Radio tag-mounting member for use in tire, pneumatic tire, and assembly composed of pneumatic tire and rim

• US 7,595,721 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Shinmura, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen; Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US11/638,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20070146124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/442, 340/445, 340/447
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/002 Noise damping elements provided in the tyre structure or attached thereto, e.g. in the tyre interior
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre

Abstract

A radio tag-mounting member for use in a pneumatic tire having a sponge material fixed to the pneumatic tire at a rim-mounted side surface thereof or/and a rim at a tire-mounted side surface thereof; and a radio tag having a portion for detecting an internal state of the pneumatic tire or/and a portion for recording identifying information of the pneumatic tire. The radio tag is inserted into and fixedly accommodated in an accommodating portion formed in the sponge material as a concavity or as a slit-shaped notch; or the radio tag is fixed to a surface of the sponge material.

Claims

1. A radio tag-mounting member for use in a pneumatic tire comprising:

a sponge material fixed to said pneumatic tire at a rim-mounted side surface thereof or fixed to a rim at a tire-mounted side surface thereof; and

a radio tag having a portion for detecting an internal state of said pneumatic tire or a portion for recording identifying information of said pneumatic tire,

wherein said sponge material has a volume V2 in a range of 0.4 to 20% of an entire volume V1 of an inner space surrounded with said pneumatic tire and said rim; and

a specific gravity in a range from 0.005 to 0.06, and

wherein;

said radio tag is inserted into and fixedly accommodated in an accommodating portion formed in said sponge material as a concavity or as a slit-shaped notch, one surface of said sponge material is formed as a fixed surface to be fixed to said pneumatic tire at said rim-mounted side surface thereof or to be fixed at said rim at said tire-mounted side surface thereof, with said rim-mounted side surface and said tire mounted side surface facing said inner space surrounded with said rim and said pneumatic tire mounted on said rim, a surface of said sponge material opposite to said fixed surface thereof is formed as a free surface facing said inner space, said accommodating portion of said sponge material has an opening formed on said free surface, and said radio tag is inserted into said accommodating portion from said opening and fixed thereto with an adhesive agent or by press fit;

or

said radio tag is fixed to a surface of said sponge material.

2. The radio tag-mounting member according to claim 1, wherein a sectional configuration of said sponge material orthogonal to a circumferential direction thereof is trapezoidal or rectangular;

said accommodating portion is formed as a shallow concavity on said free surface, and said radio tag is horizontally inserted into and fixed to said accommodating portion with said adhesive agent;

or

said accommodating portion is formed as a slit on said free surface by cutting said sponge material from said free surface toward said fixed surface, and said radio tag is fixed to said accommodating portion by press fit;

said radio tag is embedded in said accommodating portion without projecting said radio tag from said free surface of said sponge material.

3. The radio tag-mounting member according to claim 1, wherein said radio tag consists of an RFID tag comprising:

a sensor portion for detecting an internal state of said tire including at least one of an internal temperature of said tire and an internal pressure of said tire;

at least one of a recording portion for recording inherent identifying information for specifying in each tire including one or more of a manufacturer of said tire, a manufacturing factory of said tire, and a manufactured date of said tire, and a recording portion capable of rewriting history information of said tire including one or more of a travel distance of said tire, a number of suddenly braked times of said tire, a number of suddenly started times of said tire, and a number of suddenly turned times of said tire; and

a signal-sending portion for sending signals sent from at least one of said sensor portion and said recording portions to an antenna mounted on a car body in such a way that said antenna is capable of receiving said signals.

4. A pneumatic tire wherein a radio tag-mounting member for use in a tire according to claim 1 is fixed to said rim-mounted side surface of said tire, said rim-mounted side surface being a tread region.

5. An assembly composed of a pneumatic tire and a rim, wherein a radio tag-mounting member for use in a tire according to claim 1 is fixed to said rim on which said pneumatic tire is mounted.