Tire Sensor Retaining Cup for Stable Tread Wear Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire sensor systems face issues with maintaining electrical contact and reducing relative movement between electronic tread wear sensors and TPMS sensors, leading to abrasion and reduced conductivity due to insufficient compression and flexibility in the flexible container.
Innovation Solution
A sensor retaining system that includes a reinforcing cup to maintain electrical contact between the tread wear sensor and the TPMS sensor, using a cup with a base and sidewall to form a cavity that secures the sensor unit and tread wear sensor, providing mechanical compression and reducing relative movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flexible container is used to mount the TPMS sensor, then the sensor can withstand the dynamic environment of the tire, but the container does not provide sufficient compression to maintain electrical contact between the tread wear sensor and TPMS sensor
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is divided into two functional segments: a flexible container that provides environmental protection and a rigid cup that provides compression. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specialized function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution combines flexible material (container) with rigid material (cup) to create a composite mounting structure. The rigid cup embedded in the flexible container provides both the necessary compression force and the flexibility to withstand dynamic tire environment.
2Reliability
If the flexible container is used to mount the TPMS sensor, then the sensor can be installed, but relative movement between the tread wear sensor and TPMS sensor causes abrasion of electrical contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is divided into two functional segments: a flexible container that provides environmental protection and a rigid cup that provides compression. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specialized function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid cup changes the mechanical parameters of the mounting structure by providing fixed geometric constraints and compression force, transforming the flexible container into a stable mounting platform that prevents sensor movement.
3Reliability
If a rigid cup structure is added to provide compression, then electrical contact is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solution uses a flexible container as the primary mounting structure, which is then modified by embedding a rigid cup. This approach maintains the simplicity of the flexible container while adding only the minimum necessary rigid structure to provide compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid cup is nested within the flexible container, with the cup serving as an internal reinforcement element. This nesting arrangement provides the compression function within the existing flexible container structure, minimizing overall complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor retaining system for a vehicle tire is provided. The tire includes a pair of sidewalls extending from a respective bead area to a tread, which is formed with a plurality of tread elements. A sensor unit is mounted to the tire and includes a pair of electrical contacts. A tread wear sensor extends into one of the tread elements and includes a wire. The wire includes proximal ends, each one of which contacts a sensor unit electrical contact to create an electrical circuit. A flexible container is mounted to an innerliner of the tire. A cup includes a base and a sidewall that cooperate to form a cavity, and a bottom of the tread wear sensor and the sensor unit are received in the cavity. The cup maintains a connection between the electrical contacts and the wire proximal ends, and is disposed in the flexible container.