Tire having a cavity for receiving an electronic detector

• US 20050217774A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Compagnie générale des établissements Michelin
• Original Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Borot, Martine
• Granted Patent: US 7,556,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/152.100
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0077 Directly attaching monitoring devices to tyres before or after vulcanization, e.g. microchips
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/20 by the flat-tyre method, i.e. building on cylindrical drums
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre

Abstract

A tire includes a cavity formed therein to receive a removable electronic monitoring module. A mouth of the cavity opens into the inside volume of the tire and is located along a section of a joint of a first layer formed by the assembly of rubber profiled elements adjacent to the inside volume of the tire. The joint can extend radially or circumferentially. The cavity can be formed by inserting an element into the tire body and then leaving the element in place or removing it prior to vulcanization.

Claims

1. A tire including a cavity arranged to removably receive an electronic monitoring module, the cavity formed inside a body of the tire and having a module-receiving mouth which opens into an inside volume of the tire and which is located along a section of a butt joint formed between rubber components of the tire.

2. The tire according to claim 1 wherein the body includes a first layer and a second layer disposed radially over the first layer and bonded thereto;

the cavity disposed between the first and second layers.

3. The tire according to claim 2, wherein the cavity is formed by a localized absence of rubber bonds between the first layer and the second layer.

4. The tire according to claim 2, wherein rubber material forming the first layer comprises an air-tight material.

5. The tire according to claim 2 wherein the tire body further comprises a backing layer disposed across the cavity and bonded to the second layer.

6. The tire according to claim 5 wherein the backing layer is formed of the same rubber material as the first layer.

7. The tire according to claim 1 wherein the mouth of the cavity is oriented substantially radially on the tire.

8. The tire according to claim 1 wherein the mouth of the cavity is oriented substantially circumferentially on the tire.

9. The tire according to claim 1 wherein an angular orientation of the cavity mouth relative to the tire'"'"'s circumferential direction is in the range of 0°

to 90°

.

10. The tire according to claim 1 wherein the cavity is located radially between a bead heel and an upper crown of the tire.

11. The tire according to claim 1 wherein walls of the cavity arranged to contact an electronic monitoring device are covered by a protective layer of extensible material.

12. The tire according to claim 11 wherein the extensible material comprises a woven or non-woven fabric base.

13. The tire according to claim 11 wherein the extensible material comprises an elastomeric material.

14. The tire according to claim 1 further including an electronic monitoring module within the cavity.

15. A process for producing a tire, comprising the steps of:

A) placing on a building drum a first part of a section of a first layer comprised of an assembly of rubber profiled elements arranged adjacent to an inside volume of the tire, wherein an edge portion of the first part has a first lip;

B) placing on the building drum a second part of the section of the first layer, wherein an edge portion of the second part has a second lip brought together with the first lip to define therewith a joint;

C) positioning on the first layer a second layer comprised of an assembly of profiled rubber elements for forming a rubber bond to the first layer, with a cavity disposed between the first and second layers having an opening disposed along a section of the joint;

D) applying additional rubber profiled tire elements; and

E) vulcanizing the tire.

16. A process according to claim 15 further including the step of inserting an electronic monitoring device into the cavity.

17. A process according to claim 15, further including the step of applying an adhesion-preventing product to prevent adhesion in areas defining the cavity and the opening.

18. A process according to claim 15 further including the step of positioning an intermediate element between the first and second layers for defining the cavity.

19. A process according to claim 18, further including removing the intermediate element subsequent to step E.

20. A process according to claim 19, including the step of applying an adhesion-preventing substance between the intermediate element and the first and second layers to prevent adhesion of the intermediate element thereto.

21. A process according to claim 18, wherein the intermediate element is permanently bonded to the tire.

22. A process according to claim 21 wherein the intermediate element is folded over to define external surfaces and mutually facing internal cavity-defining surfaces;

prior to step C an adhesion-preventing substance being applied within the intermediate element to prevent the internal surfaces from adhering to one another;

the external surfaces being permanently adhered to the tire.

23. A process according to claim 18 further including, prior to step C, the step of positioning a backing layer over the intermediate element, wherein following step E, the cavity is also disposed between the first layer and the backing layer.

24. A process according to claim 15, further including, prior to step C, the step of positioning a backing layer over an area of the first layer where the cavity is to be formed, wherein following step E, the cavity is disposed between the first layer and the backing layer.