Method and plant for the application of a support for an electronic device to a vulcanised tyre

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and to a plant for the application of a support (9) for an electronic device (8) to a vulcanised tyre (1), the method having the steps of: inserting a reusable stiffening element (18) into a seat (13) of the support (9) intended to house the electronic device (8) before retrieving the support (9); retrieving the support (9) provided with the stiffening element (18) by engaging the support (9) with a gripping mechanism (21); applying the support (9) provided with the stiffening element (18) to an inner surface of the vulcanised tyre (1); and removing the stiffening element (18) from the seat (13) of the support (9) after having applied the support(9) to the inner surface of the vulcanised tyre (1).

Description

[0001] METHOD AND PLANT FOR THE APPLICATION OF A SUPPORT FOR AN

[0002] ELECTRONIC DEVICE TO A VULCANISED TYRE

[0003] Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0004] This Patent Appl ication claims priority from Italian Patent Application No . 102024000015940 filed on July 10 , 2024 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference .

[0005] Technical Field

[0006] The present invention relates to a method and to a plant for the application of a support for an electronic device to a vulcanised tyre .

[0007] The present invention is advantageously applied to a support for an electronic device that is commercially called TMS (" Tire Moni tor System" or also " Tire Mounted Sensor" ) and is configured to measure in real time the inner pressure and the inner temperature of the tyre and to cyclically transmit these measurements by means of a wireless communication to a control unit of the vehicle ( in this manner it is possible to increase the safety of the tyres , reduce the operating costs of the tyres and increase the duration of the tyres ) .

[0008] Prior Art

[0009] In recent years , there has been the emergence of the so-called "intelligent" tyres which are capable of playing an active role in modern vehicles by providing information on the type of tyres mounted, information on the state of the tyres and also information on the environmental conditions . An "intelligent" tyre , for example , is provided with an electronic device of TMS type which allows communicating information on the tyre remotely .

[0010] It has been proposed to insert an electronic device into a cup-shaped rubber support and then to attach ( for example , glue ) the rubber support to the innerliner of a vulcanised tyre ; namely, once the vulcanisation of the tyre has been completed, the rubber support containing the electronic device on its inside is attached ( for example , glued) inside the tyre and on top of the inner surface ( exposed to air ) of the innerliner .

[0011] In some cases , the producer of a tyre applies inside the tyre only the empty support (namely, intended to subsequently receive a respective electronic device ) . The application of an empty support inside a tyre is a simple operation i f performed manually by a human operator , but it becomes much more complex i f instead it has to be performed in an automated manner by a manipulator, as the empty support when compressed tends to collapse on itsel f and it is thus di f ficult to retrieve it by means of a robotised gripper and it is j ust as di f ficult to press it with suf ficient force against the inner surface of a tyre by means of the robotised gripper .

[0012] Patent application EP3835044A1 describes the j oining of a receiving body for an electronic device to an inner rubber layer of a vulcanised tyre by means of vulcanisation of a vulcanising agent arranged between a contact surface of the receiving body and the inner rubber layer of the vulcanised tyre .

[0013] Patent application US2019160895A1 describes a container structure configured to fix sensors to the tyres and to protect the sensors from the heat by means of the pass ing of air .

[0014] Description of the Invention

[0015] The obj ect of the present invention is to provide a method and a plant for the application of a support for an electronic device to a vulcanised tyre which allow automating all the operations in an ef ficient (namely, with reduced working times ) and ef fective (namely, with a very low number of scrapped parts due to faultiness ) manner and, simultaneously, are easy and cost-ef fective to implement .

[0016] According to the present invention, a method and a plant for the application of a support for an electronic device to a vulcanised tyre are provided, according to what established in the appended claims .

[0017] The claims describe preferred embodiments of the present invention forming integral part of the present description .

[0018] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings , which illustrate a non-limiting example embodiment thereof , wherein :

[0020] • Figure 1 is a schematic cross-section view of a vulcanised tyre provided with a housed electronic device ;

[0021] • Figures 2 and 3 are a perspective view and a section view, respectively, of a rubber support adapted to contain the electronic device of Figure 1 ;

[0022] • Figure 4 is a schematic view of a plant for the application of a support for an electronic device to a vulcanised tyre ;

[0023] • Figure 5 is a perspective view of a sti f fening element ;

[0024] • Figures 6 and 7 are a perspective view and a section view, respectively, of the rubber support of Figures 2 and 3 coupled to the sti f fening element of Figure 5 ; and

[0025] • Figures 8 and 9 are two perspective views of two di f ferent variations of the sti f fening element of Figure 5 .

[0026] Preferred Embodiments of the Invention In Figure 1 , reference numeral 1 indicates , as a whole , a tyre 1 compri sing a toroidal carcass ply 2 which is partially folded on itsel f and thus laterally has two flaps (namely, two layers overlapped on each other and commonly called " turn-up" ) . On the opposite sides of the carcass ply 2 , two annular beads 3 are arranged, each surrounded by the carcass ply 2 . The carcass ply 2 supports an annular tread 4 and a tread belt 5 arranged between the carcass 2 and the tread 4 . Inside the carcass ply 2 , an innerliner 6 is arranged which is airproof , constitutes an inner covering, and has the function of holding the air inside the tyre 1 so as to preserve the inflation pressure of the tyre 1 over time . The carcass ply 2 supports a pair of side walls 7 , each connecting a bead 3 to the tread 4 .

[0027] The tyre 1 is provided with an electronic device 8 which is capable of wirelessly (namely, by means of electromagnetic signals ) communicating information relative to the tyre 1 to an external ( to the tyre 1 ) control unit .

[0028] According to what is illustrated in Figure 1 , the electronic device 8 is arranged at the tread 4 and is preferably located, with a certain constructive tolerance , in the middle of the tread 4 (namely, the electronic device 8 is arranged, with a certain constructive tolerance , at the equatorial plane of the tyre 1 which divides the tyre 1 into two identical halves ) . In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 , the electronic device 8 comprises at least one sensor which is configured to measure a physical quantity concerning the operation of the tyre 1 and to transmit the measurement to the external control unit . Generally, the sensor of the electronic device 8 is configured to measure at least the inflation pressure of the tyre 1 (namely, the pressure which is inside the tyre 1 in the volume in which also the electronic device 8 is located) and could also be configured to even measure the temperature inside the tyre 1 (namely, the temperature which is inside the tyre 1 in the volume in which also the electronic device 8 is located) and the acceleration to which the tyre 1 is subj ect . This type of electronic device 8 is commercially called TMS (" Tire Moni tor System" or also " Tire Mounted Sensor" ) .

[0029] According to what is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 , a rubber support 9 is provided which is fixed to the innerliner 6 and houses on its inside the electronic device 8 ; namely, once the vulcanisation of the tyre 1 has been completed, inside the tyre 1 and on top of the inner surface ( exposed to air ) of the innerliner 6 , the empty rubber support 9 is attached ( for example , glued) , which is intended to contain on its inside the electronic device 8 which is inserted into the rubber support 9 in a second moment . In other words , the empty rubber support 9 is initially fixed inside the tyre 1 , whereas the electronic device 8 is inserted into the rubber support 9 only subsequently .

[0030] The rubber support 9 comprises a base 10 having a contact surface 11 which is attached ( for example , glued) to the innerliner 6 and a cup-shaped body 12 which proj ects from the base 10 and delimits a seat 13 in which the electronic device 8 is housed . Preferably, an opening 14 of the cup-shaped body 12 is narrower ( smaller ) than the seat 13 , as it is delimited by an annular edge , which is recessed towards the centre with respect to the seat 13 creating an undercut ; consequently, in order to insert the electronic device 8 inside the seat 13 passing through the opening 14 , it is necessary to elastically deform (widen ) the opening 14 by exerting a certain force and then, once the electronic device 8 has entered the seat 13 , the electronic device 8 is held in the seat 13 in a more ef fective manner .

[0031] The rubber support 9 can cons ist of one single monolithic component or it can consist of more components coupled to one another .

[0032] In Figure 4 , reference numeral 15 indicates , as a whole , a plant for the application of a support 9 for an electronic device 8 to a vulcanised tyre 1 .

[0033] The application plant 15 comprises a feeding conveyor 16 configured to feed in sequence the empty supports 9 (namely, without the electronic device 8 ) and a feeding conveyor 17 configured to feed in sequence the vulcanised tyres 1.

[0034] The application plant 15 comprises at least one reusable stiffening element 18 (better illustrated in Figure 5) made with a rigid material and shaped so as to be inserted into the seat 13 of the support 9 intended to house the electronic device 8; actually, the application plant 15 comprises a plurality of reusable stiffening elements 18 which are used in parallel for increasing the productivity.

[0035] The application plant 15 comprises an inserting device 19 which is coupled to the feeding conveyor 16 and is configured to insert a stiffening element 18 (better illustrated in Figure 5) into the seat 13 of each support 9 before the support 9 is retrieved from the feeding conveyor 16. By way of example, the inserting device 19 comprises a manipulator (robot arm) provided with a gripping head configured to grasp a stiffening element 18; the robot arm of the inserting device 19 retrieves a stiffening element 18 (for example, from a collection container of the stiffening elements 18) and inserts the stiffening element 18 into the seat 13 of a support 9 which is located in the feeding conveyor 16.

[0036] The application plant 15 comprises a manipulator 20 which is coupled to both feeding conveyors 16 and 17 and is provided with a gripping mechanism 21 configured to grasp and move a support 9 provided with a respective stiffening element 18. The manipulator 20 is configured to retrieve from the feeding conveyor 16 a support 9 provided with a respective stiffening element 18 (and thus without the electronic device 8) and to apply the support 9 provided with a respective stiffening element 18 (and thus without the electronic device 8) to an inner surface of a respective vulcanised tyre 1 carried by the feeding conveyor 17.

[0037] Finally, the application plant 15 comprises a removal device 22 configured to remove the stiffening element 18 from the seat 13 of the support 9 after having applied the support 9 to the inner surface of a vulcanised tyre 1; each stiffening element 18 removed from a support 9 fixed to the inner surface of a vulcanised tyre 1 is reused and then reinserted by the removal device 22 (or by another device connected to the removal device 22) into the collection container of the stiffening elements 18 from where the stiffening elements 18 are retrieved by the inserting device 19. By way of example, the removal device 22 comprises a manipulator (robot arm) provided with a gripping head configured to grasp a stiffening element 18; the robot arm of the removal device 22 extracts a stiffening element 18 from a support 9 fixed to the inner surface of a vulcanised tyre 1 and then releases the stiffening element 18 into the collection container of the stiffening elements 18. In the exempli fying embodiment illustrated in Figure 4 , the manipulator 20 is di f ferent from and independent of the inserting device 19 and the removal device 22 . Alternatively, the manipulator 20 could coincide with the inserting device 19 (namely, could also have the function of the inserting device 19 ) and / or could coincide with the removal device 22 (namely, could al so have the function of the removal device 22 ) .

[0038] Preferably, the gripping mechanism 21 grips the cupshaped body 12 of the support 9 for handling the support 9 ; the fact that the support 9 is provided with a sti f fening element 18 when it is engaged by the gripping mechanism 21 allows the gripping mechanism 21 to grip in a safe and precise manner the cup-shaped body 12 of the support 9 : when the cup-shaped body 12 of the support 9 is gripped, instead of collapsing (which would occur i f it were empty) , it maintains its shape (by effect of the presence of the sti f fening element 18 on its ins ide ) and thus can be easily gripped by the gripping mechanism 21 .

[0039] According to what is illustrated in Figure 5 , each sti f fening element 18 comprises a main body 23 having two bases 24 and 25 parallel to each other and a side wall 26 which is perpendicular to the two bases 24 and 25 and connects the two bases 24 and 25 to each other . Furthermore , each sti f fening element 18 comprises four protuberances 27 , each projecting outwards from the side wall 26; in particular, the four protuberances 27 are distinct and separate from one another, project outwards from the side wall 26 and are opposite one another two by two (namely, are arranged in a cross-like manner) .

[0040] According to a preferred embodiment, each stiffening element 18 is sized for having a maximum outer size which is less than approximately 2 mm per part with respect to an inner size of the seat 13 of a support 9; namely, between a stiffening element 18 and the seat 13 of a support 9, a free space of approximately 2 mm should remain (in other words, at the protuberances 27 the free space is approximately 2 mm, whereas between the protuberances 27 the free space is much wider) .

[0041] According to a different embodiment not illustrated, each stiffening element 18 comprises only two protuberances 27 which are distinct and separate from each other, project outwards from the side wall 26, and are arranged opposite to each other.

[0042] According to a further embodiment not illustrated, each stiffening element 18 comprises one single protuberance 27 which has an annular shape and seamlessly surrounds the entire side wall 26 of the main body 23.

[0043] According to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, each protuberance 27 has a height, measured perpendicularly to the two bases 24 and 25, which is smaller than a height of the side wall 26; namely, each protuberance 27 is shorter than the side wall 26 of the main body 23. Furthermore, each protuberance 27 has, at its longitudinally opposite ends, two bevels, which progressively reduce the size of the protuberance 27 until it becomes zero; preferably, each bevel forms an angle of 45° with the side wall 26 of the main body 23.

[0044] In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the protuberances 27 are fixed, namely are integral with the main body 23, and form with the main body 23 a single and monolithic body.

[0045] According to an alternative embodiment, at least one protuberance 27 is movable between an extracted position, in which it projects from the side wall 26 to a greater extent, and a contracted position, in which it projects from the side wall 26 to a smaller extent (or does not project at all) . In this embodiment, before inserting a stiffening element 18 into the seat 13 of the support 9 and before extracting a stiffening element 18 from the seat 13 of the support 9, the protuberances 27 are arranged in the contracted position so as to minimise the volume of the stiffening element 18 and thus facilitate the entry of the stiffening element 18 in the seat 13 of the support 9 and facilitate the exit of the stiffening element 18 from the 18 is located in the seat 13 of the support 9 , the protuberances 27 are arranged in the extracted position so as to maximise the volume of the sti f fening element 18 and thus maximise the filling of the seat 13 of the support 9 .

[0046] When the protuberances 27 are movable , each sti f fening element 18 comprises an actuator device , which can be activated to move each protuberance 27 between the extracted position and the contracted position . By way of example , each protuberance 27 could be inflatable to move towards the extracted position and deflatable to move towards the contracted position .

[0047] Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a support 9 coupled to a sti f fening element 18 .

[0048] According to a preferred embodiment illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 , the upper base 24 of each sti ffening element 18 is provided with a gripping member 28 configured to allow the sti f fening element 18 to be gripped .

[0049] In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 8 , the gripping member 28 is of the magnetic type and comprises at least one metal insert 29 , which can consist of a ferromagnetic body or a permanent magnet ; in particular, the gripping member 28 comprises two metal inserts 29 arranged next to each other and each can be a ferromagnetic body or a permanent magnet . By way of example , the two inserts 29 could consist of a ferromagnetic body and a permanent magnet or could consist of two permanent magnets possibly arranged with the polarities inverted .

[0050] In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 9 , the gripping member 28 is of the mechanical type and proj ects from the upper base 24 for providing a gripping point ; in particular, the gripping member 28 comprises at least one screw 30 (without head) at least partially screwed into a threaded hole , which opens through the upper base 24 .

[0051] In other words , each sti f fening element 18 is made of a rigid material (normally metal or plastic ) and is designed with shape and s i zes compatible for the insertion into a seat 13 of the support 9 . The inserting device 19 retrieves a sti f fening element 18 and positions it inside the seat 13 of a support 9 . Once the sti f fening element 18 has been assembled with the seat 13 of the support 9 , the manipulator 20 retrieves the support 9 for starting the application process to the inner surface of a vulcanised tyre 1 and such application process provides for applying glue ( typically on the contact surface 11 of the support 9 ) , resting the contact surface 11 of the support 9 on the inner surface of the vulcanised tyre 1 , and finally pressing with force ( and maintaining the pressure for a certain period of time , for example equal to 5- 10 seconds ) the contact surface 11 of the support 9 against the inner surface of the vulcanised tyre 1. At the end of the application process, the manipulator 20 releases the support 9 and moves away, whereas the removal device 22 retrieves the stiffening element 18 from the seat 13 of the support 9 which thereby returns to be empty (and thus ready to receive a respective electronic device 8) .

[0052] The embodiments described herein can be combined with one another without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] The application method described above has numerous advantages .

[0054] Firstly, the application method 1 described above allows automating all the operations of the application process of a support 9 to the inner surface of a vulcanised tyre 1 in an efficient (namely, with reduced working times) and effective (namely, with a very low number of scrapped parts due to faultiness) manner.

[0055] This result is obtained thanks to the fact that, while it is very difficult to handle an empty support 9 which tends to collapse on itself when it is gripped or pushed, it is very easy to handle a full support 9 (namely, coupled to a stiffening element 18) , as a full support 9 is substantially rigid (namely, is stiffened by the presence of the stiffening element 18) and can thus be easily gripped and pushed. Namely, the presence of the stiffening element 18 in the seat 13 of the support 9 is functional to the correct application to a vulcanised tyre 1, as it operates as a rigid body during the gripping and pressure operations.

[0056] In fact, the preferred manner for grasping the support 9 is to grip it with a gripper around the cup-shaped body 12 (leaving the base 10 free at the contact surface 11) , thus the presence of the rigid stiffening element 18 inside the seat 13 of the cup-shaped body 12 (which is in itself deformable) allows a safe and precise grip of the support 9. A safe and precise grip of the support 9 is further indispensable for allowing pressing with force the support 9 against the inner surface of the vulcanised tyre 1 so as to favour the optimal adhesion of the glue; in the absence of the stiffening element 18 inside the seat 13 of the cupshaped body 12 (namely, with the support 9 empty) it is extremely complex to guarantee the necessary compression of the support 9 against the inner surface of the vulcanised tyre 1. Namely, the presence of the stiffening element 18 allows transferring in a simple and safe manner the pressure exerted by the manipulator 20 to the contact surface 11 of the support 9.

[0057] The application method 1 described above is particularly simple and cost-effective to implement, as the stiffening elements 18 (of which it is sufficient to have few units available) are easy to manufacture at very low costs, for example, by using a three-dimensional printer. The shape of the stiffening element 18 allows the stiffening element 18 to enter / exit into / from the seat 13 of the support 9 in a relatively (sufficiently) easy manner (especially without the risk that the extraction of the stiffening element 18 tears the support 9 from the inner surface of the vulcanised tyre 1) and simultaneously allows the stiffening element 18 to fill (stiffen) the support 9 in a suitable manner. For such purpose, the protuberances 27 of the stiffening element 18 allow giving the stiffening element 18 a suitable volume without anyway filling in an exceeding manner the seat 13 of the support 9.

[0058] In particular, the bevels in both axial directions of the protuberances facilitate both the insertion of the stiffening element 18 into the seat 13 of the support 9, and the removal of the stiffening element 18 from the seat 13 of the support 9.

[0059] LIST OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS OF THE FIGURES

[0060] 1 tyre

[0061] 2 carcass ply

[0062] 3 beads

[0063] 4 tread

[0064] 5 tread belt

[0065] 6 innerliner

[0066] 7 side walls

[0067] 8 electronic device support base contact surface cup-shaped body seat opening application plant feeding conveyor feeding conveyor sti f fening element inserting device manipulator gripping mechanism removal device main body upper base lower base side wall protuberance gripping member insert screw

Claims

CLAIMS1) A method for the application of a support (9) for an electronic device (8) to a vulcanised tyre (1) and comprising the steps of: retrieving the support (9) without the electronic device (8) by engaging the support (9) with a gripping mechanism (21) ; and applying the support (9) without the electronic device (8) to an inner surface of the vulcanised tyre (1) ; the application method is characterized in that it comprises the further steps of: inserting a reusable stiffening element (18) into a seat (13) of the support (9) intended to house the electronic device (8) before retrieving the support (9) ; and removing the stiffening element (18) from the seat (13) of the support (9) after having applied the support (9) to the inner surface of the vulcanised tyre (1) .2) The application method according to claim 1, wherein the support (9) comprises a base (10) , which is fixed to the inner surface of the tyre (1) , and a cup-shaped body (12) , which projects from the base (10) and delimits a seat (13) shaped so as to house the electronic device (8) and so as to house, alternatively, the stiffening element (18) .3) The application method according to claim 2, wherein an opening (14) of the cup-shaped body (12) is narrower thanthe seat (13) , as it is delimited by an annular edge, which is recessed towards the centre with respect to the seat (13) creating an undercut.4) The application method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the gripping mechanism (21) grips the cup-shaped body (12) of the support (9) in order to handle the support (9) .5) The application method according to one of the claims from 1 to 4, wherein the stiffening element (18) comprises: a main body (23) having two bases (24, 25) parallel to each other and a side wall (26) , which is perpendicular to the two bases (24, 25) and connects the two bases (24, 25) to each other; and at least one protuberance (27) , which projects outwards from the side wall (26) .6) The application method according to claim 5, wherein the stiffening element (18) comprises at least two protuberances (27) , which are distinct and separate from each other, project outwards from the side wall (26) and are opposite each other.7) The application method according to claim 6, wherein the stiffening element (18) comprises four protuberances (27) , which are opposite one another two by two and, hence, are arranged in a cross-like manner.8) The application method according to claim 5, whereinthe protuberance (27) has an annular shape and seamlessly surrounds the entire side wall (26) of the main body (23) .9) The application method according to one of the claims from 5 to 8, wherein the protuberance (27) has a height, measured perpendicularly to the two bases (24, 25) , which is smaller than a height of the side wall (26) .10) The application method according to one of the claims from 5 to 9, wherein the protuberance (27) has, at its longitudinally opposite ends, two bevels, which progressively reduce the size of the protuberance (27) until it becomes zero.11) The application method according to claim 10, wherein each bevel forms an angle of 45° with the side wall (26) of the main body (23) .12) The application method according to one of the claims from 5 to 11, wherein the protuberance (27) is movable between an extracted position, in which it projects from the side wall (26) to a greater extent, and a contracted position, in which it projects from the side wall (26) to a smaller extent.13) The application method according to claim 12, wherein the stiffening element (18) comprises an actuator device, which can be activated to move the protuberance (27) between the extracted position and the contracted position.14) The application method according to claim 12 or 13,wherein the protuberance (27) is inflatable to move towards the extracted position and deflatable to move towards the contracted position.15) The application method according to one of the claims from 1 to 14, wherein the stiffening element (18) comprises an upper base (24) provided with a gripping member(28) configured to allow the stiffening element (18) to be gripped .16) The application method according to claim 15, wherein the gripping member (28) is of the magnetic type and comprises at least one metal insert (29) , which can consist of a ferromagnetic body or a permanent magnet.17) The application method according to claim 16, wherein the gripping member (28) comprises two metal inserts(29) arranged next to each other and each can be a ferromagnetic body or a permanent magnet.18) The application method according to claim 15, wherein the gripping member (28) is of the mechanical type and projects from the upper base (24) .19) The application method according to claim 18, wherein the gripping member (28) comprises at least one screw(30) at least partially screwed into a threaded hole, which opens through the upper base (24) .20) A plant for the application of a support (9) for an electronic device (8) to a vulcanised tyre (1) and comprisinga manipulator (20) provided with a gripping mechanism (21) and configured to retrieve the support (9) without the electronic device (8) and to apply the support (9) without the electronic device (8) to an inner surface of the vulcanised tyre (1) ; the application plant is characterized in that it comprises : a reusable stiffening element (18) shaped to be inserted into a seat (13) of the support (9) intended to house the electronic device (8) ; an inserting device (19) configured to insert the stiffening element (18) into the seat (13) of the support (9) before retrieving the support (9) ; and a removal device (22) configured to remove the stiffening element (18) from the seat (13) of the support(9) after having applied the support (9) to the inner surface of the vulcanised tyre (1) .

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