Functional component assembly and tire including the same

The functional component assembly in tires addresses misalignment and detachment issues by optimizing component ratios and material properties, ensuring stable and easy attachment of sensors within the tire support structure.

JP2025160629APending Publication Date: 2025-10-23THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO LTD

Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024063293
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-04-10
Publication Date
2025-10-23

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing functional components in tires, such as sensors, are prone to misalignment and detachment, leading to reduced output and difficulty in attachment due to insufficient support structure design.

Method used

A functional component assembly with a support body composed of upper and lower components, where the height ratios and dimensions of these components are optimized to ensure proper fitting and alignment, along with the use of specific material properties and fixation mechanisms to stabilize the component within the tire.

Benefits of technology

The solution enhances the stability and ease of attachment of functional components, maintaining consistent output by preventing misalignment and detachment, thus improving the overall performance and usability of tire-mounted sensors.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a functional component assembly capable of reliably fixing a functional component to a support body when the functional component is housed in the support body, preventing output deterioration of the functional component, and improving mountability of the functional component, and to provide a tire including the same.SOLUTION: Provided is a functional component assembly including a functional component 20 having a sensor function for detecting tire information, and a support 10 housing the functional component 20 and mounted on a tire inner surface. The support has a pair of an upper component 11 and a lower component 15, and a housing portion 10x formed by the upper component 11 and the lower component 15 fitting together, and is configured such that the upper component 11 and an upper portion of the functional component 20 are fitted to each other, where height A [mm] of the functional component 20 and internal height B [mm] of the lower component 15 satisfy a relationship of 0.3≤B / A≤0.9, and the height A of the functional component 20, the internal height B of the lower component 15, and internal height C [mm] of the upper component 11 satisfy a relationship of (B+C) / A≤1.0.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a functional component assembly and a tire equipped with the same, and more particularly to a functional component assembly and a tire equipped with the same that can reliably fix a functional component to a support body when the functional component is housed in the support body, thereby preventing a decrease in the output of the functional component and improving the ease of attachment of the functional component. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, sensor units (functional components) including sensors for acquiring internal tire information such as internal pressure and temperature have been installed in the tire cavity. In order to attach such functional components to the tire inner surface, a support that functions as a base for the functional components is adhered to the tire inner surface, and the functional components are housed inside the support (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, if the functional components are not sufficiently held by the support, the functional components may become misaligned, resulting in a decrease in output from the functional components and, in some cases, falling off.

[0003] In response to this, it is possible to prevent the functional components from falling off by narrowing the opening of the support, but narrowing the opening of the support makes it difficult to accommodate the functional components in the support, and reduces the ease of attachment of the functional components. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2008 / 143326 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a functional component assembly and a tire equipped with the same, which can reliably fix a functional component to a support body when the functional component is housed in the support body, thereby preventing a decrease in the output of the functional component and improving the ease of attachment of the functional component. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the functional component assembly of the present invention is a functional component assembly comprising a functional component having a sensor function for detecting tire information, and a support body that houses the functional component and is attached to the inner surface of the tire, wherein the support body has a pair of upper and lower components and a housing formed by fitting the upper and lower components together, the upper component and the upper part of the functional component are configured to fit together, and the height A [mm] of the functional component and the internal height B [mm] of the lower component satisfy the relationship 0.3≦B / A≦0.9, and the height A of the functional component, the internal height B of the lower component, and the internal height C [mm] of the upper component satisfy the relationship (B+C) / A≦1.0.

[0007] The tire of the present invention is characterized in that the functional component assembly of the present invention is attached to the inner surface of the tire. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In the present invention, the support includes a pair of upper and lower components and a housing formed by fitting the upper and lower components together. The upper component and the upper portion of the functional component are configured to fit together, preventing misalignment between the upper and lower components. Furthermore, the functional component height A and the lower component interior height B satisfy the relationship 0.3≦B / A≦0.9, so the lower component interior height B is lower than the functional component height A, and the upper portion of the functional component protrudes from the lower component, facilitating insertion and removal of the functional component. Furthermore, the functional component height A, the lower component interior height B, and the upper component interior height C satisfy the relationship (B+C) / A≦1.0, so the height of the housing is equal to or lower than the functional component height. When the functional component is housed in the housing of the support, the functional component is pressed against the lower component, stabilizing the output of the functional component.

[0009] In the functional component assembly of the present invention, the modulus M of the material constituting the lower component at 100% elongation 100 It is preferable that the pressure is in the range of 0.5 MPa to 10.0 MPa. This makes it easy to insert and remove the functional parts and stabilizes the output of the functional parts, thereby improving both in a well-balanced manner.

[0010] The maximum width W1 [mm] of the mating portion of the lower component and the width W2 [mm] of the mating portion of the upper component satisfy the relationship 0.9≦W2 / W1<1.0. This prevents gaps from forming when the upper and lower components are mated, allowing the upper component to be firmly fixed to the lower component.

[0011] Alternatively, the mating portion of the lower component and the mating portion of the upper component may have at least one pair of a protrusion and a recess, and such a pair of a protrusion and a recess may be fitted together to firmly fix the upper component and the lower component.

[0012] In particular, it is preferable that the maximum width W1 [mm] of the fitting portion of the lower component and the width W2 [mm] of the fitting portion of the upper component satisfy the relationship 1.0≦W2 / W1≦1.1, which allows the upper component and the lower component to be firmly fixed together.

[0013] It is preferable that the upper component be constrained from rotating around the central axis of both the functional component and the lower component. For example, if the planar shape of the functional component and the planar shape of the housing section of the support are both circular, there is a risk that the functional component, upper component, and lower component may rotate. Therefore, by configuring the support so that the mounting position (direction) is determined to prevent such rotation, the work of housing the functional component becomes easier and leads to a reduction in work time.

[0014] It is preferable that the height A of the functional component, the internal height B of the lower component, and the internal height C of the upper component satisfy the relationship 0.9≦(B+C) / A≦1.0. This ensures that the functional component is pressed against the lower component and maintained in a fixed state, contributing to stabilizing the output of the functional component.

[0015] It is preferable that the maximum width D1 [mm] of the functional component, the maximum width D2 [mm] of the accommodation section of the lower component, and the maximum width D3 [mm] of the accommodation section of the upper component satisfy -1.0≦D1-D2≦1.0 and -0.5≦D1-D3≦0.0, which allows the functional component to be easily accommodated in the accommodation section of the lower component, and also allows the functional component and the upper component to fit together, improving the stability of the output of the functional component.

[0016] Tensile modulus Et of the material that makes up the upper part b When the material is a hard material such as a resin or a metal, the tensile modulus Et of the material is preferably in the range of 100 MPa to 100,000 MPa. b By appropriately setting the value, it is possible to improve the balance between the workability when storing the functional parts and the stability of the output of the functional parts.

[0017] The upper part preferably has at least one slit on the side, which makes it easier to attach the upper part to the lower part.

[0018] It is preferable that the upper part has a fixing auxiliary part wound around its side surface, thereby improving the fixing of the upper part to the lower part.

[0019] The lower component is preferably fixed to the inner surface of the tire. The functional component preferably has a sensor function using a piezoelectric element as a sensor element. When a functional component having a sensor function using such a piezoelectric element is used, a significant effect can be obtained.

[0020] The tire of the present invention is preferably a pneumatic tire, but may also be a non-pneumatic tire. In the case of a pneumatic tire, the interior thereof can be filled with air, an inert gas such as nitrogen, or other gases. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B illustrate an embodiment of a functional component assembly according to the present invention, where 1A is a perspective view showing the entire functional component assembly, and 1B is a cross-sectional view of a support body and a functional component. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing dimensions of a support and a functional component. [Figure 3] 5(A) to 5(D) are cross-sectional views illustrating other embodiments of the functional component assembly according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 10(A) to 10(H) are perspective views illustrating other embodiments of the functional component assembly according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 10(A) to 10(F) are perspective views illustrating other embodiments of the functional component assembly according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B illustrate another embodiment of a functional component assembly according to the present invention, where 1A is a perspective view of the functional component assembly and 1B is a side view of the functional component assembly. [Figure 7] 1 is a meridian cross-sectional view illustrating an embodiment of a pneumatic tire in which a functional component assembly according to the present invention is attached to the inner surface of the tire. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an output waveform from a piezoelectric element. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a functional component assembly of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The functional component assembly 1 shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(B) includes a functional component 20 having a sensor function for detecting tire information, and a support body 10 that houses the functional component 20 and is attached to the inner surface of the tire.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B), the support body 10 is composed of a pair of upper and lower components 11 and 15. The upper component 11 includes a lid portion 12 that fits with the upper part of the functional component 20, and a fitting portion 13 that extends from the lid portion 12 and fits with the lower component 15. The lower component 15 includes a flat base portion 16 that is fixed to the inner surface of the tire, and a cylindrical fitting portion 17 that protrudes from the base portion 16. The fitting portion 13 of the upper component 11 fits with the fitting portion 17 of the lower component 15, thereby forming a housing portion 10x inside the support body 10 that houses the functional component 20. The housing portion 10x includes a housing portion 11x inside the upper component 11 and a housing portion 15x inside the lower component 15.

[0024] 1(A) and 1(B), the upper component 11, the lower component 15, and the functional component 20 all have a circular planar shape, but this is not limited thereto and may have other planar shapes. Furthermore, as long as the planar shapes of the accommodation section 10x of the support body 10 and the functional component 20 are the same, the planar shapes of the upper component 11, the lower component 15, and the functional component 20 may be different from one another. Furthermore, an air vent for the air pressure sensor may be provided on the top surface of the lid portion 12. Alternatively, an embodiment may be adopted in which the support body 10 does not entirely cover the functional component 20, but the lid portion 12 and the fitting portion 13 are formed intermittently in the circumferential direction, leaving part of the functional component 20 exposed.

[0025] The functional part 20 has a contact surface 21 that contacts the inner surface of the tire. The functional part 20 also has a structure in which various electronic components are housed inside a housing. The electronic components can be configured to include various sensors, transmitters, receivers, control circuits, batteries, and the like for acquiring tire information. Examples of tire information acquired by the sensors include the internal temperature and pressure of the pneumatic tire, and the amount of tread wear. For example, a temperature sensor or a pressure sensor is used to measure the internal temperature and pressure. To detect the amount of tread wear of a tire, for example, a sensor element made of a piezoelectric element is disposed on the contact surface 21 of the functional part 20, and the sensor element detects an output voltage corresponding to tire deformation during driving, and the amount of tread wear is detected based on the output voltage. Alternatively, an acceleration sensor or a magnetic sensor can be used.

[0026] In the above functional component assembly, the height A [mm] of the functional component 20 (see FIG. 1(B)) and the internal height B [mm] of the lower component 15 (see FIG. 1(B)) are set to satisfy the relationship 0.3≦B / A≦0.9. In particular, it is preferable that they satisfy the relationship 0.4≦B / A≦0.6. Furthermore, the height A of the functional component 20, the internal height B of the lower component 15, and the internal height C [mm] of the upper component 11 (see FIG. 1(B)) are set to satisfy the relationship (B+C) / A≦1.0.

[0027] In the functional component assembly described above, the support 10 has a pair of upper and lower components 11 and 15, and a housing portion 10x formed by fitting the upper and lower components 11 and 15 together, and the upper component 11 and the upper portion of the functional component 20 are configured to fit together, so that it is possible to prevent misalignment between the upper component 11 and the functional component 20 while also preventing misalignment between the upper component 11 and the lower component 15. Furthermore, the height A of the functional component 20 and the internal height B of the lower component 15 satisfy the relationship 0.3≦B / A≦0.9, so the internal height B of the lower component 15 is lower than the height A of the functional component 20, and the upper portion of the functional component 20 protrudes from the lower component 15, making it easy to insert and remove the functional component 20. Furthermore, the height A of the functional component 20, the internal height B of the lower component 15, and the internal height C of the upper component 11 satisfy the relationship (B+C) / A≦1.0, so the height of the accommodating section 10x is less than or equal to the height of the functional component 20, and when the functional component 20 is accommodated in the accommodating section 10x of the support body 10, the functional component 20 is pressed against the lower component 15, thereby stabilizing the output of the functional component 20.

[0028] In particular, it is preferable that the height A of the functional component 20, the internal height B of the lower component 15, and the internal height C of the upper component 11 satisfy the relationship 0.9≦(B+C) / A≦1.0, and more preferably the relationship 0.94≦(B+C) / A≦0.96. By appropriately setting the ratio (B+C) / A in this way, the functional component 20 is pressed against the lower component 15 and maintained in a fixed state, which contributes to stabilizing the output of the functional component 20.

[0029] If the ratio (B+C) / A is smaller than the lower limit of the above range, the height A of the functional component 20 becomes too large, making it difficult to accommodate the functional component 20 in the accommodation section 10x. On the other hand, if the ratio (B+C) / A is larger than the upper limit of the above range, the height of the accommodation section 10x becomes larger than the height of the functional component 20, creating a gap and making the accommodated functional component 20 more likely to move within the accommodation section 10x, resulting in unstable output of the functional component 20.

[0030] In the functional component assembly, the support body 10 can be made of rubber, and in this case, it can follow the deformation of the tire inner surface. Of the upper component 11 and lower component 15 that make up the support body 10, it is preferable that at least the lower component 15 is made of rubber. The rubber that makes up the lower component 15 has a modulus M 100 The modulus M of the rubber constituting the lower part 15 is preferably in the range of 0.5 MPa to 10.0 MPa, and more preferably in the range of 1.0 MPa to 5.0 MPa. 100 By appropriately setting the modulus M at 100%, it becomes easy to insert and remove the functional part 20 and the output of the functional part 20 becomes stable, so that both can be improved in a well-balanced manner. 100 was measured in accordance with JIS K6251.

[0031] Here, the M of the rubber constituting the lower part 15 100 If the M of the rubber constituting the lower part 15 is less than 0.5 MPa, the lower part 15 becomes excessively soft, and is therefore unable to adequately hold the functional part 20 when the tire rolls, which tends to reduce the output of the functional part 20. 100 If the pressure is greater than 10.0 MPa, the lower part 15 becomes too hard, making it difficult to insert or remove the functional part 20.

[0032] On the other hand, the upper part 11 constituting the support 10 can be made of a material other than rubber. For example, a hard material such as resin or light metal (e.g., aluminum alloy) can be used. When such a hard material is used, the tensile modulus Et of the material constituting the upper part 11 is b The tensile modulus Et of the material constituting the upper part 11 is preferably in the range of 100 MPa to 100,000 MPa, and more preferably in the range of 1,000 MPa to 5,000 MPa. b By appropriately setting the modulus of elasticity Et, it is possible to improve the workability when housing the functional component 20 and the stability of the output of the functional component 20 in a well-balanced manner. b was measured in accordance with ASTM D638.

[0033] The functional component assembly preferably satisfies the following dimensional relationship. The maximum width W1 (mm) of the mating portion 17 of the lower component 15 (see FIG. 2) and the width W2 (mm) of the mating portion 13 of the upper component 11 (see FIG. 2) preferably satisfy the relationship 0.9≦W2 / W1<1.0, and more preferably 0.94≦W2 / W1≦0.96. Setting the ratio W2 / W1 in this manner eliminates gaps when the upper component 11 and the lower component 15 are mated, allowing the upper component 11 to be firmly fixed to the lower component 15. If the ratio W2 / W1 is below the lower limit of the above range, it becomes difficult to fit the upper component 11 to the lower component 15.

[0034] Furthermore, it is preferable that the maximum width D1 [mm] of the functional component 20 (see FIG. 2), the maximum width D2 [mm] of the accommodation section 15x of the lower component 15 (see FIG. 2), and the maximum width D3 [mm] of the accommodation section 11x of the upper component 11 (see FIG. 2) satisfy the relationships -1.0≦D1−D2≦1.0 and -0.5≦D1−D3≦0.0. It is particularly preferable that they satisfy the relationships -0.5≦D1−D2≦0.5 and / or -0.3≦D1−D3≦0.0. By satisfying the above relationships, the functional component 20 can be easily accommodated in the accommodation section 15x of the lower component 15, and the upper part of the functional component 20 and the upper component 11 fit together, improving the stability of the output of the functional component 20.

[0035] Here, if D1-D2 is smaller than -1.0, the gap between the functional component 20 and the accommodation portion 15x of the lower component 15 becomes large, making the output of the functional component 20 unstable. Conversely, if D1-D2 is larger than 1.0, it becomes difficult to accommodate the functional component 20 because the accommodation portion 15x of the lower component 15 needs to be widened. Furthermore, if D1-D3 is smaller than -0.5, the gap between the functional component 20 and the upper component 11 becomes large, making the output of the functional component 20 unstable. Conversely, if D1-D3 is larger than 0, the functional component 20 may not fit into the upper component 11, which is particularly noticeable when the upper component 11 is made of a hard material.

[0036] 3(A) to 3(D) each illustrate another embodiment of a functional component assembly according to the present invention. A pair of a protrusion 101 and a recess 102 is provided on the upper component 11 and the lower component 15. As shown in FIGS. 3(A) to 3(D), a protrusion 101 is provided on the mating portion 17 of the lower component 15, and a recess 102 is provided on the mating portion 13 of the upper component 11. These protrusions 101 and recesses 102 fit together. While FIGS. 3(A) to 3(D) show a case where the recess 102 is formed on the upper component 11 and the protrusion 101 is formed on the lower component 15, it is also possible for the protrusion 101 to be formed on the upper component 11 and the recess 102 to be formed on the lower component 15. As shown in FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B), the protrusions 101 and recesses 102 can be provided at any height on the upper component 11 and the lower component 15. 3(C), a gap g may exist between the mating portion 13 of the upper component 11 and the mating portion 17 of the lower component 15. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3(D), the convex portion 101 provided on the lower component 15 may have a tapered shape. Such a pair of convex portion 101 and concave portion 102 may fit together, thereby firmly fixing the upper component 11 and the lower component 15. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the mating portion 13 of the upper component 11 and the outer circumferential surface of the mating portion 17 of the lower component 15 may be threaded, so that they can be screwed together, thereby firmly fixing the upper component 11 and the lower component 15.

[0037] When the upper component 11 and the lower component 15 are provided with a pair of protrusions 101 and recesses 102 in this manner, the maximum width W1 [mm] of the mating portion 17 of the lower component 15 and the width W2 [mm] of the mating portion 13 of the upper component 11 preferably satisfy the relationship 1.0≦W2 / W1≦1.1, and more preferably satisfy the relationship 1.00≦W2 / W1≦1.05. Setting the ratio W2 / W1 in this manner enables the upper component 11 and the lower component 15 to be firmly fixed together. Note that the maximum width W1 of the mating portion 17 of the lower component 15 and the width W2 of the mating portion 13 of the upper component 11 do not include the protrusion amount of the protrusion 101 and the recess amount of the recess 102, respectively.

[0038] FIGS. 4(A) to 4(H) and FIGS. 5(A) to 5(F) all illustrate other embodiments of the functional component assembly according to the present invention.

[0039] As shown in Figures 4(A) to 4(G), the lid part 12 of the upper part component 11 and the upper part of the functional part 20 are provided with a convex part 101 and a concave part 102 or a through-hole 103 that fit together. Also, as shown in Figure 4(H), the lid part 12 of the upper part component 11 is provided with a rectangular through-hole 103, and the functional part 20, which is a square pillar, is configured to fit into this through-hole 103. With the configurations shown in Figures 4(A) to 4(H), the rotation of the upper part 11 relative to the functional part 20 around the central axis of the functional part 20 is restricted.

[0040] As shown in Figures 5(A) to 5(D), mating portion 13 of upper component 11 and mating portion 17 of lower component 15 are provided with convex portions 101 and concave portions 102 or through-holes 103 that fit together. Also, as shown in Figure 5(E), a plurality of through-holes 103 are provided on the top surface of mating portion 13 of upper component 11, and a plurality of convex portions 101a that fit into these through-holes 103 are provided on the top surface of mating portion 17 of lower component 15. Furthermore, an annular concave portion 102 is provided on the side surface of mating portion 13 of upper component 11, and an annular convex portion 101b that fits into this concave portion 102 is provided on the side surface of mating portion 17 of lower component 15. Also, as shown in Figure 5(F), mating portion 13 of upper component 11 and mating portion 17 of lower component 15 are both rectangular and are configured to fit together. 5(A) to 5(F), the upper component 11 is restricted from rotating around the central axis of the functional component 20 relative to both the lower component 15 and the upper component 11. As shown in FIG.

[0041] In this way, the support 10 has a structure that prevents the upper part 11 from rotating around the central axis of the functional part 20 relative to both the functional part 20 and the lower part 15. This allows the mounting position (direction) to be determined, making it easier to accommodate the functional part 20 and reducing the amount of time required for the installation.

[0042] 6(A) and (B) illustrate another embodiment of a functional component assembly according to the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 6(A) and (B), at least one slit 104 is formed in the side surface of the upper component 11 along the height direction of the upper component 11. This slit 104 is formed so as to extend over a portion of the lid portion 12 and the entire fitting portion 13. Providing the slit 104 in this manner makes it easier to attach the upper component 11 to the lower component 15. In addition, the lid portion 12 of the upper component 11 and the upper portion of the functional component 20 are provided with a cross-shaped protrusion 101 and a cross-shaped through-hole 103 that fit together.

[0043] 6(B), with the functional component 20 housed in the housing portion 10x of the support body 10, an auxiliary fixing component 19 is wrapped around the side surface of the fitting portion 13 of the upper component 11. Examples of the auxiliary fixing component 19 include a tie wrap made of rubber or resin, and a hose band made of metal. By wrapping the auxiliary fixing component 19 around the side surface of the fitting portion 13 of the upper component 11 in this manner, the fixation of the upper component 11 to the lower component 15 can be improved.

[0044] Fig. 7 shows a pneumatic tire with a functional component assembly fixed to the inner surface of the tire. As shown in Fig. 7, the pneumatic tire has a tread portion t extending in the circumferential direction of the tire to form an annular shape, a pair of sidewall portions s disposed on both sides of the tread portion t, and a pair of bead portions b disposed radially inward of the sidewall portions s.

[0045] A carcass layer 4 is mounted between the pair of bead portions b. This carcass layer 4 includes a plurality of reinforcing cords extending in the tire radial direction, and is folded back from the inside to the outside of the tire around a bead core 5 arranged in each bead portion b. A bead filler 6 made of a rubber composition and having a triangular cross section is arranged on the outer periphery of the bead core 5. An inner liner layer 9 is arranged in the region between the pair of bead portions b on the tire inner surface Ts. This inner liner layer 9 forms the tire inner surface Ts.

[0046] On the other hand, multiple belt layers 7 are embedded on the outer peripheral side of the carcass layer 4 in the tread portion t. These belt layers 7 include multiple reinforcing cords that are inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction, and are arranged so that the reinforcing cords cross each other between the layers. In the belt layers 7, the inclination angle of the reinforcing cords with respect to the tire circumferential direction is set to a range of 10° to 40°, for example. Steel cords are preferably used as the reinforcing cords of the belt layers 7. At least one belt cover layer 8 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the belt layer 7, with the aim of improving high-speed durability, and the reinforcing cords are arranged at an angle of, for example, 5° or less with respect to the tire circumferential direction. As the reinforcing cords of the belt cover layer 8, organic fiber cords such as nylon and aramid are preferably used.

[0047] The above-described tire internal structure is a typical example of a pneumatic tire, but is not limited to this.

[0048] In the above-mentioned pneumatic tire, the functional component assembly 1 can be attached to any part of the tire inner surface Ts, but it is desirable to attach it to the tire inner surface Ts corresponding to the tread portion t among the tread portion t, sidewall portion s, and bead portion b, because it is less likely to deform during running and is less likely to come off due to the application of centrifugal force.

[0049] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the functional component assembly is attached to a pneumatic tire has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to a non-pneumatic tire. [Example]

[0050] In a functional component assembly having a functional component with a sensor function for detecting tire information and a support body that accommodates the functional component and is attached to the inner surface of the tire, the presence or absence of a pair of upper and lower components, the presence or absence of fitting between the upper and lower components, the presence or absence of fitting between the upper and lower components, the modulus M of the lower component, 100Functional component assemblies for the comparative example and examples 1 to 17 were manufactured with the settings shown in Tables 1 and 2: ratio W2 / W1, presence or absence of a pair of convex and concave portions, presence or absence of an anti-rotation structure on the support, ratio (B+C) / A, difference D1-D2, difference D1-D3, tensile modulus of elasticity of the upper component, presence or absence of a slit in the upper component, and presence or absence of an auxiliary fixing component.

[0051] In the comparative example and examples 1 to 17, the functional components all have a sensor function using a piezoelectric element as a sensor element. The comparative example does not have an upper component, but has a support body consisting of a flat base, a cylindrical side wall protruding from the base, and an opening whose diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall. In examples 1 to 17, the ratio B / A of the height A of the functional component to the internal height B of the lower component is set to 0.5.

[0052] These functional part assemblies were evaluated for ease of attachment and output stability in the functional parts using the following test methods, and the results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0053] Functional part installation: For each functional component assembly, the task of attaching the functional component to the support was repeated 10 times, and the average time required for the attachment was calculated. The evaluation results were expressed as an index using the reciprocal of the calculated value, with the measured value for the comparative example being set at 100. The higher the index value, the better the attachability.

[0054] Functional component output stability: Each functional component assembly was attached to the inner surface of the tread of a 185 / 65R15 tire, mounted on a 15x5.5 rim wheel, and mounted on a test vehicle. A test was conducted on a test course over a 3-km distance at a speed of 30 km / h, and the output detected by the sensor element (piezoelectric element) was recorded. Figure 8 shows an example of the output waveform from the piezoelectric element. In this output waveform, when the portion of the tread where the functional component is installed comes into contact with the ground, negative and positive peaks are sequentially formed in the output of the piezoelectric element over time T, resulting in a peak-to-peak value V. The average value of the peak-to-peak values ​​V of the output waveform obtained over each of the 10 measurements was then calculated. The evaluation results were expressed as an index, with the average peak-to-peak value V of the output waveform being set to 100 for the comparative example. A higher index value indicates better output stability.

[0055] [Table 1]

[0056] [Table 2]

[0057] As can be seen from Tables 1 and 2, the functional component assemblies of Examples 1 to 17 had improved attachment properties and output stability in the functional components compared to the comparative example.

[0058] The present disclosure includes the following inventions [1] to

[14] . Invention [1] is a functional component assembly comprising a functional component having a sensor function for detecting tire information, and a support body that houses the functional component and is attached to the inner surface of the tire, wherein the support body has a pair of upper and lower components and a housing formed by fitting the upper and lower components together, the upper component and the upper part of the functional component are configured to fit together, and the height A [mm] of the functional component and the internal height B [mm] of the lower component satisfy the relationship 0.3≦B / A≦0.9, and the height A of the functional component, the internal height B of the lower component, and the internal height C [mm] of the upper component satisfy the relationship (B+C) / A≦1.0. The invention [2] is a method for manufacturing a lower part having a modulus M at 100% elongation of the material constituting the lower part. 100 The functional part assembly according to the invention [1] is characterized in that the compressive strength is in the range of 0.5 MPa to 10.0 MPa. Invention [3] is a functional component assembly according to invention [1] or [2], characterized in that the maximum width W1 [mm] of the mating portion of the lower component and the width W2 [mm] of the mating portion of the upper component satisfy the relationship 0.9≦W2 / W1<1.0. Invention [4] is a functional component assembly according to invention [1] or [2], characterized in that the fitting portion of the lower component and the fitting portion of the upper component have at least one pair of a convex portion and a concave portion. Invention [5] is a functional component assembly according to Invention [4], characterized in that the maximum width W1 [mm] of the mating portion of the lower component and the width W2 [mm] of the mating portion of the upper component satisfy the relationship 1.0≦W2 / W1≦1.1. Invention [6] is a functional component assembly according to any one of inventions [1] to [5], characterized in that the upper component is constrained from rotating around the central axis of the functional component relative to both the functional component and the lower component. Invention [7] is a functional component assembly according to any one of inventions [1] to [6], characterized in that the height A of the functional component, the internal height B of the lower component, and the internal height C of the upper component satisfy the relationship 0.9≦(B+C) / A≦1.0. Invention [8] is a functional component assembly according to any one of inventions [1] to [7], characterized in that the maximum width D1 [mm] of the functional component, the maximum width D2 [mm] of the accommodating portion of the lower component, and the maximum width D3 [mm] of the accommodating portion of the upper component satisfy -1.0≦D1-D2≦1.0 and -0.5≦D1-D3≦0.0. The invention [9] is a method for manufacturing a tensile elastic modulus Et b The functional part assembly according to any one of inventions [1] to [8], characterized in that the compressive strength is in the range of 100 MPa to 100,000 MPa. Invention

[10] is the functional component assembly according to any one of inventions [1] to [9], characterized in that the upper component has at least one slit on the side surface. Invention

[11] is the functional component assembly according to any one of inventions [1] to

[10] , characterized in that an auxiliary fixing component is wrapped around the side surface of the upper component. Invention

[12] is the functional component assembly according to any one of inventions [1] to

[11] , characterized in that the lower component is fixed to the inner surface of the tire. An invention

[13] is a functional component assembly according to any one of inventions [1] to

[12] , characterized in that the functional component has a sensor function using a piezoelectric element as a sensor element. The invention

[14] is a tire characterized in that the functional component assembly according to any one of the inventions [1] to

[13] is attached to the inner surface of the tire. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 Functional component assembly 10 Support 10x storage compartment 11 Upper part 12 Lid 13 Fitting part 15 Lower part 16 base 17 Fitting part 20 Functional parts Ts tire inner surface t Tread s Sidewall b Bead part

Claims

1. A functional component assembly including a functional component having a sensor function for detecting tire information and a support body that houses the functional component and is attached to an inner surface of a tire, the support body has a pair of upper and lower parts, and a receiving portion formed by fitting the upper and lower parts together, and the upper part and the upper part of the functional part are configured to fit together, A functional component assembly, characterized in that the height A [mm] of the functional component and the internal height B [mm] of the lower component satisfy the relationship of 0.3≦B / A≦0.9, and the height A of the functional component, the internal height B of the lower component, and the internal height C [mm] of the upper component satisfy the relationship of (B+C) / A≦1.

0.

2. The modulus M of the material constituting said lower part at 100% elongation 100 2. The functional component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the strain is in the range of 0.5 MPa to 10.0 MPa.

3. The maximum width W of the fitting portion of the lower part 1 [mm] and the width W of the fitting portion of the upper part 2 [mm] and 0.9≦W 2 / W 1 2. The functional component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the functional component assembly satisfies the relationship <1.

0.

4. 2. The functional component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the mating portion of the lower component and the mating portion of the upper component each have at least one pair of a protrusion and a recess.

5. The maximum width W of the fitting portion of the lower part 1 [mm] and the width W of the fitting portion of the upper part 2 [mm] and 1.0≦W 2 / W 1 5. The functional component assembly according to claim 4, wherein the relationship ≦1.1 is satisfied.

6. 2. The functional component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper component is constrained from rotating around the central axis of the functional component relative to both the functional component and the lower component.

7. 2. The functional component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the height A of the functional component, the internal height B of the lower component, and the internal height C of the upper component satisfy the relationship 0.9≦(B+C) / A≦1.

0.

8. The maximum width D of the functional part 1 [mm] and the maximum width D of the lower part receiving portion 2 [mm] and the maximum width D of the upper part receiving portion 3 [mm] and -1.0≦D 1 -D 2 ≦1.0 and −0.5≦D 1 -D 3 2. The functional component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the functional component assembly satisfies the condition of ≦0.

0.

9. The tensile modulus Et of the material that makes up the upper part b 2. The functional component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the strain is in the range of 100 MPa to 100,000 MPa.

10. 2. The functional component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper component has at least one slit on a side surface.

11. 2. The functional component assembly according to claim 1, wherein a fixing auxiliary component is wound around a side surface of the upper component.

12. 2. The functional component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lower component is secured to the inner surface of the tire.

13. 2. A functional component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the functional component has a sensor function using a piezoelectric element as a sensor element.

14. A tire comprising the functional component assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13 attached to the inner surface of the tire.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Sensor transponder mounting part, sensor transponder mounting method, and pneumatic tire

    WO2008143326A1

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