KR20240016653A - Tire sensor module - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tire sensor module. Specifically, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a body portion; antenna; and a processing unit disposed within the body, including a sensor unit that detects status information of the tire, and a transmitter configured to transmit a signal to the outside through the antenna, wherein the antenna is located on an outer surface of the body unit. A tire sensor module may be provided that extends to surround the tire sensor module.

Description

Tire sensor module {TIRE SENSOR MODULE}

The present invention relates to a tire sensor module.

TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system), a tire pressure monitoring system generally mounted on vehicles, has the problem that it can only measure the air pressure inside the tire, but cannot measure the temperature inside the tire or the acceleration at which the vehicle moves.

Additionally, in a typical TPMS, the antenna is placed protruding from the top of the circuit board. Accordingly, as the tire rotates, impact is applied to the circuit board, causing damage to the connection portion between the circuit board and the antenna.

Additionally, in the case of a tire-mounted TPMS, the sensor module and the rubber member surrounding the sensor module are joined together using an adhesive. In this way, if the sensor module and the rubber member are not bonded with an adhesive, there is a problem that the adhesive portion is damaged due to impact or heating as the tire rotates, causing the sensor module and the high member to separate from each other.

One embodiment of the present invention was invented with the above background in mind, and the antenna extends downward from the outer end of the contact portion to surround the cover groove of the cover member corresponding to the antenna groove of the case, so that the tire rotates. The aim is to provide a tire sensor module that prevents damage to the antenna, the substrate, and the contact portion, which is the connection between the antenna and the substrate, due to impact applied to the substrate.

Embodiments of the present invention seek to provide a tire sensor module that can detect status information such as the temperature inside the tire and the acceleration of the tire, as well as the air pressure inside the tire.

Embodiments of the present invention seek to provide a tire sensor module that can be manufactured by miniaturizing the body of the sensor module by deriving the radius value of the sensor module body based on the frequency value of the transmitter.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a body portion; antenna; and a processing unit disposed within the body, including a sensor unit that detects status information of the tire, and a transmitter configured to transmit a signal to the outside through the antenna, wherein the antenna is located on an outer surface of the body unit. A tire sensor module may be provided that extends to surround the tire sensor module.

In addition, the tire sensor further includes a substrate portion connected to a processing unit and the antenna and disposed on an upper side of the body portion, wherein the antenna extends to surround an outer surface of the body portion below or above the substrate portion. A module may be provided.

Additionally, a tire sensor module may be provided in which an antenna groove in which the antenna is seated is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body portion so that the antenna can be disposed surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the body portion.

In addition, a tire sensor module may be provided, further comprising a contact portion protruding outward from one end of the substrate, and the antenna extends downward from the contact portion to surround the antenna groove.

Additionally, a tire sensor module may be provided in which the radius R of the body portion is derived according to Equations 1 and 2 below. [Formula 1] λ=C / f [Formula 2] R=λ/(4 , f is the frequency of the transmitter.)

In addition, the sensor unit includes a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the tire; Air pressure sensor that detects tire air pressure; A tire sensor module may be provided, including an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration at which the tire moves when the tire rotates.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the antenna may extend downward from the outer end of the contact portion to surround the cover groove of the cover member corresponding to the antenna groove of the case. Accordingly, transmission of shock, etc., applied to the substrate as the tire rotates to the antenna can be reduced. Accordingly, the antenna, the substrate, and the contact portion, which is a connecting portion between the antenna and the substrate, can be prevented from being damaged by impact applied to the substrate.

In addition, the sensor unit can detect status information such as the air pressure inside the tire, the temperature inside the tire, and the acceleration at which the tire moves when the tire rotates.

Additionally, by arranging the antenna to surround the cover groove of the cover member corresponding to the antenna groove of the case, the cover member can be tightly coupled to the case by the antenna. Accordingly, there is no need to use a separate adhesive to join the case and the cover member.

Additionally, by deriving the radius value of the sensor module body based on the frequency value of the transmitter, the body of the sensor module can be manufactured in a miniaturized manner.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a tire sensor module attached to the inner liner of a tire according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the antenna, case, and cover member of the tire sensor module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a tire sensor module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a side view of a tire sensor module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the connection relationship between a processing unit, a substrate portion, a contact portion, and an antenna of a tire sensor module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a side cross-sectional view of a tire sensor module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a side view of a plurality of antennas of a tire sensor module according to an embodiment of the present invention arranged in a plurality of antenna grooves.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments for implementing the technical idea of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In addition, when describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Additionally, when a component is mentioned as being 'connected' or 'supported' by another component, it should be understood that although it may be directly connected to or supported by the other component, other components may exist in between.

The terms used in this specification are merely used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In addition, it should be noted in advance that expressions such as upper, lower, and side in this specification are explained based on the drawings, and may be expressed differently if the direction of the object in question changes. In other words, in the drawing according to this embodiment, the upper and lower sides are defined based on the tire sensor module being placed on the lower inner liner of the tire so that the inner liner in contact with the tire sensor module is parallel to the ground, but the upper and lower sides are defined when the tire is rotated. If the tire sensor module is placed in the inner liner of the upper side of the tire, the upper and lower sides described in this specification are reversed. Additionally, in the accompanying drawings, some components are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically shown, and the size of each component does not entirely reflect the actual size.

Additionally, terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another.

As used in the specification, the meaning of "comprising" is to specify a specific characteristic, area, integer, step, operation, element and/or component, and to specify another specific property, area, integer, step, operation, element, component and/or group. It does not exclude the existence or addition of .

Hereinafter, the specific configuration of the tire sensor module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, in this embodiment, the tire sensor module 1 measures status information such as air pressure, temperature, and acceleration inside the tire T and sends the tire T to the ECU (electronic control unit) of the vehicle. ) status information can be transmitted. A plurality of such tire sensor modules 1 may be provided to be disposed inside a plurality of tires T. Additionally, the tire sensor module 1 may be attached to the inner liner inside the tire T. This tire sensor module 1 may include a body portion 100, a processing unit 200, a substrate portion 300, a contact portion 400, an antenna 500, and a battery 600.

The body portion 100 may form the exterior of the tire sensor module 1. This body portion 100 may include a case 110 and a cover member 140. For example, the body portion 100 may be the case 110 itself or a cover member 140 covered with the case 110.

The case 110 may have an accommodating space formed therein to accommodate the processing unit 200, the substrate 300, and the battery 600. An antenna groove 120 in which the antenna 500 can be seated may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the case 110 to surround the outer peripheral surface of the case 110. At the upper end of the case 110, there is an opening 130 that communicates with the inside of the tire T so that the sensor unit 210, which will be described later, of the processing unit 200 can detect the status information inside the tire T. can be formed. A cover member 140 may be covered on the outer surface of the case 110. Meanwhile, the lower part of the body portion 100, for example, the cover member 140 covered with the case 110 may be attached to the inner inner liner (I) of the tire (T).

The cover member 140 may surround the case 110. This cover member 140 may be formed of a material such as thin rubber. As mentioned above, the cover member 140 is made of a thin material, so when the cover member 140 is covered with the case 110, the cover member 140 has a cover groove 141 corresponding to the antenna groove 120 of the case 110. ) can be formed. Accordingly, the antenna 500 extends downward from the outer end of the contact portion 400, and extends again in the horizontal direction to cover the cover groove 141 of the cover member 140 corresponding to the antenna groove 120 of the case 110. ) can be arranged to surround the. Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 7, the cover groove 141 of the cover member 140 may be formed with a plurality of grooves to correspond to the antenna groove 120.

Meanwhile, the radius R of the body portion 100 can be derived according to Equations 1 and 2 below.

[Formula 1]

λ=C/f

[Formula 2]

R=λ/(4 x 2 x π)

Meanwhile, in Equations 1 and 2, R is the radius of the body 100, λ is the length of the antenna 500, C is the speed of light, and f is the frequency of the transmitter 220.

For example, in Equation 1, substituting C = 3 x 10 ⁸ and f = 433 x 10 ⁶ gives λ = 0.69m. In other words, the length (λ) of the antenna 500 is 0.69m. Here, the unit length of the antenna 500 disposed in the antenna groove 120 of the case 110 may be λ/4 or λ/2. If the unit length of the antenna 500 is λ/4, λ/4 = 0.17m.

By substituting the λ/4 value (0.17m) into Equation 2, the radius of the body portion 100, R = 27mm, can be derived. In other words, the radius value of the body portion 100 of the sensor module 1 can be derived based on the frequency value of the transmitter 220. Meanwhile, the radius R = 27 mm of the body portion 100 is an example, and the radius value of the body portion 100 may be derived in various ways depending on the frequency value of the transmitter 220. For example, the radius of the body portion 100 may be 26.3 mm/n to 27.8 mm/n. Here, n is the number of times the antenna 500 surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 100.

The antenna 500 is seated so as to surround the antenna groove 120, and the antenna groove 120 may be placed in the central portion of the outer surface of the body portion 100. For example, the antenna groove 120 may be spaced a predetermined distance below the substrate 300 and extend to surround the outer surface of the body 100 . The antenna groove 120, in which the antenna 500 is seated, is disposed at a predetermined distance below the substrate 300, so that shock applied to the substrate 300 as the tire T rotates is reduced to the antenna 500. transmission may be reduced. For another example, the antenna groove 120 may be disposed between the substrate 300 and the battery 600. As the antenna groove 120 in which the antenna 500 is seated is disposed between the substrate 300 and the battery 600, the impact applied to the substrate 300 and the battery 600 as the tire T rotates, etc. Transmission to this antenna 500 may be reduced. Meanwhile, the antenna groove 120 may be spaced a predetermined distance above the substrate 300 and extend to surround the outer surface of the body 100 . Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 7, the cover groove 141 of the cover member 140 corresponding to the antenna groove 120 has a plurality of grooves spaced apart in the vertical direction as if surrounding the outer surface of the body portion 100. can be formed.

The processing unit 200 can detect status information such as air pressure, temperature, and acceleration inside the tire T and control the status information of the tire T to be transmitted to the ECU of the vehicle. The processing unit 200 may be disposed on the upper side of the substrate unit 300 . This processing unit 200 may include a sensor unit 210, a transmitter 220, and a controller 230.

The sensor unit 210 can detect status information such as air pressure, temperature, and acceleration inside the tire (T). Additionally, the sensor unit 210 may communicate with the inside of the tire T through the opening 130 of the body unit 100 so as to detect state information inside the tire T. This sensor unit 210 may include a temperature sensor 211, an air pressure sensor 212, and an acceleration sensor 213.

The temperature sensor 211 can detect the internal temperature of the tire T. For example, the temperature sensor 211 may detect the temperature when a plurality of tires (T) rotate normally or when one or more tires (T) among the plurality of tires (T) are overheated and rotated.

The air pressure sensor 212 can detect the air pressure inside the tire (T). For example, the air pressure sensor 212 may detect a plurality of tires (T) when the air pressure of each of the plurality of tires (T) is in the normal range or when the air pressure of at least one tire (T) among the plurality of tires (T) is insufficient or excessive. The air pressure of each tire (T) can be detected.

The acceleration sensor 213 can detect the acceleration with which the tire T rotates. For example, when a plurality of tires T rotate normally, the acceleration of the moving tire T detected by the acceleration sensor 213 may change in size in proportion to the speed at which the vehicle is moving. Accordingly, the speed at which the vehicle moves can be determined using the acceleration at which the tires T are moved. Meanwhile, by obtaining the moving speed of the vehicle, it is possible to determine whether the vehicle is speeding.

The transmitter 220 may be configured to transmit a signal to the outside through the antenna 500. This transmitter 220 may be a Bluetooth communication type or a sub-GHz band RF module. In this embodiment, the transmitter 220 may transmit a signal with a frequency of, for example, 433 MHZ to a separate receiving terminal. Additionally, the transmitter 220 can transmit a signal to the vehicle's ECU using Bluetooth communication.

The controller 230 may control the transmitter 220 to transmit the status information of the tire T detected by the sensor unit 210 to the ECU of the vehicle. In other words, the controller 230 may be connected to the sensor unit 210, the transmitter 220, and the substrate unit 300. For example, the controller 230 is connected to the sensor unit 210 to determine whether the temperature, air pressure, and acceleration of the tire T are within the normal range or outside the normal range, and sends the transmitter 220 to the tire ( The transmitter 220 can be controlled to transmit the temperature, air pressure, and acceleration of T) to a separate receiving terminal through the antenna 500.

Meanwhile, this controller 230 may be implemented by an arithmetic device including a microprocessor, memory, etc., and since the implementation method is obvious to those skilled in the art, detailed description will be omitted.

The substrate unit 300 may be connected to the antenna 500, the sensor unit 210 of the processing unit 200, and the controller 230. This substrate portion 300 may be disposed on the upper side within the body portion 100 because shock may be applied as the tire T rotates. A contact portion 400 may be disposed to protrude in the horizontal direction at one end of the substrate portion 300. Additionally, the substrate portion 300 may be disposed above the antenna groove 120 of the case 110.

The contact portion 400 may be disposed to protrude outward in the horizontal direction from one end of the substrate portion 300. The contact portion 400 may connect one end of the antenna 500 and the substrate portion 300. This contact portion 400 may be a conductive member such as metal.

The antenna 500 may extend downward from the outer end of the contact portion 400 to surround the antenna groove 120 of the cover member 140 covered with the case 110. For example, the cover member 140 is made of a thin material, and when the cover member 140 is covered with the case 110, a cover groove 141 corresponding to the antenna groove 120 will be formed in the cover member 140. (see Figure 3). Accordingly, the antenna 500 extends downward from the outer end of the contact portion 400, and extends again in the horizontal direction to cover the cover groove 141 of the cover member 140 corresponding to the antenna groove 120 of the case 110. ) can be extended to surround the For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the antenna 500 may be formed in an 'ㄴ' shape. Meanwhile, as described above, the antenna grooves 120 may be spaced a predetermined distance apart from the upper side of the substrate portion 300 and extend to surround the outer surface of the body portion 100. Accordingly, the antenna 500 extends upward from the outer end of the contact portion 400, and extends again in the horizontal direction to cover the cover groove 141 of the cover member 140 corresponding to the antenna groove 120 of the case 110. ) can be extended to surround the

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of antennas 500 may be provided, and the plurality of antennas 500 may be arranged in a plurality of grooves spaced apart in the vertical direction. For example, a plurality of antennas 500 may be connected to each other and placed in a plurality of grooves. In addition, although the drawing shows the plurality of antennas 500 wound horizontally around a plurality of grooves, the plurality of antennas 500 may be connected to each other and arranged in a spirally wound shape.

When the antenna 500 is arranged to surround the antenna groove 120 of the case 110 and the cover groove 141 of the corresponding cover member 140, the cover member 140 is moved to the case 110 by the antenna 500. ) can be closely combined with. Accordingly, there is no need to use a separate adhesive to join the case 110 and the cover member 140. Meanwhile, the antenna 500 may be arranged to extend downward from one end of the substrate 300 without passing through the contact portion 400 and surround the outer surface of the body portion 100.

The battery 600 may be connected to the sensor unit 210 and the substrate unit 300 and provides power for the operation of the sensor unit 210 and the substrate unit 300. The battery 600 may be disposed on the lower side of the body portion 100, for example, on the lower side of the antenna groove 120.

Hereinafter, the effects of the tire sensor module 1 having the above-described configuration will be described.

In the tire sensor module 1 according to the present invention, the antenna groove 120 on which the antenna 500 is mounted is spaced at a predetermined distance below the substrate 300 and is formed to surround the outer surface of the body 100. It can be. In addition, the antenna 500 extends downward from the outer end of the contact portion 400 and is arranged to surround the cover groove 141 corresponding to the antenna groove 120 of the cover member 140 covered with the case 110. You can. In this way, the antenna 500 and the antenna groove 120 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance on the lower side of the substrate 300, so that the shock applied to the substrate 300 as the tire T rotates is prevented from the antenna 500. ) can be reduced. Therefore, damage to the antenna 500, the substrate 300, and the contact portion 400, which is a connection portion between the antenna 500 and the substrate 300, can be prevented from being damaged by impact applied to the substrate 300. there is.

In addition, the sensor unit 210 can detect status information such as the air pressure inside the tire (T), the temperature inside the tire (T), and the acceleration of the tire (T).

In addition, when the antenna 500 is arranged to surround the cover groove 141 of the cover member 140 corresponding to the antenna groove 120 of the case 110, the cover member 140 is connected to the case by the antenna 500. It can be closely bonded to (110). Accordingly, there is no need to use a separate adhesive to join the case 110 and the cover member 140.

Additionally, the radius value of the body portion 100 of the sensor module 1 can be derived based on the frequency value of the transmitter 220. For example, when the frequency of the transmitter 220 is 433 MHZ, the radius of the body 100 may be 26.3 mm to 27.8 mm. In this way, by deriving the radius value of the body portion 100 of the sensor module 1 based on the frequency value of the transmitter 220, the body portion 100 of the sensor module 1 can be manufactured in a miniaturized manner.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above as specific embodiments, this is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and should be construed as having the widest scope following the technical idea disclosed in this specification. A person skilled in the art may implement a pattern of a shape not specified by combining/substituting the disclosed embodiments, but this also does not depart from the scope of the present invention. In addition, a person skilled in the art can easily change or modify the embodiments disclosed based on the present specification, and it is clear that such changes or modifications also fall within the scope of the present invention.

1: Tire sensor module 100: Body part
110: Case 120: Antenna home
130: opening 140: cover member
141: Cover home 200: Processing unit
210: sensor unit 211: temperature sensor
212: Air pressure sensor 213: Acceleration sensor
220: Transmitter 230: Controller
300: substrate portion 400: contact portion
500: Antenna 600: Battery
I: Inner liner T: Tire

Claims (6)

body part;
antenna; and
A processing unit disposed within the body and including a sensor unit that detects status information of the tire, and a transmitter configured to transmit a signal to the outside through the antenna,
The antenna extends to surround the outer surface of the body portion,
Tire sensor module. According to claim 1,
It is connected to the processing unit and the antenna, and further includes a substrate portion disposed on an upper side of the body portion,
The antenna extends to surround the outer surface of the body portion from below or above the substrate portion,
Tire sensor module. According to claim 2,
An antenna groove in which the antenna is seated is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body portion so that the antenna can be disposed surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the body portion.
Tire sensor module. According to claim 3,
It further includes a contact portion protruding outward from one end of the substrate portion,
The antenna extends downward from the contact portion and extends to surround the antenna groove.
Tire sensor module. According to claim 1,
The radius R of the body portion is derived according to Equation 1 and Equation 2 below,
Tire sensor module.
[Formula 1]
λ=C/f
[Formula 2]
R=λ/(4 x 2 x π)
(In Equations 1 and 2 above, R is the radius of the body, λ is the length of the antenna, C is the speed of light, and f is the frequency of the transmitter.) According to claim 1,
The sensor unit,
A temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the tire;
Air pressure sensor that detects tire air pressure; and
Including an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration at which the tire moves when the tire rotates,
Tire sensor module.

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