Flexible Printed Circuit Board for Compact Tyre Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tyre sensor devices face challenges in achieving compactness and balance due to the need for multiple electronics components, which complicates their integration into vehicle tyres without unbalancing them during rotation.
Innovation Solution
A tyre sensor device utilizing a flexible printed circuit board that can be folded into an 'S' or 'Z' shape to accommodate a high number of electronic components within a minimal space, connected to the tyre's inner liner via a rubber housing, allowing for accurate parameter estimation and communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple electronic components are provided to achieve complex sensor functionality, then measurement precision and information quality improve, but device volume and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple electronic components (sensors, processing units, memory, communication modules) are integrated onto a single flexible printed circuit board (FPC), consolidating what would traditionally be separate discrete components into one unified substrate. This merging approach maintains full sensor functionality while dramatically reducing overall device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible printed circuit board as the foundational substrate, allowing the entire electronics assembly to be thin, adaptable, and space-efficient. The FPC can be folded or bent to fit within the constrained tyre environment while supporting all necessary electronic components for accurate parameter measurement.
2Measurement precision
If multiple electronic components are provided to achieve complex sensor functionality, then measurement precision and information quality improve, but device weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
Consolidating multiple components onto a single FPC reduces redundant mounting hardware, connectors, and housing structures, thereby minimizing overall weight while preserving all sensing and processing capabilities needed for accurate tyre parameter measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed circuit board substrate is inherently lightweight compared to rigid PCB alternatives, and its thin-film construction minimizes material usage while supporting all necessary electronics for high-precision measurement.
3Stability of the object's composition
If device dimensions are reduced to maintain tyre balance, then tyre unbalance decreases, but space for electronic components is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible printed circuit board enables extreme space efficiency by folding and layering electronic components within a minimal footprint. This thin-film approach allows the sensor device to be sized according to tyre balance requirements rather than component requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The FPC utilizes three-dimensional folding and layering to pack numerous components into a compact volume, effectively transforming a two-dimensional layout problem into a three-dimensional space-efficient configuration that fits within tight dimensional constraints.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a compact sensor device is created to maintain tyre balance, then tyre unbalance is minimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Integrating all electronic components onto a single flexible printed circuit board simplifies the overall device architecture by eliminating the need for multiple separate housings, mounting structures, and interconnections. The FPC itself becomes the structural framework, reducing assembly complexity despite the high component count.
Data Source
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AI summary
A tyre sensor device (100) comprising a connecting element (210) for connecting the tyre sensor device to a vehicle tyre, and a tyre sensor device electronics assembly (230) housed in the connecting element, wherein the tyre sensor device electronics assembly comprises a flexible printed circuit board (510) being foldable and comprising at least two printed circuit board portions (705,710,715) each having two surfaces, the at least two printed circuit board portions being suitable for the placement, on at least one surface thereof, of electronic components of the tyre sensor device, wherein said electronic components comprise at least one sensor (1125) for sensing at least one tyre parameter, said printed circuit board (510) being folded so that the tyre sensor device electronics assembly can be inserted in the connecting element with the at least two printed circuit board portions being essentially planar.