Non-pneumatic tire

Abstract

To provide a non-pneumatic tire whose communication device can be prevented from being damaged when a vehicle runs.SOLUTION: A non-pneumatic tire according to the present invention comprises a wheel member that can be mounted on an axle, a ring member 3 attached to the wheel member, and a communication device 6. The ring member comprises an inner cylindrical body 11 attached to the wheel member, an outer cylindrical body 12 surrounding the outside in a tire radial direction of the inner cylindrical body, and a connection member 13 connecting the inner cylindrical body to the outer cylindrical body, which can elastically deform between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body, where the communication device is fixed onto an outwardly exposed surface of the wheel member or of the inner cylindrical body of the ring member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a non-pneumatic tire.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a non-pneumatic tire. The non-pneumatic tire disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a mounting body attachable to an axle, a ring member having an inner cylinder body externally mounted on the mounting body and an outer cylinder body surrounding the inner cylinder body from the outer side in the tire radial direction, and a plurality of connecting members arranged along the tire circumferential direction between the inner cylinder body and the outer cylinder body for connecting the two cylinder bodies.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The inventor of the present invention newly conceived to provide a communication device (for example, an RF tag, etc.) in a non-pneumatic tire as described in Patent Document 1, and newly found a configuration capable of suppressing damage to the communication device in the non-pneumatic tire during the running of a vehicle equipped with the non-pneumatic tire (hereinafter, simply referred to as "during vehicle running"), and thus completed the present invention.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a non-pneumatic tire capable of suppressing damage to a communication device during vehicle running.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The non-pneumatic tire according to the first aspect of the present invention is (1) a wheel member attachable to an axle, and a ring member mounted on the wheel member, and a communication device, wherein the ring member includes an inner cylinder mounted on the wheel member, an outer cylinder surrounding the outer side of the inner cylinder in the tire diameter direction, and a connecting member that connects the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder and is elastically deformable between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, wherein the communication device is a non-pneumatic tire fixed on the exposed surface of the wheel member or the inner cylinder of the ring member to the outside.

[0007] As one embodiment of the present invention, the non-pneumatic tire (2) has a long shape, and is the non-pneumatic tire according to (1) above, fixed on the surface of the wheel member or the inner cylinder of the ring member such that the longitudinal direction thereof is along the tire width direction.

[0008] As one embodiment of the present invention, the non-pneumatic tire (3) is the non-pneumatic tire according to (1) or (2) above, fixed on the outer surface in the tire diameter direction of the inner cylinder of the ring member.

[0009] As one embodiment of the present invention, the non-pneumatic tire (4) wherein a plurality of the connecting members are arranged, and is the non-pneumatic tire according to (3) above, fixed on the outer surface of the inner cylinder in a non-connection region between connection regions where two adjacent connecting members are connected in the inner cylinder.

[0010] As one embodiment of the present invention, the non-pneumatic tire (5) The communication device is fixed on the surface of the wheel member or the inner cylinder of the ring member by welding a resin coating member that covers the periphery, and is the non-pneumatic tire according to any one of (1) to (4) above.

[0011] A non-pneumatic tire as one embodiment of the present invention is (6) The communication device is an RF tag, and is the non-pneumatic tire according to any one of (1) to (5) above.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a non-pneumatic tire capable of suppressing damage to the communication device during vehicle travel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the non-pneumatic tire according to the present invention will be exemplified and described with reference to the drawings. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals in each figure. Hereinafter, the direction parallel to the tire central axis O of the non-pneumatic tire is referred to as the "tire width direction A". Hereinafter, the direction around the tire central axis O of the non-pneumatic tire is referred to as the "tire circumferential direction B". Hereinafter, in the cross section orthogonal to the tire central axis O of the non-pneumatic tire, the radial direction of the virtual circle centered on the tire central axis O is referred to as the "tire diameter direction C".

[0015] FIG. 1 is a side view of a non-pneumatic tire 1 as an embodiment of the non-pneumatic tire according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the non-pneumatic tire 1 of the present embodiment includes a wheel member 2, a ring member 3, a spiral reinforcing layer 4, a tread member 5, and a communication device 6. The non-pneumatic tire 1 is mounted on the axles of various vehicles such as bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles and used.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the wheel member 2 is formed in a disk shape. Each of the ring member 3, the spiral reinforcing layer 4, and the tread member 5 is formed in an annular shape. The central axis of the wheel member 2, the central axis of the ring member 3, the central axis of the spiral reinforcing layer 4, and the central axis of the tread member 5 are located on the common axis. In the present embodiment, this common axis is the tire central axis O.

[0018] In the present embodiment, the central positions in the tire width direction A of the wheel member 2, the ring member 3, the spiral reinforcing layer 4, and the tread member 5 substantially coincide with each other. The wheel member 2, the ring member 3, the spiral reinforcing layer 4, and the tread member 5 of the present embodiment have a structure symmetric with respect to the tire width direction A with reference to the tire equatorial plane CL (see FIGS. 3 and 4) passing through the central position in the tire width direction A as a whole, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

[0019] The wheel member 2 is configured to be attachable to the axle. Specifically, the wheel member 2 of the present embodiment includes a cylindrical boss 2a that extends in the tire width direction A and into which the axle is fitted, a mounting cylinder portion 2b fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the boss 2a, a support cylinder portion 2c that surrounds the outside of the mounting cylinder portion 2b in the tire radial direction C and supports the ring member 3 on the outer peripheral surface, and a plurality of spokes 2d that connect the mounting cylinder portion 2b and the support cylinder portion 2c.

[0020] The boss 2a, the mounting cylinder portion 2b, and the support cylinder portion 2c are each arranged such that their central axes are located on the tire central axis O. The plurality of spokes 2d are arranged, for example, at equal intervals in the tire circumferential direction B. Each of the plurality of spokes 2d extends radially in the tire radial direction C about the boss 2a.

[0021] The boss 2a, the mounting cylinder portion 2b, the support cylinder portion 2c, and the plurality of spokes 2d may be made of metal such as an aluminum alloy, for example. Also, the boss 2a, the mounting cylinder portion 2b, the support cylinder portion 2c, and the plurality of spokes 2d may be made of resin such as a thermoplastic resin, for example. Further, some of the elements of the boss 2a, the mounting cylinder portion 2b, the support cylinder portion 2c, and the plurality of spokes 2d may be made of metal and the other elements may be made of resin. Thus, the material of the components of the wheel member 2 is not particularly limited.

[0022] The ring member 3 is attached to the wheel member 2. More specifically, the ring member 3 of the present embodiment is externally fitted to the support cylinder portion 2c of the wheel member 2 and is supported on the outer peripheral surface of the support cylinder portion 2c.

[0023] The ring member 3 includes an inner cylinder 11, an outer cylinder 12, and a connecting member 13.

[0024] The inner cylinder 11 is fixed to the wheel member 2. Specifically, the inner cylinder 11 of the present embodiment is externally fitted to the support cylinder portion 2c of the wheel member 2 and is supported by the outer peripheral surface of the support cylinder portion 2c over the entire region in the tire circumferential direction B. In this state, the inner cylinder 11 of the present embodiment is fixed to the support cylinder portion 2c by being joined to the support cylinder portion 2c with a fastening member such as a bolt. The inner cylinder 11 is attached to the axle via the wheel member 2.

[0025] The outer cylinder 12 surrounds the outside of the inner cylinder 11 in the tire radial direction C. The central axis of the inner cylinder 11 and the central axis of the outer cylinder 12 are located on the tire central axis O. The inner cylinder 11 and the outer cylinder 12 of the present embodiment are arranged in a state where the central portions in their respective tire width directions A coincide with each other.

[0026] The connecting member 13 connects the inner cylinder 11 and the outer cylinder 12. The connecting member 13 is configured to be elastically deformable between the inner cylinder 11 and the outer cylinder 12. More specifically, the connecting member 13 is configured to be elastically deformable in the tire radial direction C between the inner cylinder 11 and the outer cylinder 12.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of the connecting members 13 of the present embodiment are arranged in the tire circumferential direction B. More specifically, the connecting members 13 of the present embodiment are arranged in plurality in the tire circumferential direction B at a position between the inner cylinder 11 and the outer cylinder 12 in the tire radial direction C. These plurality of connecting members 13 are arranged at intervals in the tire circumferential direction B. That is, two adjacent connecting members 13 in the tire circumferential direction B are non-contact with each other and are arranged at intervals in the tire circumferential direction B. Further, the plurality of connecting members 13 of the present embodiment are arranged to be point-symmetrical to each other with respect to the tire central axis O.

[0028] Further, the connecting member 13 of the present embodiment is a plate-shaped portion arranged such that its thickness direction is in the in-plane direction of a plane orthogonal to the tire central axis O. Further, in the connecting member 13 of the present embodiment, the outer end portion 13a on the outer side in the tire radial direction C connected to the outer cylindrical body 12 and the inner end portion 13b on the inner side in the tire radial direction C connected to the inner cylindrical body 11 are arranged at different positions in the tire circumferential direction B. By doing so, the plate-shaped portion as the connecting member 13 can be used as a leaf spring that is easily elastically deformed in the tire radial direction C. However, the configuration of the connecting member 13 is not limited to the configuration of the present embodiment.

[0029] The constituent materials of the inner cylindrical body 11, the outer cylindrical body 12, and the connecting member 13 are not particularly limited. The inner cylindrical body 11, the outer cylindrical body 12, and the connecting member 13 may be made of, for example, metal or resin. However, from the viewpoint of weight reduction, the inner cylindrical body 11, the outer cylindrical body 12, and the connecting member 13 are preferably made of resin. As the resin material for the inner cylindrical body 11, the outer cylindrical body 12, and the connecting member 13, for example, thermoplastic resins such as polyester and nylon, thermosetting resins such as vinyl ester resin and unsaturated polyester resin, and other synthetic resins can be used. The resin material may further contain fibers such as glass, carbon, graphite, aramid, polyethylene, and ceramic as reinforcing fibers.

[0030] In the present embodiment, the inner cylindrical body 11, the outer cylindrical body 12, and the connecting member 13 are integrally formed of a resin material by injection molding. As the injection molding, a method of integrally molding the entire inner cylindrical body 11, the outer cylindrical body 12, and the connecting member 13 at the same time may be used. Further, as the resin material, for example, only one type of resin material, a mixture containing two or more types of resin materials, or a mixture containing one or more types of resin materials and one or more types of elastomers may be used. Furthermore, additives such as an antioxidant, a plasticizer, a filler, or a pigment may be included. The resin material is preferably a thermoplastic resin. Note that the inner cylindrical body 11, the outer cylindrical body 12, and the connecting member 13 may be formed separately and assembled with each other.

[0031] Note that the wheel member 2 has a function of connecting the axle and the ring member 3, and the ring member 3 has a function of absorbing vibrations transmitted from the ground to the axle. Thus, since the wheel member 2 and the ring member 3 have different functions, they may be formed of different materials. For example, the ring member 3 may be formed of a material with a relatively low elastic modulus to ensure vibration absorption performance, and the wheel member 2 may be formed of a material with an elastic modulus greater than that of the ring member 3 to ensure robustness.

[0032] The ring member 3 of the present embodiment is constituted by the inner cylinder 11, the outer cylinder 12, and the connecting member 13 described above, but is not limited to this configuration. The ring member 3 may further include other parts in addition to the inner cylinder 11, the outer cylinder 12, and the connecting member 13.

[0033] The spiral reinforcing layer 4 is formed by winding a single cord 21 or a plurality of parallel cords 21 embedded in a covering 22 in a spiral shape on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 12 of the ring member 3. In FIG. 4, as an example, a single cord 21 embedded in the covering 22 is shown as the stranded wire body 20.

[0034] By winding the stranded wire body 20 in a spiral shape on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 12 as the outer peripheral surface of the ring member 3, the stranded wire body 20 is adjacent in the tire width direction A on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 12. By integrally fixing the coverings 22 of the portions adjacent in the tire width direction A in the stranded wire body 20 in the tire width direction A, a spiral reinforcing layer 4 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 12. The two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 shows the boundary between the coverings 22 before the coverings 22 are fixed for the sake of convenience of explanation. In other words, the spiral reinforcing layer 4 includes a base layer 4a formed by fixing the coverings 22 adjacent to each other in the tire width direction A, and one or more cords 21 extending in a spiral shape within this base layer 4a. The constituent material of the covering 22 may be, for example, a resin material. Also, the covering 22 may be formed of, for example, a rubber composition. Examples of the cord 21 include a steel cord.

[0035] The spiral reinforcing layer 4 may be adhered to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 12 of the ring member 3 over the entire area in the tire circumferential direction B. The adhesion between the spiral reinforcing layer 4 and the outer cylinder 12 may be performed, for example, by welding the wire body 20 forming the spiral reinforcing layer 4 to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 12. When the covering 22 is formed of a rubber composition, the adhesion between the spiral reinforcing layer 4 and the outer cylinder 12 may also be performed by vulcanization adhesion.

[0036] In the non-pneumatic tire 1 of the present embodiment, since the spiral reinforcing layer 4 is provided, the rigidity of the outer cylinder 12 of the ring member 3 can be increased. Thereby, for example, even when the non-pneumatic tire 1 is used in an environment where the non-pneumatic tire 1 receives a large input from the road surface or a protrusion on the road surface pierces the tread member 5 of the non-pneumatic tire 1, the durability of the non-pneumatic tire 1 can be improved.

[0037] The tread member 5 surrounds the outside of the spiral reinforcing layer 4 in the tire radial direction C. More specifically, the tread member 5 is formed in a cylindrical shape and covers the entire outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 12 of the ring member 3 in the tire radial direction C from the outside of the spiral reinforcing layer 4 in the tire radial direction C. The elastic modulus of the constituent material of the tread member 5 is smaller than the elastic modulus of the constituent material of the ring member 3. The outer peripheral surface of the tread member 5 on the outside in the tire radial direction C is the tread surface 5a of the non-pneumatic tire 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the tread surface 5a of the tread member 5 may be a curved surface that is convex toward the outside in the tire radial direction C on the center side in the tire width direction A rather than the both end sides.

[0038] The tread member 5 is formed of, for example, vulcanized rubber obtained by vulcanizing a rubber composition containing natural rubber or the like, or a thermoplastic material. Examples of the thermoplastic material include thermoplastic elastomers and thermoplastic resins. Examples of the thermoplastic elastomer include an amide-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPA), an ester-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPC), an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO), a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPS), a urethane-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPU), a crosslinked thermoplastic rubber (TPV), and other thermoplastic elastomers (TPZ) defined in JIS K 6418. Examples of the thermoplastic resin include urethane resin, olefin resin, vinyl chloride resin, and polyamide resin. From the viewpoint of wear resistance, it is preferable to form the tread member 5 of vulcanized rubber.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the communication device 6 is fixed on the surface exposed outside the ring member 3. More specifically, the communication device 6 is fixed on the surface exposed outside the inner cylinder 11 of the ring member 3. Since the inner cylinder 11 is fixed to the wheel member 2, it is difficult to deform in the tire diameter direction C during vehicle travel. Therefore, by fixing the communication device 6 on the surface of the inner cylinder 11, it is possible to prevent the communication device 6 from being damaged during vehicle travel.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an RF tag as the communication device 6 of the present embodiment and a reader / writer 60 capable of wireless communication with this RF tag. As shown in FIG. 5, the communication device 6 of the present embodiment may be a passive type RF tag including a storage unit 6a that stores information regarding the non-pneumatic tire 1, an antenna unit 6b capable of transmitting and receiving information with a reader / writer 60 located outside the non-pneumatic tire 1, and a control unit 6c capable of writing information to the storage unit 6a and reading information from the storage unit 6a. Specifically, the RF tag as the communication device 6 of the present embodiment can receive, by the antenna unit 6b, information transmitted on a radio wave or a magnetic field from the antenna unit 60a of the reader / writer 60. Power is generated in the antenna unit 6b by rectification (in the case of a radio wave) or resonance (in the case of a magnetic field), and the storage unit 6a and the control unit 6c perform predetermined operations. For example, the control unit 6c reads the information in the storage unit 6a and returns (transmits) it from the antenna unit 6b to the reader / writer 60 on a radio wave or a magnetic field. The antenna unit 60a of the reader / writer 60 receives a radio wave or a magnetic field from the RF tag as the communication device 6 of the present embodiment. The control unit 60b of the reader / writer 60 can acquire the information stored in the storage unit 6a by taking out the received information. Note that the above-described storage unit 6a and control unit 6c can be configured by, for example, an integrated circuit (IC chip) including a non-volatile memory.

[0041] The information stored in the storage unit 6a of the RF tag as the communication device 6 of the present embodiment is not particularly limited. The storage unit 6a may be, for example, unique identification information of the non-pneumatic tire 1 that can identify each non-pneumatic tire, such as the manufacturer, manufacturing factory, and manufacturing date of the non-pneumatic tire 1. Further, tire history information such as the running distance, number of hard braking times, number of rapid start times, and number of sharp turning times of the non-pneumatic tire 1 may be stored in the storage unit 6a as information rewritable by the reader / writer 60. Furthermore, for example, a sensor for detecting a tire acceleration or the like is attached to the non-pneumatic tire 1, and the storage unit 6a may store detection information detected by the sensor. The RF tag as the communication device 6 can acquire the detection information of the sensor by performing wireless communication with the sensor through the antenna unit 6b.

[0042] Note that the communication device 6 only needs to be configured to be capable of wireless communication with a predetermined device outside the non-pneumatic tire 1, and is not limited to the RF tag of the present embodiment.

[0043] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are perspective views showing the RF tag as the communication device 6 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the RF tag as the communication device 6 of the present embodiment includes a first antenna 31 and a second antenna 32 that constitute the antenna unit 6b, and an IC chip 33 that constitutes a control unit 6c and a storage unit 6a and operates by dielectric electromotive force generated by radio waves received by these first antenna 31 and second antenna 32, a plate-shaped support member 34 to which this IC chip 33 is attached, and a conductive conduction member 35 that electrically connects the IC chip 33 to the first antenna 31 and the second antenna 32 respectively. As shown in FIG. 6, the RF tag as the communication device 6 of the present embodiment includes the long first antenna 31 and the second antenna 32 that protrude from the IC chip 33 in opposite directions across the IC chip 33. Thus, the communication device 6 of the present embodiment has an elongated shape in which the longitudinal direction D of the first antenna 31 and the second antenna 32 is the longitudinal direction of the entire communication device 6. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the RF tag as the communication device 6 shown in FIG. 6 is covered with a covering member 36. The covering member 36 is formed of resin. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the RF tag as the communication device 6 in a state where the periphery is covered with the covering member 36 is fixed on the surface of the inner cylinder 11. The communication device 6 of the present embodiment is fixed on the surface of the inner cylinder 11 by welding the covering member 36.

[0044] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the details of the position and posture where the communication device 6 of the present embodiment is fixed on the surface of the inner cylinder 11 will be described.

[0045] As described above, the RF tag as the communication device 6 of the present embodiment has an elongated shape. Then, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the communication device 6 of the present embodiment is embedded in the inner cylinder 11 such that its longitudinal direction (the same direction as the longitudinal direction D of the first antenna 31 and the second antenna 32 in the present embodiment, hereinafter referred to as the longitudinal direction D) is along the tire width direction A. The outer cylinder 12 of the non-pneumatic tire 1 receives force from the road surface during vehicle travel and deforms in the tire radial direction C. At this time, the variation in the amount of deformation in the tire radial direction C depending on the position in the tire circumferential direction B is larger than the variation in the amount of deformation in the tire radial direction C depending on the position in the tire width direction A. Since the inner cylinder 11 is supported on the outer peripheral surface of the support cylinder portion 2c of the wheel member 2, it is less likely to deform in the tire radial direction C compared to the outer cylinder 12. However, the variation in the amount of deformation in the tire radial direction C of the outer cylinder 12 can also affect the inner cylinder 11 connected to the outer cylinder 12 via the connecting member 13. Specifically, due to the variation in the amount of deformation in the tire radial direction C of the outer cylinder 12, some variation may occur in the amount of strain in the tire radial direction C of the inner cylinder 11. Therefore, the communication device 6 having an elongated shape is fixed on the surface of the inner cylinder 11 such that its longitudinal direction D is along the tire width direction A. By doing so, compared with the configuration in which the longitudinal direction D of the elongated communication device 6 is arranged along the tire circumferential direction B, based on the variation in the amount of strain of the inner cylinder 11 caused by the variation in the amount of deformation in the tire radial direction C of the outer cylinder 12, stress concentration occurs in a part of the longitudinal direction D of the communication device 6 fixed on the surface of the inner cylinder 11, and it is possible to suppress local deformation, damage, breakage, etc. That is, the durability of the communication device 6 can be enhanced compared to the arrangement in which the longitudinal direction D of the communication device 6 is along the tire circumferential direction B.

[0046] Note that the phrase "along the tire width direction A" as used herein does not mean limited to being parallel to the tire width direction A, but also includes the case of being inclined at an angle of less than 45 degrees with respect to the tire width direction A. However, as in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the communication device 6 is arranged such that its longitudinal direction D is parallel to the tire width direction A or inclined at an angle of 5 degrees or less with respect to the tire width direction A to be substantially parallel.

[0047] Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the communication device 6 of the present embodiment is fixed on the outer surface of the inner cylinder 11 on the outer side in the tire diameter direction C. More specifically, the communication device 6 of the present embodiment is fixed on the outer surface of the inner cylinder 11 in the non-connected regions X3 between the connected regions X1 and X2 where two adjacent connecting members 13 in the inner cylinder 11 are connected. Here, the "connected region" means the region of the inner cylinder 11 covered in the tire diameter direction C by the virtual end face 13b1 of the inner end portion 13b of the connecting member 13 when the connected inner cylinder 11 and the connecting member 13 are separated into two with the virtual outer peripheral surface 11a of the inner cylinder 11 as the boundary. The "non-connected region" means the region of the inner cylinder 11 not covered in the tire diameter direction C by the virtual end face 13b1 of the inner end portion 13b of the connecting member 13. The non-connected region X3 of the inner cylinder 11 has a smaller amount of strain in the tire diameter direction C during vehicle travel compared to the connected regions X1 and X2. Therefore, by fixing the communication device 6 on the outer surface of the inner cylinder 11 in the non-connected region X3, deformation and damage of the communication device 6 due to strain in the tire diameter direction C of the inner cylinder 11 can be suppressed.

[0048] Also, in the non-pneumatic tire 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of connecting members 13 are arranged in the tire circumferential direction B. And the communication device 6 of the present embodiment is fixed on the outer surface of the inner cylinder 11 in the non-connected region X3 between the connected regions X1 and X2 where two adjacent connecting members 13 in the tire circumferential direction B are connected. However, a plurality of connecting members 13 may be arranged in the tire width direction A. In such a case, the communication device 6 may be fixed on the outer surface of the inner cylinder 11 in the non-connected region X3 between the connected regions where two adjacent connecting members 13 in the tire width direction A are connected.

[0049] Incidentally, the inner cylinder 11 of the present embodiment is made of resin, and the communication device 6 of the present embodiment is fixed on the outer surface of the inner cylinder 11 by welding a resin coating member 36 (see FIG. 7) that covers the periphery to the inner cylinder 11. By doing so, the communication device 6 can be firmly fixed to the inner cylinder 11. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the communication device 6 of the present embodiment is embedded in a protruding portion 11b that protrudes outward in the tire diameter direction C from the virtual outer peripheral surface 11a of the inner cylinder 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the protruding portion 11b in which the communication device 6 is embedded is disposed offset to one side with respect to the tire equatorial plane CL in the tire width direction A. By doing so, even when the position where the communication device 6 is disposed is a position sandwiched between the two connecting members 13 in the tire circumferential direction B as in the present embodiment, the communication device 6 can be easily fixed on the outer surface of the inner cylinder 11 from the outside in the tire width direction A. Further, the communication device 6 may be disposed offset to one side that is the outer side in the vehicle width direction in a state where the non-pneumatic tire 1 is mounted on the vehicle in the tire width direction A. By doing so, even when the non-pneumatic tire 1 is mounted on the vehicle, it is easy to bring the reader / writer 60 (see FIG. 5) close to the communication device 6 from the outside of the non-pneumatic tire 1, and the communication performance between the communication device 6 and the reader / writer 60 can be enhanced.

[0050] As described above, the communication device 6 of the present embodiment is fixed on the outer surface on the outer side in the tire diameter direction C of the inner cylinder 11, which is an example of the surface exposed to the outside of the inner cylinder 11 in the non-connection region X3 of the inner cylinder 11, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

[0051] The communication device 6 may be fixed, for example, on the end surface in the tire width direction A of the inner cylinder body 11 as an example of the surface exposed outside the inner cylinder body 11. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the communication device 6 may be fixed on the surface exposed outside the wheel member 2. FIG. 8 shows an example in which the communication device 6 is fixed on the end surface in the tire width direction A of the support cylinder portion 2c of the wheel member 2. The communication device 6 may be fixed to a part different from the support cylinder portion 2c of the wheel member 2, such as the spoke 2d of the wheel member 2. However, it is preferable that the communication device 6 is fixed on the outer surface of the inner cylinder body 11 in the non-connected region X3 of the inner cylinder body 11 as in the present embodiment. By doing so, the communication device 6 is surrounded by the inner cylinder body 11, the outer cylinder body 12, and the connecting member 13. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the communication device 6 from being damaged from the outside of the non-pneumatic tire 1. Such an arrangement is realized easily when, as shown in FIG. 2, the connecting member 13 is a plate-like portion used as a leaf spring and the communication device 6 has an elongated shape having the longitudinal direction D, and the longitudinal direction D of the communication device 6 is arranged along the tire width direction A.

[0052] Also, the fixing of the communication device 6 to one of the wheel member 2 and the inner cylinder body 11 is not limited to the welding of the above-mentioned resins, and may be, for example, the welding of metals. Further, the fixing of the communication device 6 to one of the wheel member 2 and the inner cylinder body 11 may be the adhesion by an adhesive of resin and metal, resin and resin, or metal and metal. Thus, the method of fixing the communication device 6 to one of the wheel member 2 and the inner cylinder body 11 is not particularly limited.

[0053] The non-pneumatic tire according to the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations shown in the above-described embodiments and modified examples, and various deformations, changes, and combinations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0054] [Contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] In order to realize a sustainable society, the SDGs have been proposed. One embodiment of the present invention is considered to be a technology that can contribute to "No. 12_Responsibility to Produce, Responsibility to Use" and "No. 13_Specific Measures for Climate Change".

Industrial Applicability

[0055] The present invention relates to a non-pneumatic tire.

Explanation of Signs

[0056] 1: Non-pneumatic tire 2: Wheel member 2a: Boss 2b: Mounting cylinder part 2c: Support cylinder part 2d: Spoke 3: Ring member 4: Spiral reinforcing layer 4a: Base layer 5: Tread member 5a: Tread surface 6: Communication device 6a: Memory part 6b: Antenna part 6c: Control part 11: Inner cylinder 11a: Virtual outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 11b: Protrusion 12: Outer cylinder 13: Connecting member 13a: Outer end part of the connecting member 13b: Inner end part of the connecting member 13b1: Virtual end surface of the inner end part of the connecting member 20: Strand body 21: Cord 22: Coating 31: First antenna 32: Second antenna 33: IC chip 34: Support member 35: Conductive member 36: Coating member 60: Reader / writer 60a: Antenna part 60b: Control part A: Tire width direction B: Tire circumferential direction C: Tire radial direction D: Longitudinal direction of the communication device CL: Tire equatorial plane O: Tire central axis X1, X2: Connection region X3: Non-connection region

Claims

1. a wheel member attachable to an axle, a ring member attached to the wheel member, and a communication device, and the ring member includes an inner cylinder attached to the wheel member, an outer cylinder surrounding the outer side of the inner cylinder in the tire diameter direction, and a connecting member connecting the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder and being elastically deformable between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, the communication device is a non-pneumatic tire fixed on the surface of the wheel member or the inner cylinder of the ring member that is exposed to the outside.

2. the communication device has an elongated shape, the communication device is fixed on the surface of the wheel member or the inner cylinder of the ring member such that the longitudinal direction thereof is along the tire width direction, the non-pneumatic tire according to Claim 1.

3. the communication device is fixed on the outer surface in the tire diameter direction of the inner cylinder of the ring member, the non-pneumatic tire according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. a plurality of the connecting members are arranged, the communication device is fixed on the outer surface of the inner cylinder in a non-connecting region between connecting regions where two adjacent ones of the connecting members are connected in the inner cylinder, the non-pneumatic tire according to Claim 3.

5. the communication device is fixed on the surface of the wheel member or the inner cylinder of the ring member by welding a resin coating member covering the periphery, the non-pneumatic tire according to Claim 1 or 2.

6. the communication device is an RF tag, the non-pneumatic tire according to Claim 1 or 2.

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