Method for mounting a tag in a tire sidewall

• US 8,142,600 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Kleckner, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maki, Steven D
• Application Number:
  US11/751,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20070215260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,772 Days
• Field of Search: 156/116, 156/293, 264/272.11, 264/272.12, 264/272.16, 264/279, 264/279.1, 152/152.1, 152/DIG.12
• US Class Current: 156/293
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0083 Attaching monitoring devices to tyres before or after vulcanization by inserting them inside tyre cavities
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 13/00 Tyre sidewalls; Protecting, decorating, marking, or the like, thereof B60C17/08 takes precedence; tyre shoulders B60C11/01; removable tyre sidewall trim rings B60B7/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/00 Tyre parts or constructions not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00 Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/18 Structure or arrangement of belts or breakers, crown-reinforcing or cushioning layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10 Tires, resilient
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10495 Pneumatic tire or inner tube
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10765 Characterized by belt or breaker structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10801 Structure made up of two or more sets of plies wherein the reinforcing cords in one set lie in a different angular position relative to those in other sets

Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes a tire body having a crown portion and a pair of sidewalls. At least one reinforcing belt is disposed in the crown portion of the tire. A tag is carried by the reinforcing belt. In one embodiment, the tag is disposed in the location of one of the reinforcing cords that is disposed in the reinforcing belt. In another embodiment, the tag is disposed at the splice of the reinforcing belt. An alternative version of the tire has the tag carried in a depression formed in the outer surface of the tire sidewall. The tag may be encapsulated with an encapsulation material that is also disposed in the depression.

Claims

1. A method for mounting a tag in the sidewall of a pneumatic tire;

the method comprising the steps of;

(a) providing a pneumatic tire that includes a vulcanized tire body having a crown portion and a pair of sidewalls;

when seated in a tire rim, the vulcanized tire body defining a pressurizable chamber;

each of the sidewalls having a bead portion that is adapted to be seated in the tire rim when the tire is mounted to the tire rim;

each of the sidewalls having an inner surface and an outer surface;

the inner surfaces of the sidewalls adapted to face the pressurizable chamber of the tire;

one of the sidewalls defining a cavity that has an opening at the outer surface of the sidewall;

step (a) further including the step of providing a cavity that has a cavity opening at the outer surface that is larger than the tag to be encapsulated in the cavity;

(b) positioning a tag in the cavity with the entire tag disposed under the outer surface of the tire body;

the tag having a central body with wires extending from opposed sides of the central body; and

(c) entirely encapsulating the tag within the cavity with a rigid epoxy encapsulation material that directly adheres the tag to the sidewall of the tire body with the wires extending away from the central body.