Method for bonding an active tag to a patch and a tire

• US 6,444,069 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1999
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Koch, Russell W., Wilson, Paul B., Walenga, Guy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ball, Michael W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WARD, JESSICA LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/396,533
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 156/242, 156/244.12, 156/500, 156/123, 152/367-373, 152/152.1, 264/272.11, 264/272.12, 264/272.13, 264/272.14, 340/442, 340/445, 340/447, 340/448, 340/449, 731/462
• US Class Current: 156/123
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2037/80 Identifying, e.g. coding, dating, marking, numbering
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0072 Attaching fasteners to tyres, e.g. patches, in order to connect devices to tyres
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0077 Directly attaching monitoring devices to tyres before or after vulcanization, e.g. microchips
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/728 Decorating or marking the sidewalls after tyre vulcanization protecting, decorating, marking tyre sidewalls B60C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/00 Tyre parts or constructions not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• 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: Y10T 152/10819 Characterized by the structure of the bead portion of the tire

Abstract

A method and apparatus for bonding an active tag to a patch and assembling the patch to a tire is set forth. A patch assembly and a method for securing an electronic monitoring device having electronic and mechanical components for monitoring at least one engineering condition within a tire, comprising an rigid tag assembly encapsulating the electronic monitoring device, bonded to a vulcanized rubber patch which is secured to the inner cavity of a tire utilizing a layer of dual cure bonding rubber.

Claims

1. A method for mounting an electronic monitoring device to a tire having an innerliner and a chamber, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic monitoring device that is adapted to monitor at least one engineering condition of a tire;

the electronic monitoring device having an upper surface adapted to face the chamber of the tire;

providing an attachment patch;

mounting at least part of the electronic monitoring device to the attachment patch;

the attachment patch being free of members that cover the upper surface of the electronic monitoring device such that the upper surface of the electronic monitoring device is exposed to the chamber of the tire when the attachment patch is mounted to the tire; and

mounting the attachment patch to the tire.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of applying an adhesive between the electronic monitoring device and the attachment patch to adhesively connect the electronic monitoring device to the attachment patch.

3. A method for mounting an electronic monitoring device to a tire having an innerliner and a chamber, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic monitoring device that is adapted to monitor at least one engineering condition of a tire;

the electronic monitoring device having an upper surface adapted to face the chamber of the tire;

providing an attachment patch;

mounting at least part of the electronic monitoring device to the attachment patch;

the attachment patch being free of members that cover the upper surface of the electronic monitoring device such that the upper surface of the electronic monitoring device is exposed to the chamber of the tire when the attachment patch is mounted to the tire;

mounting the attachment patch to the tire; and

encapsulating the electronic monitoring device with a rigid encapsulation material before the step of mounting the monitoring device to the attachment patch.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of mounting the attachment patch to the tire includes the step of clamping the patch to the tire to provide pressure between the patch and the tire.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of mounting the attachment patch to the innerliner of the tire.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of mounting includes the step of stitching the attachment patch to the innerliner.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of providing an attachment patch includes the steps of providing a rubber patch having edges, a first side for interfacing with the electronic monitoring device, the first side of the patch including a recess cavity surrounded by a ridge, and the patch being tapered from the ridge toward the edges.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of encapsulating the electronic monitoring device includes the step of placing the electronic monitoring device into a mold having a preselected configuration.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of placing the electronic monitoring device into a mold includes the step of providing a mold including at least one face having an alternating raised and recessed pattern to increase the surface area of the face.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of encapsulating the electronic monitoring device include the steps of filling the mold with an epoxy potting material and curing the epoxy material to form a rigid tag assembly having the preselected configuration.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of providing an attachment patch includes the step of vulcanizing a rubber patch.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of providing the attachment patch includes the step of forming the rubber patch from a mixture of chlorobutyl rubber and natural rubber.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of providing the attachment patch includes the step of forming the rubber patch from a mixture of SBR and natural rubber.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of providing the attachment patch includes the step of forming the rubber patch from a material selected from the group consisting of EPDM rubber, butyl rubber, natural rubber, neoprene, and mixtures thereof.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of vulcanizing a rubber patch includes the step of heating the rubber patch at a temperature of about 150 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of providing an attachment patch includes the step of providing a recessed cavity on one side of the attachment patch.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of mounting at least part of the electronic monitoring device to the attachment patch includes the step of seating at least a portion of the electronic monitoring device in the recessed cavity.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of providing the attachment patch with a textured surface and locating the textured surface in the recessed cavity.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of placing an adhesive in the recessed cavity prior to performing the step of seating at least a portion of the electronic monitoring device in the recessed cavity.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of seating at least a portion of the electronic monitoring device in the recessed cavity includes the step of assembling the portion of the electronic monitoring device into the recessed cavity so that the adhesive flows from the interface between the portion of the monitoring device and the attachment patch.

21. A method for mounting an electronic monitoring device to a tire having an innerliner and a chamber, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic monitoring device for monitoring at least one engineering condition of a tire;

the electronic monitoring device having an upper surface;

providing an attachment patch;

mounting at least part of the electronic monitoring device to the attachment patch such that the upper surface of the electronic monitoring device is exposed to the chamber of the tire;

mounting the attachment patch to the tire;

the step of providing an attachment patch includes the step of providing a layer of uncured rubber to one side of the attachment patch; and

the step of mounting the attachment patch to the tire including the steps of positioning the layer of uncured rubber between the attachment patch and the tire and curing the layer of uncured rubber to the tire to mount the patch to the tire.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of curing the layer of uncured rubber includes the step of curing the assembly at a temperature of from about 75 to 90 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of providing a layer of uncured rubber includes the step of providing a layer of dual cure bonding rubber, and wherein the step of curing the layer includes the step of applying an activator fluid to the layer of dual cure bonding rubber.