A functional component capable of stably detecting information indicative of a usage state of a tire, including an electronic component capable of acquiring information on a tire is housed and which is attachable to an inner circumferential surface of the tire; a housing having a housing part in which the electronic component is housed and a bottom surface to be opposed to the inner circumferential surface of the tire; a strain detection means provided on the bottom surface and configured to detect strain of the tire; a support part extending from the bottom surface toward the inner circumferential surface of the tire and more protruding than a surface of the strain detection means; and an elastic part made of an elastomer having a rigidity smaller than that of a material forming the support part and interposed between the bottom surface and the inner circumferential surface of the tire.

A self-monitoring tire includes a tire body and a tire pressure sensor. The tire body includes a tread rubber for contact with ground, a bead for coupling to a rim, and a sidewall structure including two portions disposed at opposite sides of the tread rubber, and extending from opposite sides of the tread rubber to the bead. The tire pressure sensor is disposed between respective outward surfaces of the two portions of the sidewall structure, and secured on or embedded in either one of the two portions of the sidewall structure.

A process for manufacturing a rubber patch comprising a radiofrequency transponder, the patch having a first layer and a second layer, the method comprising moulding and vulcanizing a first layer, the exterior surface of which comprises a cavity able to receive a radiofrequency transponder, placing a transponder in the cavity, and then placing and vulcanizing a second layer in order to embed the transponder between the two layers.

A tire includes a pair of sidewalls extending from a respective bead area to a tread. The tread is formed with a plurality of tread elements and a radially outer surface. A sensor unit is mounted to the tire and includes a pair of electrical contacts. The tread wear sensor plug includes a cylindrical projection extending through an opening formed in one of the tread elements, a flange, and a wire including proximal ends disposed in the flange and a distal end near a radially outer surface of the projection. An electrical circuit is formed by each proximal end of the wire electrically contacting a respective one of the sensor unit electrical contacts. When the tread element and the cylindrical projection wear down to the distal end of the wire, the wire and the circuit break. A notice is transmitted by the sensor unit when the circuit breaks.

The invention concerns an RFID sensor device (1, 2, 3) for tires, designed to be embedded/integrated, at least partially, in/into, or applied to, a tire (4) and comprising a patch-type antenna that includes a multilayer structure comprising: a bottom ground plane (10, 20, 30); an intermediate dielectric substrate (11, 21, 31) arranged on the bottom ground plane (10, 20, 30); and one or more top conductive patches (12, 13, 22, 32) arranged on the intermediate dielectric substrate (11, 21, 31) and covering partially or completely said intermediate dielectric substrate (11, 21, 31), wherein said bottom ground plane (10, 20, 30) and said one or more top conductive patches (12, 13, 22, 32) are short-circuited or capacitively coupled. The RFID sensor device (1, 2, 3) further comprises: a rigid or flexible board (15, 25, 33) arranged on said one or more top conductive patches (12, 13, 22, 32) and/or the intermediate dielectric substrate (11, 21, 31); an RFID chip (16, 26, 34) installed on the rigid/flexible board (15, 25, 33) and connected/coupled to said one or more top conductive patches (12, 13, 22, 32); a temperature sensor integrated into, or connected to, said RFID chip (16, 26, 34); and a pressure sensor (17, 27, 35) installed on the rigid/flexible board (15, 25, 33) and connected to the RFID chip (16, 26, 34). The bottom ground plane (10, 20, 30) is formed: by conductive textile/fabric/thread/fiber/yarn elements/layers or by a metal weft/net/mesh; or at least partially by conductive and/or metal elements/layers of the tire (4). The intermediate dielectric substrate (11, 21, 31) is made at least partially of rubber, or is formed at least partially by dielectric and/or rubber elements/layers of the tire (4).

The transmitter is arranged in a tire attached to a wheel and configured to transmit data to a receiver. The transmitter includes an obtaining section configured to obtain a detection result of the sensor, a generating section configured to generate the data including the detection result of the sensor, a transmitting section configured to transmit the data generated by the generating section, and an organic power generation element that is a power source of the transmitter. The organic power generation element is configured to generate power through a chemical reaction with organic matter contained in a fuel solution accommodated in the tire.

A tire module and cover for attachment to a pneumatic tire for vehicles is disclosed. The tire module has a device for measuring and/or monitoring the air pressure in the tire, a transmitter, a mechanical-electrical transducer, and an accumulator for electrical energy storage. The cover includes a flange which extends outwardly away from the tire module and has an underside for attachment to the inner side of the tire, said flange forming the edge of the interior space of the cover. The inner height of the cover may be less than or equal to the height of the tire module measured from the underside to the top side thereof. The flange has an inwardly directed projection which engages beneath the tire module. The underside of the tire module is higher up in the region of the flange projection as compared to a central underside region.

A tire includes a plurality of tire components defining a plurality of layers. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is disposed between at least two of the plurality of layers. The RFID tag is in contact with each of the at least two layers and is configured to transmit a response signal in response to receiving a request signal. When no air is in a region surrounding the RFID tag, a first response signal is emitted from the tire at a first frequency and first power. However, when air is in the region surrounding the RFID tag, a second response signal is emitted from the tire at the first frequency and a second power different from the first power.

A rubber article having an electronics attachment mechanism is provided. In one embodiment, the rubber article is a tire, comprising: a tread surface; an inner surface; and a tire body contained between the tread surface and the inner surface; wherein the tire body comprises a cavity having a cavity major width in at least one of an axial direction and a circumferential direction, wherein a channel extends between the cavity and the inner surface, wherein the channel has a channel major width in at least one of the axial direction and the circumferential direction, and wherein the cavity major width is greater than the channel major width.

A rubber article having an electronics device fastener is provided. In one embodiment, a tire is provided, the tire comprising: a first surface; a second surface; and a tire body contained between the first surface and the second surface; wherein the tire body comprises a cavity having a cavity major width in at least one of an axial direction and a circumferential direction, wherein a channel extends between the cavity and the first surface, wherein the channel has a channel major width in at least one of the axial direction and the circumferential direction, wherein the cavity major width is greater than the channel major width, and wherein a protrusion of a fastener is engaged within the cavity.