Mounting transponders in pneumatic tires

• US 6,546,982 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Original Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Inventors: Pollack, Richard Stephen, Brown, Robert Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HUYEN D
• Application Number:
  US09/744,463
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 296/01, 295/921, 298/25, 295/95, 295/93, 295/96, 152/152.1, 152/367, 152/523, 152/524, 156/123, 156/110.1, 731/46
• US Class Current: 152/152.1
• 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: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts
• 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: H01F 5/00 Coils superconducting coils H01F6/06; fixed inductances of the signal type H01F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 matching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2241 used in or for vehicle tyres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10882 Patches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 : with other electrical component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Method and apparatus for mounting a transponder module (602, 602a, 702, 951, 1000, 1020, 1102, 1102′, 1402) and an antenna (740, 740′, 862, 940, 1140, 1140′, 1200, 1300, 1320, 1360, 1360′, 1440, 1460) in a pneumatic tire (312, 630, 1204, 1350, 1350′), and for coupling or connecting the antenna to the transponder module. A patch (600, 700, 700′, 850, 950, 980, 1100, 1100′, 1210, 1356, 1356′, 1400) has an opening (620, 720, 720′, 856, 956, 986, 1120, 1120′, 1420) extending to a cavity (622, 722, 860, 960, 990, 1122, 1122′, 1422) within the body of the patch. The transponder module is removably retained in the cavity by a resilient annular lip (624, 724, 724′, 858, 958, 988, 1124, 1124′, 1424) extending around the opening. End portions (742/744,742′/744′, 864/868, 942/944, 972/974, 1142/1144, 1142′/1144′, 1322e/1324e, 1362/1364, 1362′/1364′) of the antenna extend into the patch, and may be connected to a coupling coil (750, 750′, 866, 938, 968) disposed within the patch for coupling RF signals from the antenna to a corresponding coupling coil (760, 760′, 953, 1004, 1024) in the transponder module. Alternatively, the patch may have contact pads or plugs (1152/1154, 1152′/1154′, 1452/1454) disposed therein for making electrical connections with corresponding contact pads (1132/1134, 1132′/1134′, 1432/1434) disposed on an external surface (1106, 1406) of the transponder module.

Claims

1. A patch suitable for mounting a transponder module having at least a substantial portion of which is generally disc-shaped wherein the disc-shaped portion has a diameter and a height which is substantially less than the diameter, to an inner surface of a pneumatic tire, said patch comprising a body formed of a resilient material and having a first external surface, and a second external surface opposite the first external surface, characterized by:

a substantially circular opening extending into the patch from the first external surface toward the second external surface, and extending to a cavity in the body of the patch;

the cavity being generally disc-shaped and sized to be approximately the same diameter and height as the disc-shaped portion of the transponder module; and

the opening has a somewhat smaller diameter than the cavity, thereby forming a resilient annular lip about the opening, the lip thereby being sized to be somewhat smaller in diameter than the disc-shaped portion of the transponder module so that the transponder module may be inserted through the opening into the cavity by deflecting the resilient annular lip and thereby retained within the cavity by the resilient annular lip; and

at least one slot in the lip to facilitate deflecting the lip for inserting the transponder module past the lip into the cavity.

2. A patch, according to claim 1, characterized by:

an antenna, having two end portions, each end portion extending from outside the patch to within the body of the patch.

3. A patch, according to claim 2, characterized in that:

the two end portions of the antenna enter the body of the patch at diametrically opposed positions on the patch.

4. A patch, according to claim 2, characterized in that:

the antenna is selected from a group consisting of loop antenna and dipole antenna.

5. A patch, according to claim 2, characterized in that:

the antenna extends circumferentially about an inner surface of the tire.

6. A patch, according to claim 1, characterized by:

electrical terminals disposed on an inner surface of the cavity for making connections with corresponding electrical terminals on an external surface of the transponder module when the transponder module is disposed within the cavity.

7. A patch suitable for mounting a transponder module having at least a substantial portion of which is generally disc-shaped wherein the disc-shaped portion has a diameter and a height which is substantially less than the diameter, to an inner surface of a pneumatic tire, said patch comprising a body formed of a resilient material and having a first external surface, and a second external surface opposite the first external surface, characterized by:

a substantially circular opening extending into the patch from the first external surface toward the second external surface, and extending to a cavity in the body of the patch;

the cavity being generally disc-shaped and sized to be approximately the same diameter and height as the disc-shaped portion of the transponder module; and

the opening has a somewhat smaller diameter than the cavity, thereby forming a resilient annular lip about the opening, the lip thereby being sized to be somewhat smaller in diameter than the disc-shaped portion of the transponder module so that the transponder module may be inserted through the opening into the cavity by deflecting the resilient annular lip and thereby retained within the cavity by the resilient annular lip; and

a coupling coil comprising at least a few turns of wire is disposed within the body of the patch closely adjacent and surrounding the cavity.

8. A patch, according to claim 7, characterized in that:

the coupling coil has two ends; and

characterized by;

an antenna having two end portions, each end portion extending from outside the patch to within the body of the patch and connected to a respective one of the two ends of the coupling coil.

9. A patch, according to claim 7, characterized in that:

the coupling coil is disposed on a bobbin which is molded into the body of the patch.

10. A patch suitable for mounting a transponder module having at least a substantial portion of which is generally disc-shaped wherein the disc-shaped portion has a diameter and a height which is substantially less than the diameter, to an inner surface of a pneumatic tire, said patch comprising a body formed of a resilient material and having a first external surface, and a second external surface opposite the first external surface, characterized by:

a substantially circular opening extending into the patch from the first external surface toward the second external surface, and extending to a cavity in tile body of the patch;

the cavity being generally disc-shaped and sized to be approximately the same diameter and height as the disc-shaped portion of the transponder module; and

the opening has a somewhat smaller diameter than the cavity, thereby forming a resilient annular lip about the opening, the lip thereby being sized to be somewhat smaller in diameter than the disc-shaped portion of the transponder module so that the transponder module may be inserted through the opening into the cavity by deflecting the resilient annular lip and thereby retained within the cavity by the resilient annular lip; and

a coupling coil comprising at least a few turns of wire is disposed within the body of the patch closely adjacent and underneath the cavity.

11. A patch, according to claim 10, characterized in that:

the coupling coil has two ends; and

further comprising;

an antenna having two end portions, each end portion extending from outside the patch to within the body of the patch and connected to a respective one of the two ends of the coupling coil.

12. A patch, according to claim 10, characterized in that:

the coupling coil is disposed on a bobbin [(961)] which is molded into the body of the patch.

13. A method of mounting a transponder module having at least a substantial portion of which is generally disc-shaped wherein the disc-shaped portion has a diameter and a height which is substantially less than the diameter, to an inner surface of a pneumatic tire, comprising:

providing a patch having a body formed of a resilient material and having a first external surface, and a second external surface opposite the first external surface; and

affixing the patch to the inner surface of the tire;

characterized by;

the provided patch having a substantially circular opening extending into the patch from the first external surface toward the second external surface, and extending to a cavity in the body of the patch, the cavity being generally disc-shaped and sized to be approximately the same diameter and height as the disc-shaped portion of the transponder module; and

the opening having a somewhat smaller diameter than the cavity, thereby forming a resilient annular lip about the opening, the lip thereby being sized to be somewhat smaller in diameter than the disc-shaped portion of the transponder module and at least one slot in the lip to facilitate deflecting the lip for inserting the transponder module past the lip into the cavity; and

inserting the transponder module through the opening into the cavity by deflecting the resilient annular lip such that the disc-shaped potion of the transponder module is retained within the cavity by the resilient annular lip.

14. Method, according to claim 13, characterized by:

affixing the patch to the inner surface of the tire during the fabrication of the tire.

15. Method, according to claim 13, characterized by:

affixing the patch to the inner surface of the tire after the fabrication of the tire.

16. Method, according to claim 13, characterized by:

inserting the transponder module into the patch before the patch is affixed to the inner surface of the tire.

17. Method, according to claim 13, characterized by:

inserting the transponder module into the patch after the patch is affixed to the inner surface of the tire.

18. Method, according to claim 13, characterized by:

coupling an antenna to the transponder module with a coil disposed within the body of the patch.

19. Method, according to claim 13, characterized by:

coupling an antenna to the transponder module with electrical contacts disposed on an inner surface of the cavity.