Patent Application
20140002242
The present invention relates generally to tires having a readable RFID identification tag incorporated therein and, more specifically, to a reader portal for reading RFID tags in such tires.
It is useful to incorporate an RFID identification tag into a tire in order to enable an identification of the tire throughout the useful service life of the tire. Such tags age affixed to the tire either during pre-cure tire build or during a post-cure tag attachment procedure. Such tires are manufactured by generally conventional factory techniques and are shipped from the factory either to a designated automobile original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or to a tire dealer for use as a replacement tires. In the course of post-manufacture handling, the tires are typically stacked and moved by forklift trucks with a metal clamp to hold the stack of tires. Tires are then moved through a warehouse and pass either through dock doors for loading onto trailers/trucks or move through alternative warehouse openings to other shipping points of deportation.
In one aspect of the invention a product management system and method for reading an electronic identification tag secured to a manufactured product is provided. The system includes a portal having a portal opening positioned and dimensioned to permit the product to be transported through the portal opening; a flexible curtain pivotally suspended at the portal to depend downward into the portal opening, the curtain within the portal opening being positioned for contacting engagement with the manufactured product as the one product passes through the portal opening. An antenna is secured to the flexible curtain and swings with the curtain into a position operatively accessible for an electronic data transmission from the electronic identification tag as the one product moves through the portal opening.
In another aspect, the system includes an electronic reader coupled to receive the electronic data transmission from the curtain-mounted antenna.
According to a further aspect, the antenna is composed of a flexible, transparent material composition and is secured within the flexible curtain.
The curtain includes a multiple vertically suspended, independently moving, flexible strips, in a further aspect, the strips having a mutual spacing and position within the portal opening to substantially ensure that at least one of the flexible strips contacts the manufactured product or each product within a vertical stack of such products as the product/stack moves through the portal opening.
“Aspect ratio” of the tire means the ratio of its section height (SH) to its section width (SW) multiplied by 100 percent for expression as a percentage.
“Asymmetric tread” means a tread that has a tread pattern not symmetrical about the center plane or equatorial plane EP of the tire.
“Axial” and “axially” means lines or directions that are parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire.
“Chafer” is a narrow strip of material placed around the outside of a tire bead to protect the cord plies from wearing and cutting against the rim and distribute the flexing above the rim.
“Circumferential” means lines or directions extending along the perimeter of the surface of the annular tread perpendicular to the axial direction.
“Equatorial Centerplane (CP)” means the plane perpendicular to the tire's axis of rotation and passing through the center of the tread.
“Footprint” means the contact patch or area of contact of the tire tread with a flat surface at zero speed and under normal load and pressure.
“Groove” means an elongated void area in a tread that may extend circumferentially or laterally about the tread in a straight, curved, or zigzag manner. Circumferentially and laterally extending grooves sometimes have common portions. The “groove width” is equal to tread surface area occupied by a groove or groove portion, the width of which is in question, divided by the length of such groove or groove portion; thus, the groove width is its average width over its length. Grooves may be of varying depths in a tire. The depth of a groove may vary around the circumference of the tread, or the depth of one groove may be constant but vary from the depth of another groove in the tire. If such narrow or wide grooves are substantially reduced depth as compared to wide circumferential grooves which the interconnect, they are regarded as forming “tie bars” tending to maintain a rib-like character in tread region involved.
“Inboard side” means the side of the tire nearest the vehicle when the tire is mounted on a wheel and the wheel is mounted on the vehicle.
“Lateral” means an axial direction.
“Lateral edges” means a line tangent to the axially outermost tread contact patch or footprint as measured under normal load and tire inflation, the lines being parallel to the equatorial centerplane.
“Net contact area” means the total area of ground contacting tread elements between the lateral edges around the entire circumference of the tread divided by the gross area of the entire tread between the lateral edges.
“Non-directional tread” means a tread that has no preferred direction of forward travel and is not required to be positioned on a vehicle in a specific wheel position or positions to ensure that the tread pattern is aligned with the preferred direction of travel. Conversely, a directional tread pattern has a preferred direction of travel requiring specific wheel positioning.
“Outboard side” means the side of the tire farthest away from the vehicle when the tire is mounted on a wheel and the wheel is mounted on the vehicle.
“Radial” and “radially” means directions radially toward or away from the axis of rotation of the tire.
“Rib” means a circumferentially extending strip of rubber on the tread which is defined by at least one circumferential groove and either a second such groove or a lateral edge, the strip being laterally undivided by full-depth grooves.
“Sipe” means small slots molded into the tread elements of the tire that subdivide the tread surface and improve traction, sipes are generally narrow in width and close in the tires footprint as opposed to grooves that remain open in the tire's footprint.
“Tread element” or “traction element” means a rib or a block element defined by having a shape adjacent grooves.
“Tread Arc Width” means the arc length of the tread as measured between the lateral edges of the tread.
The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring to
The tag 10 may be affixed in several manners and at several alternative locations on the tire 28.
With reference to
It is contemplated that multiple strips 48 will be employed within the portal opening to form the curtain 56. For example, four strips may be placed in the portal, each strip being nine inches wide with nine inch spacing between the strips. The curtain 56 will thus occupy and provide over five feet of coverage. As shown, the portal 42 is defined by vertical support posts 60, 62 and an upper cross-beam 64 supported by posts 60, 62. The opening 44 occupies the spacing between the posts, cross-beam and the floor surface. As the tires move through the portal, the tires will brush against and push back one or more of the curtain strips 48. This mobility will provide diversity that will ensure that each tag will move through at least one strong read field and likely several strong read fields. The antenna curtain 56 formed by the antenna strips 48 is constructed to be flexible and easily swung by direct engagement with the moving stack of tires. Moreover, the curtain strips are easily hung and readily connected to the system RFID reader/eNode 52 as will be explained.
Referring to
Leads 72 access the radiating antenna loop elements 70. The loop elements 70 may be arranged in any suitable array such as the alternative schematic antenna embodiments shown in
The upper end of a representative, completed antenna strip 48 is shown in
The strips flexible pivot about the frame attachment at the top edge, and swing freely in the portal opening. Conduits and connectors extend from each strip to the reader 52 as will be seen from
Thus, the reader antenna within strips 48 are located close enough to excite the tag. Moreover, the antenna strips 48 are constructed to protectively sandwich the antenna circuitry between dual layers of laminate strips 22, 24, rendering the assembled strips 48 mechanically robust and capable of withstanding repeated flexing cycles. The strips 48 through the frame attachment described above are readily installed within a portal opening in at manufacturing or warehouse location or any other stop in the distribution channel. The antenna system is compatible with conventional and commercially available readers/eNodes, making the pass-through product management system cost effective to implement, service and operate. While tires are the exemplary products used in the foregoing description, the system may be adapted and used for other product categories where transportation of products carrying a RFID tag(s) are routed through a portal opening in the course of manufacture or subsequent distribution.
Variations in the present invention are possible in light of the description of it provided herein. While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the subject invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the subject invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that changes can be made in the particular embodiments described which will be within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.
