Heavy-Duty Tire Sidewall RFID Placement for Strain Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Heavy duty tires face the challenge of RFID tag damage due to increased strain caused by the tag's presence, especially under varying load conditions.

Innovation Solution

The heavy duty tire design incorporates an RFID tag placement strategy that positions the tag away from high-strain areas, such as the bead portion and maximum width position, ensuring minimal interference with the tire's structural integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the RFID tag is placed in the bead portion, then the tag is protected from damage due to less movement, but strain is increased due to the presence of the foreign matter

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveRFID tag protectionVSAvoidtire strength

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The RFID tag is extracted from the bead portion and relocated to the sidewall portion, removing the foreign matter from the high-strain area while maintaining tag protection through alternative positioning in a lower-strain region

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Loss of information

If the RFID tag is placed at a position sensitive to load action, then good communication environment is achieved, but strain is increased even under light load

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication environmentVSAvoidstrain resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The sidewall portion is selected as the optimal location because it exhibits different mechanical characteristics compared to the bead portion - specifically, it experiences lower strain under light load conditions while still providing adequate signal transmission properties for RFID communication

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If the RFID tag is incorporated into the tire, then tire management data can be tracked, but the presence of the tag decreases tire durability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetire management capabilityVSAvoidtire durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The sidewall portion serves as an intermediary location that balances the conflicting requirements - it provides sufficient structural integrity to minimize strain on the tag (preserving durability) while still allowing adequate radio wave penetration for communication (maintaining functionality)

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4296091B1Heavy duty tire

Publication Date: 2025.04.23 SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD

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AI summary

A tire 2 includes a pair of chafers 8 and a tag member 26. The chafer 8 comes into contact with a rim R. The tag member 26 includes an RFID tag 54. The rim R is a normal rim, and a state where the tire 2 is fitted on the rim R and an internal pressure of the tire 2 is adjusted to a normal internal pressure is a normal state. A state where a load equal to 50% of a normal load is applied to the tire 2 in the normal state and the tire 2 is brought into contact with a flat surface FS is a standard ground-contact state. In the standard ground-contact state, the RFID tag 54 is located between an axially outer end PRa of the rim R and a maximum width position PWs of the tire 2 in an axial direction, and is located between a radially outer end PRr of the rim R and the maximum width position PWs of the tire 2 in a radial direction.