Tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting

• US 20060191466A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tien-Tsai Huang
• Original Assignee: Tien-Tsai Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Tien-Tsai
• Granted Patent: US 7,196,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 116/34.00B
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0496 Valve stem attachments positioned outside of the tyre chamber
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies

Abstract

A tire pressure warning device with adjustable pressure setting includes a case divided into a lower and an upper chamber and having a shoulder portion formed near a top thereof; a valve structure mounted in the lower chamber of the case; a membrane, a bushing, a push member, an elastic element, and a pressure-adjusting element sequentially mounted in the upper chamber of the case; and a cover connected to the top of the case. While the elastic element defines a basic pressure setting for the device to measure the air pressure inside a specific type of tire, a pressure-adjusting element with a suitable thickness may be selected to adjust the tightness of an elastic fixing element and thereby changes the pressure setting for the device, so that the device could also be used to measure the tire pressure of other different types of tires.

Claims

1. A tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting for being removably connected to a valve on a tire so as to show a warning signal when the tire has an insufficient tire pressure, comprising:

a casing being internally provided with a transverse partition, having a central hole, to divide the inner space of said casing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, and said upper chamber being provided at an inner side near the top thereof with an annular shoulder portion;

a valve structure mounted in said lower chamber of said casing;

a membrane mounted on the top of said transverse partition;

a bushing mounted in said upper chamber of said casing and located above an annular outer peripheral portion of said membrane, and being provided at the top with a through hole;

a push member including a push bar, said push bar being located in said bushing with a lower end of said push bar pressed against said membrane and an upper end upward projected from said through hole of said bushing; and

said push bar being formed near the lower end with a radially extended flange;

an elastic element being mounted around said push bar of said push member and being located between said flange of said push member and the top of said bushing;

at least one pressure-adjusting element being mounted on the top of said push member;

a cover being provided at a predetermined position with a through hole, and mounted around the top of said casing; and

an elastic fixing element for elastically positioning said at least one pressure-adjusting element between said push member and said cover.

2. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said push bar is connected at the top with a color circle;

said color circle having a bottom normally rested on said shoulder portion of said casing, and an outer surface coated with a warning color; and

wherein said cover is made of a transparent material.

3. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least one pressure-adjusting element is located between and in contact with said color circle and said elastic fixing element, and said elastic fixing element is pressed at its upper end against said cover.

4. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least one pressure-adjusting element is located between and in contact with said cover and said elastic fixing element, and said elastic fixing element is pressed at its lower end against said color circle.

5. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastic fixing element comprises an elastic body.

6. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve structure includes a valve and a rubber washer mounted around said valve, and said valve having a top upward projected into and fixedly received in said central hole of said transverse partition in said casing.

7. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bushing includes a cylindrical body, and a flat top plate having a central through hole and located at the top of the cylindrical body.

8. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 7, wherein said membrane is integrally molded to include an annular outer peripheral portion and a deformable circular inner portion surrounded by said outer peripheral portion;

and said annular outer peripheral portion being firmly pressed downward by the bottom of said cylindrical body of said bushing.

9. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 8, wherein said deformable circular inner portion of said membrane has a corrugated cross section.

10. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 9, wherein said deformable circular inner portion of said membrane has a central area formed into an annular recess portion and said push bar is a tubular member;

and wherein a lower end of said tubular push bar is pressed into said central annular recess portion of said membrane.

11. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 2, wherein said color circle is fixedly riveted to the top of said push bar.

12. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 2, wherein said color circle is adjustably screwed to the top of said push bar.

13. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a battery located above said push member;

and a circuit board located on and in contact with the top of said elastic fixing element and said casing; and

wherein said casing, said elastic fixing element, and said at least one pressure-adjusting element are electrically conductive.

14. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 13, wherein said circuit board has an emitting means mounted thereon.

15. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 13, wherein said circuit board has a sound and flash warning means mounted thereon.

16. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 13, wherein said at least one pressure-adjusting element is located between and in contact with said battery and said elastic fixing element, and said battery is rested on said shoulder portion of said casing.

17. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 13, wherein said at least one pressure-adjusting element is located between and in contact with said battery and said shoulder portion of said casing, and wherein said battery is pressed at the top against said elastic fixing element.

18. The tire pressure warning device with adjustable tire pressure setting as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an insulating member positioned between the circumference of said at least one pressure-adjusting element and said battery and an inner wall surface of said casing.