1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for reconstructing vehicular accidents and analyzing vehicular behavior, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a method and apparatus for effectuating a blowout of a tire of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The primary source of transportation in today's society is the automobile. Unfortunately, automobile accidents account for a large proportion of the total number of accidents involving death or serious bodily injury in this country. Consequently, many resources are expended in order to determine the causes of various accidents and to find new ways to eliminate or reduce the severity of automobile accidents in general.
Pneunmatic tire blowouts are sometimes the cause of automobile and other vehicular accidents. A blowout is a sudden, violent and uncontrollable escape of air from the tire while the automobile or other vehicle is in operation. Although there are many causes, blowouts sometimes occur when the wall of a tire becomes worn and weak and the internal pressure thereon causes the weak portions to burst or open up. It is often necessary to intentionally effectuate actual tire blowouts in order to study the effects of blowouts on vehicular behavior and to reconstruct certain accidents involving tire blowouts so that disputes concerning the nature and extent of the alleged damage and injury caused thereby can be resolved.
Numerous devices and methods for simulating and effectuating pneumatic tire blowouts have been developed.
Many of these devices produce a controlled air out or tire deflation by causing the release of air through the valve or some other orifice, which allows the tire to be reused. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,532,140 to Hoffman, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,717 to Wolf.
With some devices, a hole is preformed in the tire and plugged until the desired moment, at which time the plug is released or removed to cause the deflation. See. U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,755 to Edwards et al.
It has also been suggested that blowouts could be effectuated by plunging a knife into the tire, or by shooting a hole in the tire with a gun that has been mounted on the fender of the vehicle. See U.S. Pat No. 2,099,642, first column, lines 17-24.
The behavior and handling characteristics of a vehicle immediately following a true blowout vary greatly according to the amount of time that it takes for the air to exit from the tire. with a true and violent blowout, a very large opening is formed in the tire in a very short period of time resulting in an almost immediate deflation. Thus, in order to intentionally effectuate a blowout that closely resembles a true and violent blowout, a very large air exit hole must be formed in the tire in a very short period of time.
In many of the prior methods and devices for simulating the effectuating tire blowouts, the air is released through an orifice or other small opening in the tire. As a result, the amount of time that it takes for the air to exit from the tire is greater than it would be with a true and violent blowout.
Furthermore, plunging a knife or similar object completely into the tire can cause the tire to stop rotating and lock up. This has an additional effect on the behavior and handling characteristics of the vehicle which prevents an accurate determination of the actual effects of a true blowout.
Thus, there is a need for an apparatus and method for effectuating a blowout that forms a very large opening in the tire in a very short period of time without stopping the rotation thereof.