TYRE COMPRISING A MONITORING DEVICE

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a tyre comprising a monitoring device fixed on the inner surface at a crown portion of the tyre, wherein the monitoring device comprises an electronic unit and an electric power supplier electrically connected to the electronic unit, the electronic unit comprising a sensor for detecting at least one of temperature, pressure, acceleration, deformation, a processing unit; a transceiver, wherein the monitoring device comprises a flexible support in a single body, the electronic unit being fixed on the flexible support, wherein the electric power supplier comprises a plurality of electric energy accumulators electrically connected to the electronic unit for supplying the electronic unit, and wherein each accumulator is fixed onto the flexible support.

Claims

1-23. (canceled)

24. A tyre comprising a monitoring device fixed on an inner surface of the tyre at a crown portion of the tyre, wherein the monitoring device comprises an electronic unit and an electric power supplier electrically connected to the electronic unit, the electronic unit comprises at least one sensor for detecting one or more of the following physical quantities: temperature, pressure, acceleration, and deformation; a processing unit; and a transceiver, wherein the monitoring device further comprises a flexible support in a single body and the electronic unit is fixed on the flexible support, wherein the electric power supplier comprises a plurality of electric energy accumulators, each accumulator is electrically connected to the electronic unit and suitable for supplying the electronic unit, and wherein each of the accumulators is fixed onto the flexible support.

25. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein each of the accumulators is an electric battery.

26. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein each of the accumulators comprises a rigid housing.

27. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein each of the accumulators has a charge capacity greater than or equal to 30 mAh, has a weight greater than or equal to about 0.5 g, and is inscribed in a circle having diameter lower than or equal to 30 mm, and is circumscribed to a circle having diameter greater than or equal to 15 mm.

28. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the monitoring device further comprises an electric connection circuit for connecting each accumulator to the electronic unit; the electric connection circuit comprises at least two separate electric paths; and the accumulators are electrically connected to the electronic unit in parallel.

29. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the monitoring device further comprises an electric connection circuit for connecting each accumulator to the electronic unit, and the electric connection circuit is printed onto the flexible support with a conductive ink or the electric connection circuit comprises copper conductive tracks.

30. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein a distance (D) between each pair of accumulators is greater than or equal to 40 mm and lower than or equal to 250 mm.

31. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein an equatorial plane of the tyre crosses the monitoring device.

32. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the at least one sensor detects at least a radial component or a tangential component of the acceleration or of the deformation.

33. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the flexible support is fixed to the inner surface of the tyre by a layer of adhesive.

34. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the flexible support is substantially inextensible.

35. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the flexible support is a film of an elastomeric or thermoplastic material chosen from nylon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylenenaphthalate (PEN), polyimide, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM), diene polymers, and polyurethane resins.

36. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein two or more of the sensor, the processing unit, and the transceiver are arranged in a single assembly fixed on the flexible support.

37. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of accumulators comprises a first and a second accumulator arranged at opposite sides of the electronic unit.

38. The tyre according to claim 37, wherein the monitoring device has a plan with elongated shape along a longitudinal direction (L) of main development, and the first and second accumulators are arranged at longitudinally opposite ends of the monitoring device.

39. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the monitoring device is fixed to the inner surface of the tyre so that a straight line passing through the centres of mass of the accumulators forms, with a direction of intersection of an equatorial plane of the tyre with the inner surface of the tyre, a right angle (A) or an acute angle (A) greater than or equal to 20°.

40. The tyre according to claim 39, wherein the acute angle (A) is lower than or equal to 70°.

41. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein an aspect ratio (R) between a longitudinal length (L1) of the monitoring device and a width (L2) along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is greater than or equal to 2 and lower than or equal to 6.

42. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of accumulators comprises two and no more than two accumulators.

43. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of accumulators comprises at least a third accumulator.

44. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of accumulators comprises a fourth accumulator.

45. The tyre according to claim 43, wherein the accumulators are arranged substantially angularly equidistant from each other around the electronic unit.

46. The tyre according to claim 24, wherein the accumulators are arranged at end positions of the flexible support.

47. The tyre according to claim 31, wherein the equatorial plane of the tyre crosses the electronic unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0072] The characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be further clarified by the following detailed description of some embodiments, presented by way of non-limiting example of the present invention, with reference to the attached figures, in which:

[0073] FIG. 1 shows a schematic, perspective and partial view of a section of tyre comprising a monitoring device according to the present invention;

[0074] FIGS. 2-6 show a schematic plan view of respective embodiments of the monitoring device according to the present invention;

[0075] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a schematic and partial view of the inner surface of the tyre developed on the plane of the figure and comprising a monitoring device positioned according to two respective preferred ways.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0076] In the figures with reference number 1 it is shown a tyre (in partial perspective section) comprising a monitoring device 10 according to the present invention. In the present description and figures the same reference number is used for the same elements, also in their embodiments.

[0077] The monitoring device 10 comprises an electronic unit 11 and an electric power supplier 12 electrically connected to the electronic unit.

[0078] The monitoring device 10 further comprises a flexible support 13 in a single body, fixed onto the inner surface 15 of the tyre at a crown portion 16 of the tyre 1 (i.e. the portion of tyre at the tread band 17). The electronic unit and the electric power supplier are fixed onto the flexible support 13, for example by means of conductive adhesive (e.g. Henkel® 3104 WXL) and of structural adhesive (e.g. Henkel® LOCTITE® 312™).

[0079] According to the present invention, the electric power supplier 12 comprises a plurality of distinct electrical energy accumulators 14, each accumulator 14 being electrically connected to the electronic unit for supplying the electronic unit. Each accumulator 14 is directly fixed onto the flexible support 13.

[0080] Exemplarily each accumulator 14 is an electric battery, for example a coin cell battery of the type CR2032HR sold by Maxell® (capacity 200 mAh, weight 3 g, diameter and thickness 20×3.2 mm), or BR1632A sold by Panasonic® (capacity 120 mAh, 1.5 g, 6×3.2 mm). The typical voltage is equal to 3V, and the operating temperature range from −40° C. to +125° C. (or possibly in sub-intervals, depending on the type of envisaged use).

[0081] The monitoring device 10 comprises an electric connection circuit 18 (shown only schematically in the figures) for connecting each accumulator 14 to the electronic unit 11, preferably in parallel (as exemplarily shown in a schematic way only in FIG. 4).

[0082] In one embodiment, the tracks of the electric connection circuit are made with a conductive ink (e.g. silver conductive ink DuPont® 5025) printed with serigraphic technique directly on the flexible substrate.

[0083] The electronic unit 11 comprises (not shown) at least one sensor for detecting at least one of the following physical quantities: temperature, pressure, acceleration; a processing unit and a transceiver.

[0084] As an example, the electronic unit can include a pre-fabricated assembly model FXTH870911DT1 sold by NXP Semiconductors®, comprising a processing unit and a plurality of sensors suitable for detecting all the three physical quantities: temperature, pressure and acceleration. This assembly also includes an RF transceiver with a transceiver frequency of 315-434 MHz. In an exemplary embodiment, it can be used a further transceiver fixed to the flexible separately from the aforementioned assembly, usable on a different frequency band (for example with Wifi or Bluetooth® technology).

[0085] Exemplarily the flexible support 13 is a film made of polyimide (e.g. Kapton® by DuPont®).

[0086] A layer of adhesive (not shown), for example pressure sensitive, may be arranged to bond the lower face of the flexible support to the inner surface of the tyre.

[0087] In the embodiments shown in the figures, the device 10 is applied to the inner surface of the tyre in such a way that the equatorial plane 20 of the tyre crosses the monitoring device 10, and more specifically it crosses the electronic unit 11 (so that the sensor is located at or near to the central rib 21 of the tread 17).

[0088] In some embodiments, the plurality of accumulators 14 comprises two and no more than two accumulators, as shown exemplarily in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

[0089] Preferably the two accumulators are arranged on opposite parts of the electronic unit 11, as exemplarily shown in the FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0090] According to an aspect of the invention, and as schematically shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the monitoring device 10 has a plan (e.g. defined by the plan of the flexible support 13) with an elongated shape along a longitudinal direction L of main development, the two accumulators being arranged at longitudinally opposite ends of the monitoring device.

[0091] Exemplarily, in the case of the device of FIG. 3, the dimensions L1×L2 respectively along this longitudinal direction L and along the dimension perpendicular to it (in the plane of FIG. 3) are equal to about 80×55mm (aspect ratio R equal to about 1.5) and the distance D between the two accumulators is equal to about 45 mm.

[0092] Exemplarily, in the case of the device of FIG. 4, the dimensions L1×L2 are equal to about 110×30 mm (aspect ratio R equal to 3.7) or about 80×25 mm (R equal to 3.2).

[0093] Exemplary the distance D between the two accumulators is equal to about 69 mm in the case of the dimensions 110×30 mm, while for dimensions equal to 80×25 mm the distance D is equal to about 50 mm.

[0094] As exemplarily shown in FIG. 7 (wherein the inner surface of the crown portion schematically delimited by the directions 30, as well as the monitoring device, has been developed on the plane of the figure) an angle A formed between a straight line L passing through the centres of mass of the accumulators 14 (in the example coinciding with the direction L of main development) and the direction of intersection 20′ between the equatorial plane and the inner surface is exemplarily a right angle. In this way the electronic unit 11 can lie on the equatorial plane, while the accumulators 14 lie completely outside the equatorial plane, and thus far from the central rib.

[0095] In a preferred alternative form, as exemplarily shown in FIG. 8, the acute angle A formed between the straight-line L and the intersection 20′ between the equatorial plane and the inner surface is exemplarily equal to 45°. Even in this case the electronic unit 11 can lie on the equatorial plane, while the accumulators 14 lie far enough from the central rib, and at the same time the effects on the flexible support of possible deformations of the tyre and/or of the flexible support along the axial direction are reduced.

[0096] In some embodiments, as shown exemplarily in FIGS. 5 and 6, the plurality of accumulators comprises three and, respectively, four accumulators 14 arranged in an angularly equidistant way along a circle circumscribed to the electronic unit 11 and centred on the electronic unit, in positions placed towards the edges of the flexible support 13.