Rubberized RFID tagged tire bladders

• US 10,457,005 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Original Assignee: Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company)
• Inventors: Keenan, Patrick, Schimmoeller, Dale E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackey, James P
• Application Number:
  US16/074,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20190039341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/3842 Manufacturing moulds, e.g. shaping the mould surface by machining
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/505 cores or mandrels, e.g. inflatable B29C33/0016 takes precedence; for winding and joining B29C53/824; for supporting articles during joining B29C66/634; flexible cores for vulcanizing tyres B29D30/0654
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14639 for obtaining an insulating effect, e.g. for electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0659 Details or accessories for the flexible cores not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/0654 Flexible cores therefor, e.g. bladders, bags, membranes, diaphragms elastic cores or mandrels for shaping of plastics B29C33/505; bags for isostatic pressing in compression moulding B29C43/12, B29C43/3642
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/00 Tyre parts or constructions not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 5/00 Inflatable pneumatic tyres or inner tubes B60C1/00, B60C9/00 - B60C17/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07764 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier attachable to a tire tire temperature or pressur control arrangements, see B60C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2241 used in or for vehicle tyres

Abstract

A tire curing bladder and associated method of forming same includes an elastomeric body and a radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag chemically bonded to the elastomeric body.

Claims

1. A curing bladder comprising:

an elastomeric body made of an elastomeric material; and

a radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag chemically bonded to the elastomeric body.

2. The curing bladder of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric material is vulcanized.

3. The curing bladder of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag is located adjacent an outer surface of the elastomeric body.

4. The curing bladder of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric body is a tire curing bladder.

5. The curing bladder of claim 4 wherein the RFID tag is positioned at a bead of the tire curing bladder.

6. The curing bladder of claim 4 wherein the RFID tag is at least partially formed of an elastomeric material.

7. The curing bladder of claim 6 wherein the RFID tag includes first and second layers of rubber encapsulating the RFID tag, and at least one of the layers is chemically bonded to the elastomeric body.

8. The curing bladder of claim 7 wherein the RFID tag further includes a conductive rubber antenna.

9. The curing bladder of claim 8 wherein the RFID tag includes a chip that is mechanically and electrically joined to the rubber antenna, and the chip and antenna are encapsulated by the first and second rubber layers.

10. A method of making a tire curing bladder, comprising:

mixing an elastomeric material;

positioning a radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag within a tire curing bladder mold; and

molding and curing the mixture in the tire curing bladder mold whereby the RFID tag is situated adjacent an outer surface of the molded tire curing bladder.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the molding and curing step includes vulcanizing the elastomeric material.

12. The method of claim 10 further including positioning the RFID tag along a surface of the tire curing bladder mold.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising forming a bead on the tire curing bladder.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the positioning step includes locating the RFID tag in the bead of the tire curing bladder.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the molding step includes injection molding rubber material into the tire curing bladder mold once the RFID tag is situated in the tire curing bladder mold.

16. A tire curing bladder comprising:

a vulcanized, elastomeric tire curing bladder body dimensioned for receipt in a green tire which is dimensioned for receipt in a tire mold; and

a radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag chemically bonded to the elastomeric bladder body.

17. The tire curing bladder of claim 16 wherein the bladder includes a bead and the RFID tag is incorporated into the elastomeric bladder body adjacent the bead.

18. The tire curing bladder of claim 16 wherein the RFID tag includes first and second layers of rubber encapsulating the RFID tag, and at least one of the layers is chemically bonded to the elastomeric body.

19. The tire curing bladder of claim 18 wherein the RFID tag includes a chip and at least a portion of an antenna encapsulated in the encapsulating rubber.

20. The tire curing bladder of claim 19 wherein the antenna is formed at least in part by a conductive rubber.