Tire

Abstract

To provide a tire where a tire skeleton member is formed of a resin material which facilitates mounting of an RFID.SOLUTION: A tire 10 includes: a tire skeleton member 12 having a bead part 16 where bead cores 14 are buried in a bead filler part 17 of a resin material, and a side part 18 that is composed of a resin material and is connected to outside in a tire radial direction of the bead part 16; and an RFID tag 50A provided in the bead filler part 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an RFID tag has been embedded inside a tire to store information in the RFID tag or read the stored information by wireless communication. Various aspects have been proposed regarding the mounting position of the RFID. For example, in Patent Document 1, an RFID is provided inside the tire in the radial direction of the tire diameter of the tire belt portion and outside in the tire width direction.

[0003] Regarding the technology for rubber tires such as Patent Document 1, it is necessary to consider the position where the RFID is provided for a tire in which the tire skeleton member is formed of a resin material.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to easily attach an RFID to a tire in which a tire skeleton member is formed of a resin material.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A tire according to a first aspect includes a bead portion in which a bead core is embedded in a bead filler portion of a resin material, a tire skeleton member having side portions each made of the resin material and continuous radially outside the tire of the bead portion, and an RFID tag provided in the bead filler portion.

[0007] In the tire according to the first aspect, since the RFID tag is provided in the bead filler portion made of a resin material, it is easier to attach the RFID during manufacturing as compared with the case where the RFID is provided in the rubber portion. Therefore, in a tire in which the tire skeleton member is formed of a resin material, the RFID can be easily attached.

[0008] In the tire according to the second aspect, the RFID tag is disposed in the thick portion of the bead filler portion in the tire Width direction.

[0009] In the tire according to the second aspect, the RFID tag is disposed in the thick portion of the bead filler portion in the tire Width direction. The thick portion of the bead filler portion in the tire Width direction is relatively difficult to deform during running, and damage to the RFID tag can be suppressed.

[0010] In the tire according to the third aspect, the RFID tag is disposed in the inner peripheral portion in the tire width direction of the bead filler portion.

[0011] In the tire according to the third aspect, the RFID tag is disposed in the inner peripheral portion in the tire width direction of the bead filler portion. The inner peripheral portion in the tire width direction of the bead filler portion is relatively difficult to deform during running as compared with the outer peripheral portion, and damage to the RFID tag can be suppressed.

[0012] First aspect The tire according to... has a resin coating portion for embedding the main body chip and the antenna. Also, The resin material forming the resin coating portion is the same type of material as the resin material forming the bead filler portion.

[0013] In the tire according to the fourth aspect, the resin coating portion of the RFID tag and the resin material of the bead filler portion can be easily integrated by melting or the like.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the tire of the present invention, in a tire in which the tire skeleton member is formed of a resin material, an RFID can be easily attached.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the arrow R direction indicates the tire radial direction, and the arrow W direction indicates the tire width direction. The tire radial direction means a direction orthogonal to the tire rotation axis (not shown). The tire width direction means a direction parallel to the tire rotation axis. The tire width direction can also be referred to as the tire axis direction.

[0017] The method for measuring the dimensions of each part is based on the method described in the 2021 edition YEAR BOOK issued by JATMA (Japan Automobile Tire Association). When the TRA standard or ETRTO standard is applied at the place of use or the place of manufacture, each standard shall be followed.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the tire 10 according to this embodiment has a tire skeleton member 12. This tire skeleton member 12 has a bead portion 16 in which a bead core 14 is embedded in a bead filler portion 17 made of a resin material, and side portions 18 each made of a resin material and continuous with the outside of the bead portion 16 in the tire radial direction. The side portions 18 on both sides in the tire width direction are connected by a crown portion 22.

[0019] Examples of the resin material constituting the tire skeletal member 12 include thermoplastic resins (including thermoplastic elastomers), thermosetting resins, and other general-purpose resins, as well as engineering plastics (including super engineering plastics). The resin material here does not include vulcanized rubber.

[0020] The thermoplastic resin (including thermoplastic elastomer) refers to a polymer compound that softens, flows as the temperature rises, and becomes relatively hard and strong when cooled. In this specification, among these, a polymer compound that softens, flows as the temperature rises, becomes relatively hard and strong when cooled, and has rubber-like elasticity is defined as a thermoplastic elastomer, and a polymer compound that softens, flows as the temperature rises, becomes relatively hard and strong when cooled, and does not have rubber-like elasticity is distinguished as a thermoplastic resin that is not an elastomer.

[0021] Examples of the thermoplastic resin (including thermoplastic elastomer) include polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomers (TPO), polystyrene-based thermoplastic elastomers (TPS), polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomers (TPA), polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomers (TPU), polyester-based thermoplastic elastomers (TPC), and dynamically crosslinked thermoplastic elastomers (TPV), as well as polyolefin-based thermoplastic resins, polystyrene-based thermoplastic resins, polyamide-based thermoplastic resins, and polyester-based thermoplastic resins.

[0022] In addition, as the above thermoplastic material, for example, those having a deflection temperature under load (at 0.45 MPa load) defined in ISO 75-2 or ASTM D648 of 78°C or higher, a tensile yield strength defined in JIS K7113 of 10 MPa or higher, a tensile fracture elongation defined in JIS K7113 of 50% or higher, and a Vicat softening temperature (Method A) defined in JIS K7206 of 130°C can be used.

[0023] A thermosetting resin refers to a polymer compound that forms a three-dimensional network structure and cures as the temperature rises. Examples of thermosetting resins include phenolic resins, epoxy resins, melamine resins, urea resins, and the like.

[0024] In addition to the aforementioned thermoplastic resins (including thermoplastic elastomers) and thermosetting resins, general-purpose resins such as (meth)acrylic resins, EVA resins, vinyl chloride resins, fluorine-based resins, and silicone-based resins may also be used as the resin material.

[0025] The tire skeleton member 12 formed using a thermoplastic resin can be molded by manufacturing methods such as vacuum molding, pressure-air molding, injection molding, and melt casting. Compared with the case of molding and vulcanizing with rubber, the manufacturing process can be significantly simplified, and the molding time can also be shortened.

[0026] Note that the tire skeleton member 12 may be composed of a single thermoplastic resin, or, similar to a conventional general rubber pneumatic tire, thermoplastic resins having different characteristics may be used for each part of the tire skeleton member 12 (such as the side part 18, the crown part 22, the bead part 16, etc.), and these may be combined. Further, the tire skeleton member 12 may be formed by joining a tire half (not shown) in which one bead part 16, one side part 18, and a half-width crown half (not shown) are integrally molded, at the tire equatorial plane CL.

[0027] As the bead cord used for the bead core 14, it is preferable to use monofilaments (single wires) such as metal fibers and organic fibers, or multifilaments (twisted wires) twisted from metal fibers and organic fibers. As the metal fibers, steel fibers and the like may be used, and as the organic fibers, aromatic polyamide fibers, aliphatic polyamide fibers, and the like may be used. Note that the metal fibers and organic fibers are not limited to the above-described fibers. In this embodiment, steel monofilaments are used as the bead cord.

[0028] When the bead core 14 is made of a thermoplastic material, the thermoplastic material is preferably an olefin-based, ester-based, amide-based, or urethane-based TPE, or a TPV in which a partially rubber-based resin is kneaded. As these thermoplastic materials, for example, the deflection temperature under load (at a load of 0.45 MPa) defined in ISO 75-2 or ASTM D648 is 75°C or higher, the tensile yield elongation defined in JIS K7113 is 10% or higher, the tensile fracture elongation defined in JIS K7113 is 50% or higher, and the Vicat softening temperature (Method A) defined in JIS K7113 is 130°C or higher.

[0029] In this embodiment, in the bead core 14, the bead cords are arranged in three rows in the tire width direction and three stages in the tire diameter direction. The bead core 14 has a substantially square shape in the cross section in the tire width direction.

[0030] The bead portion 16 is formed by embedding the bead core 14 in the bead filler portion 17. The bead filler portion 17 is integrally formed with the side portion 18 of the same resin material as the side portion 18. The bead filler portion 17 (bead portion 16) has an inclined portion 17A whose cross section is inclined so as to gradually thicken from the inner side in the tire diameter direction of the side portion 18 toward the inner side in the tire diameter direction, and a thick portion 17B having a substantially the same thick shape continuously from the inner side in the tire diameter direction of the inclined portion 17A. The inclined portion 17A is inclined outward in the tire width direction toward the outer side in the tire diameter direction. In this embodiment, the bead filler portion 17 is formed from the inner end in the tire diameter direction of the inclined portion 17A toward the outer side in the tire diameter direction.

[0031] To reinforce the tire skeletal member 12, a carcass 24 is provided along the tire skeletal member 12. The carcass 24 has a main body portion 24A and a folded-back portion 24B. The main body portion 24A is provided along the outer side of the tire of the bead portion 16, the side portion 18, and the crown portion 22 of the tire skeletal member 12. The end portion of the main body portion 24A on the tire equatorial plane CL side is overlapped in the tire radial direction with a width of, for example, 20 mm in the tire width direction at the portion of the tire equatorial plane CL. The folded-back portion 24B is folded back from the outer side of the tire to the inner side of the tire around the bead core 14. The tip of the folded-back portion 24B of the carcass 24 is located, for example, on the side portion 18 side (outer side in the tire radial direction) rather than the thick portion 17B.

[0032] A belt layer 26 is provided on the outer side in the tire radial direction of the carcass 24 in the crown portion 22 of the tire skeletal member 12. For the cord 28, a material such as metal having higher rigidity than the resin material forming the tire skeletal member 12 is used. In the present embodiment, as the cord 28, a steel cord obtained by twisting steel fibers is used. In the belt layer 26, the resin materials 30 of the resin-coated cords 32 adjacent to each other in the tire width direction are joined to each other.

[0033] The belt layer 26 is configured by spirally winding a resin-coated cord 32 formed by coating the cord 28 with a resin material 30, and is adhered or welded to the carcass 24. Note that the belt layer 26 may be formed only of the cord 28, or may be in the form of a sheet obtained by coating the cord 28 with a thermoplastic resin of the same type as the tire skeletal member 12.

[0034] On the outer side in the tire radial direction of the outer end of the belt layer 26 in the tire width direction, a layer 34 for reinforcing the belt end is provided. As the fiber cord used for this layer 34, for example, organic fiber cords such as aliphatic polyamide, polyester, and aromatic polyamide can be used. In addition, a steel cord can also be used as this fiber cord, and known materials of layers used in general pneumatic tires can be used. The fiber cord of the layer 34 is coated with rubber or resin. The layer 34 may include a plurality of fiber cords, or may be composed of, for example, a resin material alone or a rubber alone sheet-like member that does not contain fibers. The bending rigidity of the layer 34 is preferably equal to or less than the bending rigidity of the belt layer 26 so that the layer 34 follows the deformation of the tread 36 described later.

[0035] Also, on the outer side in the tire radial direction of the crown portion 22 of the tire skeleton member 12, a tread 36 which is a rubber layer is disposed. The tread 36 is disposed mainly along the crown portion 22 of the tire skeleton member 12 and constitutes the tire tread which is the grounding portion of the tire 10. The tread 36 is laminated on the tire skeleton member 12 via the belt layer 26.

[0036] The tread 36 is formed of rubber that is more wear-resistant than the thermoplastic resin forming the tire skeleton member 12. As the rubber used for the tread 36, the same type of rubber as that used in conventional rubber pneumatic tires can be used.

[0037] On the outer side in the tire width direction of the carcass 24 along the side portion 18, a side rubber layer 38 is provided. Also, a rubber layer 40 is provided around the bead portion 16.

[0038] The position where the thickness of the bead filler portion 17 starts to decrease (the inner end in the tire radial direction of the inclined portion 17A) is on the outer side in the tire radial direction from the outer end in the tire radial direction of the rim flange 44 in the rim 42 to which the bead portion 16 is attached.

[0039] An RFID tag 50A is provided at the inner peripheral portion in the tire width direction of the thick portion 17B of the bead filler portion 17. As shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B), the RFID tag 50A includes a main body chip 52 and an antenna 54. The main body chip 52 includes a processor including a CPU or an MPU and a memory capable of storing various kinds of information. The antenna 54 extends from the main body chip 52 to one side and the other side.

[0040] The main body chip 52 and the antenna 54 are embedded in a resin coating portion 56 formed of a resin material. The resin material forming the resin coating portion 56 is preferably the same kind of material as the resin material forming the bead filler portion 17. The embedding in the resin coating portion 56 may be sandwiched with a film-like one, or the thickness of the main body chip 52 may be absorbed by the thick resin coating portion 56. As shown in FIG. 2(B), the RFID tag 50A has flexibility in the thickness direction.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, the RFID tag 50A is arranged such that the longitudinal direction in which the antenna 54 extends is along the tire circumferential direction. Thus, by arranging the longitudinal direction of the RFID tag 50 along the tire circumferential direction, compared with the configuration in which the longitudinal direction is arranged along the tire radial direction, the antenna 54 is pulled following the deformation of the tire skeleton member 12 during running, and it is possible to suppress the antenna 54 from coming off from the main body chip 52.

[0042] (Operation) Next, the operation and effects of the pneumatic tire 10 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0043] In the tire 10 according to the present embodiment, since the RFID tag 50A is provided in the bead filler portion 17 made of a resin material, the RFID can be easily attached during manufacturing as compared with the case where the RFID is provided in a rubber portion. In particular, as in the present embodiment, by embedding the main body chip 52 and the antenna 54 of the RFID tag 50A in the resin coating portion 56, the joining with the bead filler portion 17 made of a resin material can be easily performed.

[0044] In addition, in the present embodiment, the RFID tag 50A is disposed on the inner peripheral portion in the tire width direction of the thick portion 17B of the bead filler portion 17. Since the thick portion 17B is relatively difficult to deform during running, damage to the RFID tag 50A can be suppressed.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the RFID tag 50A is disposed on the inner peripheral portion in the tire width direction of the thick portion 17B of the bead filler portion 17, but it is not necessarily at this position. As shown in FIG. 4, an RFID tag 50B having the same configuration as the RFID tag 50A may be disposed on the outer peripheral portion in the tire width direction of the thick portion 17B.

[0046] Also, as shown in FIG. 5, an RFID tag 50C having the same configuration as the RFID tag 50A may be disposed on the inclined portion 17A of the bead filler portion 17. Since the inclined portion 17A is away from the bead core 14, when the bead core is made of metal, a distance from the RFID tag 50C can be taken, and interference during communication can be suppressed.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0047] 10... tire, 12... tire skeleton member, 14... bead core, 16... bead portion 17... bead filler portion, 17B... thick portion 50A, 50B, 50C... RFID tags 52... main body chip, 54... antenna, 56... resin coating layer (resin coating portion)

Claims

1. A tire skeletal member having a bead portion in which a bead core is embedded in a bead filler portion of a resin material, and side portions each made of the resin material and continuous with the outside in the tire radial direction of the bead portion, an RFID tag provided in the bead filler portion, and having, wherein the RFID tag has a resin coating portion for embedding a main body chip and an antenna, and the resin material forming the resin coating portion is the same type of material as the resin material forming the bead filler portion. A tire.

2. The tire according to claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is disposed in a thick portion in the tire width direction of the bead filler portion.

3. The tire according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the RFID tag is disposed in an inner peripheral portion in the tire width direction of the bead filler portion.

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