Tyre equipped for attaching an object to the wall thereof and method for making same

Abstract

A tire is described that includes a casing defining a cavity and equipped to receive an object, such as an electronic circuit, for example, through use of a two-part attachment, such as a touch-close attachment, of which a first part is fixed to a wall of the casing and a second part can be joined to the first part when placed in contact with the first part to keep the object on the casing in a service position. The first part of the attachment includes connection elements that are an integral part of the wall of the casing of the tire. The connection elements allow these two parts to have freedom to move relative to each other, thereby limiting the transmission of stresses, which affect the wall of the tire, to the object. The connection elements may be loops of flexible thread formed by the extremities of turns of a coiled thread integrated into the wall of the tire during the tire's manufacture.

Claims

1. A method for making a tyre that includes a wall to which a functional object can be attached in a service position using a touch-close type attachment, the attachment including a first part fixed to the wall and a second part suitable for joining mechanically to the first part by connection elements when the first and second parts are brought together to keep the object on the wall, the method comprising: during a green assembly of components of a green tyre, depositing on a surface of an uncured casing a thread shaped in at least a transverse dimension relative to the surface, on a rubber innerliner suitable for placing in contact with a moulding surface; and curing the green tyre so that portions of the shaped thread pass through the rubber innerliner and so that thread elements protrude from an inside surface of the rubber innerliner after demoulding, the thread elements being suitable for acting as connection elements for the first part of the attachment.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the shaped thread includes flexible turns that, after passing through the rubber innerliner of the wall, form attachment loops on a surface of the wall.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the loops formed on the surface of the wall are cut to form hooks for connection elements on the first part.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising making a second part of the touch-close type attachment to include a backing provided with connection elements suitable for joining to the first part when applied to the the first part to secure the object, wherein, in the making of the second part, a layer of a curable material is placed in a mould to form a mounting of the backing, fastening elements are implanted in such a way to project from a surface of the layer of curable material, and a moulding operation is carried out with a mould to produce the second part.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the mould includes a mould body having a moulding cavity for the mounting, and an inside face of the cavity is provided with holes that have a curved or enlarged end for forming connection element pins inside the mould body, and the curable material is cast or injected into the cavity and is cured to produce the second part provided with connection element pins with curved or enlarged heads.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the mould includes a mould body having a moulding cavity for the mounting, an inside face of the cavity is provided with openings, a flexible connection element pin with a fastening head is placed in each opening by inserting the head first into the opening, the curable material is poured or injected into the cavity, and the curable material is cured to produce a movable part provided with male fastening elements.

7. A method according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the object is moulded with the mounting in the mould.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows in highly diagrammatic form one example of an embodiment of a wall of a tyre equipped with a touch-close attachment according to the invention.

(2) FIGS. 2a and 2b show a mechanism for the operation of the tyre wall according to the invention undergoing deformations during use.

(3) FIGS. 3a and 3b show two steps in the production of a tyre wall that includes touch-close attachment elements with loops anchored directly in the inner wall of the tyre.

(4) FIGS. 4a and 4b are diagrams showing two alternative embodiments for moulding a second touch-close attachment part provided with hooks.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(5) In FIG. 1, a touch-close attachment 10 has a first part formed integrally in an inside face 23 of a wall 22 of a tyre casing 20. In this example of a tubeless tyre, this wall defines an inflatable cavity 25. It is lined with a rubber innerliner 24 designed to optimize gas tightness with respect to an inflation gas. A carcass ply 28, with reinforcing cables 29 that can be see in cross section, is laid, directly or with one or more intermediate rubber plies 26, behind the rubber innerliner 24.

(6) Fixed into the surface of the rubber innerliner 24 are a number of strong female fastening elements, such as loops 13 made of flexible aramid, polyamide, polyester or other flexible thread, which form a first part of the touch-close attachment 10. The loops 13 are oriented towards an interior of the cavity 25 of the tyre 20 to allow male fastening elements, such as hooks, to attach to them as explained below.

(7) A second part of the attachment 10 is formed of a thin backing or mounting 16, shown in a highly diagrammatic form in FIG. 1, joined to the loops 13 of the first part. One face 17 of the mounting 16, which is turned towards an inside face 23 of the wall 22 of the casing, is provided with male fastening elements such as hooks 18 projecting outwards from the face 17 of the mounting 16. At least some of these are, in the joined position illustrated, engaged in respective loops 13 on the inside face 23 of the wall 22. On the other face 19 of the hook mounting, turned towards the interior of the cavity 25 of the tyre, a functional object is fixed, such as an electronic circuit 27 encapsulated in a protective material. This circuit may perform one or more smart-tyre functions, namely firstly a function of communication that may be active or passive in response to an electrical, magnetic or electromagnetic stimulus. It may also perform measurement functions in the environment, such as temperature and pressure, or more operational measurements relating to stresses affecting the tyre, and dynamic parameters, such as accelerations. It may also, although this list is not exhaustive, perform monitoring or warning functions.

(8) In this case the hooks 18 are made of steel and are implanted in an aramid cloth or knitted fabric forming the mounting 16, these materials being capable of coping suitably with the severe environment found in the tyre cavity, both in terms of pressure and temperature, and to continue doing so for periods which may amount to several years.

(9) It is known that as the wheel rotates, the wall 22 of the tyre deforms cyclically from the instant at which any region on the surface of its tread enters the contact area of the tyre with the ground to the instant it leaves it, and also, to a lesser extent, throughout the rest of the circular path of this region around the wheel axis, until it once again enters the contact area. Moreover, the wall 22 also receives shocks transmitted by irregularities in the road surface over which the wheel is travelling, especially when it meets large obstacles such as humps, stones, potholes, borders of various kinds, and so forth. All these stresses stretch, shear and twist the wall of the tyre. Consequently the points where the loops 13 are implanted in the inside face of the tyre wall 22 may bunch up or move apart as they follow the deformations of the wall 22. It will be observed that they are able to do this without stresses provided the connection between the loops and the hooks 18 is loose enough to allow it to happen without interfering with the deformation of the wall.

(10) Thus, when the tyre casing, which is provided with a first touch-close attachment part integrated into its structure, exits the manufacturing stage, it is a simple matter, either before the tyre is shipped out from the manufacturing site, or at the time it is fitted to a wheel rim, to attach to it the desired functional object depending on the applications for which the tyre is intended. Assembly is carried out by applying and pressing the mounting 16 of the second attachment part 10, with its circuit 27, directly to the first part to cause the hooks or barbs 18 on the second part to engage in the loops 13 of the first part protruding from the wall. For this purpose, the loops 13 are made of a flexible thread that gives them a certain stiffness, enabling them to stand out from the surface of the wall 22 in one position and return to it after being moved away from this position, so that they can be engaged with a high degree of probability by one of the hooks of the second part when the latter is placed in contact with the wall. This last operation can be done by hand or mechanically, especially, in the latter case, if a large application pressure and/or appropriately controlled pressure is required for this purpose, as for example with relatively stiff fastening elements. It has been found that, when the two attachment parts are joined together, it is desirable that they should be capable of withstanding forces tending to separate the object from the wall of up to 10 N/cm.sup.2 or more. This criterion offers a good safety margin over the separating forces experienced in operation (notably due to centrifugal force), either at right angles to the wall of the tyre or in shear, by the object and the second part of the touch-close attachment, depending on where on the wall the attachment is positioned.

(11) In this regard, the attachment described here can be made directly in the crown of the wall of the tyre, underneath the tread. In this case, centrifugal force acts compressively, pushing the first and second parts of the attachment 10 closer together. Other stresses which may be large in shear or in separation are the result of cyclical loads applied to the crown of the tyre as it rolls, and stresses transmitted by irregularities in the road surface and impacts with obstacles, as explained above. The object 27 can also be attached in the sidewall of the tyre, on the outside or, more frequently, on the inside. In this position the attachment must then cope with shear forces resulting from centrifugal force and other stresses which develop in the wall of the tyre. Lastly, the object can be located in or near the bead region.

(12) Ordinary industrial touch-close attachments grip very efficiently and leave almost no mechanical play between the two parts of the attachment. Hence, the loads which affect the casing are transmitted almost without loss to the object. If no precaution is taken, there is a risk that the stiffness of the object would prevent the first part of the attachment from deforming and as a result would interfere with the deformations of the casing wall to which it is attached, which is contrary to the aim of the invention described earlier. However, the object itself must withstand sometimes large shear forces transmitted from the wall to the attachment, and the construction and encapsulation of the object should allow for these. In accordance with one advantageous feature, it was realized that it was possible to avoid these risks and create a certain mechanical freedom of play between the first part of the attachment and the second by adjusting certain features of the connection elements between these two parts, such as their length, their flexibility, their angle with respect to the interface between the two parts, or their flexibility or possibly even their inherent elastic properties. In this way a degree of protection is provided for the wall of the casing around the interface and the object 27 is protected from the loads developed in this wall.

(13) FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate this mechanism by means of a cross section through the wall of the casing in a plane parallel to the main direction of deformation of this wall. The loops 13 of the attachment 10 have their ends trapped in the wall 22. In the other direction they are engaged by the hooks 18 attached to the mounting 16 which carries the object 27, whose length in the main direction of deformation referred to above is denoted L. In FIG. 2a the wall 22 of the tyre coated with the rubber innerliner 24 is in static equilibrium at a given instant between the inflation pressure and the reaction forces developed by the structure of the tyre casing. The loops 13 have a height H which leaves a visible play, though this is deliberately exaggerated in FIG. 2a, between the wall 22 and the mounting 16.

(14) FIG. 2b illustrates a situation in which the tyre is rolling and the wall 22 encounters a stress produced by one of the causes mentioned earlier, which sets up a tangential elongation indicated by the arrows F. As the figures show in schematic form, the loops implanted at this location pull apart. Being of sufficient height, the stretching out of the loops is compensated for by the fact that they modify their angle by leaning over and at the same time reducing the distance between the wall 22 and the mounting 16. In the process, the tensile stresses affecting the wall 22 of the tyre are not transmitted via the hooks 18 to the mounting 16 or to the object 27. The aims described earlier can therefore be achieved by adjusting the height of the loops (or one could equally well adjust the length of the hooks) to suit the length of the mounting 16 carrying the object 27. For example, with a mounting of length L equal to 50 millimetres and a loop height H of 5 millimetres, the wall of the tyre can undergo a 10% elongation without affecting the mounting 16 due to an inclination of 30 of the endmost loops 13.

(15) Depending on its construction, the fastening together of the touch-close attachment may be reversible. This allows the functional object to be recovered after installation, either after a relatively brief period of operation in order to make use of data recorded inside the functional object, for example if it is attached to the outside of the sidewall, or when removing the tyre or at the end of its life if it is on the inside, for the purpose of analysis or reuse, as required. It is also possible to make the attachment of the object non-removable once installed in the tyre. Non-reversible touch-close attachments can be used for this purpose, i.e., attachments in which the engagement of male elements such as fish hooks in female elements is non-reversible by construction. Another possibility is to use attachments in which the loops or the hooks are made with synthetic threads whose physical properties are modified after attachment. In the latter case the attachment remains removable until heat is applied locally, for example, enough to raise the temperature of the hooks to cause them to retract in such a way that they can no longer be disengaged from the loops without destroying the attachment.

(16) FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate a method of making a tyre in which the fastening elements of a first part of a touch-close attachment are integrated into its wall for the purpose of carrying out the invention. During green assembly of the tyre components (FIG. 3a), a layer 202 of a sealing rubber is first deposited on an assembly support 200 in a conventional way. A coil 204 of a helical wire of brass-plated steel, whose turns have appropriate dimensions and mechanical properties based on the indications given in the following description, is placed on the layer 202. The coil 204 is covered with a skim, or a thin layer of rubber 206, which may be of the same type as the rubber innerliner 202 which in this case is butyl rubber. A carcass ply 208, the reinforcing cables 210 of which can be seen in cross section, embedded in calendered rubber, is then deposited on the skim. The assembly is completed in the usual way and the preparation of the green tyre is continued to the curing of the green tyre in a curing mould at a pressure of up to 50 bar and a temperature which may be up to 200 C. FIG. 3b shows diagrammatically a cross section through the wall of the now cured tyre, showing the coil of helical wire 204. It can be seen that the turns of the coil 204 have passed part of the way through the rubber innerliner 202 and have emerged on the inside of the tyre cavity 220 in the form of loops 213. Conveniently located on the inside of the tyre wall, these elements can serve as the female attachment for a touch-close connection of the type described earlier. Advantageously, the skim may be given a curing treatment, e.g. by appropriate radiation, to prevent any tendency of the wire coil 204 to penetrate during the curing operation. It should be pointed out that with this setup the resulting fastening elements do not need an independent means of anchorage and will not therefore interfere with the deformations of the tyre wall, either while green or when cured, or degrade the service life of the whole. Moreover, the use of turns of the coil 204 means that it is possible to adjust the length of the resulting loops (or hooks) to obtain the desired play for the purpose in question.

(17) In an alternative embodiment (not shown in the drawings), the portions of turns exposed above the rubber innerliner surface after curing are cut to form male fastening elements, or hooks, suitable for being joined to female elements on an initially removable touch-close attachment part.

(18) FIGS. 4a and 4b show two embodiments of a second part, or movable part, of a touch-close attachment similar to the attachment 10 shown in FIG. 1, which is not incorporated from the outset in the wall of the tyre. A mould 300 for forming a mounting 316 provided with hooks comprises a mould cavity 302 in the general shape of the mounting 316. One of the main faces of the cavity 302 is closed by a mould cover 332 in which there is an opening 333 for injecting a curable moulding material. The floor 306 of the cavity 302 is interrupted by multiple holes 307. During manufacture, one fastening element 317, consisting of a length of wire with a curved head, is inserted headfirst into each hole 307. Next, an object 308 to be encapsulated is inserted and held in position in the cavity 302, by a means not shown, above the hooks 317. The mould is closed and a curable material is admitted through the injection opening 333 to form, after the moulding reaction, the mounting 316 incorporating the object 308 and provided on one of its main faces with a bed of hooks 317 suitable for inserting into the female elements of the first part of the touch-close attachment in question. Clearly, it is possible with this implementation to vary the length and other properties of the hooks to suit the intentions of the designer of the attachment, bearing in mind among other things the necessity of looseness described above.

(19) FIG. 4b shows an alternative method to FIG. 4a, using a mould 300-b analogous to the mould 300 with the difference that the cavity 302-b has a floor 306-b interrupted by mould holes 307-b (suitably vented), whose ends 311 within the wall of the mould are curved. A curable plastics material injected into the cavity 302-b to form the body of a mounting 316-b of a touch-close attachment also fills the mould holes 311 to form on the surface of the mounting 316-b, after curing, hooks shaped like the holes 311, possessing an appropriate flexibility to allow them to be demoulded and to be joined to the loops of another attachment part (not shown). The method is adaptable of course to the manufacture of fastening pins with mushroom-shaped heads projecting out of the surface of the mounting 316-b.

(20) Clearly, the invention is not limited to the examples described and illustrated herein, and various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope defined by the attached claims.