Claims:WE CLAIM:

1. A tube type tyre (100) with an inflated inner tube, the said tube type tyre (100) comprising of a tyre tread (101), an inflated inner tube (102), a pair of rims (103), a valve stem (104), characterised in that, a sensor (105) of a tyre pressure monitoring system is fixed inside the said inflated inner tube (102), at the crown area.

2. A tyre pressure monitoring system for tube type tyres comprising of a sensor, a receiver and a display unit, characterised in that, the said sensor is installed inside the inner tube of a tube type tyre at the crown area, whereby the said sensor is placed inside the green tube before it is spliced and cured, 150 – 900 mm from the centre of the valve of the said green tube.

3. A method of installing the sensor (105) of the tyre pressure monitoring system in the tube type tyre (100), without causing damage to the said sensor (105), comprising the steps of:
(i) extrusion of rubber sheets to form a green tube;
(ii) cutting of the said green tube to the required length followed by ageing of the said green tube;
(iii) placing the valve stem (104) on the circumference of the green tube using pressure;
(iv) fixing the sensor (105) inside the green tube at the crown side of the tube, at a distance of 150 – 900 mm from the centre of the valve of the said green tube, by first cleaning the tube surface followed by applying splicing cement and then placing the said sensor (105) at the specified location;
(v) splicing the green tube by clamping both ends of the said tube at a specified clamping pressure and cutting both ends using a hot knife at a specified temperature followed by joining the said cut-ends at a specified butting pressure;
(vi) inflating the spliced tube in a former made of wood or metal to a specified volume and then transferring the said spliced tube into the moulding die for vulcanisation;
(vii) curing the tube by applying steam at a temperature between 130°C to 180°C to the tube on the outside while simultaneously applying a low temperature curing media on the inside of the tube;
(viii) removing the cured tube from the moulding die.

4. The tube type tyre (100) with an inflated inner tube as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the sensor (105) is placed circumferentially inside the inflated inner tube (102).

5. The tube type tyre (100) with an inflated inner tube as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the sensor (105) is placed radially inside the inflated inner tube (102).

6. The tyre pressure monitoring system for tube type tyres as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the said sensor is installed circumferentially inside the inner tube of a tube type tyre.

7. The tyre pressure monitoring system for tube type tyres as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the said sensor is installed radially inside the inner tube of a tube type tyre.

8. The method of installing the sensor (105) of the tyre pressure monitoring system in the tube type tyre (100), without causing damage to the said sensor (105), as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the said low temperature curing media applied on the inside of the tube is air.
, Description:TYRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM FOR TUBE TYPE TYRES
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS). More particularly, the present invention discloses a tyre pressure monitoring system for tube type tyres whereby the sensor employed by the said TPMS is not prone to pilferage and/ or damage. The present invention further discloses a method of installing the sensor of the TPMS in tube type tyres, without causing damage to the said sensor.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
A tyre pressure monitoring system is an electronic device which helps measure and monitor tyre conditions such as tyre inflation pressure, cavity air temperature, tyre belt stress and strain, tyre wear, etc., and transmit the measured data to the vehicle driver and notify him/ her about any unusual or unsafe deviation in the value(s) measured, for example, a low inflation pressure.
TPMS was first introduced in order to enhance tyre performance through constant monitoring of tyre inflation pressure, as it is the most crucial parameter of tyre performance. However, with safety standards constantly being raised by the legal system of countries around the world, TPMS has now become a mandatory requirement in many countries.
TPMS comprises of the following components: a Sensor, Receiver and a Display unit. The sensor is normally fixed inside the tyre if the tyre is tubeless. In the case of tube type tyres, the sensor is either screwed on to the end of the tube valve (external valve stem system) or fixed on the rim. The receiver, which is fixed on the vehicle chassis, receives the signal from the sensor and transmits the same to the display unit.
The arrangement of the sensor as detailed above works perfectly fine for tubeless tyres. However, for tube type tyres, since the sensor is visible outside, it is quite often prone for pilferage as well as damage when the vehicle embarks on slushy terrains/ roads. In order to avert such pilferage or damage, if the sensor is fixed on the outside of the tube of the tube tyre, it will get damaged when the tube is mounted inside the tyre and inflated. Hence there is a need for an alternate design for fixing the sensor for a tube type tyre.
Patent document CN201110265406A discloses a tyre pressure monitoring module comprising of a pressure sensor for monitoring tyre pressure of a vehicle-used inner tyre and outputting a tyre pressure signal. In the invention disclosed by the said patent document, the inner tube of the tyre comprises of a circular ring-shaped elastic tube and a metal valve mounted on the said circular ring-shaped elastic tube. The said tyre pressure monitoring module is placed in the said elastic tube such that the output end of the first radio frequency transceiver module of the tyre pressure monitoring module is electrically connected to the metal valve mounted on the said circular ring-shaped elastic tube. Additionally, tyre pressure monitoring module is installed in the circular elastic tube of each inner tube of the vehicle such that the said tyre pressure monitoring module is placed in a box with a vent hole. The vent hole is used to facilitate the pressure sensor of the tyre pressure monitoring module to sense the tyre pressure of the inner tube of the vehicle.
Patent document CN201710847533A discloses a system comprising of a tyre pressure monitoring system module coupled with a wheel on a vehicle and a vehicle navigation system of the vehicle. The said system disclosed by the patent document includes a vehicle navigation system and a plurality of sensor modules (TPMS modules) that communicate radio frequency (RF) with the TPMS central control unit. The patent document further describes that each TPMS module has a unique identifier and is mounted inside each wheel, for example, on a rim, valve or inner tube.
CN200710028651A discloses an information transmission method applied to an automobile pressure monitoring system. The automobile pressure monitoring system includes an RF signal transmitting module installed in each tyre for measuring and transmitting the temperature and pressure code data in the tyre and installed on the vehicle body. The patent document further discloses that the RF signal transmission module mainly includes a temperature and pressure sensor, an MCU (Micro Computer Unit), a transmission circuit and a battery, which are installed in the inner tube and used to transmit the detected temperature and pressure values in the form of encoded data.
EP09151339A discloses a monitoring system for a vehicle or tire and the method of monitoring the said system. The said system includes a service station through which the vehicle passes, while situated within the service station, an initiation signal is generated prompting data transmission from wheel unit based monitoring device to a receiver and an output device may be employed to visually display information responsive to the transmitted data. The patent further discloses that one or more monitoring devices are mounted to the tyre such as by means of a patch adhesively attached to the tyre inner liner, or the wheel rim.
CN201621004484U discloses a direct tyre pressure monitoring system which includes a tyre pressure sensor and wireless receiver, wherein the said tyre pressure sensor is installed in the car inner tube, inside a completely sealed package.
PCT/CH2011/000172 discloses a tire-tube assembly comprising of a hermetically sealed tire-tube made of an elastic tubular wall material which encloses an inside volume with a holder arranged on the said tire-tube, a sensor mechanically connected to the said holder, a connector unit electrically connected to the said sensor. The patent document further discloses that the said holder has an elastic modulus which is similar to an elastic modulus of the tubular wall material and it is vulcanized onto the wall material of the tire-tube. The holder is mechanically connected to the sensor unit comprising a pressure sensor and a support. The holder covers and seals an opening in the wall material of the tire-tube. The sensor communicates with this opening and directly measures the pressure in the inside volume of the tire-tube.
The inner tube of a tube type tyre is manufactured from extruded rubber sheets, which are shaped on a former and cured in a steam-heated mould to the cover shape. In the aforementioned process, the first process is extrusion wherein a specified rubber compound will be fed into an extruder to get a specified profile of rubber extrudate through the die and core fixed at the head of the extruder. The extrudate is like a hose and passes through the conveyor. This is known as the green tube. The green tube is then cut into a length and stored properly without folding, in a specified storage facility. After the required ageing of the green tube, it is spliced i.e. both the ends of tube are clamped with specified clamping pressure and cut using hot knife with a specified temperature and joint with specified butting pressure. The spliced tube will then be taken out. After splicing the green tube looks like a circular ring. The spliced tube will then be inflated in a former made of wood or metal to a specified volume for the easy transfer of the green tube into the moulding die and to vulcanize/ cure the green tube in the specified die / mould. To provide an outlet or inlet to the tube interior, a valve stem is sealed to the inside circumference during vulcanisation. During vulcanisation/ curing, hot steam will be passed outside and inside the green tube. The heat and pressure of the steam causes the compounds in the tube such as rubber and sulphur molecules to bond so that the rubber in the green tube acquires a higher elasticity and durability. Usually, the temperature of the steam introduced during curing/ vulcanisation is around 170°C. However, the sensor of a TPMS would not be able to withstand a temperature of 170°C and will be damaged beyond 135°C. None of the prior arts have considered this important aspect and without such consideration, have either merely disclosed placing the sensor in the inner tube (without disclosing the exact location or method of placing the sensor) or have provided an external holder or a box with a vent hole, placed on the inner tube, which is coupled to the sensor of the TPMS. While the former i.e. merely placing the sensor somewhere in the inner tube will outrightly fail, the latter, i.e. coupling it to a box or external holder with a vent hole is complex and not efficiently designed.
Therefore there is a need in the art to provide a working and efficient tyre pressure monitoring system for tube type tyres whereby the sensor employed by the said TPMS is not prone to pilferage and/ or damage, and there is a further need to provide a simple and efficient method to install the said sensor of the TPMS in tube type tyres, without causing damage to the said sensor.
The information disclosed in this background of disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
One or more problems of the conventional prior art may be overcome by various embodiments of the present invention.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a tyre pressure monitoring system for tube type tyres whereby the sensor employed by the said TPMS is not prone to pilferage and/ or damage, and a method to install the said sensor of the TPMS in tube type tyres, without causing damage to the said sensor.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tyre pressure monitoring system for tube tyres wherein the sensor employed by the said TPMS is installed in a simple yet design efficient manner.
These and other objects and advantages of the present subject matter will be apparent to a person skilled in the art after consideration of the following detailed description taken into consideration with accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment of the present subject matter are illustrated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Figure 1 illustrates the tube type tyre (100) with an inflated inner tube disclosed by the present invention.
Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of the sensor (105) kept inside the inner tube (102) of the tube type tyre (100).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention as embodied by a "Tyre Pressure Monitoring System for Tube Type Tyres" succinctly fulfils the above-mentioned need[s] in the art. The present invention has objective[s] arising as a result of the above-mentioned need[s], said objective[s] being enumerated hereinabove. In as much as the objective[s] of the present invention are enumerated, it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that, the enumerated objective[s] are not exhaustive of the present invention in its entirety, and are enclosed solely for the purpose of illustration. Further, the present invention encloses within its scope and purview, any structural alternative[s] and/or any functional equivalent[s] even though, such structural alternative[s] and/or any functional equivalent[s] are not mentioned explicitly herein or elsewhere, in the present disclosure. The present invention therefore encompasses also, any improvisation[s]/modification[s] applied to the structural alternative[s]/functional alternative[s] within its scope and purview. The present invention may be embodied in other specific form[s] without departing from the essential attributes thereof.
Throughout this specification, the use of the word "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising" may imply the inclusion of an element or elements not specifically recited.
The subject matter of the present invention relates to a tyre pressure monitoring system for tube tyres. The present invention provides a tube type tyre (100) with an inflated inner tube, the said tube type tyre (100) comprising of a tyre tread (101), an inflated inner tube (102), a pair of rims (103), a valve stem (104), characterised in that, a sensor (105) of a tyre pressure monitoring system is fixed inside the said inflated inner tube (102), at the crown area.
The present invention further provides a tyre pressure monitoring system for tube type tyres comprising of a sensor, a receiver and a display unit, characterised in that, the said sensor is installed inside the inner tube of a tube type tyre at the crown area, whereby the said sensor is placed inside the green tube before it is spliced and cured, 150 – 900 mm from the centre of the valve of the said green tube.
The present invention furthermore provides a method of installing the sensor (105) of the tyre pressure monitoring system in the tube type tyre (100), without causing damage to the said sensor (105), comprising the steps of:
(i) extrusion of rubber sheets to form a green tube;
(ii) cutting of the said green tube to the required length followed by ageing of the said green tube;
(iii) placing the valve stem (104) on the circumference of the green tube using pressure;
(iv) fixing the sensor (105) inside the green tube at the crown side of the tube, at a distance of 150 – 900 mm from the centre of the valve of the said green tube, by first cleaning the tube surface followed by applying splicing cement and then placing the said sensor (105) at the specified location;
(v) splicing the green tube by clamping both ends of the said tube at a specified clamping pressure and cutting both ends using a hot knife at a specified temperature followed by joining the said cut-ends at a specified butting pressure;
(vi) inflating the spliced tube in a former made of wood or metal to a specified volume and then transferring the said spliced tube into the moulding die for vulcanisation;
(vii) curing the tube by applying steam at a temperature between 130°C to 180°C to the tube on the outside while simultaneously applying a low temperature curing media on the inside of the tube;
(viii) removing the cured tube from the moulding die.
The sensor (105) can be of any shape and can be placed circumferentially or radially inside the inner tube (102).
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the low temperature curing media applied on the inside of the tube during curing is air.
It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the above description is for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as limiting. Various modifications, additions, alterations, and improvements without deviating from the scope of the invention may be made by a person skilled in the art.