Tyre with set of printed sensors

Abstract

A tire with printed sensors includes a pair of bead regions, a tread located radially outward of the bead regions, and a pair of sidewalls including an inboard sidewall extending from a first bead region to the tread and an outboard sidewall extending from a second bead region to the tread. The carcass extends annularly between each bead region radially inward of the tread, and an inner liner is formed on an inner surface of the carcass. A plurality of sensors are printed on the inner liner in a sidewall region of the inner sidewall or in a sidewall region of the outer sidewall and are configured to measure deformations in the sidewall region. The plurality of sensors are connected in a daisy chain to provide a single deformation signal based on the deformation measured by the plurality of sensors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to tires. More specifically, the present invention relates to tires with sensors that sense various conditions within the tire. In particular, the present invention relates to a tire that includes a set of sensors (e.g., shear and / or strain sensors) arranged on the tire's airtight layer that can accurately determine, for example, vertical loads, longitudinal forces, lateral forces, dynamic rolling and / or cornering conditions on / of the tire. Background Art

[0002] When manufacturing pneumatic tires, tires are usually molded on the drum of a tire building machine, which is referred to as a tire building drum in the art. Many tire components are successively wrapped around the drum and / or applied to the drum to form a cylindrical tire carcass. The tire carcass is then expanded into a ring to receive the remaining components of the tire, such as a belt assembly and a rubber tread. The unvulcanized tire carcass (referred to as a green tire at this stage in the art) that has completed the ring is then inserted into a mold or press for forming a tread pattern and curing or vulcanization.

[0003] It is often desirable to mount electronic components to the tire before or after the tire is vulcanized. Such electronic components enable certain tire parameters to be monitored. For example, in the prior art, discrete electronic sensor units are attached to the inner surface of a pneumatic tire (called a tire inner liner) using adhesives. Such sensors measure the deformation of the tire sidewall to provide data that can be used to determine the load on the tire. Such data can be transmitted to the vehicle stability and / or braking system to provide improved control of the vehicle and can be used to monitor or track driving behavior.

[0004] While prior art discrete electronic sensor units are acceptable for their intended uses, it is desirable to improve the accuracy of tire sidewall deformation measurements so that different (e.g., load) conditions on the tire can be determined in a more accurate and repeatable manner. As background, a typical prior art deformation sensor unit includes a long, thin strip of conductive material arranged into parallel lines forming a zigzag pattern, which is attached to a base material. An excitation voltage is applied to the ends of the strip and the resistance is measured. As is known to those skilled in the art, the tire deformation at the sensor location can be calculated based on the measured resistance. Other deformation sensors known in the art involve measuring the capacitance of a conductive material or using optical fibers. Summary of the invention

[0005] The invention is defined by the scope of the independent claim. Preferred embodiments are defined by the dependent claims.

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a tire with printed sensors, the tire comprising a pair of bead areas, a tread that contacts the ground and is located radially outside the pair of bead areas, and a pair of sidewalls, the pair of sidewalls comprising an inner sidewall extending from a first bead area to the tread and an outer sidewall extending from a second bead area to the tread. The tire also comprises a carcass extending annularly between each bead area radially inside the tread and an airtight layer formed on the inner surface of the carcass. In addition, the tire comprises a group of sensors, the group of sensors consisting of a plurality of sensors printed on the airtight layer, wherein the plurality of sensors are printed in the sidewall area of ​​the inner sidewall or in the sidewall area of ​​the outer sidewall, the plurality of sensors are configured to measure deformation in the sidewall area, and the plurality of sensors are connected in a daisy chain form so that the group of sensors provides a single deformation signal, which is based on the measured deformation of the plurality of sensors.

[0007] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a tire with printed sensors, the tire comprising a pair of bead areas, a tread that contacts the ground radially outward of the pair of bead areas, a pair of sidewalls, the pair of sidewalls comprising an inner sidewall extending from a first bead area to the tread and an outer sidewall extending from a second bead area to the tread. The tire also comprises a carcass extending annularly between each bead area radially inward of the tread and an airtight layer formed on the inner surface of the carcass. In addition, the tire comprises a first group of sensors and a second group of sensors, the first group of sensors consisting of a plurality of sensors printed on the airtight layer, wherein the plurality of sensors are printed in the sidewall area of ​​the inner sidewall, and the second group of sensors consisting of a plurality of sensors printed on the airtight layer, wherein the plurality of sensors are printed in the sidewall area of ​​the outer sidewall. The plurality of sensors of both the first group of sensors and the second group of sensors are configured to measure deformation in the respective sidewall areas of the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall, and the plurality of sensors of each of the first group of sensors and the second group of sensors are connected in a daisy chain form so that the respective group of sensors provides first and second single deformation signals, the single deformation signal being a combination of the measured deformations of the respective plurality of sensors.

[0008] In this document, several embodiments are described. It is noted that every feature described for a specific embodiment of one aspect of the invention may also be applicable to another aspect of the invention.

[0009] The present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0010] 1. A tire with a printed sensor, comprising:

[0011] a pair of bead areas;

[0012] a ground contacting tread located radially outward of the pair of bead regions;

[0013] a pair of sidewalls including an inner sidewall extending from the first bead region to the tread, and an outer sidewall extending from the second bead region to the tread;

[0014] a carcass extending annularly between each bead area radially inward of the tread;

[0015] An airtight layer formed on the inner surface of the carcass;

[0016] a set of sensors, the set of sensors consisting of a plurality of sensors printed on the airtight layer, wherein the plurality of sensors are printed in the sidewall region of the inner sidewall or in the sidewall region of the outer sidewall;

[0017] a plurality of sensors configured to measure deformation in the sidewall region;

[0018] The plurality of sensors are connected in a daisy-chain fashion such that the group of sensors provides a single deformation signal based on the measured deformations of the plurality of sensors.

[0019] 2. The tire of claim 1, wherein the single deformation signal is the sum of deformations measured by a plurality of sensors.

[0020] 3. The tire according to Option 1, wherein each sensor is printed on the airtight layer by at least one of inkjet printing and 3D printing.

[0021] 4. A tire according to claim 1, wherein each sensor is printed directly on the airtight layer.

[0022] 5. A tire according to claim 1, wherein each sensor is printed on a substrate attached to the airtight layer.

[0023] 6. The tire according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are a plurality of shear sensors, the measured deformation is a shear deformation, and the single deformation signal is a single shear deformation signal.

[0024] 7. The tire according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are a plurality of strain sensors, the measured deformation is strain deformation, and the single deformation signal is a single strain deformation signal.

[0025] 8. The tire of claim 1, wherein the tire includes a second set of sensors on another sidewall region of the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall, thereby providing the tire with a set of sensors on both sidewall regions.

[0026] 9. The tire of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a conductive ink having a known resistance.

[0027] 10. The tire of claim 1, wherein a plurality of printed sensors are arranged around the circumference of the tire.

[0028] 11. The tire of claim 10, wherein the sensors in the plurality of printed sensors are substantially evenly spaced along the circumference of the tire.

[0029] 12. A tire according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensors comprises a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of each of the plurality of sensors being electrically connected to the second terminal of a next sensor of the plurality of sensors, such that the plurality of sensors are connected in a daisy-chain form except that the first terminal of a first sensor of the plurality of sensors is not connected to the second terminal of a second sensor of the plurality of sensors, and the first terminal and the second terminal are configured to provide a single deformation signal.

[0030] 13. The tire of claim 12, wherein the set of sensors is in electronic or wireless communication with a tire pressure monitoring system.

[0031] 14. The tire of claim 13, wherein the tire pressure monitoring system is configured to calculate the static tire load based on the single deformation signal.

[0032] 15. A tire with a printed sensor, comprising:

[0033] a pair of bead areas;

[0034] a ground contacting tread located radially outward of the pair of bead regions;

[0035] a pair of sidewalls including an inner sidewall extending from the first bead region to the tread, and an outer sidewall extending from the second bead region to the tread;

[0036] a carcass extending annularly between each bead area radially inward of the tread;

[0037] An airtight layer formed on the inner surface of the carcass;

[0038] a first set of sensors, comprising a plurality of sensors printed on the airtight layer, wherein the plurality of sensors are printed in a sidewall region of the inner sidewall;

[0039] a second set of sensors, comprising a plurality of sensors printed on the airtight layer, wherein the plurality of sensors are printed in a sidewall region of the outer sidewall;

[0040] A plurality of sensors in the first set of sensors and the second set of sensors are configured to measure deformation in respective sidewall regions of the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall;

[0041] A plurality of sensors in the first and second sets of sensors are connected in a daisy-chain fashion such that the sensors of the respective set provide a first and second single deformation signal, the single deformation signal being a combination of the measured deformations of the respective plurality of sensors.

[0042] 16. The tire of claim 15, wherein the first set of sensors and the second set of sensors are in electronic or wireless communication with a tire pressure monitoring system.

[0043] 17. The tire of claim 16, wherein the tire pressure monitoring system is configured to calculate the dynamic vertical tire load based on a sum of the first and second individual deformation signals.

[0044] 18. The tire of claim 16, wherein the tire pressure monitoring system is configured to calculate a cornering condition based on a difference between the first and second individual deformation signals.

[0045] 19. A tire according to scheme 16, wherein the tire pressure monitoring system is configured to calculate a dynamic rolling condition based on the first and second single deformation signals and other first and second single deformation signals stored in the tire pressure monitoring system, wherein the other first and second single deformation signals are obtained in the absence of the dynamic rolling condition, and the dynamic rolling condition is at least one of braking and acceleration.

[0046] definition

[0047] As used herein, term " rubber " is intended to include both natural rubber composition and synthetic rubber composition.The specific example of rubber includes chloroprene rubber (polychloroprene), polybutadiene (such as cis-1,4-polybutadiene), polyisoprene (such as cis-1,4-polyisoprene), butyl rubber, halogenated butyl rubber (such as chlorinated butyl rubber or brominated butyl rubber), styrene / isoprene / butadiene rubber, 1,3-butadiene or isoprene and the copolymer of monomer (such as styrene, acrylonitrile and methyl methacrylate).Other types of rubber include carboxylated rubber, silicon-coupled rubber or tin-coupled star-branched polymer.Rubber can include raw rubber (or be made up of raw rubber).

[0048] "Axial" and "axially" refer to lines or directions parallel to the tire's axis of rotation.

[0049] "Axially inward" and "axially inwardly" refer to axial directions towards the axial center of the tire.

[0050] "Axially outward" and "axially outwardly" refer to axial directions away from the axial center of the tire.

[0051] “Bead” means that portion of the tire that includes the annular tensile member wrapped by the ply cords and shaped with or without other reinforcing elements such as flippers, chippers, apex, toe guards, and chafers to fit the designed rim.

[0052] "Carcass" means the tire structure excluding the belt structure, tread, undertread, and sidewall rubber above the plies, but including the beads.

[0053] “Circumferential” refers to lines or directions extending along the perimeter of the surface of the annular tread and perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0054] "Cord" refers to one of the reinforcing wires of which the plies in a tire are composed.

[0055] “Equatorial Plane (EP)” means the plane perpendicular to the tire's axis of rotation and passing through the center of its tread.

[0056] “Innerliner” means the layer or layers of elastomeric or other material that form the inside surface of a tubeless tire and contain the inflating fluid within the tire.

[0057] “Radial” and “radially” mean lines or directions perpendicular to the tire's axis of rotation.

[0058] “Radially inward” and “radially inwardly” refer to radial directions toward the central axis of rotation of the tire.

[0059] “Radially outward” and “radially outwardly” refer to radial directions away from the central axis of rotation of the tire.

[0060] "Radial tire" means a belted or circumferentially restricted pneumatic tire in which the ply cords extending from bead to bead are laid at cord angles between about 65 degrees and about 90 degrees relative to the equatorial plane of the tire.

[0061] “TPMS” stands for Tire Pressure Monitoring System, which is an electronic system that measures the pressure inside a tire and can transmit that pressure to a processor mounted on the vehicle and / or communicate electronically with the vehicle's electronic systems.

[0062] "Daisy chaining" refers to connecting multiple devices together in sequence (series) with wires (like wiring).

[0063] In this document, the verb "comprise" and the expression "consist of" are used as open transition phrases, meaning "including" or "consisting of at least". Unless the context implies otherwise, the use of singular word forms is intended to include the plural, except when the cardinal number "one" is used: "one" here means "exactly one". Ordinal numbers ("first", "second", etc.) are used here to distinguish different instances of a common object; the use of these expressions is not intended to imply any particular order, importance, or hierarchy. In addition, when ordinal numbers are used to refer to plural instances of an object, this does not necessarily mean that there are no other instances of the object (unless the context clearly indicates this). When referring to "an embodiment", "one embodiment", "multiple embodiments", etc., this means that these embodiments can be combined with each other. In addition, the features of these embodiments can be used in the combinations explicitly presented, and these features can also be combined between embodiments without departing from the present invention, unless it is clear from the context that these features cannot be combined. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0065] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an exemplary embodiment of a tire prior to forming a sensor on an airtight layer, shown mounted on a wheel;

[0066] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a tire shown with a printed sensor formed on an airtight layer, including an exemplary embodiment of a tire with a printed sensor of the present invention;

[0067] Figure 3a yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the outside of the tire shown;

[0068] Figure 3b yes Figure 3a a schematic diagram of an end view of the tire shown;

[0069] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the outside of another exemplary embodiment of a tire with a printed sensor of the present invention, shown mounted on a wheel;

[0070] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 and / or Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a printed shear sensor for a tire is shown; and

[0071] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 and / or Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a printed strain sensor for a tire is shown.

[0072] The reader is advised that these figures are not drawn to scale. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, the proportions of height, length and / or width may not be correctly represented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below.

[0074] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of a tire 10 is shown in FIG. The tire 10 includes a pair of bead areas 12, each bead area being formed with a bead core 14 embedded in the respective bead area. Each of a pair of sidewalls 16 extends radially outward from the respective bead area 12 to a tread 18 that contacts the ground. The tire 10 is reinforced by a carcass 20 that extends annularly from one bead area (e.g., the inner bead area 12a) to another bead area (e.g., the outer bead area 12b), also as known to those skilled in the art. The carcass includes a plurality of layers or plies, as known to those skilled in the art. An airtight layer 22 is formed on the inner or inside surface of the carcass 20. The tire 10 is mounted on a flange 24 of a wheel or rim 26, as known in the art.

[0075] The tire 10 includes an inner surface (i.e., a non-serial side) generally designated by the letter "a" and an outer surface (i.e., a serial side) generally designated by the letter "b". Thus, components at the inner surface of the tire are designated by the "a" label, while components at the outer surface of the tire are designated by the "b" label. For example, the sidewall 16 at the inner surface "a" of the tire 10 is the inner sidewall 16a, while the sidewall at the outer surface "b" of the tire is the outer sidewall 16b.

[0076] refer to Figure 3a and 3b , the tire 10 includes three vertical axes on which forces act, including a "Y" axis extending in an axial or lateral direction, a "Z" axis extending in a radial or vertical direction, and an "X" axis extending in a longitudinal direction or direction of tire travel.

[0077] The tire 10 also includes three regions having different degrees of stiffness. A first or apex region 28 is located at each respective bead region 12, a second or crown region 30 is located at the tread 18, and a third or sidewall region 32 is located at each respective sidewall 16 between the apex region and the crown region. The sidewall region 32 is generally less stiff and therefore deforms more during rotation of the tire 10 than the apex region 28 and the crown region 30. Therefore, it is important to measure the deformation at the sidewall region 32.

[0078] Steering Figure 2In order to provide accurate and repeatable measurement of deformation at the sidewall region 32, the tire 10 includes a first or inner sensor 34. The inner sensor 34 is preferably printed on the airtight layer 22 at the sidewall region 32 of the inner sidewall 16a. The tire 10 also includes a second or outer sensor 36. The outer sensor 36 is preferably printed on the airtight layer 22 at the sidewall region 32 of the outer sidewall 16b. The sensors 34 and 36 measure the deformation of the airtight layer 22 at the sidewall region 32 of each respective sidewall 16a and 16b, thereby enabling the determination of the vertical load of the tire 10 and the lateral and longitudinal forces acting on the tire 10.

[0079] The sensors 34 and 36 may be arranged in the same horizontal plane 38 extending across the tire 10 and preferably communicate (wired or wirelessly), such as via wires or antennas, with a TPMS unit 40. The TPMS unit 40 is preferably attached to the airtight layer 22 by adhesive or other means known to those skilled in the art. The TPMS unit 40 typically includes an internal processor and an antenna or other communication means for transmitting data to an external processor and / or a local electronic device network or controller area network (CAN bus) of the vehicle on which the tire 10 is mounted.

[0080] Now turn to Figure 4 The tire 10 includes a plurality of sensors, indicated at 34a to 34p, preferably printed on the tire inner liner 22 ( Figure 1 ). The sensors 34a to 34p are preferably evenly spaced apart with an angular step or distance 130 between them. The sensors 34a-34p may cover the (substantially) entire surface of the sidewall area 32. The tire further comprises a further plurality of sensors 36a to 36p arranged, which are preferably printed on the tire airtight layer 22 in the sidewall area 32 of the outer sidewall 16b around the circumference of the tire 10. The sensors in the other plurality of sensors may likewise be evenly spaced apart with an angular step or distance between them. In the following, the characteristics of the plurality of sensors 34a to 34p also apply to the other plurality of sensors. The plurality of sensors 34a to 34p are connected in a daisy-chain manner (e.g. by wires) such that the group of sensors provides a single (electrical) deformation signal between terminals 37 and 39. The single deformation signal is based on the measured deformations of the plurality of sensors according to the design, in particular, it is the sum of the measured deformations of the plurality of sensors.

[0081] The TPMS unit 40 can thus receive a single (electric) deformation signal from the sensors 34a-p and 36a-p and use its processor to calculate the vertical load, lateral force and longitudinal force acting on or of the tire 10 and transmit the calculated data to the vehicle control system via the CAN bus (Controller Area Network bus). Alternatively, the TPMS unit 40 can transmit a single (electric) deformation signal from the sensors 34a-p and 36a-p to an external processor to calculate the vertical load, lateral force and longitudinal force acting on or of the tire 10 and then transmit the calculated data to the vehicle control system via the CAN bus.

[0082] Each sensor is preferably printed directly on the airtight layer 22 at the sidewall area 32 of each corresponding inner sidewall 16a and outer sidewall 16b by inkjet printing or three-dimensional (3D) printing. The specific configuration and location of each sensor in the sidewall area 32 depends on the structure and size of the tire 10. Each sensor can be printed using a conductive ink 42 with a known resistance and flexibility. The printing of each sensor 34a-p and 36a-p on the airtight layer 22 is performed according to inkjet printing or 3D printing techniques known to those skilled in the art.

[0083] Alternatively, each sensor may be printed on a discrete substrate, such as foil, rubber, plastic, or a combination thereof. Preferably, the substrate is a flexible soft rubber foil compound with a short relaxation time, which enables each sensor to sense deformation of the tire 10. The substrate and sensor combination may be attached to the airtight layer at the sidewall region 32 of each respective inner sidewall 16a and outer sidewall 16b using adhesives, ultrasonic welding, or other techniques known to those skilled in the art. The stability of the conductive ink 42 over a range of temperatures enables the substrate and sensors 34 and 36 to be attached to the airtight layer 22 before the tire 10 is cured or after the tire is cured. Mounting the substrate and sensors on the cured tire 10 enables each sensor to be independent of tire manufacturing and provides independent quality control for the sensors that are separate from the tire.

[0084] The sensor can be a shear sensor or a strain sensor.

[0085] Where a shear sensor is used, a shear sensor such as that disclosed in US 10,960,714 (the entire contents of which are incorporated herein) is suitable. Figure 5Such a shear sensor is shown. In particular, the conductive ink 42 is deposited in an elongated strip that is arranged to form a first group of parallel elements 44, a second group of parallel elements 46, and a plurality of terminals 48A to 48D. The first group of parallel elements 44 is oriented at a first angle 50 relative to the Z axis, and the second group of parallel elements 46 is oriented at a second angle 52 relative to the Z axis, which is opposite or negative to the first angle. Preferably, the first angle 50 is about 45 degrees relative to the Z axis, and the second angle 52 is about -45 degrees relative to the Z axis. The first terminal 48A provides a connection to the first group of parallel elements 44, and the fourth terminal 48D provides a connection to the second group of parallel elements 46. The second terminal 48B is arranged parallel to the Z axis between the first group of parallel elements 44 and the second group of parallel elements 46, and the third terminal 48C is arranged parallel to the Z axis between the second terminal and the fourth terminal 48D. The first group of parallel elements 44 provides a positive signal along the X-axis and Z-axis directions, which is called positive shear. The second set of parallel elements 46 provide negative going signals in the X and Z directions, which is referred to as negative shear.

[0086] Each shear sensor is capable of transmitting at least three signals. The first signal 48A:48B is a positive shear signal, which is a measurement of the shear strain between the first terminal 48A and the second terminal 48B. The second signal 48B:48D is a negative shear strain signal, which is a measurement of the shear strain between the second terminal 48B and the fourth terminal 48D. The third signal 48B:48C is a reference signal, which is a measurement between the second terminal 48B and the third terminal 48C, both of which are parallel to the Z axis.

[0087] The shear sensors can be connected in the form of a daisy chain so that the terminal 48A of the first sensor is connected to the terminal 48D of the adjacent sensor. All sensors in a group of sensors are connected in such a way that only one terminal 48A and only one terminal 48D remain unconnected to another sensor. The remaining two terminals provide a single deformation signal, i.e. a single shear deformation signal. This single deformation signal can be provided to the TPMS via wired or possibly wireless communication (e.g. RF or low-power Bluetooth). Of course, in parallel, terminals 48B and 48C can also be daisy-chained in the same way as terminals 48A and 48D in order to provide a reference signal.

[0088] Where a strain sensor is used, a strain sensor such as that disclosed in US 10,953,710 (the entire contents of which are incorporated herein) is suitable.

[0089] Now go to Figure 6, such a strain sensor is shown with conductive ink 54 deposited in elongated strips arranged to form parallel elements 56 having a meandering pattern of multiple terminals 58 and perpendicular elements 60. The arrangement of parallel elements 56 increases the sensitivity of each sensor 34 and 36 in a particular direction or axis indicated by arrow D, which extends parallel to the parallel elements and is referred to herein as the sensitive axis.

[0090] The plurality of terminals 58 preferably include a first terminal 58A, a second terminal 58B, and a third terminal 58C. A vertical element 60 extends from the first terminal 58A in a direction perpendicular to the sensitive axis D. The meander pattern element 56 extends between the second terminal 58B and the third terminal 58C.

[0091] Preferably, each sensor 34 and 36 provides or transmits a signal determined by the arrangement of the element 56 and the terminal 58. The first signal of each sensor 34 and 36, referred to herein as 58B:58C, is a measurement of the strain between the first end of the element 56 of the meander pattern at the second terminal 58B and the second end of the element of the meander pattern at the third terminal 58C. The second signal of each sensor 34 and 36, referred to as 58A:58B, is a reference signal, which is a measurement between the vertical element 60 at the first terminal 58A and the first end of the element of the meander pattern at the second terminal 58B. The first signal 58B:58C and the second signal 58A:58B are both proportional to the resistivity of the ink 54.

[0092] The strain sensors can be connected in a daisy-chain manner so that the terminal 58B of the first sensor is connected to the terminal 58C of the adjacent sensor. All sensors of a group of sensors are connected in such a way that only one terminal 58B and only one terminal 58C remain unconnected to the other sensors. The remaining two terminals provide a single deformation signal, i.e. a single shear deformation signal. This single deformation signal can be provided to the TPMS via wired or possibly wireless communication (e.g. RF or Bluetooth Low Energy).

[0093] The TPMS may be configured to calculate a dynamic vertical tire load based on a sum of the first and second individual deformation signals. The TPMS may also be configured to calculate a cornering condition based on a difference between the first and second individual deformation signals. Alternatively or additionally, as described above, the individual deformation signals may be transmitted remotely for remote processing of the signals in order to determine said dynamic vertical tire load and / or said cornering condition.

[0094] Based on the description provided herein, the present invention can be varied. Although certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described may be varied and these variations will be within the full intended scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tire with a printed sensor, Features include: a pair of bead areas; a ground contacting tread located radially outward of the pair of bead regions; a pair of sidewalls including an inner sidewall extending from the first bead region to the tread, and an outer sidewall extending from the second bead region to the tread; a carcass extending annularly between each bead area radially inward of the tread; An airtight layer formed on the inner surface of the carcass; a set of sensors, the set of sensors consisting of a plurality of sensors printed on the airtight layer, wherein the plurality of sensors are printed in the sidewall region of the inner sidewall or in the sidewall region of the outer sidewall; a plurality of sensors configured to measure deformation in the sidewall region; The plurality of sensors are connected in a daisy-chain fashion such that the group of sensors provides a single deformation signal based on the measured deformations of the plurality of sensors.

2. The tire according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The single deformation signal is the sum of the measured deformations of multiple sensors.

3. The tire according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Each sensor is printed on the airtight layer by at least one of inkjet printing and three-dimensional printing.

4. The tire according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Each sensor is printed directly onto the airtight layer.

5. The tire according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Each sensor is printed on a substrate that is attached to the airtight layer.

6. The tire according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The multiple sensors are multiple shear sensors, the measured deformation is shear deformation, and the single deformation signal is a single shear deformation signal.

7. The tire according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The multiple sensors are multiple strain sensors, the measured deformation is strain deformation, and the single deformation signal is a single strain deformation signal.

8. The tire according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The tire includes a second set of sensors on another sidewall region of the inboard sidewall and the outboard sidewall, thereby providing the tire with a set of sensors on both sidewall regions.

9. The tire according to claim 1, It is characterized in that A number of sensors include a conductive ink having a known resistance.

10. The tire according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Multiple printed sensors are arranged around the circumference of the tire.

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