Sensor unit

• US 20060038670A1
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kashiwai, Mikio, Takagi, Hisamitsu, Hosokawa, Toshiyuki, Sekino, Yousuke, Komatsu, Goro, Yoshimura, Yasunori
• Granted Patent: US 7,328,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/442
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver

Abstract

A sensor unit includes a sensor body consisting of a detecting part which detects an inside pressure of a tire, and a transmitting part which transmits a pressure signal detected by the detecting part, and a base member which holds the sensor body. The base member is fixed to a wheel through a heat curable adhesive layer.

Claims

1. A sensor unit comprising:

a sensor body including a detecting part which detects an inside variable of a tire, and a transmitting part which transmits a signal based on the variable detected by the detecting part;

a base member which holds the sensor body; and

a heat curable adhesive layer adapted to fix the base member to a wheel.

2. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the base member is fixed to a rim of the wheel.

3. A sensor unit according to claim 2, wherein the base member is fixed to a well of the rim.

4. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the sensor body is detachably held on the base member.

5. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat curable adhesive layer is a sheet-like member, both sides of which are coated with adhesive.

6. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the variable comprises at least one of pressure and temperature.

7. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein one of the base member and the sensor body includes a protrusion and the other of the base member and the sensor body includes a receiving portion which slidably receives the protrusion when the sensor body is held by the base member.

8. A sensor unit according to claim 7, further including a stopper to prevent the sensor body from being separated from the base member when the sensor body is held by the base member.

9. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat curable adhesive layer comprises a semi-structural acrylic form tape.

10. A method of attaching a sensor unit including a base member and a sensor body to a wheel, comprising the steps of:

applying a heat curable adhesive layer to the base member;

attaching the base member to the wheel via the heat curable adhesive layer;

heating the heat curable adhesive layer to cure same; and

attaching the sensor body to the base member.

11. A method of claim 10, wherein the base member is fixed to a rim of the wheel.

12. A method of claim 11, wherein the base member is fixed to a well of the rim

13. A method of claim 10, wherein the sensor body is detachably held on the base member.

14. A method of claim 10, wherein the heat curable adhesive layer is a sheet-like member, both sides of which are coated with adhesive.

15. A method of claim 10, wherein the heat curable adhesive layer comprises a semi-structural acrylic form tape.

16. A method of claim 10, wherein the sensor unit detects at least one of pressure and temperature within a tire attached to the wheel.