Method for installing a monitoring device in a tyre for vehicle wheels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11021024-B2
Application number	US-201715857392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2017
Priority date	Jan 26, 2012
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A positioning device for keeping a monitoring device for tyres of vehicle wheels in an installation condition, includes: two separate active portions, each having a main surface the shape of which matches that of a respective portion of an outer surface of a monitoring device, said separate active portions being adapted to cooperate with at least base portions of said monitoring device so that, when said positioning device is associated with said monitoring device, the base portions of said monitoring device are maintained at a given mutual distance by said active portions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A positioning device for keeping a monitoring device for tyres of vehicle wheels in an installation condition, said positioning device comprising two separate active portions, each having a main surface the shape of which matches that of a respective portion of an outer surface of a monitoring device, said separate active portions being adapted to cooperate with at least base portions of said monitoring device so that, when said positioning device is associated with said monitoring device, the base portions of said monitoring device are maintained at a given mutual distance by said active portions.

2. The positioning device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, when said positioning device is associated with said monitoring device, each of said main surfaces is in contact with the respective outer-surface portions of said monitoring device.

3. The positioning device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said positioning device, when it is associated with said monitoring device, surrounds said monitoring device in a peripheral manner according to at least one plane parallel to base surfaces of said base portions in at least one portion thereof.

4. The positioning device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of said active portions comprises a respective expansion extending from a respective main surface.

5. The positioning device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein, when said positioning device is associated with said monitoring device, each respective expansion is inserted between said base portions of said monitoring device.

6. The positioning device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said respective expansions are inserted between said base portions from opposite sides of said monitoring device relative to an electronic unit, the electronic unit being part of said monitoring device.

7. The positioning device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of said active portions seen in plan view has a C-shaped conformation having a pair of ends in which, when said positioning device is associated with said monitoring device, the ends of each of said active portions are in contact with the ends of the other active portion.

8. The positioning device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said monitoring device comprises a connecting member having an upper structure and a lower structure,
wherein each of said main surfaces in a section evaluated when said positioning device is associated with said monitoring device according to at least one plane perpendicular to a plane defined by base surfaces of said base portions, has a L shaped conformation comprising a first and a second portion,
said first portion of said L shaped conformation matching a shape of an outer surface of a side wall of said lower structure, and said second portion of said L shaped conformation matching a shape of an outer surface of a base wall of said lower structure.

9. The positioning device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a ring nut adapted to be fitted around said positioning device and to maintain said active portions of said positioning device associated.

10. The positioning device as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising a piston adapted to be inserted into said ring nut, said ring nut being slidably associable with an outer surface of said piston.

11. The positioning device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a pair of lever elements, each extending from a respective one of said active portions, each of said lever elements having a distal end relative to a corresponding active portion, the distal ends of said lever elements being mutually associated in such a manner that said positioning device is configurable between an open condition, at which said monitoring device is interposable between said active portions, and a closed condition at which said active portions are closed around said monitoring device under action of said lever elements.

12. The positioning device as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising a hooping member adapted to be at least partly fitted around said lever elements and/or said active portions to keep said positioning device in said closed condition.

13. The positioning device as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a thrust element associated with said hooping member and adapted to be positioned, when said hooping member is fitted around said lever elements and/or said active portions, in contact with said monitoring device on an opposite side relative to said base surfaces.

14. The positioning device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an actuator member configured for driving said active portions between a mutually moved apart position and a mutually moved close position, wherein in said mutually moved apart position the monitoring device is interposable between said active portions, wherein in said mutually moved close position the monitoring device is associated with said active portions.

15. The positioning device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said actuator member comprises:
a rotationally actuatable command element;
a transmission element interlocked with said command element, for moving said active portions upon actuation of said command element.

16. The positioning device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said transmission element is configurable in a first condition, at which said transmission element causes mutual moving apart between said active portions, and a second condition at which said transmission element allows mutual moving close between said active portions.

17. The positioning device as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said actuator member further comprises an elastic-return structure for moving said active portions close to each other when said transmission element is in said second condition.

Assignees

• Pirelli

Inventors

• Brusarosco Massimo
• Mancosu Federico

Classifications

• B60C23/0493 Primary

  for attachment on the tyre · CPC title

• B29D2030/0077

  Directly attaching monitoring devices to tyres before or after vulcanization, e.g. microchips · CPC title

• B29D30/0061

  Accessories, details or auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B29D2030/0072

  Attaching fasteners to tyres, e.g. patches, in order to connect devices to tyres · CPC title

• Y10T29/53448

  Vehicle wheel · CPC title