JP7699532B2 - tire - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tire.

Conventionally, an RFID tag is embedded inside a tire, and information is stored in the RFID tag and the stored information is read by wireless communication. Various configurations have also been proposed for the mounting position of the RFID. For example, in Patent Document 1, an RFID is provided on the inner side of the tire belt portion in the tire radial direction and on the outer side in the tire width direction.

This technology is for rubber tires, as described in Patent Document 1, and for tires whose tire frame members are made of resin material, the location of the RFID tag must be considered.

JP 2019-018717 A

The present invention aims to easily attach an RFID tag to a tire whose tire frame members are made of a resin material.

The tire according to the first aspect has a tire frame member having a bead portion in which a bead core is embedded in a bead filler portion made of a resin material, and side portions each made of the resin material and connected to the outside of the bead portion in the tire radial direction, and an RFID tag provided in the bead filler portion.

In the tire according to the first aspect, the RFID tag is provided in the bead filler portion made of resin material, which makes it easier to attach the RFID during manufacturing compared to when the RFID is provided in the rubber portion. Therefore, the RFID can be easily attached to a tire whose tire frame members are made of resin material.

In a tire according to a second aspect, the RFID tag is disposed in a thick portion of the bead filler portion in the tire width direction.

In the tire according to the second aspect, an RFID tag is disposed in a thick portion of the bead filler portion in the tire width direction. The thick portion of the bead filler portion in the tire width direction is relatively resistant to deformation during running, and damage to the RFID tag can be suppressed.

In the tire according to the third aspect, the RFID tag is disposed on the inner circumference of the bead filler portion in the tire width direction.

In the tire according to the third aspect, an RFID tag is disposed on the inner circumference of the bead filler portion in the tire width direction. The inner circumference of the bead filler portion in the tire width direction is relatively less likely to deform during running compared to the outer circumference, and damage to the RFID tag can be suppressed.

In the tire according to the first aspect , the RFID tag has a resin coating portion in which a main chip and an antenna are embedded, and the resin coating portion is made of the same resin material as the resin material that forms the bead filler portion.

In the tire according to the fourth aspect, the resin coating of the RFID tag and the resin material of the bead filler can be easily integrated by melting or the like.

The tire according to the present invention allows RFID tags to be easily attached to tires whose tire frame members are made of resin material.

1 is a half cross-sectional view showing a tire according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a side view of an RFID tag provided in a tire of this embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a tire according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a half cross-sectional view showing a tire according to a modified example of the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a half cross-sectional view showing a tire according to another modified example of the present embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the direction of the arrow R indicates the tire radial direction, and the direction of the arrow W indicates the tire width direction. The tire radial direction means a direction perpendicular to the tire rotation axis (not shown). The tire width direction means a direction parallel to the tire rotation axis. The tire width direction can also be referred to as the tire axial direction.

The method for measuring the dimensions of each part is based on the method described in the 2021 Edition Year Book published by JATMA (Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association). If TRA or ETRTO standards are applicable in the place of use or manufacture, follow the respective standards.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tire 10 according to this embodiment has a tire frame member 12. This tire frame member 12 has a bead portion 16 in which a bead core 14 is embedded in a bead filler portion 17 made of a resin material, and side portions 18 made of a resin material and connected to the outside of the bead portion 16 in the tire radial direction. The side portions 18 on both sides in the tire width direction are connected by a crown portion 22.

The resin materials constituting the tire frame member 12 include thermoplastic resins (including thermoplastic elastomers), thermosetting resins, and other general-purpose resins, as well as engineering plastics (including super engineering plastics). The resin materials in this case do not include vulcanized rubber.

Thermoplastic resins (including thermoplastic elastomers) are polymeric compounds that soften and flow with increasing temperature and become relatively hard and strong when cooled. In this specification, polymeric compounds that soften and flow with increasing temperature and become relatively hard and strong when cooled and have rubber-like elasticity are defined as thermoplastic elastomers, and polymeric compounds that soften and flow with increasing temperature and become relatively hard and strong when cooled and do not have rubber-like elasticity are defined as non-elastomeric thermoplastic resins.

Thermoplastic resins (including thermoplastic elastomers) include polyolefin thermoplastic elastomers (TPO), polystyrene thermoplastic elastomers (TPS), polyamide thermoplastic elastomers (TPA), polyurethane thermoplastic elastomers (TPU), polyester thermoplastic elastomers (TPC), and dynamically crosslinked thermoplastic elastomers (TPV), as well as polyolefin thermoplastic resins, polystyrene thermoplastic resins, polyamide thermoplastic resins, and polyester thermoplastic resins.

The above thermoplastic materials may have a deflection temperature under load (at a load of 0.45 MPa) of 78°C or more as specified in ISO 75-2 or ASTM D648, a tensile yield strength of 10 MPa or more as specified in JIS K7113, a tensile elongation at break of 50% or more as specified in JIS K7113, and a Vicat softening temperature (method A) of 130°C as specified in JIS K7206.

Thermosetting resins are polymeric compounds that form a three-dimensional network structure and harden as the temperature rises. Examples of thermosetting resins include phenolic resins, epoxy resins, melamine resins, and urea resins.

In addition to the thermoplastic resins (including thermoplastic elastomers) and thermosetting resins already described, general-purpose resins such as (meth)acrylic resins, EVA resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, fluorine-based resins, and silicone-based resins may also be used as the resin material.

The tire frame member 12 formed using a thermoplastic resin can be molded by a manufacturing method such as vacuum molding, compressed air molding, injection molding, melt casting, etc. Compared to molding and vulcanizing rubber, the manufacturing process can be greatly simplified and the molding time can be shortened.

The tire frame member 12 may be made of a single thermoplastic resin, or may be made by combining thermoplastic resins having different characteristics for each part of the tire frame member 12 (side portion 18, crown portion 22, bead portion 16, etc.) in the same manner as in conventional pneumatic tires made of rubber. The tire frame member 12 may also be made by joining tire halves (not shown) in which one bead portion 16, one side portion 18, and a half-width crown half portion (not shown) are integrally molded at the tire equatorial plane CL.

The bead cord used in the bead core 14 may be a monofilament (single wire) of metal fiber or organic fiber, or a multifilament (twisted wire) of twisted metal fiber or organic fiber. The metal fiber may be steel fiber, and the organic fiber may be aromatic polyamide fiber or aliphatic polyamide fiber. Note that the metal fiber and organic fiber are not limited to the above-mentioned fibers. In this embodiment, a steel monofilament is used as the bead cord.

When the bead core 14 is made of a thermoplastic material, the thermoplastic material is preferably an olefin-based, ester-based, amide-based, or urethane-based TPE, or a TPV partially kneaded with a rubber-based resin. For example, it is preferable that these thermoplastic materials have a load deflection temperature (at a load of 0.45 MPa) of 75°C or higher as specified in ISO 75-2 or ASTM D648, a tensile yield elongation of 10% or higher as specified in JIS K7113, a tensile break elongation of 50% or higher as specified in JIS K7113, and a Vicat softening temperature (method A) of 130°C or higher as specified in JIS K7113.

In this embodiment, the bead cords are arranged in three rows in the tire width direction and three rows in the tire radial direction in the bead core 14. The bead core 14 has a substantially square shape in cross section in the tire width direction.

The bead portion 16 is formed by embedding the bead core 14 in the bead filler portion 17. The bead filler portion 17 is formed integrally with the side portion 18 using the same resin material as the side portion 18. The bead filler portion 17 (bead portion 16) has an inclined portion 17A whose cross section is inclined so that it gradually becomes thicker from the tire radial inner side of the side portion 18 toward the tire radial inner side, and a thick portion 17B whose thick shape is approximately the same and continues from the tire radial inner side of the inclined portion 17A. The inclined portion 17A is inclined outward in the tire width direction toward the tire radial outer side. In this embodiment, the bead filler portion 17 is formed from the tire radial inner end of the inclined portion 17A to the tire radial outer side.

To reinforce the tire frame member 12, a carcass 24 is provided along the tire frame member 12. The carcass 24 has a main body portion 24A and a folded portion 24B. The main body portion 24A is provided along the outer side of the tire of the bead portion 16, the side portion 18, and the crown portion 22 of the tire frame member 12. The end portion of the main body portion 24A on the tire equatorial plane CL side is overlapped in the tire radial direction at the tire equatorial plane CL by a width of, for example, 20 mm in the tire width direction. The folded portion 24B is folded back around the bead core 14 from the outer side of the tire to the inner side of the tire. The tip of the folded portion 24B of the carcass 24 is located, for example, on the side portion 18 side (outer side in the tire radial direction) than the thick portion 17B.

A belt layer 26 is provided on the tire radial outer side of the carcass 24 in the crown portion 22 of the tire frame member 12. The cords 28 are made of a material such as metal that is more rigid than the resin material that forms the tire frame member 12. In this embodiment, the cords 28 are made of steel cords made of twisted steel fibers. In the belt layer 26, the resin material 30 of the resin-coated cords 32 adjacent to each other in the tire width direction are joined to each other.

The belt layer 26 is formed by winding a resin-coated cord 32, which is a cord 28 coated with a resin material 30, in a spiral shape in the tire circumferential direction, and is bonded or welded to the carcass 24. The belt layer 26 may be formed only of the cord 28, or may be in the form of a sheet in which the cord 28 is coated with the same type of thermoplastic resin as the tire frame member 12.

A layer 34 for reinforcing the belt end is provided on the tire radial outside of the tire width direction outer end of the belt layer 26. As the fiber cord used in this layer 34, for example, an organic fiber cord such as aliphatic polyamide, polyester, aromatic polyamide, etc. can be used. In addition, a steel cord can also be used as this fiber cord, and a known layer material used in general pneumatic tires can be used. The fiber cord of the layer 34 is covered with rubber or resin. The layer 34 may include a plurality of fiber cords, but may also be composed of a sheet-like member of a resin material alone or rubber alone without including fibers. The bending rigidity of the layer 34 is preferably equal to or less than the bending rigidity of the belt layer 26 so that the layer 34 follows the deformation of the tread 36 described later.

A tread 36, which is a rubber layer, is disposed on the tire radially outer side of the crown portion 22 of the tire frame member 12. The tread 36 is disposed mainly along the crown portion 22 of the tire frame member 12 and constitutes the tire tread, which is the ground contact portion of the tire 10. The tread 36 is layered on the tire frame member 12 via the belt layer 26.

The tread 36 is made of rubber that has better abrasion resistance than the thermoplastic resin that forms the tire frame member 12. The rubber used for the tread 36 can be the same type of rubber used in conventional rubber pneumatic tires.

A side rubber layer 38 is provided on the outer side of the carcass 24 in the tire width direction along the side portion 18. A rubber layer 40 is also provided around the bead portion 16.

The position where the thickness of the bead filler portion 17 begins to decrease (the radially inner end of the inclined portion 17A) is radially outward of the radially outer end of the rim flange 44 of the rim 42 to which the bead portion 16 is attached.

An RFID tag 50A is provided on the inner circumference in the tire width direction of the thick portion 17B of the bead filler portion 17. As shown in FIG. 2(A) and FIG. 2(B), the RFID tag 50A includes a main body chip 52 and an antenna 54. The main body chip 52 includes a processor including a CPU or MPU, and a memory capable of storing various information. The antenna 54 extends from the main body chip 52 to one side and the other side.

The main chip 52 and antenna 54 are embedded in a resin coating 56 made of a resin material. The resin material forming the resin coating 56 is preferably the same type of material as the resin material forming the bead filler section 17. The main chip 52 may be embedded in the resin coating 56 by sandwiching it between a film, or the thickness of the resin coating 56 may be absorbed by the thickness of the main chip 52. As shown in FIG. 2(B), the RFID tag 50A has flexibility in the thickness direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the RFID tag 50A is arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the antenna 54 extends along the tire circumferential direction. In this way, by arranging the longitudinal direction of the RFID tag 50 along the tire circumferential direction, it is possible to prevent the antenna 54 from being pulled in response to deformation of the tire frame member 12 during running and becoming detached from the main chip 52, compared to a configuration in which the longitudinal direction is arranged along the tire radial direction.

(effect)
Next, the operation and effects of the pneumatic tire 10 of the present embodiment will be described.

In the tire 10 according to this embodiment, the RFID tag 50A is provided in the bead filler portion 17 made of resin material, so the RFID can be attached more easily during manufacturing than when the RFID is provided in the rubber portion. In particular, by embedding the main chip 52 and antenna 54 of the RFID tag 50A in the resin coating portion 56 as in this embodiment, it is easy to join the bead filler portion 17 made of resin material.

In addition, in this embodiment, the RFID tag 50A is disposed on the inner circumference in the tire width direction of the thick portion 17B of the bead filler portion 17. Since the thick portion 17B is relatively resistant to deformation during driving, damage to the RFID tag 50A can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the RFID tag 50A is disposed on the inner circumference of the thick portion 17B of the bead filler portion 17 in the tire width direction, but this position is not necessary. As shown in FIG. 4, an RFID tag 50B having the same configuration as the RFID tag 50A may be disposed on the outer circumference of the thick portion 17B in the tire width direction.

Also, as shown in FIG. 5, an RFID tag 50C having the same configuration as the RFID tag 50A may be placed on the inclined portion 17A of the bead filler portion 17. Since the inclined portion 17A is separated from the bead core 14, if the bead core is made of metal, it is possible to keep a distance from the RFID tag 50C, thereby suppressing interference during communication.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10: tire, 12: tire frame member, 14: bead core, 16: bead portion, 17: bead filler portion, 17B: thick portion, 50A, 50B, 50C: RFID tag, 52: main body chip, 54: antenna, 56: resin coating layer (resin coating portion)

Claims (3)

a tire frame member including a bead portion having a bead core embedded in a bead filler portion made of a resin material, and side portions each made of the resin material and connected to an outer side of the bead portion in a radial direction of the tire;
An RFID tag provided in the bead filler portion;
having
the RFID tag has a resin coating portion in which a main chip and an antenna are embedded, and a resin material forming the resin coating portion is the same type of material as a resin material forming the bead filler portion;
tire. The tire according to claim 1 , wherein the RFID tag is disposed in a thick portion of the bead filler portion in a tire width direction. The tire according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the RFID tag is disposed on the inner circumference of the bead filler portion in the tire width direction.