US 12,291,286 B2
Tire cooling systems as well as vehicles and methods including same
Thomas A. Sams, Hartville, OH (US)
Assigned to Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC, Nashville, TN (US)
Filed by Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC, Nashville, TN (US)
Filed on Jan. 4, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/150,060.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/296,972, filed on Jan. 6, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0219641 A1, Jul. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. B60C 23/19 (2006.01); B62D 35/00 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 35/008 (2013.01) [B60C 23/19 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body including a wheel well with an aerodynamic profile extending along said vehicle body and across said wheel well;
a wheel including a tire dimensioned to engage a ground surface, said wheel disposed within said wheel well of said vehicle body and inside said aerodynamic profile such that a first nominal volume of air flows along said wheel during movement of said vehicle at a given rate of travel;
a deflector panel disposed along said vehicle body adjacent said wheel well, said deflector panel displaceable between:
a first position in which said deflector panel is substantially-entirely disposed within said aerodynamic profile of said vehicle body with said first nominal volume of air flowing along said wheel during movement of said vehicle at said given rate of travel; and,
a second position in which said deflector panel projects outwardly beyond said aerodynamic profile of said vehicle body such that a second nominal volume of air that is greater than said first nominal volume of air flows along said wheel during movement of said vehicle at said given rate of travel thereby increasing convective heat transfer from said tire.