IP Library Granted Patent US 11,951,782
Granted Patent B2
US 11,951,782 · App. 17/254,836 · Granted Apr 9, 2024

Pneumatic tire and assembly sheet

Inventors: Atsushi Tanno (Hiratsuka, JP); Shun Sato (Hiratsuka, JP)
Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
B60C23/0493B60C5/14B60C9/11
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,951,782
App. No.
17/254,836
Granted
Apr 9, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes: a tire inner surface rubber layer constituting a tire inner surface; and an electrically conductive member, at least a part of the electrically conductive member being disposed on an inner cavity side of the tire inner surface rubber layer. The electrically conductive member includes a knitted fabric including a yarn, at least a part of the yarn having electrical conductivity, the knitted fabric having stretchability. The electrically conductive member is electrically connected to an electrical device provided in the tire. The electrically conductive member is disposed extending along the tire inner surface in a tire radial direction, and a direction in which the electrically conductive member extends aligns with a direction in which the knitted fabric has stretchability. The knitted fabric is configured by mixing a yarn having electrical conductivity and a yarn having non-electrical conductivity.

Claims (57)

1. A pneumatic tire, comprising:

a tire inner surface rubber layer constituting a tire inner surface, and

an electrically conductive member, at least a part of the electrically conductive member being disposed on an inner cavity side of the tire inner surface rubber layer,

the electrically conductive member comprising a knitted fabric comprising a yarn, at least a part of the yarn having electrical conductivity, the knitted fabric having stretchability, wherein

the knitted fabric comprises an electrically conductive portion including the electrically conductive yarn and a non-electrically conductive portion including only a non-electrically conductive yarn, and

the electrically conductive portion and the non-electrically conductive portion are side by side with each other in a plane view.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive member is electrically connected to an electrical device provided in the pneumatic tire.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the electrically conductive member is disposed extending along the tire inner surface, and

a direction in which the electrically conductive member extends aligns with a direction in which the knitted fabric has stretchability.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the knitted fabric is configured by mixing a yarn having electrical conductivity and a yarn having non-electrical conductivity.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 4 , wherein the yarn having electrical conductivity has a color different from a color of the yarn having non-electrical conductivity.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the tire inner surface rubber layer is an innerliner layer, and

at least a part of the yarn constituting the knitted fabric is embedded in the innerliner layer or a rubber layer disposed on the inner cavity side of the innerliner layer.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the electrically conductive member comprises a gap portion formed between the yarns constituting the knitted fabric, and

the tire inner surface rubber layer comprises an exposed region exposed on a surface of the knitted fabric through the gap portion.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the knitted fabric has an air permeation amount of 60 cm 3 /cm 2 ·s or greater.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive member comprises a plurality of the electrically conductive members, wherein

each of the plurality of electrically conductive members is electrically connected to an electrical device provided in the tire, and

power is fed to the electrical device via the electrically conductive members.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive member is provided in a range of 40% or greater and 70% or less of a tire cross-sectional height.

11. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover rubber layer provided on a tire inner cavity side of the electrically conductive member and covering a part of the electrically conductive member.

12. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive member extends on the tire inner surface beyond a bead toe of a bead portion at least to a bead base portion.

13. The pneumatic tire according to claim 12 , wherein the electrically conductive member electrically connects at least a part of a region between the electrical device provided in the tire and an electrode provided on a rim on which the tire is mounted.

14. The pneumatic tire according to claim 13 , wherein, in the part of the region between the electrical device and the electrode, the electrically conductive member passes through a tire inner cavity portion located away from the tire inner surface.

15. The pneumatic tire according to claim 13 , wherein

the electrically conductive member is provided corresponding to each of a pair of the bead base portions,

the electrically conductive member is electrically connected to the electrode and to the electrical device provided in the tire, and

power is fed to the electrical device via the electrically conductive member.

16. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein a tensile force in a length direction of the electrically conductive member has a value per width of 0.01 N/mm or greater and 1.0 N/mm or less.

17. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein, for the electrically conductive member, a ratio Imax/S of a maximum value Imax (A) of current transmitted to a total cross-sectional area S (mm 2 ) of the yarn having electrical conductivity is 0.01≤Imax/S≤20, and

a ratio Pmax/WH of a maximum value Pmax (W) of power transmitted to a width WH (mm) orthogonal to an extension direction of the yarn having electrical conductivity is 0.01≤Pmax/WH≤2.

18. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein, on the tire inner surface, the electrical device provided in the tire is disposed in a region other than a portion immediately below a circumferential groove or in a region from an end portion of the tire inner surface to a position corresponding to 50% of a tire cross-sectional height.

19. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

the electrically conductive yarn includes a number of metal wires bundled together and each having a diameter of 10 μm or longer and 100 μm or shorter, and

an electrical resistance of the electrically conductive member is in a range of 4 Ω/m or greater and 15 Ω/m or less.

20. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the knitted fabric comprises the non-electrically conductive portion and at least two of the electrically conductive portions,

the non-electrically conductive portion is sandwiched between the at least two of the electrically conductive portions in a plane view, and

a width of the non-electrically conductive portion is equal to or greater than 0.5 mm.

21. A pneumatic tire comprising:

a tire inner surface rubber layer constituting a tire inner surface, and

an electrically conductive member, at least a part of the electrically conductive member being disposed on an inner cavity side of the tire inner surface rubber layer,

the electrically conductive member comprising a knitted fabric comprising a yarn, at least a part of the yarn having electrical conductivity, the knitted fabric having stretchability, wherein

the knitted fabric has an air permeation amount of 60 cm 3 /cm 2 ·s or greater.

22. A pneumatic tire comprising:

a tire inner surface rubber layer constituting a tire inner surface, and

an electrically conductive member, at least a part of the electrically conductive member being disposed on an inner cavity side of the tire inner surface rubber layer,

the electrically conductive member comprising a knitted fabric comprising a yarn, at least a part of the yarn having electrical conductivity, the knitted fabric having stretchability, wherein

a tensile force in a length direction of the electrically conductive member has a value per width of 0.01 N/mm or greater and 1.0 N/mm or less.

23. A pneumatic tire comprising:

a tire inner surface rubber layer constituting a tire inner surface, and

an electrically conductive member, at least a part of the electrically conductive member being disposed on an inner cavity side of the tire inner surface rubber layer,

the electrically conductive member comprising a knitted fabric comprising a yarn, at least a part of the yarn having electrical conductivity, the knitted fabric having stretchability, wherein

for the electrically conductive member, a ratio Imax/S of a maximum value Imax (A) of current transmitted to a total cross-sectional area S (mm 2 ) of the yarn having electrical conductivity is 0.01≤Imax/S≤20, and

a ratio Pmax/WH of a maximum value Pmax (W) of power transmitted to a width WH (mm) orthogonal to an extension direction of the yarn having electrical conductivity is 0.01≤Pmax/WH≤2.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS FOR ASSIGNEE Recorded Nov 18, 2023
From: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065626/0740 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2020
From: TANNO, ATSUSHI; SATO, SHUN
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 054715/0815 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210260938A1 · Aug 26, 2021