Abstract:
An emergency system for improving the traction of a tire with the tire having an outer circumferential tread surface and an inner circumferential edge. The emergency system has at least one tire traction device having a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional configuration with at least a portion of the tire traction device positionable about at least a portion of the tread of the tire. A tensioning strap is positioned between the tire traction devices. An adjustable connecting strap is secured to each tire traction device and the tensioning strap wherein upon a tightening adjustment of each adjustable connecting strap, each tire traction device is releasably secured about at least a portion of the tread surface of the tire.

Description:
[0001]    The present application is a continuation of pending provisional patent application Serial No. 60/198,700, filed on Apr. 20, 2000, entitled “Emergency Tire Traction Device”. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates generally to a device for providing additional traction to vehicle tires during low traction and emergency situations and, more particularly, it relates to a tire traction device for all types of vehicles which are lightweight, compact, easily installable, and low cost.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    The tire traction of motor vehicles is important to ensure the safety of the vehicle occupants, other motorists, and pedestrians. Tire traction becomes of greatest concern when driving conditions are degraded or otherwise impaired by environmental factors such as rain, snow, and/or ice. For this reason, supplemental traction devices are necessary, and often essential, to improve traction and control of the motor vehicle.  
           [0006]    In the past, there have been several attempts to solve the dilemma of impaired traction. One attempt to solve the problem is often referred to as studded tires. Studded tires are typically a seasonal solution requiring two sets of tires, i.e., one studded tire set and one regular traction set, and the labor expense to cycle between the sets depending on the season and/or conditions. Being applied seasonally suggests that the studded tires will also be used by the motorists on dry roads, which tends to damage the roads and tires and reduces the tire life.  
           [0007]    Another attempted solution to improve tire traction is using tire chains. Tire chains are not seasonal and can be installed about and removed from the tire when desired. While this solution is more convenient that studded tires, the tire chains are expensive, heavy, and difficult to install about and remove from the tires.  
           [0008]    Accordingly, there exists a need for an emergency tire traction device which is lightweight, compact, easily installed, and significantly lower priced than conventional tire traction improvement devices. Additionally, a need exists for an emergency tire traction device which improves the traction of a tire in adverse environments with minimal time delays in installation.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0009]    The present invention is a tire traction device for improving traction of a tire. The tire traction device comprises a main body having a first arm, a second arm, and a middle arm connecting the first arm to the second arm and means for securing the main body to the tire.  
           [0010]    Additionally, the present invention includes an emergency system for improving the traction of a wheel. The wheel has a tire mounted on a rim. The tire has an outer circumferential tread surface and an inner circumferential edge with the inner circumferential edge contacting the rim of the tire. The emergency system comprises at least one tire traction device having a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional configuration with at least a portion of the tire traction device positionable about at least a portion of the tread surface of the tire. A tensioning strap is positioned between the tire traction devices. An adjustable connecting strap is secured to each tire traction device and the tensioning strap wherein upon a tightening adjustment of each adjustable connecting strap, each tire traction device is releasably secured about at least a portion of the tread surface of the tire.  
           [0011]    The present invention further includes a method for improving the traction of a tire. The tire having a tread surface around an outer circumference of the tire and an inner edge about an inner circumference of the tire. The method comprises providing at least one substantially C-shaped tire traction device having a first arm, a second arm, and a connecting portion, positioning the first arm of the tire traction device over at least a portion of the tread surface of the tire, positioning the second arm of the tire traction device over the inner edge of the tire, connecting each tire traction device to each other tire traction device with an adjustable strap, and tightening each adjustable strap to secure each tire traction device to the tire. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an emergency tire traction device, constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is an elevational end view of the emergency tire traction device of FIG. 1, constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is an elevational side view of the emergency tire traction device of FIG. 1, constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a wheel having a tire and a rim with the wheel having the emergency tire traction device installed thereon; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the wheel having the emergency tire traction device installed thereon. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]    As illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 5 , the present invention is an emergency tire traction device, indicated generally at  10 , for improving the traction of a wheel assembly  11  on a vehicle (not shown). The wheel assembly  11  typically includes a tire  12  and a rim  13 . The tire  12  has a tread surface  14  about an outer circumference  16  of the tire  12  and an inner edge  18  about an inner circumference  20  of the tire  12 . The tire  12  is mounted to the rim  13  in a known manner such that the inner edge  18  of the tire  12  contacts the rim  13 . The emergency tire traction device  10  of the present invention can be used on any type of tire  12  having any type of rim  13  for any type of vehicle including, but not limited to, automobiles, trucks, vans, tractors, all terrain vehicles, etc.  
         [0018]    The emergency tire traction device  10  has a substantially C-shaped main body  22 . The main body  22  is preferably constructed from either unreinforced or fiber-reinforced polymer having high performance characteristics formed through an injection molding process. The preferred polymer includes two components, polycarbonate and nylon  6 , which exhibit the necessary high performance characteristics and meet the stress performance requirements which are necessary for use on the tire  12 . It should be noted that while the main body  22  has been described as being constructed from a fiber-reinforced polymer formed through an injection molding process, it is within the scope of the present invention to construct the main body  22  from other materials including, but not limited to, other polymers, plastic, metal, aluminum, ceramic, etc, and to form the main body through other processes.  
         [0019]    The main body  22  of the emergency tire traction device  10  has a first arm  24 , a second arm  26  substantially parallel to the first arm  24 , and a curved connecting portion  28  connected between the first arm  24  and the second arm  26 . When positioned on the wheel assembly  11 , the first arm  24  spans at least a portion of the tread surface  14  of the tire  12  to improve the traction of the tire  12  during adverse weather or environmental conditions. To this end, since the first arm  24  spans at least a portion of the tread surface  14  of the tire  12 , the first arm  24  preferably has a first length greater than a second length of the second arm  26 . It is within the scope of the present invention, however, to have the first length of the first arm  24  have a length less than or equal to the second length of the second arm  26 . Actual installation and operation of the emergency tire traction device  10  on a wheel assembly  11  to improve traction will be described in further detail below.  
         [0020]    The first arm  24  of the main body  22  has a first end  30  and a second end  32  with the second end  32  being connected to the curved connecting portion  28 . The second arm  26  of the main body  22  has a first end  34  and a second end  36  with the second end  36  being connected to the curved connecting portion  28 . As described above, the curved connecting portion  24  spaces the first arm  12  and the second arm  22  in a substantially parallel manner thereby forming the substantially C-shaped cross-sectional configuration of the main body  22 .  
         [0021]    As described above, the main body  22 , including the first arm  24 , the second arm  26 , and the connecting portion  28 , is preferably formed through an injection molding process thereby forming a unitary main body  22 . It is within the scope of the present invention, however, to construct the first arm  24 , the second arm  26 , and the connecting portion  28  separately and then connect the first arm  24  to the connecting portion  28  and the second arm  26  to the connecting portion  28 .  
         [0022]    The first end  30  of the first arm  24  has an aperture  38  for receiving a webbing strap  40  having a length of approximately twelve (12″) inches. The webbing straps  40  are constructed and designed to maintain each emergency tire traction device  10  to the wheel assembly  11  and about at least a portion of the tread surface  14  of the tire  12  and link multiple emergency tire traction devices  10  together about the wheel assembly  11 , as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Each webbing strap  40  is preferably constructed from a nylon material and is sewn or otherwise secured to a buckle  32  which allows the length of the webbing strap  40  to be lengthened or shortened depending on the size, i.e., diameter and width, of the wheel assembly  11  and the tire  12 .  
         [0023]    In the preferred embodiment, a tensioning strap  44  is provided to releasably secure each webbing strap  40  to each other webbing strap  40  and, thus, firmly secure each emergency tire traction device  10  to the wheel assembly  11 . The ends of the tensioning strap  44  are sewn are otherwise connected together to form a substantial loop with each webbing strap  40  being looped through the tensioning strap  44 .  
         [0024]    The tensioning strap  44  is preferably constructed from a strip of nylon material, similar to the webbing strap  40 , having a length of approximately ten (10″) inches. It should be noted that while both the webbing straps  40  and the tensioning strap  44  are described as being constructed from a nylon material, it is within the scope of the present invention to construct the webbing straps  40  and/or the tensioning strap  44  from other materials including, but not limited, to elastic materials.  
         [0025]    The installation and operation of the emergency tire traction devices  10  will now be described in detail. First, each emergency tire traction device  10  is positioned on the wheel assembly  11  with at least a portion of the first arm  24  being positioned over the tread surface  14  of the tire  12  and the second arm  26  being positioned over the rim  13  adjacent the inner edge  18  of the tire  12 . The inventors of the present application have determined that positioning at least four (4) emergency tire traction devices  10  in a spaced manner about the wheel assembly  11  offers optimum traction with minimal expense. It should be noted, however, that positioning more than four (4) emergency tire traction devices  10  about the wheel assembly  11  or positioning less than four (4) emergency tire traction devices  10  about the wheel assembly  11  is within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0026]    Next, each webbing strap  40  is looped about the tensioning strap  44  to connect the multiple emergency tire traction devices  10  together. Each webbing strap  40  is then tightened via the buckle  42  to releasably securely maintain each emergency tire traction device  10  to the wheel assembly  11 . The emergency tire traction devices  10  are now installed about the wheel assembly  11  and re ready to use to assist in maintaining and improving traction of the wheel assembly  11  during adverse whether conditions.  
         [0027]    The emergency tire traction device  10  of the present invention is a novel approach to increasing the traction of tires  12  in adverse environmental conditions. The emergency tire traction device  10  is lightweight weighing only approximately 1.67 pounds. Furthermore, the emergency tire traction device  10  can be stored in a container (not shown) having dimensions of approximately nine (9″) inches by approximately seven and one-half (7½″) inches by approximately four (4″) inches.  
         [0028]    The design of the emergency tire traction device  10  enables emergency use of the emergency tire traction device  10  use with minimal installation time. Furthermore, the emergency tire traction device  10  is lightweight, compact, easily installed, and inexpensive, while accommodating a wide variety of wheel assemblies  11  having different diameters and widths.  
         [0029]    The foregoing exemplary descriptions and the illustrative preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained in the drawings and described in detail, with varying modifications and alternative embodiments being taught. While the invention has been so shown, described and illustrated, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that equivalent changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention, and that the scope of the present invention is to be limited only to the claims except as precluded by the prior art. Moreover, the invention as disclosed herein, may be suitably practiced in the absence of the specific elements which are disclosed herein.