Attachment patch for mounting various devices

• US 8,596,117 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Wilson, Paul B., Rensel, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, ANDRE J
• Application Number:
  US13/251,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20130081457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/146
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0072 Attaching fasteners to tyres, e.g. patches, in order to connect devices to tyres
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/02 Tyres

Abstract

A tire monitor assembly includes a rubber ply having a first side affixable to an interior surface of a tire. A pedestal extends from a second side of the rubber ply, wherein the pedestal has a top surface and at least one sidewall. The pedestal has a groove disposed in the at least one sidewall that extends along a perimeter of the pedestal, wherein the pedestal has a cavity disposed in the top surface, extending towards the rubber ply. The assembly further includes a tire monitoring device and a fastener connected to the tire monitoring device and further connected to the pedestal such that the fastener is disposed in at least one of the cavity and the groove.

Claims

1. A tire monitor assembly for monitoring tire information, the assembly comprising:

a rubber ply having a first side affixable to an interior surface of a tire;

a pedestal extending from a second side of the rubber ply, the pedestal having a top surface and at least one sidewall, wherein the pedestal has a groove disposed in the at least one sidewall, extending along a perimeter of the pedestal, and wherein the pedestal has a cavity disposed in the top surface, extending towards the rubber ply;

a tire monitoring device; and

a fastener connected to the tire monitoring device and further connected to the pedestal such that the fastener is disposed in at least one of the cavity and the groove.

2. The tire monitor assembly of claim 1, wherein the cavity has internal threads.

3. The tire monitor assembly of claim 2, wherein the fastener includes a threaded rod connected to the tire monitoring device, the threaded rod having threads corresponding to the internal threads of the cavity.

4. The tire monitor assembly of claim 2, wherein the fastener includes an insert having external threads corresponding to the internal threads of the cavity, the insert further having an aperture with sidewall structures configured to mate with corresponding structures connected to the tire monitoring device.

5. The tire monitor assembly of claim 4, wherein the sidewall structures of the aperture of the insert includes a plurality of grooves, and wherein the corresponding structures connected to the tire monitoring device includes a plurality of tabs.

6. The tire monitor assembly of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a fastener assembly including at least two clamps, each clamp having a portion dimensioned to be received by the groove.

7. The tire monitor assembly of claim 6, wherein each of the at least two clamps has a through hole, and the tire monitoring device has at least one corresponding through hole.

8. The tire monitor assembly of claim 7, wherein the fastener assembly further includes at least one pin that extends through the through holes of the at least two clamps and the at least one corresponding through hole of the tire monitoring device.

9. The tire monitor assembly of claim 1, wherein the fastener includes a member having at least one rib, and wherein the tire monitoring device includes at least one groove that slidably receives the at least one rib.

10. An apparatus for mounting an object within a tire, the apparatus comprising:

a ply having a first side for mounting against an innerliner of the tire;

a lower pedestal extending upwards from a second side of the ply;

a neck extending upwards from the lower pedestal; and

an upper pedestal extending upwards from the neck and defining a lip configured to receive a clamp, the upper pedestal having a planar top surface, with a substantially cylindrical cavity disposed therein, wherein the substantially cylindrical cavity is defined by an internal sidewall extending through the upper pedestal and at least partially through the neck, and wherein the internal sidewall includes mating structure selected from the group consisting of threads and a plurality of downwardly extending slots.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the object mounted within a tire is a tire monitoring device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the lower pedestal, the neck, and the upper pedestal is substantially rectangular when viewed from above.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the lower pedestal has a first width and a first length, the neck has a second width and a second length, and the upper pedestal has a third width and a third length, the third width being greater than the second width and less than the first width, and the third length being greater than the second length and less than the first length.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the lower pedestal has a first height, the neck has a second height, and the upper pedestal has a third height, the third height being greater than the second height.

15. A tire monitoring kit comprising:

a mounting apparatus having a plurality of mounting configurations;

a tire monitoring device; and

a means for connecting the tire monitoring device to the mounting apparatus using only one of the plurality of mounting configurations.

16. The tire monitoring kit of claim 15, wherein the mounting apparatus includes a pedestal having a top surface and at least one sidewall.

17. The tire monitoring kit of claim 16, wherein the plurality of mounting configurations includes a cavity disposed in the top surface of the pedestal.

18. The tire monitoring kit of claim 16, wherein the plurality of mounting configurations includes a groove disposed in the at least one sidewall.

19. The tire monitoring kit of claim 18, wherein the groove extends along an entire perimeter of the pedestal.

20. The tire monitoring kit of claim 15, wherein the mounting apparatus is a rubber patch that is configured to bond to an innerliner surface of a tire and a fastener for fastening a tire monitoring device to the rubber patch.