Tire blow-out detector

• US 20040008107A1
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Original Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Boulot, Jean-Francis
• Granted Patent: US 6,917,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/442
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver

Abstract

A device for detecting substantially sudden and significant loss of pressure in a tire, comprising:

a pressure variation detector capable on the one hand of responding in a safety time interval to a substantially significant and rapid variation in the pressure inside the tire cavity, and on the other hand of acting on another element cooperating with said detector;

a management module, cooperating with said detector and capable, on the basis of the information supplied by said detector, of sending a signal when a given pressure variation threshold is reached.

Claims

1. A device for detecting substantially sudden and significant loss of tire pressure, comprising:

a pressure variation detector of the piezoelectric type, capable of responding in a safety time interval to a substantially significant and rapid variation in the pressure inside the cavity of the tire, and which acts on another element, a management module, cooperating with said detector, said pressure variation detector comprising a casing provided with two chambers, insulated substantially from one another and separated by a piezoelectric type deformable membrane, a first chamber being subject to a reference pressure and the second being in fluid communication with the environment of the medium in which it is desired to effect monitoring, said deformable membrane adopting a given substantially stable profile in the absence of a variation in the pressure differential between the two chambers, said membrane being adapted to deform so as to pass from a first profile to a second profile under the action of a variation in the pressure of said environment, the deformations thus produced allowing the generation of an electrical signal, the strength of which is related to the degree of deformation;

a management module, cooperating with said detector and capable, on the basis of the information supplied by said detector, of sending a signal when a given pressure variation threshold is reached.

2. A device for detecting substantially sudden and significant loss of tire pressure according to claim 1, in which the reference pressure corresponds to a vacuum.

3. A blow-out detection device according to claim 1, in which the environment of the medium in which it is desired to effect monitoring corresponds to the pressure inside the cavity of a tire.

4. A device for detecting substantially sudden and significant loss of tire pressure according to claim 1, in which the piezoelectric type membrane comprises two metallized faces.

5. A device for detecting substantially sudden and significant loss of tire pressure according to claim 1, in which the management module emits a signal capable of actuating a warning means for the driver of the vehicle.

6. A device for detecting substantially sudden and significant loss of tire pressure according to claim 1, in which the management module emits a signal capable of serving as a parameter for a vehicle driver assistance device.

7. A device for detecting substantially sudden and significant loss of tire pressure according to claim 6, in which said assistance device is a device of the ESP type.

8. A device for detecting substantially sudden and significant loss of tire pressure according to claim 6, in which said assistance device is a device of the antilock brake system (ABS) type.

9. A device for detecting substantially sudden and significant loss of tire pressure according to claim 6, in which said assistance device is a device of the antiskid type.

10. A tire comprising a blow-out detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A tire according to claim 10, in which the blow-out detection device is moulded in a wall.

12. A rim a comprising a blow-out detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. A device for monitoring the pressure of at least one tire, comprising a pressure sensor, and a device for detecting a substantially sudden and significant loss of tire pressure according to any one of claims 1 to 9.