| 摘要 |
A vehicle tire and tread wear device assembly (10) is disclosed comprising: a tire (12) having a radially outward plurality of tread elements (18); at least one tread element (18) projecting from the base of the tread and ha00ving a defined tread depth; a tread wear indicator comprising at least one sacrificial resistive sensor element (24, 26, 28) affixed to the one tread element (18), wherein the one sensor element is operative to progressively change in resistivity responsive to progressive tread wear of the one tread element; electrical resistivity measuring means connected to the one sensor element for generating data indicative of a measured change in resistivity in the one sensor element; and data processing means for determining a tread wear status of the one tread element based on the measured change in resistivity of the one sensor element. Also, a method of installing a tread wear sensor in a tire of the tire type comprising a tire carcass enclosing a tire cavity and a tire tread region on the a radially outward regions of the tire carcass, the tire having a plurality of tread elements projecting from a base of the tire tread region, is disclosed. The method comprises: configuring a tread wear indicator to include at least one sacrificial resistive sensor element having a known resistance value; affixing the at least one resistive sensor element of the tread wear indicator to a selected tread element in a sensor element orientation placing the sensor element substantially parallel to a ground engaging surface of the tread element at a known sensor depth from the ground engaging surface; the at least one sensor element operative to sacrificially abrade and change in resistance responsive to progressive tread wear on the one tread element to the sensor depth; measuring a change in resistivity in the one sensor element; determining tread wear status of the one selected tread element based on the measured change in resistivity of the one sensor element. |
