Wheel assembly identification device

• US 7,243,852 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Parks, Stefan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kimberly D.
• Application Number:
  US10/344,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20030150920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/384, 235/385, 340/438, 340446-448, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/10.52, 731/468, 402/990.1
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape

Abstract

An identification device (6) modified to fit into a lug nut hole (20). The device (6) includes a conical body molded of plastic material and has an embedded codded chip.

Claims

1. A method of providing identification of a wheel assembly having a rim and a tire mounted thereon including the steps of injection molding an identification device of plastic material with a conical shape;

embedding a radio frequency identification tag in the device;

securing at least one retention spring on the device; and

inserting the identification device in a lug nut hole of the rim.

2. The method defined in claim 1 including the step of providing the tag with electronic circuitry to generate information to a remote interrogator.

3. The method defined in claim 1 including the step of forming the retention spring as a pair of opposed bowed spring strips;

and molding at least one end of said strips in the plastic material of the device.

4. The method defined in claim 1 including the step of providing the identification tag with an active electronic circuit.

5. The method defined in claim 1 including the step of providing the identification tag with a passive circuit.

6. The method defined in claim 1 including the step of aligning a top surface of the device generally with an adjacent surface of the rim when inserting the device into the lug nut hole.