How to attach a device to a tire

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of adhering a device to a tire, the method including the step of applying an adhesive to the surface of the device, the step of applying the adhesive including the step of applying an inner portion (14) of the adhesive to the surface of the device (20) and the step of applying an outer line (16) of the adhesive that at least partially surrounds the inner portion of the adhesive to the surface of the device, the method further including the step of attaching the device to the tire, the step of attaching the device (20) to the tire including the step of applying pressure to the device to spread the inner portion (14) of the adhesive and the outer line (16) of the adhesive between the device and the tire to create a uniform adhesive film. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a tire including the method of adhering the device to the tire.

Description

[Technical Field] 【0001】 This disclosure relates to a method for attaching devices such as radio frequency identification patches to tires. [Background technology] 【0002】 There are many advantages to being able to install devices such as radio frequency identification (RFID) patches inside tires. Such devices can bring many benefits by enabling smart monitoring and communication with the tires. For example, tire supply logistics can be improved by tracking tire deliveries and managing inventory levels. The devices can also facilitate improved vehicle monitoring of tire location or lifespan, which can further be used for predictive tire maintenance. 【0003】 If the device detaches from the tire, it may lose its monitoring and communication capabilities, or it may be lost entirely. In such cases, the benefits of the device's functionality will not be realized. Therefore, it is crucial to firmly and securely adhere the device to the tire to ensure that it remains attached throughout the tire's entire lifecycle. 【0004】 To firmly adhere the device to the tire, a uniform adhesive layer covering substantially all or most of the device is advantageous. Depending on the type of device and glue, it is also desirable to control the amount of adhesive. Devices with uneven, too much, or too little adhesive often result in uncertain attachment to the tire. Similarly, devices that wrinkle or crease after being attached to the tire also result in uncertain attachment. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve] 【0005】 Attaching devices to all tires is a time-consuming and therefore costly process, especially when attaching devices to a large number of tires. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method that ensures stable attachment without requiring a lot of time or expensive equipment. [Means for solving the problem] 【0006】 It has been found that a robust attachment can be formed in a timely and efficient manner by bonding the device to a vulcanized tire using the method described herein. This disclosure ensures that the correct amount of adhesive is used, thereby obtaining a stable attachment while maintaining the integrity of the device bonded to the tire without wasting glue. Importantly, the method described herein overcomes several shortcomings of existing methods, such as insufficient adhesion, excessive use and discharge of glue during attachment, or wrinkling or damage to the device when attached to the tire. 【0007】 This disclosure provides a method for attaching a device to a tire. The method includes the steps of applying an adhesive to the surface of the device and attaching the device to the tire. The step of applying the adhesive may include applying the inner portion of the adhesive to the surface of the device. The step of applying the adhesive may further include applying the outer line of the adhesive to the surface of the device. The outer line of the adhesive may at least partially surround the inner line of the adhesive. The step of attaching the device to the tire may include applying pressure to the device. This may be to spread the inner portion and outer line of the adhesive on the device to create a uniform adhesive film between the device and the tire. 【0008】 A device can be a patch. 【0009】 The device may be configured to connect to or support secondary components such as sensors or communication components. The device may be for monitoring tire characteristics such as temperature or internal pressure. The device may include a sensor, or may be connected to or configured to support a sensor. The device may be a support. 【0010】 The device may be configured to store tire identification information. The device may be configured to communicate wirelessly with a scanner. 【0011】 The device may monitor tire characteristics. The device may monitor characteristics of the tire environment. Examples of characteristics include tire temperature, pressure, or other physical or chemical properties. The device may be a radio frequency identification (RFID) patch. The device can provide the tire with various functions such as tracking, identification, or monitoring, significantly improving tire performance or logistics management. 【0012】 The device could be, for example, a holder-type device for holding a sensor. 【0013】 The device may include an adhesive surface. The adhesive surface may be the surface of the device to which adhesive is applied and which is directly fixed to the tire. 【0014】 The device can be attached to the tire using a chemical adhesive such as glue. The adhesive may contain or may be cyanoacrylate. The adhesive may be Cyberbond 2240® or Sigel 3M®. The adhesive can be applied to the surface of the device, for example, as a liquid or gel, before attaching the device to the tire. The adhesive can be cured or partially cured before attaching the device to the tire. Partial curing of the adhesive can increase the adhesion strength of the device to the tire. 【0015】 The inner portion and the outer line of the adhesive can be made of the same adhesive. Using the same adhesive simplifies the process of attaching the device to the tire. 【0016】 This method may use only a single type of adhesive, or alternatively, different adhesives may be used for the inner portion and outer line of the adhesive. Different types of adhesives may have different properties, such as curing time. By using different types of adhesives, the user can enjoy the advantages of each type of adhesive. 【0017】 The total amount of adhesive applied to align the inner and outer lines of the adhesive is 0.3 g / dm² in grams per surface area. 2 ~0.6g / dm 2 This is possible. This amount of adhesive can provide optimal bonding strength while avoiding excessive glue, which can lead to not only a decrease in bonding strength but also waste. 【0018】 If the adhesive is Cyberbond 2240®, the total amount of adhesive applied per unit area of ​​the device's bonding surface is 0.3 g / dm². 2 ~0.5g / dm 2 This is possible. If the adhesive is Sigel 3M®, the total amount of adhesive applied per unit area of ​​the device's bonding surface is 0.4 g / dm². 2 ~0.6g / dm 2 It is possible. 【0019】 The inner part of the adhesive can be the inner line of the adhesive. 【0020】 The inner portion of the adhesive may be applied on or along the centerline of the device. The centerline of the device may include a center point or a circle (for example, in the case of a device with a circular contour). The centerline of the device may be the longitudinal centerline. 【0021】 The outer line of the adhesive may be separated from the inner portion of the adhesive. The outer line of the adhesive may be different from the inner portion of the adhesive. 【0022】 The inner line and the outer line of the adhesive cannot be connected or intersect. They can be applied in separate steps or movements. The inner line of the adhesive and the outer line of the adhesive can define a gap between each other. 【0023】 The outer line of the adhesive can define a shape corresponding to the outer contour of the device. 【0024】 By having a shape corresponding to the outer contour of the device, the outer line of the adhesive can define a substantially constant distance between the outer line of the adhesive and the outer edge of the device (e.g., the adhesive surface of the device). Thereby, when the device is attached to the tire, the adhesive of the outer line can be evenly spread in the area between the outer line of the adhesive and the outer edge of the device. 【0025】 The device can be oval, circular, egg-shaped, polygonal, or rectangular. Therefore, the outer line of the adhesive can be oval, circular, egg-shaped, polygonal, or rectangular. 【0026】 The outer line of the adhesive can be an unbroken line. 【0027】 The outer line of the adhesive can completely surround the inner part of the adhesive. 【0028】 The line of the adhesive (inner or outer) can be an unbroken solid line, a dashed line, or a dotted line. The unbroken line of the adhesive can promote a more uniform spread of the adhesive when the device is attached to the tire. The dashed line of the adhesive can control the amount of adhesive applied, for example, by controlling the number and spacing of the line segments. 【0029】 The outer line of the adhesive can define a closed loop surrounding the inner part of the adhesive. Thereby, it can be easier to evenly apply the adhesive to the adhesive surface after the device is adhered to the tire. 【0030】 The outer line of the adhesive can be positioned to spread over the outer portion of the device. The outer line of the adhesive can be positioned spaced away from the outer edge of the device. During the attachment of the device to the tire, the outer line of the adhesive may spread to form a thin film in the area between the outer line of the adhesive and the outer edge of the device. The size of the area between the outer line of the adhesive and the outer edge of the device can affect the ability of the adhesive to form a uniform thin film. If the outer line of the adhesive is too close to the center of the device, it may not be able to spread enough to form a thin film across the entire bonding surface. If the outer line of the adhesive is too close to the edge of the device, the adhesive may squeeze out from between the device and the tire when pressure is applied to the device. 【0031】 The distance between the outer edge of the device and the outer line of the adhesive can be greater than 1 / 8 and less than 3 / 4 of the distance between the outer edge of the device and the inner portion of the adhesive. 【0032】 The distance between the outer edge of the device and the outer line of the adhesive can be greater than 1 / 4 and less than 1 / 2 of the distance between the outer edge of the device and the inner portion of the adhesive. 【0033】 The outer line of the adhesive may be positioned as a band surrounding the inner portion of the adhesive. The band may extend circumferentially on the device or its adhesive surface. 【0034】 When measured from the outer edge, the band can extend 1 / 8 to 3 / 4 of the distance from the outer edge of the device to the inner portion of the adhesive. When measured from the outer edge, the band can extend 1 / 4 to 1 / 2 of the distance between the outer edge and the inner portion of the adhesive. The outer line of the adhesive can surround the inner portion of the adhesive and be offset from the outer edge of the device by 1 / 4 to 1 / 2 of the distance between the outer edge of the device and the inner portion of the adhesive. 【0035】 The distance between the outer edge of the device and the outer line of the adhesive can be approximately equal to 3 / 8 of the distance between the outer edge of the device and the inner portion of the adhesive. 【0036】 The amount of adhesive applied to form the inner portion of the adhesive can be 80% to 120% of the amount of adhesive applied to form the outer line of the adhesive. 【0037】 Substantially equal amounts of adhesive may be applied to the inner portion and outer line of the adhesive. The inner portion and outer line of the adhesive may be configured to spread so as to cover approximately the same surface area of ​​the device when bonded to the tire. This provides a reliable method for achieving a substantially uniform adhesive layer. 【0038】 To achieve substantially equal amounts of glue applied to form the inner and outer lines, the ratio of the amount of glue applied to each line in grams per millimeter is inversely proportional to the length of the line. 【0039】 The step of attaching the device to the tire may include the step of attaching the device inside the tire. The device can be attached to the inner surface of the tire wall. 【0040】 The step of attaching the device to the tire may include first applying pressure to the center of the device and then moving the pressure outward toward the outer edge of the device. 【0041】 The initial step of applying pressure to the central region of the device may include applying pressure to the region corresponding to the inner portion of the adhesive. This allows the inner portion of the adhesive to spread to the inner region (e.g., half) of the device or its adhesive surface. 【0042】 Next, by moving the pressure outward, the pressure can be moved towards the region corresponding to the outer line of the adhesive, and eventually beyond that region. This allows the outer line of the adhesive to be spread outward in general, toward the outer edge of the device. This allows the outer line of the adhesive to be spread to the outer region of the device (for example, half of it). 【0043】 By applying the adhesive in this manner and combining it with applying pressure in this way, it is possible to achieve a level of reliability in obtaining a uniform adhesive film that was previously unattainable. 【0044】 The step of attaching the device to the tire may include the step of applying a pressure of 80kPa to 120kPa. 【0045】 The pressure may be 50kPa–150kPa, 80kPa–120kPa, or 90kPa–110kPa. The pressure may also be 100kPa. The selected pressure level ensures a secure attachment of the device to the tire. 【0046】 The step of attaching the device to the tire may include the step of applying pressure for 1 to 180 seconds. 【0047】 Pressure can be applied for 1 to 300 seconds, 1 to 180 seconds, or 3 to 90 seconds. Applying pressure for the selected duration will result in a strong bond. 【0048】 Furthermore, this disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a tire, including a method for attaching a device described in any part of this specification to a tire. 【0049】 Furthermore, this disclosure provides tires manufactured as described herein. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0050】 [Figure 1] This is a flowchart showing how to attach the device to the tire. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of an RFID patch that will be attached to a tire. [Figure 3A] This is a plan view of a device that adheres to a tire. [Figure 3B] This is a side view of the device shown in Figure 3A, which is attached to the tire. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0051】 Figure 1 is a flowchart of a method for attaching the device described herein to a tire. While the flowchart in Figure 1 shows a specific order of steps, it should be understood that in other examples of this disclosure, the order of steps may differ from that shown in Figure 1. 【0052】 In the first step 110, the first portion of the adhesive is applied to the surface of the device to be attached to the tire. This surface is typically the overall flat underside of the device, such as the flat surface of an RFID patch (e.g., as shown in Figure 2), or the underside of a "holder" type device (e.g., as shown in Figure 3). 【0053】 The adhesive is a liquid or gel-type adhesive, applied to the device, for example, by a glue gun. The adhesive is applied to the device immediately before attaching it to the tire. Such application of the adhesive is quick and reliable. 【0054】 The first portion of the adhesive is the inner portion of the adhesive and is applied toward the center of the surface. The first portion of the adhesive can be a line of adhesive or a point of adhesive. The first portion of the adhesive can be applied along the center line of the device or along part or all of it. 【0055】 In this example, the first portion of the adhesive is configured to cover the central portion of the area to be bonded during use. The first portion of the adhesive is configured to spread over the central area of ​​the device (e.g., patch) after the device has been attached to the tire, forming a thin adhesive film to bond that portion of the surface to the tire. The first portion of the adhesive is configured to cover substantially half of the surface area to be bonded, for example, half of the surface of the patch (e.g., to be positioned and positioned). 【0056】 In some cases, the adhesive is Cyberbond 2240® or Sigel 3M®. 【0057】 In the second step 120, the second portion of the adhesive is applied to the surface. The second portion is the outer line of the adhesive. The outer line of the adhesive is applied so as to at least partially surround the inner portion of the adhesive. 【0058】 In this example, the outer line of adhesive is configured to cover the outer portion of the area that will be bonded to the tire during use. The outer portion of adhesive is configured to spread over the outer area of ​​the device (e.g., patch) after it has been attached to the tire, forming a thin adhesive film to bond that portion of the surface to the tire. The outer line of adhesive is configured to cover substantially half of the surface area to be bonded, for example, half of the surface of the patch (e.g., to be positioned and positioned). The outer line of adhesive contains substantially the same amount of adhesive as the inner portion of adhesive. 【0059】 In this example, the adhesive is 0.3 g / dm 2 ~0.6g / dm 2 It is applied to the device. 【0060】 By applying the adhesive to two separate parts, the inner part and the outer line, the adhesive can be quickly applied to the device, and a configuration is obtained in which the adhesive can be reliably spread across the bonding surface. 【0061】 The outer line of the adhesive is made of the same adhesive as the inner part of the adhesive. 【0062】 In some cases, depending on the specific adhesive used, the device and adhesive can be left for a certain period of time to allow the glue to harden. 【0063】 After applying the adhesive to the device and allowing it to cure if necessary, the method proceeds to step 130, where the device is attached to the tire. The device can be attached manually or by machine. 【0064】 Step 130, attaching the device to the tire, includes positioning the device in the desired location and applying pressure to secure it to the tire. The pressure spreads the inner portion and outer lines of the adhesive across the entire bonding surface. The adhesive is spread to create an adhesive film of uniform thickness between the device and the tire. A uniform thickness adhesive film results in a more secure and stronger bond. 【0065】 To form an adhesive film of uniform thickness, in this example, pressure is first applied to the central portion of the bonding surface of the device, and then moved outward toward the outside of the device. This causes the inner portion of the adhesive to spread from the center of the bonding surface toward the outer line of the adhesive. The inner portion of the adhesive provides a uniform adhesive film to approximately 50% of the bonding surface. The outer line of the adhesive then spreads outward toward the outer contour of the device. The outer line of the adhesive forms a uniform adhesive film to the remaining 50% of the bonding surface. 【0066】 Pressure is applied to the device for 1 to 180 seconds. In this specific example, the pressure is applied for 3 to 90 seconds. The pressure applied to the device is between 80 kPa and 120 kPa. Applying pressure for the precise duration and force is crucial for achieving a robust bond between the device and the tire. 【0067】 Figure 2 shows an example of a device used in this disclosure. Figure 2 shows an adhesive applied to the lower surface 12 of the device 10 for attachment to a tire according to the method described herein. 【0068】 The device 10 in Figure 2 is an RFID patch 10. The patch is a flat, oval shape. Figure 2 shows the bottom surface 12 of the patch 10. The bottom surface 12 is the adhesive surface of the patch, i.e., the surface that is fixed to the tire. Figure 2 shows the patch 10 before it is attached to the tire. 【0069】 The inner portion 14 of the adhesive is applied to the patch 10. The inner portion 14 of the adhesive in this example is a line of adhesive along the center line of the RFID patch 10. The center line extends longitudinally along the center of the patch 10. The amount of adhesive applied as the inner portion 14 is selected to cover substantially half of the lower surface 12 of the patch when the RFID patch 10 is attached to the tire, that is, the inner portion of the adhesive surface of the RFID patch 10. 【0070】 The outer line 16 of the adhesive is applied to the lower surface 12 of the RFID patch 10. The outer line 16 of the adhesive is a continuous line of adhesive. The outer line 16 of the adhesive completely surrounds the inner portion 14 of the adhesive. The amount of adhesive applied as the outer portion 16 is selected to cover substantially half of the lower surface 12 of the patch when the RFID patch 10 is attached to the tire, that is, the outer peripheral portion of the adhesive surface of the RFID patch 10. 【0071】 In this example, the adhesive is Cyberbond 2240 (registered trademark), and a total amount of adhesive (that is, including both the inner portion and the outer line) such as 0.3 g / dm 2 ~0.5 g / dm 2 is applied. Substantially half of this adhesive forms the inner portion, and half forms the outer portion. Since the inner portion of the adhesive and the outer line have substantially the same amount of adhesive, the ratio of the cross-sectional area (that is, the width of the line multiplied by the thickness) of the inner portion of the adhesive to the outer line of the adhesive is inversely proportional to the lengths of the two lines. In other words, the amount of glue applied per millimeter of the line is inversely proportional to the length of the line. 【0072】 The outer line 16 of the adhesive has a contour (that is, a shape) corresponding to the outer contour of the patch 10. In this example, the outer line 16 is oval. 【0073】 The outer line 16 of the adhesive is applied within a band 18 on the underside 12 of the patch 10. The band 18 represents an area of ​​the adhesive surface where, even with the application of the outer line 16, a substantially uniform film thickness can still be achieved after the device is attached to the tire. The band 18 is a circumferential band located between the center and the outer edge of the patch. The band 18 extends from a first distance a from the outer edge of the patch 10 to a second distance c from the outer edge of the patch 10. In this example, if the total width of the patch is 2W, the band 18 extends from 0.25W from the outer edge of the patch 10 to 0.5W from the outer edge of the patch. That is, the band 18 extends from 1 / 8 of the total width of the patch from the outer edge to 1 / 4 of the total width of the patch from the outer edge. 【0074】 To attach patch 10 in Figure 2 to the tire, position the bottom surface 12 against the tire and apply pressure to spread the inner line 14 and outer line 16 of the adhesive between patch 10 and the tire, creating a uniform adhesive film. First, apply pressure toward the center of patch 10, i.e., the position corresponding to the inner portion 14 of the adhesive, to spread the inner portion of the adhesive. Then, move the pressure outward toward the outer line 16 of the adhesive, spreading the outer line 16 toward the outer edge of patch 10. Apply a pressure of approximately 100 kPa for approximately 60 seconds. Then, patch 10 will adhere to the tire. 【0075】 Figure 3A is a bottom view of the second device 20 that is attached to the tire. Figure 3B is a side view of the same device 20 that is attached to the tire 30. 【0076】 The device 20 in Figures 3A and 3B is a holder-type device configured to support a secondary device or component. The device 20 is circular. The device 20 is substantially flat and has a recess 28 configured to house and hold a secondary device such as a sensor (not shown), e.g., a TMS (tire-mounted sensor). The recess includes a cavity 24 within the body of the device 20 and an opening 25 defined by a flange 26 of the device. The cavity is configured to house a portion of the secondary component, and the opening 25 and flange 26 are configured to prevent the secondary component from accidentally separating from the device 20 during use. 【0077】 As shown in Figure 3A, adhesive is applied to the bonding surface of the device (i.e., the surface to be bonded to the tire 30). In this case, the bonding surface is the flat underside of the device 20. 【0078】 The inner portion 34 is applied as a central lump or circular mass of adhesive. Substantially half of the total adhesive applied to the device 20 is applied as this central mass of adhesive. In other examples, the inner portion 34 of adhesive may be applied as a circular line of adhesive. 【0079】 In Figure 3A, the outer line 32 of the adhesive is applied in a circular contour corresponding to the outer contour of the device 20. The outer line 32 of the adhesive is a dashed or dotted line. In other examples, the outer line 32 may be a solid line of adhesive. In the example in Figure 3A, the outer line 32 of the adhesive is located approximately 1 / 3 of the way from the outer contour of the device 20 to the center. That is, the outer line of the adhesive is spaced about r / 3 away from the outer edge of the patch, where r is the radius of the device 20. 【0080】 Device 20 is attached to the surface of tire 30 by applying pressure to the device, which spreads the inner portion and outer line of the adhesive into a substantially uniform film across the substantially entire bonding surface. Figure 3B shows device 20 bonded to tire 30. The adhesive film 22 is visible between device 20 and tire 30. The substantially uniform adhesive film 22 securely fastens the device to tire 30. 【0081】 The present invention has been described above purely as an example. Detailed modifications to the invention can be made within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, features from one example can be combined with alternative examples unless expressly excluded.

Claims

[Claim 1] A method for attaching a device to a tire, The step of applying an adhesive to the surface of the device is to A step of applying the inner portion of the adhesive to the surface of the device, wherein the inner portion of the adhesive is applied on or along the center line of the device, A step of applying an outer line of adhesive to the surface of the device, wherein the outer line of adhesive defines a shape corresponding to the outer contour of the device. The method further includes, The step of attaching the device to the tire is, The step of applying pressure to the device to spread the inner portion and outer line of the adhesive on the device so as to create a uniform adhesive film between the device and the tire. A method that includes this. [Claim 2] The method according to claim 1, wherein the inner portion of the adhesive and the outer line of the adhesive are made of the same adhesive. [Claim 3] The method according to claim 1, wherein the device is a holder-type device for holding a radio frequency identification (RFID) patch or a sensor. [Claim 4] The method according to claim 1, wherein the inner portion of the adhesive is the inner line of the adhesive. [Claim 5] The method according to claim 1, wherein the outer line of the adhesive is separated from the inner portion of the adhesive and is different from the inner portion of the adhesive. [Claim 6] The method according to claim 1, wherein the outer line of the adhesive is a continuous line that completely encloses the inner portion of the adhesive. [Claim 7] The method according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the outer edge of the device and the outer line of the adhesive is greater than 1 / 8 and less than 3 / 4 of the distance between the outer edge of the device and the inner portion of the adhesive. [Claim 8] The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of adhesive applied to form the inner portion of the adhesive is 80% to 120% of the amount of adhesive applied to form the outer line of the adhesive. [Claim 9] The method according to claim 1, wherein the total amount of adhesive applied to form the inner portion and outer line of the adhesive is 0.3 g / dm² to 0.6 g / dm² in grams per surface area. [Claim 10] A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of attaching the device to the tire includes first applying pressure to the center of the device and moving the pressure outward toward the outer edge of the device. [Claim 11] The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of attaching the device to the tire includes the step of applying a pressure of 80 kPa to 120 kPa. [Claim 12] A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of attaching the device to the tire includes the step of applying the pressure for 1 second to 180 seconds. [Claim 13] A method for manufacturing a tire, comprising the method according to claims 1 to 12.

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