Fastening element for fastening electronic devices on tires and manufacturing method of a tire provided with said fastening element

A method for manufacturing a tire provided with at least one fastening element,

• wherein the tire for vehicle wheels, consisting of an internally hollow and substantially toroidal-shaped structure, said structure comprising:
• a pair of axially opposite end flaps with circumferential extension, which are arranged to engage tightly with a rim of a vehicle to allow said tire to be fitted on said rim:
• a circumferential belt structure, which is externally provided with a tread portion and is internally provided with an internal base wall of the tire;
• a pair of sidewalls with circumferential extension, wherein each sidewall extends between a respective end flap and said belt structure, and wherein each sidewall is externally provided with a shoulder portion and is internally provided with an internal side wall of the tire;
• and
• at least one fastening element for at least one electronic device, which is made integral with said internal base wall and/or with said internal side wall of the tire,
• wherein each fastening element is manufactured from a deformable elastomeric material and comprises:
• a base portion, which is provided with a fastening surface fastened on said internal base wall and/or on said internal side wall of the tire;
• a retaining portion, which is integrally formed in a single piece with said base portion and is provided with an upper surface facing away from said fastening surface;
• and
• at least one blind hole, which extends into said retaining portion and faces said upper surface, wherein each blind hole is provided with at least one side wall and at least one bottom wall,
• wherein said base portion has a maximum dimension, measured on a plane that is parallel to said fastening surface, wherein said retraining portion has a minimum dimension, measured on a plane parallel to said upper surface, and wherein said blind hole has a maximum internal width which is less than said minimum dimension, the tire wherein said maximum dimension is comprised between 55 mm and 75 mm and said minimum dimension is comprised between 20 mm and 30 mm, wherein said at least one side wall of said blind hole comprises:
• a first top portion, which faces said upper surface;
• a second inner portion, which extends between said first top portion and said bottom wall;
• and
• an undercut portion, which is interposed between said first top portion and said second inner portion and is substantially parallel to the upper surface of said retaining portion,
• wherein the maximum internal width of said blind hole coincides with the maximum width of said undercut portion, and wherein the second inner portion of said blind hole has a tapered shape, with a progressively decreasing width from said undercut portion towards said bottom wall,
• the method comprising the steps of:
• preparing a raw, that is, non-vulcanized, tire;
• preparing a mold provided with a molding imprint coinciding with the shape of said fastening element, wherein at least one molding body of said mold, which is designed to form said blind hole, can be separated from the main body of said mold;
• applying a raw elastomeric material on said mold, in such that said raw elastomeric material at least partially covers said at least one molding body and said main body of said mold;
• vulcanizing said raw elastomeric material applied on said mold to obtain said fastening element;
• removing said vulcanized fastening element from the main body of said mold, in such a way that said vulcanized fastening element keeps therein said at least one molding body, which is then separated from the main body of said mold;
• applying one or more vulcanized fastening elements on the raw tire, so that the fastening surface of each fastening element adheres to the internal base wall and/or to the internal side wall of said raw tire;
• vulcanizing the assembly consisting of said raw tire and said one or more already vulcanized fastening elements;
• removing said at least one molding body from the respective blind hole of each fastening element;
• inserting at least one portion of said electronic device into the blind hole of said fastening element, in such a way that said at least one portion of said electronic device only consists of a root portion of said electronic device and not the whole body of said electronic device.