Tire wear debris collection system and tire wear debris collection method

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide a tire wear debris recovery system and a tire wear debris recovery method that can increase the recovery rate of tire wear debris. [Solution] The tire wear debris collection system of the present invention comprises a film that covers the entire wheel well, a suction device for sucking up tire wear debris, and a suction nozzle positioned at least at one location around the tire housed in the wheel well. The tire wear debris collection method of the present invention collects tire wear debris using the tire wear debris collection system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire wear powder recovery system and a tire wear powder recovery method.

Background Art

[0002] When a vehicle equipped with tires travels on a road surface, tire wear powder is generated due to the friction between the tires and the road surface. Conventionally, a system for recovering tire wear powder has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0008] (3) The tire wear dust collection system according to (1) or (2), wherein the distance between the outer film covering the outside of the wheel well and the vehicle body is 1 cm or more and 10 cm or less.

[0009] (4) The tire wear dust collection system according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the outer film of the film that covers the outside of the wheel well has portions with different bending strengths in the vertical direction. Here, the bending strength of the "film" refers to the Clark stiffness measured according to JIS P 8143.

[0010] (5) The tire wear dust collection system according to (4), wherein the outer film covering the outside of the wheel well comprises an upper portion having a Clark stiffness of 400 or more and a lower portion having a Clark stiffness lower than that of the upper portion.

[0011] (6) The tire wear debris collection system according to (5), wherein the upper portion is fixed to a frame or fender.

[0012] (7) The tire wear debris collection system according to (5) or (6), wherein the upper portion is positioned 3 cm to 10 cm above the road surface, and at least a portion of the lower portion can come into contact with the road surface.

[0013] (8) The tire wear dust collection system according to any one of (5) to (7), wherein the specific gravity of the lower portion is 1 or less.

[0014] (9) The inner film that covers the inside of the tire house among the films has a portion having a bending strength with a Clark stiffness of 200 or less, and the tire wear powder recovery system according to any one of (1) to (8) above.

[0015] (10) The surface resistance value of the portion different from the portion of the inner film is 1.0×10 8 Ω or less, and the tire wear powder recovery system according to (9) above.

[0016] (11) The suction machine and the suction nozzle are connected, and the tire wear powder recovery system according to any one of (1) to (10) above.

[0017] (12) The air pressure inside the tire house is lower than the atmospheric pressure, and the tire wear powder recovery system according to any one of (1) to (11) above.

[0018] (13) Using the tire wear powder recovery system according to any one of (1) to (12) above to recover tire wear powder, a method for collecting tire wear powder.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tire wear powder recovery system and a tire wear powder recovery method that can increase the recovery rate of tire wear powder.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a view of the vehicle body seen from the side for explaining the tire wear powder recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a view of the vehicle body seen from the back for explaining the tire wear powder recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a view of the vehicle body seen from the side with the tire removed for explaining the tire wear powder recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]This is a view of the vehicle body seen from the bottom side for explaining a tire wear powder recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of the vehicle body for explaining a tire wear powder recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the vehicle body for explaining a tire wear powder recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the vehicle body with the tire removed for explaining a tire wear powder recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the vehicle body for explaining a tire wear powder recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] <Tire Wear Powder Recovery System> The vehicle body 2 to which the tire wear powder recovery system 1 of the present embodiment (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "system") is applied can be various ones in order to recover the tire wear powder of various tires T, but from the viewpoint of ensuring reproducibility, it is preferably the vehicle body of an autonomous vehicle. Also, from the viewpoint of suppressing the discharge of powders other than the wear powder, it is preferably the vehicle body of an electric vehicle.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, in this example, the vehicle body 2 includes a drive shaft 21, a front spring damper 22, a steering tie rod 23, and a lower arm 24 in the front wheel portion. Also, the vehicle body 2 includes a lower arm 24, a trailing arm 25, and a shock absorber 26 in the rear wheel portion.

[0024] The tire T is housed in the tire house 3 of the vehicle body 2, and the tire T is attached to the vehicle body 2. The tire T to which the system 1 of the present embodiment is applied can also be various ones in order to recover various tire wear powders.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the system 1 of this embodiment includes a film 4 that covers the entire wheel well 3. In this example, the film 4 covers the outside (see Figures 1 and 2), inside (see Figure 3), rear side (see Figure 2), front side (same configuration as the rear side in Figure 2), and interior of the wheel well 3, and the inside of the wheel well 3 is surrounded by these and the road surface.

[0026] The outer film 4 covering the outside of the wheel well 3 will be described in detail. The outer film 4 is fixed to a fixing member 6 connected to a connecting member 5 attached to the vehicle body 2. Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outer film 4 is fixed to a fixing member (frame) 6 connected to a connecting member 5 attached to the vehicle body 2. The bending strength of the frame 6 is 90 MPa or more. This allows the outer film 4 to be stably fixed. On the other hand, if the vehicle body 2 has a fender that partitions the wheel well 3, the outer film 4 covering the outside of the wheel well 3 may be fixed to the fender, which is a fixing member. In this case, system 1 does not need to have a connecting member 5 and a frame 6.

[0027] In this example, the connecting member 5 includes an attachment portion for attaching to the vehicle body 2 and a fixing portion for fixing the frame 6. The attachment portion is not particularly limited as long as it can be attached to the vehicle body 2. The fixing portion can be a gripping portion capable of gripping and fixing the (partially) rod-shaped frame 6. The connecting member 5 can also be molded using a 3D printer so that the fixing portion, which is the gripping portion, can grip frames 6 that correspond to various vehicle (size) configurations. Although not particularly limited, the connecting member 5 can be made of resin to reduce the weight of the component.

[0028] The frame 6 can have a rectangular (side) shape in side view, as shown in the figure. That is, in this example, the frame 6 has two rod-shaped parts extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 2 and two rod-shaped parts extending in the vertical direction. The ends of the two rod-shaped parts extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 2 are connected to the two rod-shaped parts extending in the vertical direction. In the illustrated example, two such rectangular (side) frames are connected vertically (one side is shared). Furthermore, the frame 6 is not limited to the above shape, as it only needs to have a shape suitable for stably fixing the outer film 4. The bending strength of the frame 6 is preferably 90 MPa or more in order to stably fix the film 4. The upper limit of the bending strength of the frame 6 is not particularly limited. The material of the frame 6 is not particularly limited, but a metal frame can be given as an example.

[0029] The distance between the outer film 4 and the vehicle body 2 is preferably between 1 cm and 10 cm. By setting the distance to 1 cm or more, sufficient distance from the tire T can be ensured to prevent contact between the tire T and the film 4. On the other hand, by setting the distance to 10 cm or less, the volume of the wheel well 3 is reduced, thereby increasing the suction effect and allowing for efficient collection of tire wear particles. For similar reasons, it is more preferable that the distance between the outer film 4 and the vehicle body 2 is between 2 cm and 8 cm.

[0030] In this example, the outer film 4 has portions with different bending strengths in the vertical direction. Specifically, the outer film 4 has a first portion 4a with high bending strength and a second portion 4b with lower bending strength than the first portion 4a. In this example, the first portion 4a is the upper portion located at the top in the vertical direction, and the second portion 4b is the lower portion located at the bottom in the vertical direction.

[0031] In this example, the upper portion 4a has a bending strength such that its Clark stiffness is 400 or more. That is, the outer film 4 consists of an upper portion 4a having a bending strength such that its Clark stiffness is 400 or more, and a lower portion 4b having a Clark stiffness lower than that of the upper portion 4a. As a result, the upper portion 4a is stably fixed, while the lower portion 4b, which is partially in contact with the road surface, has low bending strength, thus suppressing the generation of powder when it comes into contact with the road surface. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of suppressing the generation of powder when it comes into contact with the road surface, the bending strength of the lower portion 4b is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that its Clark stiffness is 200 or less. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of maintaining functionality against wind during driving, it is preferable that the bending strength of the lower portion 4b has a Clark stiffness of 30 or more.

[0032] In this example, the upper part 4a is fixed to the frame 6 or the fender.

[0033] In this example, the upper portion 4a is positioned 3 cm to 10 cm above the road surface (the shortest vertical distance between the upper portion 4a and the road surface is 3 cm to 10 cm), and at least a portion of the lower portion 4b can contact the road surface. It is more preferable that the entire lower portion 4b can contact the road surface.

[0034] The specific gravity of the lower portion 4b is preferably 1 or less. This makes it easier to separate the tire wear particles from the wear particles collected later, due to the difference in specific gravity, and to collect only the tire wear particles. It also makes it possible to reduce the weight of system 1.

[0035] Such films with different bending strengths can be manufactured using the multi-component copolymer described in International Publication No. 2017 / 065298. By adjusting the blending ratio and arrangement of each component, the bending strength can be adjusted, and the lower portion 4b that contacts the road surface can be made highly wear-resistant, thereby suppressing the generation of wear particles other than those from the tire. Furthermore, while films with different bending strengths can be made from two or more films, they can also be formed continuously using such a multi-component copolymer.

[0036] The first portion 4a is preferably made of a conductive film. This is because it makes it easier to collect tire wear particles adhering to the first portion 4a. More specifically, the surface resistance of the first portion 4a is 1.0 × 10⁻⁶. 8 It is preferable that the impedance is Ω or less. The material of the second portion 4b is not particularly limited, but polyethylene terephthalate is an example.

[0037] Referring to Figure 3, the inner film 4 covering the inside of the wheel well 3 also has parts with different bending strengths in the vertical direction. Specifically, the inner film 4 has a first part 4a with high bending strength and a second part 4b with lower bending strength than the first part 4a. In the front wheel section, the parts are arranged in the order of first part 4a, second part 4b, first part 4a, and second part 4b from top to bottom. In the rear wheel section, the parts are also arranged in the order of first part 4a, second part 4b, first part 4a, and second part 4b from top to bottom. The second part 4b of the inner film 4 has a Clark stiffness of 200 or less. Thus, in this example, the inner film 4 covering the inside of the wheel well 3 has a part (second part 4b) with a Clark stiffness of 200 or less. In the front and rear wheel sections, the part that contacts the road surface (lowest part) is made of the second part 4b, which suppresses the generation of powder due to friction with the road surface. Furthermore, in the front wheel section, the second portion 4b (with low bending strength) is also applied near the drive shaft 21 and steering tie rod 23, which move in response to steering (the second upward-convex portion from the top). In the rear wheel section, the second portion 4b (with low bending strength) is also applied to the region where the suspension vibrates (the second portion from the top). The low bending strength of the second portion 4b allows it to follow the movement of the components of the vehicle body 2. In the illustrated example, the lower first portion 4a and the second portion 4b are fixed to the lower arm 24.

[0038] The portion (4a) of the inner film 4 that is different from the aforementioned portion (4b) is preferably a conductive film, and its surface resistance value is 1.0 × 10 8 It is preferable that the impedance is Ω or less, because it makes it easier to collect tire wear particles adhering to the first portion 4a. In the inner film 4, the material of the second portion 4b is not particularly limited, but polyethylene terephthalate can be used as an example.

[0039] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the rear film 4 covering the rear side of the wheel well 3 also has portions 4a and 4b with different bending strengths in the vertical direction. In the illustrated example, the upper portion 4a, located at the top when viewed from the rear, has a roughly L-shape, and the lower portion 4b, located at the bottom, has a rectangular shape. On the other hand, the shape of the rear film 4 can also be varied. Although not shown in the illustration, the front film covering the front side of the wheel well 3 also has portions with different bending strengths in the vertical direction. For example, similar to the rear side, the upper portion 4a, located at the top, can have a roughly L-shape, and the lower portion 4b, located at the bottom, can have a rectangular shape, but this example is not limited to this. The material and bending strength of these portions 4a and 4b can be the same as those of the first portion 4a and second portion 4b of the outer film and inner film, respectively.

[0040] Furthermore, although not shown in the illustration, the portion of the vehicle body 2 that partitions the wheel well 3 (the portion of the vehicle body 2 that partitions the top of the curved wheel well 3 in a side view) is often protected with felt, for example, and tire wear particles can get trapped inside and become difficult to collect. Therefore, it is preferable to provide an internal film 4 in this portion as well. Thus, in this example, the inside of the wheel well 3 is surrounded by the outer film, inner film, rear film, front film, and internal film, and the road surface. On the other hand, in this disclosure, the shape of the film can be varied, and for example, the inside of the wheel well 3 can be surrounded by a cylindrical film and the road surface.

[0041] Here, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the system 1 comprises a suction machine 8 for sucking up tire wear particles and a suction nozzle 7 positioned at least at one location around the tire T housed in the wheel well 3. The suction machine 8 and the suction nozzle 7 are connected by a connecting hose 9. The suction machine 8 is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of sucking up tire wear particles, and can be made up of any known suction machine. In this example, the suction machine 8 is housed in the trunk of the vehicle body 2, and therefore the connecting hose extends from the rear of the tire T (where the suction nozzle 7 is located) to the trunk (where the suction machine 8 is housed). Since tire wear particles tend to scatter behind the tire T, it is more preferable that the suction nozzle 7 be positioned at least behind the tire T, as shown in the figure, in order to increase the recovery rate of tire wear particles. The suction nozzle 7 can also be positioned to the side or in front of the tire T, or the suction nozzle 7 can be positioned in two or more locations, for example, behind and to the side of the tire T.

[0042] When the suction device 8 is in operation, the air pressure inside the wheel well 3 becomes lower than atmospheric pressure. This allows for the efficient collection of tire wear particles. To lower the air pressure inside the wheel well 3 below atmospheric pressure, the suction power of the suction device 8 should be increased.

[0043] In this example, System 1 is applied to all four wheels, but it can also be applied to either the left or right front and rear wheels, or to only one of them. The following describes the operation and effects of the tire wear debris collection system 1 of this embodiment.

[0044] The tire wear dust collection system 1 of this embodiment comprises a film 4 that covers the entire tire housing 3, a suction device 8 that sucks up tire wear dust, and a suction nozzle 7 positioned at least at one location around the tire T housed in the tire housing 3 (in this example, behind the tire T). As the vehicle moves, tire wear particles are generated due to rotational friction between the tire T and the road surface. Therefore, the recovery rate of tire wear particles can be increased by using a suction device 8 to suck up the tire wear particles from suction nozzles 7 positioned around the tire T housed in the wheel well 3. Fine tire wear particles may be scattered into the surrounding air by the airflow while driving and by the surrounding wind before reaching the suction nozzle 7. By providing a film 4 that covers the entire tire well 3, the scattering of tire wear particles can be suppressed, and the tire wear particles can be collected more thoroughly. As described above, the tire wear debris recovery system of this embodiment can increase the recovery rate of tire wear debris. Furthermore, such tire wear debris recovery can be performed while the vehicle is in motion. Furthermore, since tire wear particles tend to scatter behind the tire T, positioning the suction nozzle 7 at least behind the tire T can increase the recovery rate of tire wear particles.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer film 4 is fixed to a fixing member 7 (in this example, a frame 6 with a bending strength of 90 MPa or more) which is connected to a connecting member 5 attached to the vehicle body 2. Therefore, the outer film 4 can be stably fixed. Similarly, the outer film 4 can also be stably fixed by fixing it to the fender that partitions the wheel well 3.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer film 4 has portions with different bending strengths in the vertical direction. Specifically, it consists of an upper portion 4a having a bending strength of Clark stiffness of 400 or more, and a lower portion 4b having a Clark stiffness lower than that of the upper portion 4a. As a result, the upper portion 4a is stably fixed, while the lower portion 4b, which is partially in contact with the road surface, has low bending strength, thus suppressing the generation of powder when it comes into contact with the road surface. In addition, in this embodiment, the specific gravity of the lower portion 4b is 1 or less. This makes it easier to separate the tire wear dust from the powder generated by the friction between the lower portion 4b and the road surface from the wear dust collected later, due to the difference in specific gravity, and to collect only the tire wear dust.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner film 4 has a portion 4b having a bending strength of 200 or less Clark stiffness. This suppresses the generation of powder when portion 4b comes into contact with the road surface. Also, in this embodiment, the surface resistance value of portion 4a of the inner film 4, which is different from portion 4b, is 1.0 × 10⁻⁶. 8 It is less than or equal to Ω. This makes it easy to collect tire wear particles attached to part 4a.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the air pressure inside the wheel well 3 is lower than atmospheric pressure. This allows for efficient collection of tire wear particles.

[0049] <Method for collecting tire wear particles> One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for collecting tire wear particles, for example, by using the tire wear particle collection system of the above embodiment. An example of the system used in this method has already been described, so a further explanation will be omitted. As an example, this method includes the step of sucking up the tire wear particles in the film 4 that covers the entire tire housing 3 using a suction device 8 that sucks up the tire wear particles from a suction nozzle 7 located at least one place around the tire T housed in the tire housing 3 (preferably at least behind the tire T). In the tire wear debris collection method of this embodiment, the tire wear debris collection rate can be increased by using a suction device 8 to suck up the tire wear debris from a suction nozzle 7 positioned at least one location around the tire T housed in the wheel well 3 (preferably at least behind the tire T) in the above step. Furthermore, by providing a film 4 that covers the entire wheel well 3 in the above step, the scattering of tire wear debris can be suppressed, and the tire wear debris can be collected more completely without leakage. Therefore, the tire wear debris collection method of this embodiment can also increase the tire wear debris collection rate.

[0050] [Contribution to the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] The SDGs have been proposed to realize a sustainable society. One embodiment of this invention is considered to be a technology that can contribute to "No. 12: Responsible Consumption and Production." [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1: Tire wear debris collection system, 2: Vehicle body, 21: Drive shaft, 22: Front spring damper, 23: Steering tie rod, 24: Lower arm, 25: Trailing arm, 26: Shock absorber, 3: Wheel well, 4: Film, 4a: Part 1, 4b: Part 2, 5: Connecting member, 6: Fixing member (frame), 7: Suction nozzle, 8: Suction machine, 9: Connecting hose, T: Tire

Claims

1. A film that covers the entire wheel well, A vacuum cleaner for sucking up tire wear dust, A tire wear debris recovery system characterized by comprising a suction nozzle positioned at least at one location around the tire housed in the wheel well.

2. The tire wear dust collection system according to claim 1, wherein the outer film of the aforementioned film that covers the outside of the wheel well is fixed to a fixing member connected to a connecting member attached to the vehicle body.

3. The tire wear dust collection system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the outer film covering the outside of the wheel well and the vehicle body is 1 cm or more and 10 cm or less.

4. The tire wear debris collection system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer film covering the outside of the tire housing has portions with different bending strengths in the vertical direction.

5. The tire wear dust collection system according to claim 4, wherein the outer film covering the outside of the tire housing consists of an upper portion having a Clark stiffness of 400 or more and a lower portion having a Clark stiffness lower than that of the upper portion.

6. The tire wear debris collection system according to claim 5, wherein the upper portion is fixed to a frame or fender.

7. The tire wear dust collection system according to claim 5, wherein the upper portion is positioned 3 cm to 10 cm above the road surface, and at least a portion of the lower portion can come into contact with the road surface.

8. The tire wear dust collection system according to claim 5, wherein the specific gravity of the lower portion is 1 or less.

9. The tire wear debris collection system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner film of the aforementioned film that covers the inside of the wheel well has a portion having a bending strength of 200 or less with a Clark stiffness.

10. The surface resistance value of the portion of the inner film that is different from the aforementioned portion is 1.0 × 10 ８ The tire wear dust recovery system according to claim 9, wherein the value is less than or equal to Ω.

11. The tire wear dust collection system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the suction device and the suction nozzle are connected.

12. The tire wear debris collection system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air pressure inside the tire well is lower than atmospheric pressure.

13. A method for collecting tire wear particles, comprising collecting tire wear particles using the tire wear particle collection system described in claim 1 or 2.

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