Mounting member for mounting electronic equipment to a tire and method for manufacturing a tire equipped with said mounting member

Abstract

A tire for a wheel is disclosed, comprising at least one mounting member for mounting at least one electronic device. The mounting member is made of a deformable elastic material and is integrally formed with the inner base wall and / or inner sidewall of the tire, comprising a base portion having a mounting surface fixed to the inner base wall and / or inner sidewall of the tire, a retaining portion integrally formed with the base portion and having an upper surface opposite the mounting surface, and at least one blind hole projecting into the retaining portion toward the upper surface, the blind hole comprising at least one side wall and at least one bottom wall. The base portion has a maximum dimension (D1) of 55 mm to 75 mm measured in a plane parallel to the mounting surface. The retaining portion has a minimum dimension (D2) of 20 mm to 30 mm measured in a plane parallel to the upper surface. The blind hole has a maximum inner width (D3) smaller than the minimum dimension (D2).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the technical field of tires, in particular to a mounting element for mounting electronic devices in tires and to a method for manufacturing a tire with said mounting element, more particularly to a rubber mounting element, technically called a patch, suitable for leaving one or more sensors in the tire when the tire is mounted on the rim, such that the patch is in direct contact with the inner wall of the tire, technically called the liner or innerliner. [Background technology]

[0002] In many types of vehicles, both high performance automobiles and agricultural vehicles, as well as earth moving and / or load lifting and handling vehicles, it is necessary to monitor the operating condition of the tires and, if necessary, track the aging of certain parameters characteristic of the operating condition. Such parameters are, for example, the temperature, pressure, inertial characteristics, etc. It is also preferable to detect other unique parameters of the tire, such as, for example, the unique tire identification code (which can be obtained using RFID technology, such as by means of a barcode or / QR code).

[0003] For this purpose, one or more electronic sensing devices can be mounted inside the tire, typically configured to acquire, filter, store and transmit data to a processing device that is installed on the vehicle, as well as one or more batteries that power all of the electronics. The processing device is configured to acquire and process the data to provide information about the tire. These electronics are typically located in a patch that is integral with the inner wall of the tire. For this purpose, the patch is made of rubber or in any case of an elastic material that is compatible with the tire's construction material.

[0004] For example, the patent document EP 3774407, also published as WO 2019 / 186069, discloses a tire with a mounting member for mounting electronic devices as described in the preamble of claim 1. In more detail, the patent document EP 3774407 discloses a patch made of a special elastic material and configured for mounting electronic devices on the inner wall of a tire for vehicles, in particular for high-power, high-performance automobiles. The patch has a lower surface configured to be glued to the inner wall of the tire and an upper surface with an inner storage suitable for receiving and holding one or more electronic devices. In particular, the inner storage of the patch is sized to receive the entire electronic device. That is, the patch as a whole must have a sizeable dimension to receive the entirety of typical electronic devices acting as sensors and / or auxiliary devices for these sensors. For this reason, a dedicated tool is required to properly receive the electrical device in the inner storage of the patch.

[0005] Moreover, the patch disclosed in the patent document EP 3774407 completely houses the electronics, which may affect the accurate detection of the inertial parameters of the tire. In fact, the housed electronics are in total contact with the elastic material of the patch and therefore also with the material of the tire, which leads to the electronics measuring the variables related to the rotational movement of the tire inaccurately. In other words, because the patch is shaped to almost completely house the electronics, the electronics may receive signals that do not necessarily represent the exact rotational movement of the tire, since disturbances related to the structural response of the patch are included. The accuracy of the contact of the electronics with the tire is directly proportional to the accuracy of the inertial signal output by the electronics itself. The patch is therefore a non-negligible additional element between the electronics and the tire.

[0006] The patch disclosed in the patent document EP 3774407 is further comprised of a non-halogenated butyl rubber based compound which is not the same as the rubber compound that tires are normally comprised of. This material difference can adversely affect the pre-treatment of the patch for vulcanization, especially prior to application of the patch to the tire to firmly bond the patch to the tire.

[0007] Mounting members for mounting electronic devices to tires are also disclosed in the patent documents U.S. Patent Publication No. 2019 / 160895, WO 2008 / 143326, U.S. Patent No. 10,994,494, U.S. Patent No. 9,694,632, and U.S. Patent No. 8,863,570. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] For the above reasons, an object of the present invention is to provide a mounting member for mounting an electronic device to a tire, and a method for manufacturing a tire equipped with said mounting member, which can solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology in an extremely simple, inexpensive and extremely practical manner.

[0009] More specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a mounting member for mounting electronic equipment to a tire which has as small an overall dimension as possible and, in any event, which minimizes adverse effects on the electronic equipment during rotation of the tire.

[0010] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a mounting member for mounting electronic devices to a tire that can efficiently hold one or more electronic devices regardless of shape and size.

[0011] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a mounting member for mounting electronic equipment to a tire without requiring the use of special tools to get the electronic equipment in place within the mounting member.

[0012] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a tire with mounting members for mounting electronic equipment thereto, which is simpler, faster and more efficient than known similar manufacturing methods. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The object of the invention, as well as other objects of the invention, are achieved by a mounting member for mounting an electronic device on a tire and a method for manufacturing a tire with said mounting member according to the independent claims.

[0014] Further features of the invention are highlighted in the dependent claims which form an integral part of the description.

[0015] The features and advantages of the mounting member for mounting an electronic device on a tire and the method for manufacturing a tire with said mounting member according to the present invention will be further elucidated by the following description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of an example of a tire having a pair of mounting members for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B are perspective cross-sectional views of a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention, each of which is for an electronic device of different sizes. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention, as viewed from above. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention, as viewed from above. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a tire provided with a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a mold for use in the method of manufacturing a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention, showing the mold in a first operating mode. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a mold for use in the method of manufacturing a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention, showing the mold in a second operating mode. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is one of the drawings sequentially showing main steps of a manufacturing method of a tire provided with a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is one of the drawings sequentially showing the main steps of a method for manufacturing a tire having a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is one of the drawings sequentially showing the main steps of a method for manufacturing a tire having a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is one of the drawings sequentially showing the main steps of a method for manufacturing a tire having a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is one of drawings sequentially showing main steps of a method for manufacturing a tire having a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is one of the drawings sequentially showing main steps of a method for manufacturing a tire having a mounting member for mounting an electronic device according to the present invention.

[0017] 1-6, there is shown a conventional vehicle tire 100 and several preferred embodiments of a mounting member 10 for mounting an electronic device to the conventional tire 100, in accordance with the present invention. The tire 100 may be of any type known in the prior art and may be adapted for use with a variety of vehicle types. For example, although FIGS. 1 and 6 show a portion of a tire 100 that is of a type specifically intended for use with agricultural vehicles, the mounting member 10 and its method of manufacture are equally applicable to other types of tires.

[0018] As is known, the tire 100 is a hollow, substantially toroidal structure. The tire 100 is thus structured with a pair of axially opposed end flaps 102, 104 and their peripheral extensions. These end flaps 102, 104, which constitute the so-called bead portions of the tire 100, are fitted firmly to a vehicle rim (not shown) so that the tire 100 fits onto the rim.

[0019] The tire 100 structure further comprises a belt structure 106 around which a tread portion 108 is provided on the outside and an inner base wall 110 of the tire 100 is provided on the inside. Between the tread portion 108 and the inner base wall 110 there may be interposed a so-called belt package (not shown), which is typically a multi-layer body comprising interwoven layers of textile or metallic material.

[0020] The tire 100 structure also has a pair of sidewalls 112, 114 with circumferential extensions. Each of the sidewalls 112, 114 extends between each of the end flaps 102, 104 and the belt structure 106. Each of the sidewalls 112, 114 has a shoulder 116, 118 on its outer surface and an inner sidewall 120, 122 of the tire 100 on its inner surface. The structure with the inner base wall 110 and the inner sidewalls 120, 122 thus constitutes the so-called innerliner of the tire 100.

[0021] The tire 100 comprises at least one mounting member 10 on its inner surface for at least one electronic device 200, technically called a patch. The electronic device 200 is shown diagrammatically in Figures 2A and 2B, which show two embodiments of the electronic device 200 that differ substantially in terms of dimensions. The electronic device 200 comprises one or more sensors suitable for detecting certain characteristic parameters of the tire 100 and one or more devices suitable for assisting the sensors during their operation.

[0022] The mounting members 10, i.e. patches, are each integrated at a predetermined location with the inner liner of the tire 100. In other words, the mounting members 10 may be integrated with the inner base wall 110 and / or the inner sidewalls 120, 122 of the tire 100 at locations suitable for mounting electronics 200 for detecting characteristic parameters of the tire 100.

[0023] The mounting member 10, as will be described in more detail below, includes a base 12 formed from a deformable, resilient material and having a mounting surface 14. The mounting surface 14 is configured to allow the mounting member 10 to be attached to an inner base wall 110 and / or inner sidewalls 120, 122 of a tire 100, as will also be described in more detail in conjunction with the description of the methods of manufacturing the tire 100 and the mounting member 10.

[0024] The mounting member 10 also includes a retention portion 16 for one or more electronic devices 200. The retention portion 16 is integrally formed with the base 12 and includes a top surface 18 opposite the mounting surface 14.

[0025] At least one blind hole 20 is formed in the retaining portion 16 of the mounting member 10 and extends into the retaining portion 16 and opens to the top surface 18 of the retaining portion 16. The blind hole 20 has at least one side wall 22 and at least one bottom wall 24.

[0026] In accordance with the present invention, the base 12 of the mounting member 10 has a maximum dimension D1 of 55 mm to 75 mm, measured in a plane parallel to the mounting surface 14, while the retaining portion 16 of the mounting member 10 has a minimum dimension D2 of 20 mm to 30 mm, measured in a plane parallel to the top surface 18. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the minimum dimension D2 of the retaining portion 16 of the mounting member 10 is equal to about 40% of the maximum dimension D1 of the base 12 of the mounting member 10. Furthermore, the blind hole 20 has a maximum inner width D3 that is smaller than the minimum dimension D2 of the retaining portion 16.

[0027] The dimensions of the retaining portion 16 and the blind hole 20 of the mounting member 10 are all significantly reduced, and are precisely set to accommodate only a small base portion 202, called a stud, of the electronic device 200 in the blind hole 20, rather than the entire electronic device 200 (FIG. 14). In particular, the reduced dimensions of the base portion 12 of the mounting member 10, corresponding to the reduced planar shape of the mounting member, structurally reduces the adverse effect of the rotational movement of the tire 100 in both directions on the electronic device 200, providing a clear advantage to the electronic device 200 in that it can receive signals from the tire 100 without being adversely affected. More particularly, with regard to the minimum dimension D2 of the holding portion 16 of the mounting member 10 that serves to restrain the base portion of the electronic device 200, i.e., the stud, considering that this holding portion 16 is a portion that has a structural adverse effect on the electronic device 200 in response to the rotational movement of the tire 100, the holding portion 16 can have a planar dimension that is exactly half the average planar dimension of the holding portion of the sensor provided in the most common patch available on the market, depending on this minimum dimension D2. The average planar dimension is about 45 mm, and in any case, is usually larger than 40 mm.

[0028] Furthermore, by significantly reducing all the dimensions of the retaining portion 16 of the mounting member 10 and the blind hole 20, only the base portion of the electronic device 200, i.e., the stud 202, can be accommodated and held in the blind hole 20, which brings about the advantage that electronic devices 200 having various shapes and sizes can be used without adversely affecting the shape and size of the stud 202. This allows one type of mounting member 10 to be used to accommodate and hold various electronic devices 200, which obviously has an economic advantage.

[0029] 1-5, the mounting surface 14 of the base 12 of the mounting member 10 is a circular surface. Thus, the maximum dimension D1 corresponds to the diameter of the circular mounting surface 14 of the base 12 of the mounting member 10.

[0030] 1-5, the upper surface 18 of the retaining portion 16 of the mounting member 10 is also a circular surface. Therefore, the minimum dimension D2 coincides with the diameter of the circular upper surface 18 of the retaining portion 16 of the mounting member 10.

[0031] In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the mounting surface 14 of the base 12 of the mounting member 10 is a substantially elliptical surface. Thus, the maximum dimension D1 in this case coincides with the minor axis of the substantially elliptical mounting surface 14 of the base 12 of the mounting member 10, while the major axis of the substantially elliptical mounting surface 14 of the base 12 of the mounting member 10 is indicated as D4 in Figure 6.

[0032] 6, the top surface 18 of the holding portion 16 of the mounting member 10 is also a substantially elliptical surface. Thus, the minimum dimension D2 coincides with the minor axis of the substantially elliptical surface 18 of the holding portion 16 of the mounting member 10. In this embodiment, instead of only one blind hole, at least two blind holes 20 are formed in the holding portion 16 of the mounting member 10. Since at least two blind holes 20 can be formed in the holding portion 16 of one mounting member 10, multiple electronic devices can be provided, such as sensors, batteries, additional modules connected to the main sensor, etc.

[0033] Regardless of the number of blind holes 20 formed in the mounting element 10, the internal shape of the blind holes is such that the electronic device 200 can be snugly accommodated without the need for tools, such as forceps, to expand the electronic device 200 into a receiving section that accommodates the entire electronic device 200, as would be necessary for the use of a patch as disclosed in the patent document EP 3774407. In particular, the internal shape of the blind holes 20 in the mounting element 10 according to the invention can be such that a constraint is established between the base of the electronic device 200, i.e. the stud 202, and the blind holes 20. This constraint is achieved by providing the blind holes 20 with suitable undercuts, which allow the electronic device 200 to be easily inserted and removed by hand without affecting the structural integrity of the mounting element 10. This is particularly important when the electronic device 200 is broken and needs to be replaced.

[0034] More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, at least one side wall 22 of the blind hole 20 comprises the following components: A first top portion 26 that opens to the upper surface 18 of the holding portion 16 of the mounting member 10 A second inner portion 28 extending between the bottom wall 24 and the first top portion 26 of the blind hole 20 An undercut portion 30 between the first apex 26 and the second inner portion 28 and substantially parallel to the upper surface 18 of the retaining portion 16.

[0035] Additionally, the maximum inner width D3 of the blind hole 20 corresponds to the maximum width of the undercut portion 30 of the blind hole 20. In accordance with the present invention, the second inner portion 28 of the blind hole 20 is tapered such that the width gradually decreases from the undercut portion 30 toward the bottom wall 24, as shown in FIG.

[0036] For the embodiment of Figure 4, the first apex 26 of the blind hole 20 has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape when taken along a plane parallel to the top surface 18 of the retainer 16. For the embodiment of Figure 5, the first apex 26 of the blind hole 20 has a substantially rectangular, generally speaking, non-circular cross-sectional shape. However, the first apex 26 of the blind hole 20 may have a different cross-sectional shape to match the shape of the base portion or stud 202 of the electronic device 200.

[0037] If the first apex 26 of the blind hole 20 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, the rectangle can be related to a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system x, y (FIG. 5) such that two perpendicular sides of the rectangle coincide with the x and y axes, respectively. In this case, the shape of the constraint between the base of the electronic device 200, i.e., the stud 202 and the blind hole 20, is provided not only by the undercut portion formed in the blind hole 20 but also by the cross-sectional shape of the blind hole 20, and the electronic device 200 can be oriented according to a predetermined direction in the two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system x, y.

[0038] 9 to 14, the main steps of a method for manufacturing a tire 100 having one or more mounting members 10 for mounting electronic devices 200 of the type described thus far are described. The method includes a preliminary step of preparing the raw, i.e. uncured, tire 100 for insertion into a press, e.g. a pressurized curing chamber, where the curing process will take place.

[0039] The manufacture of the mounting member 10 is carried out separately from the preparation of the tire 100 that has not been subjected to the vulcanization process. A mould 300 is therefore prepared with a concave-convex mould that matches the shape of the mounting member 10. In more detail, the mould 300 is preferably of modular type, i.e. it is made up of at least two separable parts: a body 304 of the mould 300 and at least one moulding body 302 of the mould 300. The mould body 302 of the mould 300 is arranged so as to form the corresponding blind hole 20 of the mounting member 10. The mould 300 is made to be compatible with the most common elastic material moulding methods, for example pressure moulding or injection moulding.

[0040] Once the mold 300 is prepared, the raw elastic material is placed into the mold 300 such that the raw elastic material at least partially covers all of the molding 302 of the mold 300 and the body portion 304 of the mold 300. The raw elastic material placed in the mold 300 is then vulcanized to obtain the mounting member in its finished form.

[0041] After the vulcanization process, the vulcanized mounting member 10 is removed from the main body portion 304 of the mold 300. However, at this stage, the vulcanized mounting member 10 still entraps the molded body 302 of the mold 300, which is subsequently separated from the main body portion 304 of the mold 300 (FIG. 9). In other words, the molded body 302 of the mold 300 keeps the vulcanized mounting member 10 in the blind hole 20 while the vulcanized mounting member 10 is removed from the main body portion 304 of the mold 300.

[0042] The vulcanized mounting member 10 is then ready to be attached to the unfinished tire 100. In particular, the mounting surface 14 of the vulcanized mounting member 10 is bonded to the inner base wall 110 and / or inner sidewall 120, 122 of the unfinished tire 100, for example as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 10. Preferably, the bonding step of bonding the vulcanized mounting member 10 to the inner base wall 110 and / or inner sidewall 120, 122 of the unfinished tire 100 is performed after the addition of a soluble hydrocarbon used as a solvent, thereby improving the adhesion of the vulcanized mounting member 10 to the inner base wall 110 and / or inner sidewall 120, 122 of the unfinished tire 100.

[0043] The assembly consisting of the unfinished tire 100 and the one or more vulcanized mounting members 10 is then vulcanized to the shape of FIG. 12, i.e., a one-piece tire 100 and one or more mounting members 10. Compared to mounting a vulcanized mounting member 10 to a vulcanized tire, this manufacturing method does not require additional treatment of the mounting member 10, such as, for example, grinding or applying adhesives. However, one or more of these additional treatments may be performed on at least a portion of the mounting member 10, depending on the needs of the tire 100 manufacturing process.

[0044] After the vulcanization process of the assembly consisting of the tire 100 and one or more vulcanized mounting members 10 is completed, the molded body 302 of the mold 300 can be removed from the blind hole 20 formed in the mounting member 10. For this purpose, it is convenient to provide the molded body 302 of the mold 300 with at least one connection part 306 (shown in Figs. 9 to 12) for connection with a removal tool T as shown in Fig. 13. In this manner, after the vulcanization process of the assembly consisting of the tire 100 and one or more vulcanized mounting members 10, the molded body 302 can be removed from the blind hole 20 formed in the mounting member 10 by connecting the connection part 306 provided on the molded body 302 of the mold 300 to the above-mentioned removal tool T. Preferably, the connection part 306 is provided with a quick attachment / detachment means, and the removal tool T is configured to fit snugly with the quick attachment / detachment means.

[0045] The inventive feature of the mould 300 comprising at least one moulding 302 removable from the main body 304, which remains in the blind hole 20 of the mounting member 10 during the vulcanisation process, avoids possible damage to the mounting member 10 and in particular deformation of the blind hole 10, both during the stage of mounting the vulcanised mounting member 10 to the unfinished tire 100 and during the subsequent stage of vulcanising the assembly consisting of the unfinished tire 100 and the one or more vulcanised mounting members 10. Furthermore, the inventive feature of the mould 300 comprising at least one moulding 302 removable from the main body 304 avoids the need to insert a dummy stud (i.e. a disposable accessory that is not part of the mould 300 and has the shape and dimensions of the base of the electronic device 200, i.e. a stud) in the blind hole 20 at the later stage of the vulcanisation of the tire 100. This is expected to reduce the preparation time required to sequentially load unfinished tires 100 into the curing chamber by up to 20%. Last but not least, the removable molded body 302 from the main body 304 avoids damage to the curing bladder in the curing chamber of the press, since the molded body 302 is ensured to be flush with the top surface 18 of the mounting member 10. Thus, during pressing, the curing bladder is not subject to damage associated with sharp edges that could puncture the curing bladder.

[0046] Furthermore, the mounting process can be carried out only by using manual tools, such as, for example, a roller as shown in FIG. 11, for mounting the vulcanized mounting element 10 on the uncured tire 100. In other words, during the production of the unfinished tire 100, there is no need to carry out complex pre-treatments, such as special shaping of the production drum of the tire 100, which would be necessary if the mounting element 10 was already installed during the production of the unfinished tire 100. In this way, a manual operation that takes a few seconds avoids significant investment costs as well as problems with the production "rigidity" of the unfinished tire 100, which arise from the need to provide or not provide a means for mounting the mounting element 10 on the drum. Furthermore, since the vulcanized mounting element 10 is mounted on the uncured tire 100, there is no need to provide a hard spacer element to maintain the shape of the mounting element 10 during the vulcanization process in the press, which further reduces the investment costs and the processing time.

[0047] When an assembly consisting of a tire 100 and one or more mounting members 10 is completed in a state in which the unfinished tire and the mounting members are vulcanized together and the blind holes 20 formed in the mounting members 10 do not contain the moldings 302 of the mold 300, at least a portion of one electronic device 200 can be inserted into the corresponding blind hole 20 of a given mounting member 10. To explain in more detail, as shown in Fig. 14, the at least a portion of the electronic device 200 refers to only the base portion of the electronic device 200, i.e., the stud 202, and not the entire electronic device 200.

[0048] Preferably, the resilient material from which the mounting member 10 is made is a mixture containing the following main components: [Table 1]

[0049] The abbreviation "phr" (parts by weight of rubber) indicates the component per 100 parts by weight of rubber. The abbreviation "N2xx" indicates the number of the N200 carbon black series according to the USA ASTM standard, e.g. N220, N234, etc.

[0050] More preferably, the synthetic rubber may be selected from the group set out below. Polybutadiene rubber (PB) Styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) Styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR) produced by emulsion polymerization

[0051] The elastic component materials of the mounting member 10 are selected based on the ease of the vulcanization process of the mounting member 10 and the subsequent bonding process of the vulcanized mounting member 10 to the unfinished tire 100, as well as the hardness and wear characteristics of the elastic component materials. Furthermore, the selection of these preferred elastic materials, in combination with the specific shape and dimensions of the mounting member 10, can avoid heat dissipation conditions and ensure the integrity of the tire 100 under high performance operating conditions.

[0052] It is therefore evident that the mounting member for mounting an electronic device to a tire and the method for manufacturing a tire comprising said mounting member according to the invention achieve the objects already highlighted. The mounting member for mounting an electronic device to a tire and the method for manufacturing it not only allow the mounting member to be fixed to the tire, but also allow the electronic device to function optimally. Considering the small size of the mounting member and the unique manufacturing method, the impact of the mounting member and the electronic device supported thereby on the tire is negligible. In particular, tests carried out by the applicant have shown that: The rotational motion of the tire is not altered by the presence of the mounting members and the electrical equipment supported by them. Forces measured using a test device suitable for quantifying radial force variations at a given tyre rotational speed value are not affected by the presence of the mounting members and the electrical equipment supported by them. The driver and passengers of a vehicle equipped with a tyre fitted with mountings and associated electrical equipment will not perceive any significant difference compared to when using a tyre without mountings and associated electrical equipment. The provision of the mounting member and the electrical equipment supported by it does not adversely affect the durability of the mounting member or the tire to which the mounting member is attached.

[0053] The mounting member for mounting an electronic device on a tire according to the present invention as proposed above can be modified or changed in any way within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, individual members can be replaced by technically equivalent members. In fact, different materials, shapes and dimensions can be used according to technical needs.

[0054] The scope of the present invention is therefore defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle tire (100) having a hollow interior and substantially toroidal structure, said toroidal structure comprising: a pair of axially opposed end flaps (102, 104) having peripheral extensions, the end flaps being provided to tightly mate with a vehicle rim to couple the tire (100) to the rim; a peripheral belt structure (106) having a tread portion (108) on its outer side and an inner base wall (110) of said tire (100) on its inner side; a pair of sidewalls (112, 114) with circumferential extensions, each sidewall (112, 114) extending between a respective end flap (102, 104) and said belt structure (106), each sidewall (112, 114) having a shoulder portion (116, 118) on an outer surface thereof and an inner sidewall (120, 122) of said tire (100) on an inner surface thereof; at least one mounting member (10) for at least one electronic device (200), the mounting member being integrally formed with the inner base wall (110) and / or the inner sidewall (120, 122) of the tire (100); The mounting member (10) is formed of a deformable elastic material, a base (12) having a mounting surface (14) adapted to be attached to the inner base wall (110) and / or inner sidewall (120, 122) of the tire (100); a retaining portion (16) integrated in one piece with said base portion (12) and having an upper surface (18) opposite said mounting surface (14); at least one blind hole (20) extending into said retaining portion (16) and opening to said top surface (18), said blind hole (20) having at least one side wall (22) and at least one bottom wall (24); the base portion (12) has a maximum dimension (D1) measured in a plane parallel to the mounting surface (14), the retaining portion (16) has a minimum dimension (D2) measured in a plane parallel to the mounting surface (14), and the blind hole (20) has a maximum inner width (D3) that is less than the minimum dimension (D2); The tire (100) is characterized in that the maximum dimension (D1) is between 55 mm and 75 mm and the minimum dimension (D2) is between 20 mm and 30 mm, and the at least one side wall (22) of the blind hole (20) is a first apex (26) opening onto said upper surface (18); a second inner portion (28) extending between said first top portion (26) and said bottom portion (24); an undercut portion (30) extending between said first apex portion (26) and said second inner portion (28) and substantially parallel to said upper surface (18) of said retaining portion (16); The maximum inner width (D3) of the blind hole (20) coincides with the maximum width of the undercut portion (30), and the second inner portion (28) of the blind hole (20) is tapered so that its width gradually decreases from the undercut portion (30) toward the bottom wall (24).

2. A tire (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the minimum dimension (D2) of said retention portion (16) is equal to approximately 40% of the maximum dimension (D1) of said base portion (12).

3. 3. A tire (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the mounting surface (14) of the base (12) is a circular surface, such that the maximum dimension (D1) corresponds to the diameter of the circular mounting surface (14).

4. 4. The tire (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the upper surface (18) of the retaining portion (16) is a circular surface, such that the minimum dimension (D2) corresponds to the diameter of the circular upper surface (18).

5. 3. The tire (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the mounting surface (14) of the base (12) is a substantially elliptical surface, such that the maximum dimension (D1) coincides with a minor axis of the substantially elliptical upper surface (18).

6. 6. The tire (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that the upper surface (18) of the retention portion (16) is a substantially elliptical surface, such that the maximum dimension (D1) coincides with a minor axis of the substantially elliptical upper surface (18).

7. A tire (100) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the holding portion (16) is formed with at least two blind holes (20).

8. 8. The tire (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first apex (26) of the blind hole (20) has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape in a cross section along a plane parallel to the upper surface (18) of the retaining portion (16).

9. 8. A tire (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first apex (26) of the blind hole (20) has a non-circular, preferably rectangular, cross-sectional shape in a cross section taken along a plane parallel to the upper surface (18) of the retaining portion (16).

10. A method for manufacturing a tire (100) comprising at least one mounting member according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprising the steps of: Providing an unfinished, unvulcanized tire (100); - preparing a mold (300) having a concave and convex shape that matches the shape of the mounting member (10), at least one molded body (302) of the mold (300) configured to form the blind hole (20) and separable from a main body (304) of the mold (300); - placing said raw elastic material in said mold (300) such that said raw elastic material at least partially covers at least one molded body (302) and a main body (304) of said mold (300); - vulcanizing the raw elastic material placed in the mold (300) to obtain the mounting member (10); - removing the vulcanized attachment member (10) from the main body (304) of the mold (300), the vulcanized attachment member (10) still incorporating at least one molded body (302) and being separated from the molded body (304) after removal; - mounting one or more vulcanized mounting members (10) to the unfinished tire (100) such that the mounting surface (14) of the mounting member (10) adheres to the inner base wall (110) and / or inner sidewall (120, 122) of the unfinished tire (100); - vulcanizing the assembly comprising said unfinished tire (100) and said one or more vulcanized mounting members (10); - removing said at least one molded body (302) from said blind hole (20) of said mounting member (10); - inserting at least a portion of the electronic device (200) into the blind hole (20) of the mounting member (10), the at least a portion of the electronic device (200) being only a base portion (202) of the electronic device (200) and not the entire electronic device (200); The method according to claim 1,

11. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one molded body (302) comprises at least one connection part (306) connectable to a removal means, and by connecting the removal means to the at least one connection part (306), the at least one molded body (302) can be removed from the blind hole (20) of the mounting member (10) after the assembly including the tire (100) and the one or more mounting members (10) is vulcanized.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the connection (306) is a quick disconnect.

13. 13. The method of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the step of vulcanizing and adhering the mounting surface (14) of the mounting member (10) onto the inner base wall (110) and / or inner sidewall (120, 122) of the unfinished tire (100) is performed after adding a soluble hydrocarbon used as a solvent, thereby improving the adhesion of the mounting member (10) vulcanized onto the inner base wall (110) and / or inner sidewall (120, 122) of the unfinished tire (100).

14. 14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the elastic material is a mixture comprising the following main components: 【Table 1】

15. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the synthetic rubber is selected from the group set forth below. ・Polybutadiene rubber (PB) -Styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) - Styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR) produced by emulsion polymerization

Images