nashville TN, US
Matthew J. Reda - Copley OH, US
David O. Stalnaker - Brentwood TN, US
Erik F. Knuth - Hudson OH, US

G01M 17/02
G01K 3/00
B60C 25/00

A method of testing a tire is employed in an enclosed system having a drum enclosure connected to a tire enclosure by flexible bellows, the enclosed system configured such that a tire inside the tire enclosure abuts a drum inside the drum enclosure. The method includes rotating the drum at a first angular velocity, thereby causing the tire to rotate at the first angular velocity. The method further includes measuring a temperature at a first location adjacent the tire and blowing cool air into the tire enclosure when the measured temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature threshold. The method also includes measuring a humidity level at a second location and adding moisture in the tire enclosure when the measured humidity level falls below a predetermined humidity threshold.

2018020, Jul 19, 2018

Jul 13, 2016

15/744133

- Nashville TN, US
Erik F. Knuth - Hudson OH, US
David O. Stalnaker - Brentwood TN, US
John L. Turner - Tucson AZ, US

B60C 99/00
G01M 17/02
G06F 17/50

A method includes obtaining simulated tire data for a simulated tire, simulated vehicle data for a simulated vehicle, and simulated test course data. The simulated tire data includes data to build a basic tire model. The simulated vehicle data includes data to build a basic vehicle model. The simulated test course data includes position-based course data in a horizontal plane and position-based course data in a vertical direction. The method further includes generating a tire load history from the basic tire model, the basic vehicle model, and the simulated test course data.

2015005, Feb 26, 2015

Oct 31, 2014

14/529536

- Nashville TN, US
Ke Jun Xie - Copley OH, US
Erik F. Knuth - Hudson OH, US
John L. Turner - Tucson AZ, US
Paul M. Neugebauer - Akron OH, US

B60C 99/00
G01M 17/02

702 34, 703 2

A method for reducing vehicle bias when testing a tire for use with a market segment of vehicles by creating a vehicle model that is scalable by vehicle weight. A market segment of vehicles is defined, at least one of a vehicle model parameter is defined, data is collected for the at least one vehicle model parameter from at least one vehicle in the market segment, the at least one vehicle model parameter is characterized through regression analysis as a function of total weight of a scalable vehicle model, the scalable vehicle model parameter is applied to a multibody vehicle dynamics simulation, at least one maneuver is applied to the scalable vehicle model, and the tire load histories generated by the multibody vehicle dynamics simulation are provided to a tire test machine to obtain tire wear data representative of the vehicles in the market segment.

2014018, Jul 3, 2014

Oct 2, 2013

14/043948

- Nashville TN, US
Ke Jun Xie - Copley OH, US
Erik F. Knuth - Hudson OH, US
John L. Turner - Tucson AZ, US
Paul M. Neugebauer - Akron OH, US

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC - Nashville TN

G01M 17/02
G06F 17/50

702 34, 703 2

Tire testing systems and methods are disclosed for indoor simulation testing of tires of a wide range of sizes on a scalable vehicle model (“SVM”).