Electronics device for a tire having an extensible antenna and a tire having such a device

• US 20040189456A1
• Filed: 03/04/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Original Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Myatt, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,102,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/445
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0072 Attaching fasteners to tyres, e.g. patches, in order to connect devices to tyres
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2241 used in or for vehicle tyres

Abstract

An electronic communication device for a tire includes a radio device and an antenna intended to be attached to or embedded in a tire, the antenna being spirally or helically shaped to absorb tensile and bending stress applied by the tire. The antenna body may be a wire formed of spring steel, brass or zinc coated spring steel, or spring brass. A coating of insulating material coats the radio device and antenna for mounting on or in, and operation in, a tire structure.

Claims

1. An improved electronic communication device for a tire of a vehicle, comprising a radio device for communicating information from the tire to a remote radio receiver, and at least a first antenna wire connected to and extending from said radio device, the at least first antenna wire is formed with a plurality of helical turns, characterised in that the at least first antenna wire is coated with an electrically insulating material to isolate it from the tire rubber.

2. An improved electronics device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radio device is also coated with an electrically insulating material.

3. The improved electronics device as claimed in one of claim 1, wherein the antenna is formed as one of a monopole or a dipole and terminates at a distance from the radio device.

4. The improved electronics component assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the radio device is operable at a frequency of at least 130 MHz.

5. The improved electronics device as claimed in one of claim 3, wherein the length of the antenna less than 100 mm.

6. The improved electronics device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the antenna is a dipole antenna with two parts, each part having a length not more than 50 mm.

7. The improved electronics device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the radio device is operable at a frequency of at least 433 MHz, and the antenna has a length of not more than 200 mm.

8. The improved electronics device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the antenna is a dipole antenna of two parts, each part having a length of approximately 65 to 70 mm.

9. The improved electronics device as claimed in one of claim 1, wherein the antenna is formed as one or more loops.

10. The improved electronics device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the radio device is operable at a frequency of about 13 MHz or less.

11. The improved electronics component assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a layer of rubber surrounding the antenna and radio device.

12. The improved electronics device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the layer of rubber material forms a patch for mounting the device to a sidewall of a tire, the layer of rubber material having a mating side carrying an adhesive material.

13. The improved electronics device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the layer of rubber material is an electrically non-conductive rubber.

14. The improved electronics device as claimed in one of claim 1, wherein the antenna is formed from a wire having a diameter of 0.15 to 0.22 mm and coiled in a helix having an outside diameter of 0.5 to 2 mm.

15. A tire having an electronic device, the tire comprising a crown region and sidewalls extending radially inward from the crown and terminating in beads, the tire further comprising a radio device for communicating information from the tire to a remote radio receiver and at least a first antenna wire connected to and extending from said radio device, the antenna being formed with a plurality of helical turns, wherein the radio device and antenna are integrated into the tire with a coating of electrically non-conductive material surrounding the at least first antenna wire.

16. A tire having an electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said radio device and antenna are integrated into a sidewall of the tire.

17. A tire having an electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said radio device and antenna are integrated into the crown of the tire.