Non-pneumatic tire

Abstract

This non-pneumatic tire comprises: a wheel member that can be attached to an axle; a ring member that is attached to the wheel member; and a communication device. The ring member comprises: an inner cylinder body that is attached to the wheel member; an outer cylinder body that surrounds the outer side of the inner cylinder body in the tire radial direction; and a connection member that connects the inner cylinder body to the outer cylinder body and is elastically deformable between the inner cylinder body and the outer cylinder body. The communication device is fixed to the wheel member or to a surface of the inner cylinder body of the ring member that is exposed to the outside.

Description

Non-pneumatic tires

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a non-pneumatic tire. The non-pneumatic tire disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a mounting body attached to an axle, a ring member having an inner cylindrical body fitted onto the mounting body and an outer cylindrical body surrounding the inner cylindrical body from the outside in the tire radial direction, and a plurality of connecting members arranged along the tire circumferential direction between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body to connect the two cylindrical bodies together.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-193046

[0004] The inventors of the present invention came up with the novel idea of ​​providing a communication device (e.g., an RF tag, etc.) in a non-pneumatic tire such as that described in Patent Document 1, and also discovered a new configuration that can suppress damage to the communication device in a non-pneumatic tire when a vehicle equipped with the non-pneumatic tire is in motion (hereinafter simply referred to as "when the vehicle is in motion"), leading to the present invention.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a non-pneumatic tire that can suppress damage to a communication device when a vehicle is traveling.

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention is a non-pneumatic tire comprising: (1) a wheel member attachable to an axle; a ring member attached to the wheel member; and a communication device, wherein the ring member comprises: an inner cylinder body attached to the wheel member; an outer cylinder body surrounding the outer side of the inner cylinder body in the tire radial direction; and a connecting member connecting the inner cylinder body and the outer cylinder body and elastically deformable between the inner cylinder body and the outer cylinder body, and wherein the communication device is fixed to the wheel member or the surface exposed to the outside of the inner cylinder body of the ring member.

[0007] A non-pneumatic tire according to one embodiment of the present invention is the non-pneumatic tire according to (1) above, wherein (2) the communication device has an elongated shape, and the communication device is fixed to the surface of the wheel member or the inner cylindrical body of the ring member such that the longitudinal direction of the communication device is aligned with the tire width direction.

[0008] A non-pneumatic tire according to one embodiment of the present invention is the non-pneumatic tire according to (3) above (1) or (2), in which the communication device is fixed to an outer surface of the inner cylindrical body of the ring member in the tire radial direction.

[0009] A non-pneumatic tire according to one embodiment of the present invention is the non-pneumatic tire according to (3) above, wherein: (4) a plurality of the connecting members are arranged; and the communication device is fixed to the outer surface of the inner cylindrical body in a non-connected region between connecting regions in the inner cylindrical body where two adjacent connecting members are connected.

[0010] A non-pneumatic tire according to one embodiment of the present invention is the non-pneumatic tire according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the communication device is fixed to the surface of the wheel member or the inner cylindrical body of the ring member by welding a resin covering member that covers the periphery of the communication device.

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

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a non-pneumatic tire that can suppress damage to a communication device when a vehicle is traveling.

[0013] Fig. 6 is a side view of a non-pneumatic tire according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a communication device shown in Fig. 1 and a reader / writer capable of wireless communication with the communication device. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the communication device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the communication device shown in Fig. 6 is covered with a covering member. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of the arrangement of the communication device shown in Fig. 1.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of a non-pneumatic tire according to the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals. Hereinafter, a direction parallel to the tire center axis O of a non-pneumatic tire will be referred to as the "tire width direction A." Hereinafter, a direction around the tire center axis O of a non-pneumatic tire will be referred to as the "tire circumferential direction B." Hereinafter, in a cross section of a non-pneumatic tire perpendicular to the tire center axis O, the radial direction of an imaginary circle centered on the tire center axis O will be referred to as the "tire radial direction C."

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

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the non-pneumatic tire 1 of this embodiment includes a wheel member 2, a ring member 3, a spiral reinforcing layer 4, a tread member 5, and a communication device 6. The non-pneumatic tire 1 is mounted on an axle of various vehicles such as a bicycle, a motorcycle, or an automobile for use.

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

[0018] In this embodiment, the center positions in the tire width direction A of the wheel member 2, ring member 3, spiral reinforcement layer 4, and tread member 5 are approximately the same. In this embodiment, the wheel member 2, ring member 3, spiral reinforcement layer 4, and tread member 5 as a whole have a structure that is symmetrical in the tire width direction A with respect to the tire equatorial plane CL (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) that passes through the center positions in the tire width direction A, but are not limited to this configuration.

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

[0020] The boss 2 a, the mounting tubular portion 2 b, and the support tubular portion 2 c are each arranged so that their central axes are aligned with the tire central axis O. The multiple spokes 2 d are arranged, for example, at equal intervals in the tire circumferential direction B. Each of the multiple spokes 2 d extends radially in the tire radial direction C from the boss 2 a as its center.

[0021] The boss 2a, the mounting tubular portion 2b, the support tubular portion 2c, and the spokes 2d may be made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy. The boss 2a, the mounting tubular portion 2b, the support tubular portion 2c, and the spokes 2d may also be made of a resin such as a thermoplastic resin. Furthermore, some of the elements of the boss 2a, the mounting tubular portion 2b, the support tubular portion 2c, and the spokes 2d may be made of metal, and the other elements may be made of resin. In this way, the materials of the components of the wheel member 2 are not particularly limited.

[0022] The ring member 3 is attached to the wheel member 2. More specifically, the ring member 3 in this embodiment is fitted onto the support cylindrical portion 2 c of the wheel member 2 and supported on the outer circumferential surface of the support cylindrical portion 2 c.

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

[0024] The inner cylindrical body 11 is fixed to the wheel member 2. Specifically, the inner cylindrical body 11 of this embodiment is fitted onto the support cylindrical portion 2c of the wheel member 2 and is supported by the outer peripheral surface of the support cylindrical portion 2c over the entire area in the tire circumferential direction B. In this state, the inner cylindrical body 11 of this embodiment is joined to the support cylindrical portion 2c with fastening members such as bolts, thereby being fixed to the support cylindrical portion 2c. The inner cylindrical body 11 is attached to the axle via the wheel member 2.

[0025] The outer cylindrical body 12 surrounds the outside of the inner cylindrical body 11 in the tire radial direction C. The central axes of the inner cylindrical body 11 and the outer cylindrical body 12 are located on the tire central axis O. In this embodiment, the inner cylindrical body 11 and the outer cylindrical body 12 are arranged with their respective centers in the tire width direction A aligned with each other.

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

[0027] As shown in Fig. 1 , a plurality of connecting members 13 of this embodiment are arranged in the tire circumferential direction B. More specifically, a plurality of connecting members 13 of this embodiment are arranged in the tire circumferential direction B at positions between the inner cylindrical body 11 and the outer cylindrical body 12 in the tire radial direction C. These plurality of connecting members 13 are arranged spaced apart in the tire circumferential direction B. In other words, two connecting members 13 adjacent to each other in the tire circumferential direction B are not in contact with each other and are arranged spaced apart in the tire circumferential direction B. Furthermore, the plurality of connecting members 13 of this embodiment are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to each other with respect to the tire center axis O.

[0028] Furthermore, the connecting member 13 of this embodiment is a plate-shaped portion disposed so that its thickness direction is in the in-plane direction of a plane perpendicular to the tire center axis O. Furthermore, in the connecting member 13 of this embodiment, the outer end portion 13a on the outside in the tire radial direction C, which is connected to the outer cylindrical body 12, and the inner end portion 13b on the inside in the tire radial direction C, which is connected to the inner cylindrical body 11, are disposed at different positions in the tire circumferential direction B. In this manner, the plate-shaped portion serving as the connecting member 13 can be used as a leaf spring that easily elastically deforms in the tire radial direction C. However, the configuration of the connecting member 13 is not limited to the configuration of this embodiment.

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

[0030] In this embodiment, the inner cylindrical body 11, the outer cylindrical body 12, and the connecting member 13 are integrally formed from a resin material by injection molding. Injection molding may be a method of simultaneously integrally molding the entire inner cylindrical body 11, the outer cylindrical body 12, and the connecting member 13. The resin material may be, for example, a single resin material, a mixture containing two or more resin materials, or a mixture containing one or more resin materials and one or more elastomers. The resin material may further contain additives such as antioxidants, plasticizers, fillers, or pigments. The resin material is preferably a thermoplastic resin. The inner cylindrical body 11, the outer cylindrical body 12, and the connecting member 13 may be formed separately and then assembled together.

[0031] The wheel member 2 has the function of connecting the axle and the ring member 3, and the ring member 3 has the function of absorbing vibrations transmitted from the ground to the axle. As such, the wheel member 2 and the ring member 3 have different functions, and therefore may be made of different materials. For example, the ring member 3 may be made of a material with a relatively low elastic modulus to ensure vibration absorption performance, and the wheel member 2 may be made of a material with a higher elastic modulus than the ring member 3 to ensure robustness.

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

[0033] The spiral reinforcement layer 4 is formed by spirally winding a wire body 20, in which one cord 21 or multiple parallel cords 21 are embedded in a covering 22, on the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical body 12 of the ring member 3. Figure 4 shows, as an example, a wire body 20 in which only one cord 21 is embedded in the covering 22.

[0034] The wire bodies 20 are spirally wound around the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body 12, which serves as the outer peripheral surface of the ring member 3, so that the wire bodies 20 are adjacent to each other in the tire width direction A on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body 12. The covering bodies 22 at adjacent portions of the wire body 20 in the tire width direction A are integrally fixed to each other in the tire width direction A, thereby forming a spiral reinforcement layer 4 on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body 12. For ease of explanation, the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 indicates the boundary between the covering bodies 22 before they are fixed. In other words, the spiral reinforcement layer 4 includes a base layer 4a formed by fixing adjacent covering bodies 22 to each other in the tire width direction A, and one or more cords 21 extending spirally within the base layer 4a. The constituent material of the covering body 22 may be, for example, a resin material. The covering body 22 may also be formed from, for example, a rubber composition. Examples of the cords 21 include steel cords.

[0035] The spiral reinforcement layer 4 may be bonded to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body 12 of the ring member 3 over the entire area in the tire circumferential direction B. The adhesion between the spiral reinforcement layer 4 and the outer cylindrical body 12 may be achieved, for example, by welding the wires 20 that form the spiral reinforcement layer 4 to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body 12. Note that when the covering body 22 is formed of a rubber composition, the adhesion between the spiral reinforcement layer 4 and the outer cylindrical body 12 may be achieved by vulcanization bonding.

[0036] In the non-pneumatic tire 1 of this embodiment, the provision of the spiral reinforcing layer 4 can increase the rigidity of the outer cylindrical body 12 of the ring member 3. This can improve the durability of the non-pneumatic tire 1, for example, even when the non-pneumatic tire 1 is used in an environment where it receives a large input from the road surface or where a protrusion on the road surface pierces the tread member 5 of the non-pneumatic tire 1.

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

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

[0039] 1 to 3, the communication device 6 is fixed to the surface exposed to the outside of the ring member 3. More specifically, the communication device 6 is fixed to the surface exposed to the outside of the inner cylindrical body 11 of the ring member 3. Because the inner cylindrical body 11 is fixed to the wheel member 2, it is difficult for the communication device 6 to deform in the tire radial direction C when the vehicle is running. Therefore, by fixing the communication device 6 to the surface of the inner cylindrical body 11, it is possible to prevent the communication device 6 from being damaged when the vehicle is running.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an RF tag serving as a communication device 6 according to this embodiment and a reader / writer 60 capable of wireless communication with the RF tag. As shown in FIG. 5 , the communication device 6 according to this embodiment may be a passive RF tag including a memory unit 6a that stores information about the non-pneumatic tire 1, an antenna unit 6b capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the reader / writer 60 located outside the non-pneumatic tire 1, and a control unit 6c capable of writing information to the memory unit 6a and reading information from the memory unit 6a. Specifically, the RF tag serving as the communication device 6 according to this embodiment can receive information transmitted via radio waves or a magnetic field from the antenna unit 60a of the reader / writer 60 via the antenna unit 6b. Electric power is generated in the antenna unit 6b by rectification (in the case of radio waves) or resonance (in the case of a magnetic field), and the memory unit 6a and the control unit 6c perform predetermined operations. For example, the control unit 6c reads information from the memory unit 6a and transmits the information back (transmits it) to the reader / writer 60 from the antenna unit 6b via radio waves or a magnetic field. The antenna unit 60a of the reader / writer 60 receives radio waves or magnetic fields from the RF tag serving as the communication device 6 of this embodiment. The control unit 60b of the reader / writer 60 extracts the received information to obtain the information stored in the memory unit 6a. The memory unit 6a and control unit 6c can be configured, for example, by an integrated circuit (IC chip) including a nonvolatile memory.

[0041] The information stored in the memory unit 6a of the RF tag serving as the communication device 6 of this embodiment is not particularly limited. The memory unit 6a may store, for example, unique identification information for each non-pneumatic tire 1, such as the manufacturer, manufacturing plant, and manufacturing date of the non-pneumatic tire 1, allowing each non-pneumatic tire to be identified. The memory unit 6a may also store tire history information, such as the mileage of the non-pneumatic tire 1, the number of sudden braking events, the number of sudden starts, and the number of sharp turns, as information rewritable by the reader / writer 60. Furthermore, for example, a sensor for detecting tire acceleration or the like may be attached to the non-pneumatic tire 1, and the memory unit 6a may store information detected by the sensor. The RF tag serving as the communication device 6 can acquire information detected by the sensor by wirelessly communicating with the sensor via the antenna unit 6b.

[0042] The communication device 6 may be configured to be capable of wireless communication with a predetermined device outside the non-pneumatic tire 1, and is not limited to the RF tag of this embodiment.

[0043] 6 and 7 are perspective views showing an RF tag as a communication device 6 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the RF tag as a communication device 6 of this embodiment includes a first antenna 31 and a second antenna 32 constituting an antenna unit 6b, an IC chip 33 constituting a control unit 6c and a memory unit 6a, which is operated by a dielectric electromotive force generated by radio waves received by the first antenna 31 and the second antenna 32, a plate-shaped support member 34 to which the IC chip 33 is attached, and a conductive conducting member 35 electrically connecting the IC chip 33 to the first antenna 31 and the second antenna 32, respectively. As shown in Fig. 6, the RF tag as a communication device 6 of this embodiment includes elongated first antenna 31 and second antenna 32 protruding from the IC chip 33 in opposite directions, sandwiching the IC chip 33 therebetween. As such, the communication device 6 of this embodiment has an elongated shape in which the longitudinal direction D of the first antenna 31 and the second antenna 32 is the longitudinal direction of the entire communication device 6. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the RF tag serving as the communication device 6 shown in Fig. 6 is covered with a covering member 36. The covering member 36 is formed of resin. In this embodiment, the RF tag serving as the communication device 6, whose periphery is covered with the covering member 36 as shown in Fig. 7, is fixed on the surface of the inner cylindrical body 11. The communication device 6 of this embodiment is fixed on the surface of the inner cylindrical body 11 by welding the covering member 36.

[0044] The position and posture of the communication device 6 of this embodiment when fixed on the surface of the inner cylinder 11 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

[0045] As described above, the RF tag serving as the communication device 6 of this embodiment has an elongated shape. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the communication device 6 of this embodiment is embedded in the inner cylindrical body 11 so that its longitudinal direction (which is the same as the longitudinal direction D of the first antenna 31 and the second antenna 32 in this embodiment and will hereinafter be referred to as the longitudinal direction D) is aligned with the tire width direction A. The outer cylindrical body 12 of the non-pneumatic tire 1 receives force from the road surface during vehicle travel and deforms in the tire radial direction C. Variation in the amount of deformation in the tire radial direction C due to position in the tire circumferential direction B is greater than variation in the amount of deformation in the tire radial direction C due to position in the tire width direction A. Because the inner cylindrical body 11 is supported on the outer peripheral surface of the support cylindrical portion 2 c of the wheel member 2, it is less likely to deform in the tire radial direction C than the outer cylindrical body 12. However, variation in the amount of deformation in the tire radial direction C of the outer cylindrical body 12 may also affect the inner cylindrical body 11, which is connected to the outer cylindrical body 12 via the connecting member 13. Specifically, variations in the amount of deformation of the outer cylindrical body 12 in the tire radial direction C can cause some variation in the amount of strain of the inner cylindrical body 11 in the tire radial direction C. Therefore, the elongated communication device 6 is fixed on the surface of the inner cylindrical body 11 with the longitudinal direction D of the elongated communication device 6 aligned with the tire width direction A. This configuration, compared to a configuration in which the longitudinal direction D of the elongated communication device 6 is arranged along the tire circumferential direction B, can suppress stress concentration on a portion of the longitudinal direction D of the communication device 6 fixed on the surface of the inner cylindrical body 11 due to variations in the amount of strain of the inner cylindrical body 11 caused by variations in the amount of deformation of the outer cylindrical body 12 in the tire radial direction C, thereby preventing local deformation, damage, breakage, etc. In other words, the durability of the communication device 6 can be improved compared to a configuration in which the longitudinal direction D of the communication device 6 is arranged along the tire circumferential direction B.

[0046] Note that "along the tire width direction A" as used herein does not necessarily mean being parallel to the tire width direction A, but also includes being inclined at an angle of less than 45 degrees with respect to the tire width direction A. However, as in this embodiment, the communication device 6 is preferably disposed so that its longitudinal direction D is parallel to the tire width direction A or approximately parallel to the tire width direction A but inclined at an angle of 5 degrees or less with respect to the tire width direction A.

[0047] 2 and 3 , the communication device 6 of this embodiment is fixed to the outer surface of the inner cylindrical body 11 on the outside in the tire radial direction C. More specifically, the communication device 6 of this embodiment is fixed to the outer surface of the inner cylindrical body 11 in a non-connection region X3 between connection regions X1, X2 in which two adjacent connecting members 13 are connected. Here, the "connection region" refers to a region of the inner cylindrical body 11 that is covered in the tire radial direction C by the imaginary end surface 13b1 of the inner end 13b of the connecting member 13 when the inner cylindrical body 11 and the connecting member 13 in a connected state are separated into two parts with the imaginary outer peripheral surface 11a of the inner cylindrical body 11 as the boundary. The "non-connection region" refers to a region of the inner cylindrical body 11 that is not covered in the tire radial direction C by the imaginary end surface 13b1 of the inner end 13b of the connecting member 13. The non-connecting region X3 of the inner cylindrical body 11 is subject to a smaller amount of strain in the tire radial direction C during vehicle travel than the connecting regions X1 and X2. Therefore, by fixing the communication device 6 to the outer surface of the inner cylindrical body 11 in the non-connecting region X3, deformation and damage to the communication device 6 due to strain of the inner cylindrical body 11 in the tire radial direction C can be suppressed.

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

[0049] The inner cylindrical body 11 of this embodiment is made of resin, and the communication device 6 of this embodiment is fixed to the outer surface of the inner cylindrical body 11 by welding a resin covering member 36 (see FIG. 7 ) that covers the periphery to the inner cylindrical body 11. This allows the communication device 6 to be firmly fixed to the inner cylindrical body 11. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2 , the communication device 6 of this embodiment is embedded in a protruding portion 11b that protrudes outward in the tire radial direction C from the imaginary outer peripheral surface 11a of the inner cylindrical body 11. As shown in FIG. 3 , the protruding portion 11b in which the communication device 6 is embedded is positioned offset to one side with respect to the tire equatorial plane CL in the tire width direction A. This makes it easy to fix the communication device 6 to the outer surface of the inner cylindrical body 11 from the outside in the tire width direction A, even when the communication device 6 is positioned between two connecting members 13 in the tire circumferential direction B, as in this embodiment. Furthermore, the communication device 6 may be arranged biased toward one side that is the outer side in the vehicle width direction when the non-pneumatic tire 1 is mounted on a vehicle, in the tire width direction A. In this manner, even when the non-pneumatic tire 1 is mounted on a vehicle, it is easy to bring a reader / writer 60 (see FIG. 5 ) close to the communication device 6 from outside the non-pneumatic tire 1, and the communication performance between the communication device 6 and the reader / writer 60 can be improved.

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

[0051] The communication device 6 may be fixed, for example, to an end surface of the inner cylindrical body 11 in the tire width direction A, which is an example of a surface exposed to the outside of the inner cylindrical body 11. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8 , the communication device 6 may be fixed to a surface exposed to the outside of the wheel member 2. FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which the communication device 6 is fixed to an end surface of the support cylindrical portion 2c of the wheel member 2 in the tire width direction A. The communication device 6 may also be fixed to a location other than the support cylindrical portion 2c of the wheel member 2, such as a spoke 2d of the wheel member 2. However, as in this embodiment, it is preferable that the communication device 6 be fixed to the outer surface of the inner cylindrical body 11 in the non-connecting region X3 of the inner cylindrical body 11. In this manner, the communication device 6 is surrounded by the inner cylindrical body 11, the outer cylindrical body 12, and the connecting member 13. This prevents the communication device 6 from being damaged from outside the non-pneumatic tire 1. In addition, as shown in Figure 2, when the connecting member 13 is a plate-shaped portion used as a leaf spring and the communication device 6 has an elongated shape with a longitudinal direction D, such an arrangement can be easily achieved by arranging the longitudinal direction D of the communication device 6 so that it is aligned with the tire width direction A.

[0052] Furthermore, the method of fixing the communication device 6 to either the wheel member 2 or the inner cylinder body 11 is not limited to the above-mentioned resin-to-resin welding, but may be, for example, metal-to-metal welding. Furthermore, the communication device 6 to either the wheel member 2 or the inner cylinder body 11 may be fixed by adhesive bonding between resin and metal, between resins, or between metals. In this way, the method of fixing the communication device 6 to either the wheel member 2 or the inner cylinder body 11 is not particularly limited.

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

[0054] [Contribution to the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] The SDGs have been proposed to realize a sustainable society. One embodiment of the present invention is thought to be a technology that can contribute to "No. 12: Responsible Consumption and Production" and "No. 13: Take concrete action against climate change."

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

[0056] 1: Non-pneumatic tire 2: Wheel member 2a: Boss 2b: Mounting tube portion 2c: Support tube portion 2d: Spokes 3: Ring member 4: Spiral reinforcement layer 4a: Base layer 5: Tread member 5a: Tread surface 6: Communication device 6a: Memory unit 6b: Antenna unit 6c: Control unit 11: Inner tube body 11a: Virtual outer peripheral surface of outer tube body 11b: Protrusion 12: Outer tube body 13: Connecting member 13a: Outer end portion of connecting member 13b: Inner end portion of connecting member 13b1: Virtual end surface of inner end portion of connecting member 20: Wire body 21: Cord 22: Covering body 31: First antenna 32: Second antenna 33: IC chip 34: Supporting member 35: Conductive member 36: Covering member 60: Reader / writer 60a: Antenna unit 60b: Control unit A: Tire width direction B: Circumferential direction of tire C: Radial direction of tire D: Longitudinal direction of communication device CL: Equatorial plane of tire O: Center axis of tire X1, X2: Connected region X3: Non-connected region

Claims

1. A non-pneumatic tire comprising: a wheel member attachable to an axle; a ring member attached to the wheel member; and a communication device, wherein the ring member comprises: an inner cylinder body attached to the wheel member; an outer cylinder body surrounding the outer side of the inner cylinder body in the tire radial direction; and a connecting member connecting the inner cylinder body and the outer cylinder body and elastically deformable between the inner cylinder body and the outer cylinder body, and the communication device is fixed to the wheel member or a surface of the inner cylinder body of the ring member that is exposed to the outside.

2. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the communication device has an elongated shape, and the communication device is fixed onto the surface of the wheel member or the inner cylindrical body of the ring member so that its longitudinal direction is along the tire width direction.

3. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication device is fixed onto an outer surface of the inner tube of the ring member in the tire radial direction.

4. The non-pneumatic tire according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of said connecting members are arranged, and said communication device is fixed onto said outer surface of said inner tube body in a non-connected region between connecting regions in said inner tube body where two adjacent said connecting members are connected.

5. A non-pneumatic tire as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication device is fixed onto the surface of the wheel member or the inner cylindrical body of the ring member by welding a resin covering member that surrounds the communication device.

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

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