Tire Sensor Housing Attachment With Adhesive Buffer Layer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional attachment structures for functional components on tires face issues such as high weight due to the patch member, increased production costs, and inadequate adhesive strength, leading to potential detachment or damage of the housing and electronic components during tire deformation.

Innovation Solution

An attachment structure that secures a functional component to the inner surface of a tire using a sufficient thickness of adhesive agent, ensuring improved adhesive strength by employing a housing with convex parts and a tubular skirt that expands towards the tire's inner surface, thereby distributing the adhesive agent effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the housing is bonded directly to the inner surface of the tire using an adhesive agent, then the production cost is reduced by eliminating the patch member, but the adhesive strength is insufficient causing the housing to come off, crack, or damage electronic components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction costVSAvoidadhesive strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a buffer layer as an intermediary substance between the housing and the tire inner surface. This buffer layer serves as a mediator that not only provides adhesive bonding but also acts as a cushion to absorb deformation forces, preventing the housing from cracking or detaching while maintaining cost-effectiveness by eliminating the patch member.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by incorporating a buffer layer that anticipates and absorbs the deformation forces that occur during tire use. This cushioning layer is positioned in advance between the housing and the tire surface to prevent damage before it occurs, addressing the reliability issue while maintaining the cost benefit of direct bonding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Reliability

If the adhesive agent thickness is increased to prevent housing detachment and cracking, then the adhesive strength is improved, but the weight and production cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadhesive strengthVSAvoidfunctional component weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of the adhesive agent by using a buffer layer with specific material properties that provide high adhesive strength and cushioning effects. This allows achieving the required reliability without increasing the thickness or quantity of adhesive material, thereby avoiding increased weight and production costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite materials by combining the housing, buffer layer, and adhesive agent into an integrated system. The buffer layer acts as a composite element that provides both structural support and adhesive bonding with cushioning properties, achieving high reliability without requiring excessive adhesive thickness that would increase weight and cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If the patch member is used to attach the housing, then the adhesive strength is sufficient, but the weight and production cost increase due to the additional component

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadhesive strengthVSAvoidfunctional component structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the taking out principle by removing the patch member from the functional component structure. Instead of using a separate patch member for attachment, the housing is directly bonded to the tire inner surface using an adhesive agent with buffer layer, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining adequate adhesive strength and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the attachment function into the adhesive agent system itself, combining the bonding and cushioning functions into a single integrated solution. This eliminates the need for a separate patch member, reducing device complexity while maintaining the necessary adhesive strength through the buffer layer design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3831623B1Functional component, structure for attaching functional component to tire, and tire
Publication Date: 2025.02.19 BRIDGESTONE CORP
  • EP3831623B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3831623B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3C
  • EP3831623B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~5

AI summary

A functional component in which an electronic component capable of acquiring information inside a tire is housed and which is attachable to an inner peripheral surface of the tire, the functional component including a housing having a housing part for the electronic component and a bottom surface facing the inner peripheral surface of the tire, and a tubular part extending from a peripheral edge of the bottom surface toward the inner peripheral surface.