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EP-3736143-B1 - TYRE WITH A DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELECTRODE LAYER AND A RUBBER LAYER AND THE USE OF THE TYRE AND THE DEVICE IN A TYRE

EP3736143B1EP 3736143 B1EP3736143 B1EP 3736143B1EP-3736143-B1

Inventors

  • Das, Amit - c/o Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V.
  • Finger, Sebastian - c/o Continental AG
  • Lacayo-Pineda, Jorge - c/o Continental AG
  • Natarajan, Tamil - c/o Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20200317

Claims (13)

  1. Tyre comprising a device (6), wherein the device (6) comprises an electrode layer (1) and a rubber layer (2) and contacts (8) provided on the layers (1, 2) for collecting an electrical voltage produced between the layers (1, 2) and the device is an integral constituent of the tyre, wherein a) the electrode layer (1) comprises an electrode material having an electrical conductivity of at least 0.001 S/m at 20°C, b) the rubber layer (2) comprises rubber having an electrical conductivity of less than 10 -5 S/m at 20°C, wherein - the electrode layer (1) and the rubber layer (2) are arranged one atop the other and - the surface of the rubber layer (2) opposite the electrode layer (1) comprises at least a portion of the ground contact surface (3) or at least a portion of the rim contact surface (4) of the tyre (5), characterized in that , the electrode material of the electrode layer (1) or the electrode layer sections a rubber comprising NR, IR, ENR, BR, SBR, SSBR, PDMS, ESBR and epichlorohydrin or mixtures thereof and comprises at least one filler, wherein the one filler is carbon black.
  2. Tyre according to Claim 1, wherein the device is suitable therefor, wherein the rubber of the rubber layer (2) has a relative permittivity in the range from 1 to 5, preferably in the range from 2.25 to 4, particularly preferably from 2.44 to 3.5, especially particularly preferably in the range from 2.45 to 3, most preferably in the range from 2.47 to 2.80, measured at 60°C and a frequency of 10 Hz.
  3. Tyre according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the surface of the rubber layer (2) opposite the electrode layer (1) in its entirety mainly forms the ground contact surface or in its entirety forms the entire ground contact surface (3) of the tyre (5) and/or the electrode layer (1) comprises at least two, preferably four, electrode layer sections electrically isolated from one another (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d).
  4. Tyre according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrode layer (1) or respective pairs of opposite electrode layer sections (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) or each electrode layer section (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of the device (6) has a power supply circuit (13) for connection to the contacts (8) for collecting an electrical voltage present between the layers (1, 2), wherein the power supply circuit (13) - can receive an electrical voltage produced between the layers (1, 2) and - comprises a rectifier unit (14), wherein - a rectifier unit (14) consisting of a two-way rectifier having a ground and having an energy storage means (10) for intermediate storage of the energy of an electrical voltage present between the layers (1, 2) or - a rectifier unit (14) consisting of a two-way rectifier connecting the two opposite electrode layer sections (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) having an energy storage means (10) for intermediate storage of the energy of an electrical voltage present between the layers (1, 2).
  5. Tyre according to any of the preceding claims, wherein - the rubber layer (2) comprises at least one filler and - the at least one filler of the rubber layer (2) - is silica, wherein the at least one filler is present in a total amount in the range from 0.1 phr to 50 phr, preferably in the range from 1 phr to 30 phr, particularly preferably in the range from 2 phr to 25 phr, very particularly preferably in the range from 3 phr to 20 phr, in each case based on the total mass of the rubber layer (2) of the device (6), and/or - is carbon black, and preferably in a total amount in the range from 0.1 phr to 60 phr, preferably in the range from 1 phr to 30 phr, particularly preferably in the range from 2 phr to 20 phr, in each case based on the total mass of the rubber layer (2) of the device (6).
  6. Tyre according to Claim 1, wherein the carbon black in the electrode layer (1) or in each electrode section (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) is present in a total amount in the range from 1 phr to 200 phr, preferably in the range from 5 phr to 190 phr, particularly preferably in the range from 5 phr to 150, in each case based on the total mass of the rubber of the electrode layer (1) or of the respective electrode section.
  7. Tyre according to any of the preceding claims, wherein - the one rubber or one of the two or more rubbers of the rubber layer (2) is selected from the group consisting of rubber, polyester, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalates, polypropylene, polystyrene, polychlorobutadiene, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinyl chloride, poly(organo)siloxanes, vulcanized rubber particles, fillers and mixtures thereof, wherein preferred rubbers are the rubbers ENR, BR, SBR, SSBR, PDMS, ESBR and epichlorohydrin, or - the rubber layer (2) comprises - SBR and/or PDMS, preferably SBR, or - mainly or entirely consists of SBR or PDMS, preferably exclusively consists of SBR.
  8. Tyre according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the device is suitable for - charging at least one energy storage means (10), such as a battery or an accumulator, wherein the one energy storage means (10) may be mounted to the tyre (5) or to a rim (11) for mounting the tyre (5), and/or - the device is designed to produce an electrical voltage between the layers (1, 2) through variation of pressure on the layers (1, 2).
  9. Tyre according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the surface of the rubber layer (2) opposite the electrode layer (1) has a surface roughness R a in the range from 0.1 µm to 500 µm, preferably in the range from 0.5 to 100 µm, particularly preferably in the range from 1 to 50 µm, very particularly preferably in the range from 1 to 5 µm, measured according to DIN EN ISO 4288:1998.
  10. Tyre according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the rubber layer (2) has a layer thickness in the range in the range from 0.1 to 200 mm, preferably in the range from 1 mm to 150 mm or from 5 to 100 mm, particularly preferably in the range from 10 to 90 mm.
  11. Tyre according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the central axis (7) of the device (19) extends in the radial direction (16) or in the axial direction (14).
  12. Tyre according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrode layer (1) or each electrode layer section (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) of the device (6) has a power supply circuit (13) for connection to the contacts (8) for collecting an electrical voltage present between the layers (1, 2), wherein the power supply circuit (13) - can receive an electrical voltage produced between the layers (1, 2) and - a rectifier unit (14), preferably a rectifier unit (14) consisting of a two-way rectifier connected to the electrode layer (1) or to an electrode layer section (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) having a contact for a rim and having an energy storage means (10) for intermediate storage of the energy of an electrical voltage produced between a rim and the electrode layer (1) or the electrode layer section (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d).
  13. Use of a tyre (5) as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 12 for charging at least one energy storage means (10), such as a battery or an accumulator, during driving of a vehicle comprising the tyre (5), wherein the one energy storage means (10) is mounted to the tyre (5) or to a rim (11), wherein the energy storage means (10) is preferably mounted to the tyre (5).

Description

The invention relates to a tire comprising a device, wherein the device comprises an electrode layer and a rubber layer. The invention also relates to the use of the device in a tire or the use of the tire. Sensors are playing an increasingly important role in today's automotive industry. They can help monitor the material properties during the manufacturing or use of various car parts, such as tires. When measuring tire properties while driving, it is often necessary to attach sensors to various points on the wheel or tire to directly measure changes in material properties or acting forces. The size and placement of the sensors also play a role and should be as advantageous as possible to avoid causing additional problems, such as excessively increasing rolling resistance. Furthermore, sensors on the wheel or tire often require a power source. Connecting to and positioning the power source in a suitable location further complicates the installation of a sensor at the intended location. The state of the art is based on the DE 10200603769 A1 a "circuit module comprising at least: a substrate (2a, 2b; 102a, 102b) on or in which at least one a component (6, 11, 12, 13) is attached, a piezo element (3) having at least one clamping area (3a, 3b) and at least one oscillation area (3b, 3a), wherein the piezo element (3) is clamped in its clamping area (3a, 3b) on the substrate (2a, 2b; 102a, 102b) or a means attached to the substrate and the at least one oscillation area (3b, 3a) is oscillatively mounted, contacts (10) provided on the piezo element (3) for receiving a piezo voltage (Up), and a power supply circuit (12, 13) which receives the piezo voltage (Up) generated by the piezo element (3) and serves as a voltage source for powering the circuit module (1, 101)" known (see claim 1). The CN106961228A The invention reveals a multifunctional, friction-generating tire, a sensor based on it, and a power supply unit, and belongs to the technology field of friction force generators. The power-generating tire consists of a tire body and a conductive layer element. Furthermore, the KR20190010966A A triboelectric generator capable of autonomously generating electrical energy. According to one embodiment, the triboelectric generator comprises a first charged material with a plurality of pores whose shape is changed by an external force, an insulating layer inserted into the first charged material, a second charged material surrounded by the insulating layer, and a wiring unit connecting the first charged material and the second charged material. Furthermore, the CN109304991A A wireless tire pressure monitoring system comprises friction nanometer power generators and a wireless tire pressure monitoring unit, wherein the friction nanometer power generators are arranged between an inner tube and an outer casing of a tire. An objective underlying the invention is to provide a tire that includes a device capable of charging energy storage devices attached to the tire or wheel for operating various sensors. This device should be an integral part of the tire and not an additionally introduced module and/or the The goal was to improve the charging speed for the attached energy storage device used to power various sensors. Another objective was to increase the voltage generated in the tire for charging the energy storage device. This problem is solved according to the invention by a tire having the features of claim 1. The invention also relates to the use of a tire according to claim 13. Preferred embodiments of the tire according to the invention are part of dependent claims. Within the scope of the present invention, a tire according to the invention is preferably a vehicle tire, and particularly preferably a pneumatic vehicle tire. Furthermore, a tire according to the invention can also comprise several devices as described above or below in order to advantageously utilize several locations in the tire as a voltage source. It was a major achievement of the present invention to discover that energy storage devices within a tire can be charged by arranging an electrically conductive layer radially within an electrically non-conductive rubber layer, the latter being in contact with the road surface. Without wishing to be bound to any scientific theory, the present invention appears to be based on triboelectric effects rather than piezoelectric effects. It is assumed that the periodic compression of the electrode layer and the rubber layer at the contact patch of a rolling tire according to the invention causes a change in voltage in the electrode material, which returns to zero when the tire leaves the contact patch. A major achievement of the present invention is that this periodic voltage change can be used as an alternating current source and, with a suitable circuit, such as a Grätz circuit, also as a direct current source. What is particularly surprising here is that a device based on this principle can be integrated int