Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C23/00—Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
  • B60C23/02—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure
  • B60C23/04—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre
  • B60C23/0491—Constructional details of means for attaching the control device
  • B60C23/0493—Constructional details of means for attaching the control device for attachment on the tyre
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C23/00—Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
  • B60C23/02—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure
  • B60C23/04—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre
  • B60C23/0408—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
  • B60C23/0422—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver characterised by the type of signal transmission means
  • B60C23/0433—Radio signals
  • B60C23/0447—Wheel or tyre mounted circuits
  • B60C23/0452—Antenna structure, control or arrangement

Definitions

• the invention relates to the field of instrumentation of deformable articles used in the ground connection of a vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to the electrical wiring required for complete instrumentation of such a deformable joint and its integration so as not to alter the mechanical properties of said article for connection to the ground of the vehicle.
• the instrumentation of tires aims to integrate electronic devices therein, such as sensors, in order to ensure, for example, the monitoring of parameters relating to the use and / or wear of tires. It has thus been envisaged to integrate a sensor into the rubber of the tire, although it undergoes significant deformations both during its manufacture and during its use. Such electronic devices must also also include the means for supplying the sensors and recovering the signals, or even processing them.
• the solutions described in the prior art offer sensors that are as small as possible, for example of the nail type (see the document EP-A-1 275 949), coupled to a receiving antenna, often electromagnetic.
• antennas are in the form of an electrical conductor forming a closed loop, which can extend over the entire circumference of the tire: see documents WO 99/29522 or WO 99/29495.
• the loops are configured to be able to undergo elongation, for example with the zigzag conductive wire; in addition, the thread is sometimes associated with an elastomer coating.
• the instrumentation of a tire remains an accessory, and it is clear that the main function of the assembly obtained remains to ensure the best driving conditions.
• the invention aims, among other advantages, to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above, and in particular proposes an integration of electronic devices respectful of the intrinsic mechanical properties of a deformable article used in the ground connection of a vehicle, which aims in this specification an anti-vibration articulation or a tire or a safety support that is mounted inside a tire, such as a support mounted inside a PAX System marketed in particular by Michelin.
• tire designates both an inflatable tire and an elastic tire or a track, all these terms having to be interpreted as equivalent: the context of the invention aims to provide means for making these rubber articles communicating instrumented objects.
• the invention proposes to increase the possibilities of instrumentation by the formation of electrical connections invisible from the mechanical point of view between different integrated elements, and the installation of preformed electronic complexes.
• the invention relates in one of its aspects to an electrical connection element capable of being attached to a deformable article used for the connection to the ground of a vehicle, during its manufacture and before its vulcanization.
• the connection element comprises an electric harness, or wiring, composed of at least one electric wire, preferably several, which can form parallel paths between them, and each end of which can be connected to a different functional unit, the wires.
• the distance between the functional units can be of the order of a few millimeters, for example in the case of a piezoelectric sensor whose signal is weak, up to more than ten centimeters, for example in the case where two sensors diametrically opposite with respect to the tire are connected to the same processing unit.
• the electrical wires can be brass-plated steel wires of a similar nature to the reinforcements already used in pneumatic structures.
• the beam is integrated into a support according to a predetermined geometry such that it tolerates a traction exerted on the support without breaking or undergoing displacement relative to the interface with respect to the surrounding support.
• the support is composed of a pre-crosslinked elastomer, preferably insulating, which is compatible with the mixtures conventionally used in the pneumatic field.
• a pre-crosslinked elastomer preferably insulating
• the vulcanization step ensures an intimate bond.
• the functional units used for the instrumentation are also at least partially integrated into the support.
• the invention relates in one of its aspects to an instrumentation complex comprising at least one functional unit connected to the electric harness, and preferably comprising all of the electronics integrated in the tire, or more generally the rubber article , for its instrumentation.
• the complex can thus include a processing unit possibly associated with a control unit, which is connected by wiring to at least one sensor and / or actuator.
• the thickness of the support of the electrical connection element and / or of the instrumentation complex is small, of the order of a millimeter, so as to deposit this assembly during the assembly of the tire blank for example without actually modifying the tire manufacturing process.
• the invention relates to a method for manufacturing an instrumented rubber article for the ground connection of a vehicle such as an instrumented tire, that is to say for integrating electronic components as well as their connections. electric in such an article.
• a conventional method of forming a tire consists in assembling the different components of the tire, often semi-finished products, by depositing them in a predetermined order to form a tire blank.
• the method according to the invention provides for depositing an electrical connection element and / or an instrumentation complex such as defined above during assembly.
• a shaping step is provided, before or after removal of the instrumentation.
• the electrical harness is produced so that there is no displacement between the surface of the electrical wires and the surface of the adjacent support, both during the use of the tire and during this operation. step.
• the invention relates to a deformable article used for the connection to the ground of a vehicle such as a tire, comprising an integrated electrical wiring such that the electric wires undergo no relative displacement relative to the polymeric material composing the tire. interface scale.
• the wires are associated with the functional units instrumenting the tire, and the rubber adjacent to these elements is insulating.
• FIG. 1 schematically represents a tire in section.
• FIG. 2 represents a conventional tire instrumentation.
• Figures 3 show examples of electrical connection elements according to the invention.
• FIG. 4 represents an embodiment of an instrumentation complex according to the invention.
• Figure 1 shows a radial section of a known tire 1, which defines with the rim 2 a volume 3 filled with air.
• the tire 1 is composed from different and numerous assembled layers.
• a carcass 4 is formed above a sealing layer 5 on a cylinder, then, by increasing the pressure, shaped as a torus.
• certain parts undergo elongations and / or deformations of the order of 40% or more.
• a crown 6, formed from different reinforcing elements, is attached to the shaped carcass: the crown reinforcements 6 which serve to reinforce the tire can conventionally include several superimposed crossed plies, and possibly a hooping ply.
• the draft of the tire is then finalized by the addition of the various layers of mixture constituting the tire, in particular the outer tread.
• the successive mixing layers, deposited before and after shaping, can be of different natures; they are in particular made from rubber or another elastomer, which are loaded with silica and / or carbon black, with various additives, comprising in particular a vulcanization system.
• Vulcanization the final step, then makes it possible to freeze the blank of a tire 1 in its final form: it is then ready to be mounted on a rim 2. It would certainly be possible to bring measuring devices for instrumentation of the tire 1 on the rubber 7, or even on the rim 2.
• the instrumentation of a tire according to the invention includes the installation in the pneumatic blank of functional units, which can be a sensor, and / or an electronic label for identifying the tire, and / or a control device, as well as the electronic units associated with these entities.
• the sensor can extract a signal, be sensitive to a parameter or measure it: a force sensor, and / or a temperature sensor, and / or a pressure sensor, ... are possible.
• one of these functional units is an actuator, acting alone to modify and control a parameter or included in a regulation loop with a sensor.
• a functional unit is conventionally connected to an antenna, often an electromagnetic antenna.
• the functional unit here a sensor 12
• the functional unit here a sensor 12
• the remote control may relate to the power supply and / or the communication of the parameters captured.
• the sensor 12 is connected to an inductive receiving antenna 16 intended to be coupled electromagnetically to an emitting antenna 18 of the transmitting device 14.
• the receiving antenna 16 is here formed of two loops comprising a conductive wire, but other configurations are possible .
• the antenna wires are in the form of undulations (other configurations are known) in order to be able to undergo the stresses of the tire without risk of degradation. , in particular its deformations.
• this known instrumentation quickly finds its limits.
• the signal received must be simple and able to be transmitted directly to the control unit 14, or else, the processing of the signal must be carried out directly in the sensor 12, which excludes any deportation of the processing to a location distant from the sensor, which however is sometimes preferable.
• the number of sensors 12 must remain limited.
• wires of a similar nature to the wires used for the reinforcements of crown 6 are used for the electrical connection wiring, for example: these wires, often of brass-plated steel, are known to be compatible and integrable in mixtures for tires, while retaining good mechanical strength. However, their function here is electrical connection, with the characteristics of resistivity and conductivity that this implies, and, due to the necessary insulation, they are surrounded by an insulating elastomer. Another constraint on the electrical wiring comes from the very nature of the tire: composed of elastomers and / or rubbers loaded with silica and carbon, it is slightly conductive. However, an electrical signal transmission connection requires that the electrical wires be electrically isolated from each other and installed in an insulating medium.
• connection element The electrical wires of the connection element according to the invention are integrated, associated, that is to say secured, with a support, so that no movement occurs at the interface between the wire and the support. during the elastic deformation of this last.
• the conductors deform identically to the medium in which they are found, but the wires themselves, inelastic, keep a constant length. That is to say that when the support is pulled, the support can lengthen without the wires opposing resistance due to the geometry of their layout; moreover, at the interface, there is no displacement between the surface of the wires and the surface of the support which is adjacent to them. To accentuate the adhesion, the surface of the wires can be treated before coating in the support.
• the electrical connection element 20 comprises a bundle of electrical wires 22, which can be of variable number, for example twelve.
• the strands do not touch, so as to avoid any shearing between two strands during stretching; it is therefore desirable for each wire 22 to define a path parallel to its neighbor.
• the wires 22 are laid flat in an elastomer while having undulations.
• the wires 22 are in the form of helical windings 27, as illustrated in FIGS. 3C and 3D which represent the same geometry according to two different cutting planes.
• the choice of geometry depends in particular on the initial conductors (length, nature), on the method chosen to produce this geometry, and on the future area of installation in the tire.
• each wire adopts a tracing having the appearance of sinusoids or of a succession of involutes of a circle, preferably any form containing no rectilinear segment of finite length. Account is also taken of the step of manufacturing the tire during which the beam is added so as to include the deformations which may result therefrom.
• the beam can be integrated into an elastomer which is in the form of a ribbon cable 28: of generally quadrilateral shape, even rectangular, of small thickness, for example of the order of a millimeter or less, a connection element 20 of this shape can be easily placed, and in any position, during a tire manufacturing step.
• the elastomer coating the electrical harness is compatible with the rubber used for the tire: the tire instrumentation only modifies the tire manufacturing process as little as possible.
• the elastomer is capable of being vulcanized under the same conditions as the tire in which it will be integrated.
• the electrical connection element 20 is compatible with the mixture on which it is placed and with the mixture which covers it so that the polymer chains will overlap during the rise in temperature.
• the polymer is no longer dissociable from its surroundings, forming intimately interlinked crosslinks.
• the electrical connection element 20 is precooked, that is to say pre-crosslinked, or pre-vulcanized, before being integrated on the tire blank: it turns out that the start of crosslinking of the elastomer ensures complete integration and securing of the wires 22 of the bundle inside the support 28.
• the beams as shown in Figures 3 have two ends forming a galvanic connection, and which can connect together two functional units. By way of example only, two configurations of the ends are shown, but it is clear that any configuration is possible, and that it depends in particular on the functional unit which will be connected to it.
• the functional units connected to each of the ends are also coated by the elastomer constituting the ribbon cable 28.
• the elastomer constituting the ribbon cable 28 it is preferable to report it , during the assembly of the various components of the tire, a complex prepared and comprising most, if not all, of the instrumentation provided there.
• this instrumentation complex can be prepared elsewhere than on the tire production lines, for example in a more controlled environment, or even in the laboratory.
• a complex 30 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 4: it is shaped so as to instrument the pneumatic envelope shown in dotted lines. It includes a support 32 which gives it its shape.
• the support 32 is formed of an elastomer as described above: compatible with the rubber of the tire, it has also been pre-crosslinked and preformed so as to obtain a shape which easily adapts to the diagrammed torus.
• the support 32 is for example entirely composed of an insulating elastomer to avoid electrical interference altering the signals from the sensors.
• the complex comprises, in the frame shown, three bundles 34 forming the connection of the complex 30.
• These bundles are composed of a variable number of wires, it is not necessary for the cables 34a, 34b, 34c to have the same number of wires, nor the same geometry; in particular, the beam 34c which is attached to the side undergoes stresses of a different nature from the other two.
• the wires of each bundle have a geometry such that they can undergo an elongation, for example one of those of FIGS. 3.
• the bundles are each connected at one of their ends to a functional processing and control unit 36.
• each of the electrical wires is connected to three other functional units 38.
• the two units 38a and 38b may for example be sensors, which are moreover connected to receiving or receiving antennas: the sensor 38b is connected to an electromagnetic antenna 40, the sensor 38a to two radio frequency antennas 42.
• the third beam 34c is connected to an actuator 38c: according to the data transmitted by the sensors 38a and 38b at unit 36, unit 36 will indicate to the actuator 38c to apply a stress to the sidewall of the tire on which it will be mounted. All the elements 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 are integrated in the support 32 so as not to undergo relative displacement relative to the elastomer at any point of contact when a traction and / or compression is exerted. on the support 32.
• the support 32 itself being made of a material compatible with the rubber of the tire so that there is complete attachment between the tire and the support 32 constituting the exterior of the complex 30, no relative movement occurs between the instrumentation complex 30 and the tire at its interface, and therefore shearing does not alter the properties of the tire. It is possible to have a support 32 of heterogeneous nature as long as its material remains compatible with rubber, for example with a local loading of conductive particles of the elastomer in the vicinity of the antennas 40, 42.
• the conformation of the tire takes place once the instrumentation complex is already in place, for example if certain sensors must be located below, or at the level , of the carcass ply.
• the dimensions of the complex 30 have been chosen so as to accept deformations, for example of up to 70%, resulting both from the manufacture of the tire and from its use.
• the conformation is of course not essential for the manufacture of an instrumented tire.
• the structural elongation for an instrumentation complex of the same tire can be chosen of the order of 20 to 40% or between 40 and 70% depending on its use during the manufacture of the tire.
• the tire resulting from the manufacturing process therefore includes instrumentation integrated into its volume.
• the electrical connections are such that the electrical wires undergo, on the scale of the interface between the different materials, no movement relative to the rubber of the tire during its use.

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• 2004
  • 2004-05-13 FR FR0405193A patent/FR2870397A1/fr active Pending
• 2005
  • 2005-05-12 CN CN2005800151617A patent/CN1953881B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-05-12 WO PCT/EP2005/052161 patent/WO2005113262A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2005-05-12 EP EP05749588A patent/EP1747104A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-05-12 US US11/596,454 patent/US20070227644A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-05-12 JP JP2007512213A patent/JP2007537090A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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