TIRE REVOLUTION DETECTING SYSTEM

• US 20080303634A1
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Kokubu, Takao, Toyofuku, Masanobu
• Application Number:
  US12/134,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20080303634A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/041 Means for supplying power to the signal- transmitting means on the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers

Abstract

A tire revolution detecting system includes an electric power generator (23) and an RF tag (27), both provided for the tire (11). The generator (23) generates electric power under deformation of the tire (11) in contact with the ground. The RF tag (27) includes a memory (29) for storing a data indicative of the number of the tire revolution, and serves to (i) add an increment to the data of the memory (29) and renew the stored data each time when the voltage of the electric power generated by the generator (23) exceed a threshold level, and (ii) transmit the data of the memory (29) to an external communication system (34) when the detecting system is connected to the communication system (34) through wireless communication. The generator (23) and the RF tag (27) are provided, respectively, in a sidewall portion (14) and a bead portion (13) of the tire (11).

Claims

1. A tire revolution detecting system comprising:

an electric power generator provided for a tire, for generating an electric power under a ground-contact deformation of the tire; and

an RF tag provided for the tire, and including a memory for storing a data representing the number of revolution the tire has experienced, said RF tag being for adding a predetermined increment to the data of the memory and renewing the data each time when a voltage of the electric power generated by the electric power generator exceed a predetermined level, and for transmitting the data of the memory to an external communication system, when the tire revolution detecting system is connected to the external communication system through a wireless communication;

wherein the electric power generator is provided in a sidewall portion of the tire, and the RF tag is provided in a bead portion of the tire.

2. The tire revolution detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the electric power generator comprises a piezoelectric element, which is compressed by a deformation of the sidewall portion when the tire is in contact with the ground, to generate the electric power.

3. The tire revolution detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the external communication means comprises one of a tag reader and a tag reader/writer.

4. The tire revolution detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the electric power generator is fixedly secured to an inner surface of the sidewall portion of the tire, and the RF tag is fixedly secured to an inner surface of the bead portion of the tire.