초록 ▼

A tire assembly with integrated power generation features includes one or more piezoelectric devices and power conditioning modules. Piezoelectric devices may include a plurality of piezoelectric fibers embedded in a generally unidirectional fashion within an epoxy matrix, a piezoceramic wafer prov

A tire assembly with integrated power generation features includes one or more piezoelectric devices and power conditioning modules. Piezoelectric devices may include a plurality of piezoelectric fibers embedded in a generally unidirectional fashion within an epoxy matrix, a piezoceramic wafer provided on a substrate and substantially surrounded by a protective casing, or a piezoceramic unimorph structure adhered with a thermoplastic polyimide to respective top and bottom conductive layers. Each piezoelectric device may include multiple piezoelectric elements connected in series and/or parallel arrangements, configured with respective poling directions in opposing or in-phase arrangements and/or configured in d33 or d31 displacement modes. Piezoelectric devices are preferably mounted within a tire or wheel assembly such that electric charge is generated therein as the wheel assembly moves along a ground surface and is subsequently stored in one or more energy storage devices. Stored energy may then be used to power electronics such as a tire monitoring system that wirelessly transmits such information as tire pressure, temperature and identification variables to a remote receiver location.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A tire assembly with integrated power generation features, said tire assembly comprising: a tire structure characterized by a crown having an exterior tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said tire to a wheel rim, and sidewall port

What is claimed is: 1. A tire assembly with integrated power generation features, said tire assembly comprising: a tire structure characterized by a crown having an exterior tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said tire to a wheel rim, and sidewall portions extending between each bead portion and the crown; a piezoelectric device comprising a layer of piezoceramic material characterized by first and second opposing sides and first and second conductive layers provided adjacent to respective said first and second opposing sides of said layer of piezoceramic material and secured thereto with respective adhesive layers configured to generate electric charge therein upon said tire structure being subjected to mechanical strains; an energy storage device coupled to said piezoelectric device for receiving said electric charge from said piezoelectric device and for storing selected amounts of said electric charge therein; and an electronics assembly coupled to said energy storage device such that selected electronic components of said electronics assembly are powered by electric charge stored in said energy storage device. 2. A tire assembly with integrated power generation features, said tire assembly comprising: a tire structure characterized by a crown having an exterior tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said tire to a wheel rim, and sidewall portions extending between each bead portion and the crown; a piezoelectric device configured to generate electric charge therein upon said tire structure being subjected to mechanical strains; an energy storage device coupled to said piezoelectric device for receiving said electric charge from said piezoelectric device and for storing selected amounts of said electric charge therein; and an electronics assembly coupled to said energy storage device such that selected electronic components of said electronics assembly are powered by electric charge stored in said energy storage device, wherein said piezoelectric device comprises a fiber composite structure with a plurality of piezoelectric fibers embedded in an epoxy matrix. 3. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric device comprises: at least one piezoceramic wafer; a protective casing substantially surrounding said at least one piezoceramic wafer; and first and second electrical leads for connecting to said at least one piezoceramic wafer. 4. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein said respective adhesive layers comprise thermoplastic polyimide. 5. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein said first and second conductive layers respectively comprise a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and aluminum. 6. A tire assembly with integrated power generation features, said tire assembly comprising: a tire structure characterized by a crown having an exterior tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said tire to a wheel rim, and sidewall portions extending between each bead portion and the crown; a piezoelectric device configured to generate electric charge therein upon said tire structure being subjected to mechanical strains; an energy storage device coupled to said piezoelectric device for receiving said electric charge from said piezoelectric device and for storing selected amounts of said electric charge therein; and an electronics assembly coupled to said energy storage device such that selected electronic components of said electronics assembly are powered by electric charge stored in said energy storage device, wherein said piezoelectric device comprises multiple piezoceramic elements connected in either series or parallel. 7. The tire assembly of claim 6, wherein the polarization directions of said multiple piezoceramic elements are configured as one of in-phase and opposing. 8. The tire assembly of claim 6, wherein the displacement of said multiple piezoceramic elements are configured in one of d33 and d31 modes. 9. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric device comprises at least one piezoelectric element comprising a material selected from the group consisting of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), barium titanate, quartz, cadmium sulfide, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 10. The tire assembly of claim 1, further comprising a power conditioning module provided in conjunction with said energy storage device for rectifying an electric current signal representative of said electric charge generated within said piezoelectric device, providing the rectified current signal to said energy storage device, and generating a regulated voltage output. 11. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein said electronics assembly comprises a rechargeable battery. 12. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein said electronics assembly comprises at least one sensor configured to monitor predetermined characteristics of said tire structure. 13. The tire assembly of claim 12, wherein said electronics assembly comprises a radio frequency (RF) device for relaying selected information monitored by said at least one sensor and additional tire identification information to a remote location. 14. The tire assembly of claim 12, wherein said predetermined characteristics include at least one of temperature, pressure, number of tire revolutions, vehicle speed, and level of static and dynamic forces acting on said tire structure. 15. An electronics assembly for integration with a predetermined physical environment, said electronics assembly comprising: a piezoelectric device comprising a layer of piezoceramic material characterized by first and second opposing sides and first and second conductive layers provided adjacent to respective said first and second opposing sides of said layer of piezoceramic material and secured thereto with respective adhesive layers configured to generate electric charge upon being subjected to mechanical forces, said piezoelectric device comprising at least one piezoceramic wafer; at least one sensor for determining information about preselected characteristics of said predetermined physical environment, wherein said at least one sensor is powered by the electric charge generated within said piezoelectric device; and an antenna coupled to said at least one sensor for radiating RF signals representative of said information about preselected characteristics determined by said at least one sensor. 16. The electronics assembly of claim 15, wherein said piezoelectric device comprises: at least one piezoceramic wafer; a protective casing substantially surrounding said at least one piezoceramic wafer; and first and second electrical leads for connecting to said at least one piezoceramic wafer. 17. The electronics assembly of claim 15, wherein said respective adhesive layers comprise thermoplastic polyimide. 18. The electronics assembly of claim 15, wherein said first and second conductive layers respectively comprise a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and aluminum. 19. An electronics assembly for integration with a predetermined physical environment, said electronics assembly comprising: a piezoelectric device configured to generate electric charge upon being subjected to mechanical forces, said piezoelectric device comprising at least one piezoceramic wafer: at least one sensor for determining information about preselected characteristics of said predetermined physical environment, wherein said at least one sensor is powered by the electric charge generated within said piezoelectric device; and an antenna coupled to said at least one sensor for radiating RF signals representative of said information about preselected characteristics determined by said at least one sensor, wherein said piezoelectric device comprises multiple piezoceramic elements connected in series or parallel. 20. The electronics assembly of claim 19, wherein the polarization directions of said multiple piezoceramic elements are configured as one of in-phase and opposing. 21. The electronics assembly of claim 19, wherein the displacement of said multiple piezoceramic elements are configured in one of d33 and d31 modes. 22. The electronics assembly of claim 15, wherein said piezoelectric device comprises at least one piezoelectric element comprising a material selected from the group consisting of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), barium titanate, quartz, cadmium sulfide, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 23. The electronics assembly of claim 15, wherein said predetermined physical environment corresponds to a tire or wheel assembly. 24. The electronics assembly of claim 15, wherein said at least one sensor provides information about the temperature and pressure within said predetermined physical environment. 25. The electronics assembly of claim 15, further comprising a microcontroller powered by the charge generated in said piezoelectric device and coupled to said at least one sensor for processing information received from said at least one sensor and for generating select information indicative of said preselected characteristics of said predetermined physical environment. 26. The electronics assembly of claim 15, further comprising an RF transmitter coupled to said microcontroller for receiving select information from said microcontroller, modulating the select information to a carrier signal, and transmitting the select information via said antenna to a remote receiver location. 27. A tire assembly with integrated power generation features, comprising: a tire structure characterized by a crown having an exterior tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said tire to a wheel rim, and sidewall portions extending between each bead portion and the crown; a plurality of piezoelectric devices integrated at distributed locations throughout said tire structure and respectively configured to generate electric charge therein upon said tire structure being subjected to mechanical strains; and at least one energy storage device coupled to selected of said plurality of piezoelectric devices for receiving said electric charge from said selected of said piurality of piezoelectric device and for storing selected amounts of said electric charge therein, wherein selected of said plurality of piezoelectric devices comprise a layer of piezoceramic material characterized by first and second opposing sides and first and second conductive layers provided adjacent to respective said first and second opposing sides of said layer of piezoceramic material and secured thereto with respective adhesive layers. 28. The tire assembly of claim 27, further comprising an electronics assembly coupled to said at least one energy storage device such that selected electronic components of said electronics assembly are powered by electric charge stored in said energy storage device. 29. The tire assembly of claim 28, further comprising a plurality of energy storage devices, each of said energy storage devices coupled to one of said plurality of piezoelectric devices for respectively receiving said electric charge from said one of said plurality of piezoelectric devices and storing selected amounts of electric charge therein. 30. The tire assembly of claim 29, further comprising a plurality of distinct electronic modules, selected of said plurality of distinct electronic modules coupled to selected of said respective plurality of energy storage devices such that selected electronic components of said plurality of distinct electronic modules are powered by electric charge stored in said plurality of energy storage devices. 31. A tire assembly with integrated power generation features, comprising: a tire structure characterized by a crown having an exterior tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said tire to a wheel rim, and sidewall portions extending between each bead portion and the crown; a plurality of piezoelectric devices integrated at distributed locations throughout said tire structure and respectively configured to generate electric charge therein upon said tire structure being subjected to mechanical strains; and at least one energy storage device coupled to selected of said plurality of piezoelectric devices for receiving said electric charge from said selected of said plurality of piezoelectric device and for storing selected amounts of said electric charge therein, wherein selected of said plurality of piezoelectric devices comprises a fiber composite structure with a plurality of piezoelectric fibers embedded in an epoxy matrix. 32. The tire assembly of claim 27, wherein selected of said plurality of piezoelectric devices comprises: at least one piezoceramic wafer; a protective casing substantially surrounding said at least one piezoceramic wafer; and first and second electrical leads for connecting to said at least one piezoceramic wafer. 33. The tire assembly of claim 27, wherein said respective adhesive layers comprise thermoplastic polyimide. 34. The tire assembly of claim 27, wherein said first and second conductive layers respectively comprise a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and aluminum. 35. The tire assembly of claim 27, wherein selected of said plurality of piezoelectric devices comprises multiple piezoceramic elements connected in either series or parallel. 36. The tire assembly of claim 35, wherein the polarization directions of said multiple piezoceramic elements are configured as one of in-phase and opposing. 37. The tire assembly of claim 35, wherein the displacement of said multiple piezoceramic elements are configured in one of d33 and d31 modes. 38. The tire assembly of claim 27, wherein each of said plurality of piezoelectric devices comprises at least one piezoelectric element comprising a material selected from the group consisting of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), barium titanate, quartz, cadmium sulfide, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 39. The tire assembly of claim 27, further comprising a power conditioning module provided in conjunction with said at least one energy storage device for rectifying at least one electric current signal representative of said electric charge generated within each of said plurality of piezoelectric devices, providing the rectified current signal to said at least one energy storage device, and generating a regulated voltage output.