Tire assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024123776-A1
Application number	US-202118276658-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 6, 2021
Priority date	Feb 26, 2021
Publication date	Apr 18, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tire assembly includes a tire for mounting on a vehicle, an elastic body disposed on an inner side of the tire, and a power generation body disposed between an inner surface of the tire and the elastic body. The power generation body includes a first member and a second member. The first member has a first insulating film forming a first surface. The second member has a second insulating film forming a second surface that faces the first surface and contacts the first surface. The elastic body biases the power generation body toward the inner surface of the tire.

First claim

1 . A tire assembly comprising:
a tire for mounting on a vehicle; an elastic body disposed on an inner side of the tire; and a power generation body disposed between an inner surface of the tire and the elastic body, wherein the power generation body includes: a first member having a first insulating film forming a first surface; and a second member having a second insulating film forming a second surface facing the first surface and contacting the first surface, the first member and the second member are configured such that a true contact area between the first surface and the second surface changes in response to pressure applied to the first member and the second member, the first insulating film and the second insulating film are configured such that one of the films is positively charged and the other of the films is negatively charged due to the true contact area changing, and the elastic body biases the power generation body toward the inner surface of the tire.

2 . The tire assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the elastic body is disposed to cover the power generation body in a circumferential direction of the tire.

3 . The tire assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the elastic body is a cord member.

4 . The tire assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the elastic body is a leaf spring.

5 . The tire assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein a length of the elastic body along the circumferential direction of the tire is not less than a ground contact length of the tire.

6 . The tire assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein a material constituting the elastic body is selected from a group consisting of a metal, an elastomer, a resin, an elastomer foam, and a resin foam.

7 . The tire assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the power generation body is configured such that a length of the first surface along the circumferential direction of the tire is not greater than the ground contact length of the tire.

8 . The tire assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the power generation body is configured such that at least one of the first surface and the second surface has undulations.

9 . The tire assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first member further has a first electrode disposed on a back surface of the first surface so as to contact the first insulating film, the second member further has a second electrode disposed on a back surface of the second surface so as to contact the second insulating film, and the first electrode and the second electrode are constituted by a material having flexibility.

10 . The tire assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an electronic device configured to receive supply of power output from the power generation body.

11 . The tire assembly according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a storage battery configured to store power output by the power generation body, wherein the electronic device receives supply of power stored in the storage battery.

12 . The tire assembly according to claim 10 ,
wherein the electronic device includes a communication device capable of data communication with an external device.

13 . A tire monitoring system comprising:
the tire assembly according to claim 12 ; and an external control device capable of data communication with the communication device, wherein the communication device transmits output data of at least one of a voltage and current output by the power generation body and a physical quantity based on at least one of the voltage and current to the external control device, and the external control device monitors information relating to the tire, based on the output data received from the communication device.

14 . The tire monitoring system according to claim 12 ,
wherein the information relating to the tire includes at least one of information relating to a rotation speed of the tire, information relating to wear of the tire, and information relating to a state of a road surface on which a vehicle on which the tire is mounted travels.

15 . The tire monitoring system according to claim 13 ,
wherein the external control device is installed in a vehicle that includes the tire assembly.

16 . A tire monitoring method comprising:
preparing a vehicle on which the tire assembly according to claim 10 is mounted; collecting output data of at least one a voltage and current output by the power generation body while the vehicle is travelling and a physical quantity based on at least one of the voltage and current; and monitoring information relating to the tire, based on the collected output data.

17 . The tire assembly according to claim 2 ,
wherein the elastic body is a cord member.

18 . The tire assembly according to claim 2 ,
wherein the elastic body is a leaf spring.

19 . The tire assembly according to claim 2 ,
wherein a length of the elastic body along the circumferential direction of the tire is not less than a ground contact length of the tire.

20 . The tire assembly according to claim 2 ,
wherein a material constituting the elastic body is selected from a group consisting of a metal, an elastomer, a resin, an elastomer foam, and a resin foam.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Rubber Ind
• The School Corporation Kansai Univ

Inventors

• Sugimoto Mutsuki
• Tani Hiroshi
• Kuroda Kenichi
• Fujiwara Takahiro
• Sugioka Kyota

Classifications

• B60C23/064 Primary

  comprising tyre mounted deformation sensors, e.g. to determine road contact area · CPC title

• B60C9/0238

  characterised by special physical properties of the carcass ply · CPC title

• B60C23/0467

  Electric contact means, e.g. slip-rings, rollers, brushes · CPC title

• B60C23/002

  by monitoring conditions other than tyre pressure or deformation · CPC title

• B60C19/00 Primary

  Tyre parts or constructions not otherwise provided for · CPC title