Transponder for tire, tire with transponder and manufacturing method of tire with transponder

• US 6,788,192 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Shimura, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/033,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 340/442, 340/443, 340/444, 340/445, 340/446, 340/447, 340/448, 731/464, 731/465, 116/34.R, 116/34.B, 152/152.1
• US Class Current: 340/447
• 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 23/0413 Wireless charging of active radio frequency circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre

Abstract

To provide a transponder for tire, in which the physical quantity in an atmosphere within a tire air chamber can be accurately detected by a sensor and which can be vulcanized in a state in which it is embedded in the tire, a tire with the transponder, and a manufacturing method of the tire. According to the present invention, a transponder obtained by hermetically sealing, by a housing, a circuit substrate with the sensor and other electronic components packaged is embedded between an inner liner and a carcass ply. A green tire thus embedded is vulcanized, and after the vulcanization, the tip end portion of a protruded portion of the housing is removed together with part of the tire inner wall surface, and an aperture is formed at a tip end of the protruded portion to communicate an interior of the tire air chamber with the sensor within the housing. Since a circuit substrate is hermetically sealed and housed within the housing, there is no possibility that pressure during vulcanization is applied to the sensor. Thereby, the sensor and the electronic components are protected against deterioration and destruction due to the pressure during vulcanization.

Claims

1. A transponder for tire, having a sensor for detecting physical quantity in an atmosphere within a tire air chamber to convert into an electric signal and wireless communication means, said wireless communication means performing communication with a main device, and transmitting, on receipt of a predetermined question signal from said main device, an answering signal including detection result of said physical quantity to said main device,

wherein there is provided a housing for hermetically sealing and housing said sensor and said wireless communication means in a hermetically sealed state, and said housing to maintain said sensor and wireless communication means in the hermetically sealed state and has space defined partially by said housing and partially by a hollow protruded portion, at least a section of the hollow protruded portion being removed from the housing to provide an unsealed state so that the space enables communication between a physical quantity sensing unit of said sensor inside said housing and the atmosphere inside the tire air chamber.

2. The transponder for tire according to claim 1,

wherein said wireless communication means is isolated from said space.

3. The transponder for tire according to claim 1,

wherein said wireless communication means performs communication through the use of an electromagnetic wave.

4. The transponder for tire according to claim 1, further comprising a pneumatic pressure sensor as said sensor.

5. The transponder for tire according to claim 4, further comprising a semiconductor piezo-resistance type diaphragm as said pneumatic pressure sensor.

6. The transponder for tire according to claim 1,

wherein said housing is made of bisphenol A epoxy resin.

7. The transponder for tire according to claim 1,

wherein said transponder has storage means in which identification information peculiar to individual transponders is stored, and said wireless communication means transmits said answering signal including said identification information.

8. The transponder for tire according to claim 1,

wherein said transponder has storage means in which identification information peculiar to individual transponders and additional information are stored, and said wireless communication means transmits said answering signal including said identification information and said additional information.

9. The transponder for tire according to claim 8,

wherein said additional information is history information of said tire.

10. The transponder for tire according to claim 8, further comprising information renewal means for renewing additional information stored in said storage means on the basis of a signal received from said main device.

11. A tire with a transponder, equipped with a transponder having a sensor for detecting physical quantity in an atmosphere within a tire air chamber to convert into an electric signal and wireless communication means, said wireless communication means performing communication with a main device, and transmitting, on receipt of a predetermined question signal from said main device, an answering signal including detection result of said physical quantity to said main device,

wherein said transponder has a housing for hermetically sealing and housing said sensor and said wireless communication means in a hermetically sealed state, and

wherein said housing is embedded in the tire inner wall and

wherein a hollow protruded portion protrudes from the main body of said housing, is at least partially embedded in the tire inner wall and is operative to maintain said sensor and said wireless communication means in the hermetically sealed state, said hollow protruded portion and said housing providing a space defined partially by said housing and partially by said hollow protruded portion, at least a section of the hollow protruded portion being removed from the main body of said housing to form an aperture resulting in the hermetically sealed state changing into an unsealed state so that the space enables communication between the physical quantity sensing unit of said sensor and the atmosphere within the tire air chamber.

12. The tire with a transponder according to claim 11,

wherein said wireless communication means is isolated from said space.

13. The tire with a transponder according to claim 11, further comprising a pneumatic pressure sensor as said sensor.

14. The tire with a transponder according to claim 11,

wherein said transponder housing is embedded between a tire inner liner and a carcass ply.

15. The tire with a transponder according to claim 14,

wherein said tire inner liner is made of a member having light permeability.

16. The tire with a transponder according to claim 15,

wherein said tire inner liner having said light permeability is made of thermoplastic elastomer.

17. The tire with a transponder according to claim 11,

wherein said transponder housing is embedded between a seat member stuck onto a tire inner liner and vulcanized together with said tire inner liner and said tire inner liner.

18. The tire with a transponder according to claim 17,

wherein said seat member is made of a member having light permeability.

19. The tire with a transponder according to claim 18,

wherein said seat member having said light permeability is made of thermoplastic elastomer.

20. The tire with a transponder according to claim 17,

wherein said seat member is made of a member having color different from that of said tire inner liner.

21. The tire with a transponder according to claim 11,

wherein said wireless communication means performs communication through the use of an electromagnetic wave.

22. The tire with a transponder according to claim 11,

wherein said transponder has storage means in which identification information peculiar to individual tires is stored, and said wireless communication means transmits said answering signal including said identification information.

23. The tire with a transponder according to claim 11,

wherein said transponder has storage means in which identification information peculiar to individual tires and additional information are stored, and said wireless communication means transmits said answering signal including said identification information and paid additional information.

24. The tire with a transponder according to claim 23,

wherein said transponder has information renewal means for renewing additional information stored in said storage means on the basis of a signal received from said main device.

25. A manufacturing method of a tire with transponder equipped with a transponder having a sensor for detecting physical quantity in an atmosphere within a tire air chamber to convert into an electric signal and wireless communication means, said wireless communication means performing communication with a main device, and transmitting, on receipt of a predetermined question signal from said main device, an answering signal including detection result of said physical quantity to said main device, comprising the steps of:

through the use of said transponder provided with a housing for hermetically sealing and housing said sensor and said wireless communication means in a hermetically sealed state, having a hollow protruded portion integrally formed with and projecting from said housing to maintain said sensor and said wireless communication means in the hermetically sealed state and having space defined at least partially by said hollow protruded portion and said housing;

embedding said transponder in the inner wall of a green tire before vulcanization;

vulcanizing said green tire in which said transponder is embedded; and

removing, after vulcanization, at least a section of said hollow protruded portion together with part of the inner wall surface of said tire causing the hermetically sealed state to change to an unsealed state so that the atmosphere within said tire air chamber communicates with physical quantity sensing unit of said sensor through the space in said housing.

26. The manufacturing method of a tire with transponder according to claim 25,

wherein in said step of embedding said transponder, said transponder housing is embedded between a tire inner liner and a carcass ply.

27. The manufacturing method of a tire with transponder according to claim 26,

wherein as said tire inner liner, a member having light permeability is used.

28. The manufacturing method of a tire with transponder according to claim 26,

wherein as said tire inner liner, thermoplastic elastomer having light permeability is used.

29. The manufacturing method of a tire with transponder according to claim 25,

wherein in said seep of embedding said transponder, a seat member is stuck onto a tire inner liner so as to cover said transponder housing with said seat member to embed said transponder into the inner wall of said green tire.

30. The manufacturing method of a tire with transponder according to claim 29,

wherein as said peat member, a member having light permeability is used.

31. The manufacturing method of a tire with transponder according to claim 29,

wherein as said seat member, thermoplastic elastomer having light permeability is used.

32. The manufacturing method of a tire with transponder according to claim 29,

wherein as said seat member, a member having color different from that of said tire inner liner is used.

33. The manufacturing method of a tire with transponder according to claim 25,

wherein in said step of embedding said transponder, said transponder is embedded such that a portion targeted for removal is positioned inside said tire air chamber.