Valve device

• US 20060125612A1
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Pacific Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Katou, Michiya, Okubo, Youichi
• Application Number:
  US11/082,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125612A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/445
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0494 Valve stem attachments positioned inside the tyre chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/20 specially designed for inflatable bodies, e.g. tyres connecting valves to inflatable bodies B60C29/00

Abstract

A valve device attachable to a wheel including a tire in a state where the valve device penetrates through an opening of the wheel. The valve device includes a transmitter unit for detecting a condition of the tire and generating a transmission signal indicating the detected condition of the tire, a valve stem extending from the transmitter unit and an elastic member disposed to surround the valve stem. The elastic member has an annular attaching portion having a diameter greater than the diameter of the opening. The valve stem is attached to the wheel by passing the attaching portion through the opening by compressively deforming the attaching portion. The attaching portion includes a recessed portion for facilitating compressively deforming the attaching portion.

Claims

1. A valve device for snap-attachment to a wheel including an opening having a diameter and a tire, the valve device comprising:

a transmitter unit for detecting a condition of the tire and generating a transmission signal which indicates the detected condition of the tire;

a valve stem extending from the transmitter unit; and

an elastic member disposed to surround the valve stem, the elastic member including an annular attaching portion having a diameter greater than the diameter of the opening, in which the valve stem is attachable to the wheel with the attaching portion attached to a portion of the wheel around the opening by compressively deforming the attaching portion and passing it through the opening, the attaching portion including a recessed portion for facilitating compressively deforming the attaching portion.

2. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein in a cross section perpendicular to an axis of the elastic member, the proportion of the area of said recessed portion with respect to the area of a solid portion of the elastic member that is associated with the attaching portion is no less than 5% and no more than 15%.

3. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member includes an axis and the recessed portion is a groove extending along the axis of the elastic member over the attaching portion.

4. The valve device according to claim 3, wherein the groove is one of a plurality of grooves arranged around the axis of the elastic member.

5. The valve device according to claim 4, wherein in a cross section perpendicular to an axis of the elastic member, the proportion of the area of total grooves with respect to the area of a solid portion of the elastic member that is associated with the attaching portion is no less than 5% and no more than 15%.

6. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the recessed portion comprises a plurality of recesses formed over the attaching portion.

7. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is removable from the valve stem.

8. The valve device according to claim 7, wherein the valve stem includes a proximal end connected to the transmitter unit and a distal end opposite to the proximal end, the valve stem includes a first supporting flange disposed in the vicinity of the proximal end and a second supporting flange separated in the axial direction from the first supporting flange toward the distal end, and the elastic member includes an axial direction and is held by the supporting flanges with respect to the axial direction.

9. The valve device according to claim 7, wherein the valve stem includes an axial direction, an annular recessed portion at an axial direction position corresponding to the opening, and in a state where the valve stem is attached to the wheel, the annular recessed portion receives a portion of the elastic member.

10. The valve device according to claim 9, wherein the annular recessed portion is displaced from the attaching portion with respect to the axial direction of the elastic member.

11. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter unit comprises a casing connected to the valve stem and a transmitter module detachable from the casing, wherein the transmitter module includes an electronic component and a battery for supplying electricity to the electronic component.

12. The valve device according to claim 11, wherein an attaching mechanism is disposed between the casing and the transmitter module for removably attaching the casing and the transmitter.

13. The valve device according to claim 11, wherein the casing includes an accommodating portion for accommodating the transmitter module and the accommodating portion opens in a direction parallel to the axis of revolution of the wheel.

14. A valve for snap-attachment to a wheel including an opening and a tire, the valve device comprising:

a transmitter unit for detecting a condition of the tire and generating a transmission signal which indicates the detected condition of the tire;

a valve stem extending from the transmitter unit;

an elastic member disposed to surround the valve stem, wherein the valve stem is attached to the wheel by engaging the elastic member with the opening and wherein the elastic member is removable with respect to the valve stem.

15. The valve device according to claim 14, wherein the valve stem includes an axial direction, a proximal end connected to the transmitter unit, and a distal end opposite to the proximal end, wherein the valve stem includes a first supporting flange disposed in the vicinity of the proximal end and a second supporting flange separated in the axial direction from the first supporting flange toward the distal end and wherein the elastic member is held by the supporting flanges with respect to the axial direction.

16. The valve device according to claim 14, wherein the valve stem includes an axial direction, an annular recessed portion at an axial direction position corresponding to the opening, and in a state where the valve stem is attached to the wheel, and the annular recessed portion receives a portion of the elastic member.

17. A valve for snap-attachment to a wheel including an opening and a tire, the valve comprising:

a transmitter unit comprising a casing and a transmitter module detachable with respect to the casing, the transmitter module including an electronic component for detecting a condition of the tire and generating a transmission signal indicating the detected tire condition and a battery for supplying electricity to the electronic component;

a valve stem extending from the casing; and

an elastic member disposed to surround the valve stem, wherein the valve stem is attachable to the wheel by engaging the elastic member with the opening.

18. The valve according to claim 17, wherein an attaching mechanism is disposed between the casing and the transmitter module for removably attaching the casing and the transmitter.

19. The valve according to claim 17, wherein the casing includes an accommodating portion for accommodating the transmitter module and the accommodating portion opens in a direction parallel to the axis of the revolution of the wheel.