TRIGGER UNIT MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR WHEEL POSITION DETECTION SYSTEM

• US 20090145217A1
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Inventors: Saitou, Takashi, Mori, Masashi, Takaoka, Akira, Watabe, Nobuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146.800
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0444 Antenna structures, control or arrangements thereof, e.g. for directional antennas, diversity antenna, antenna multiplexing or antennas integrated in fenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/045 Means for detecting electromagnetic field changes being not part of the signal transmission per se, e.g. strength, direction, propagation or masking

Abstract

A first trigger unit and a second trigger unit output trigger signals to transceivers disposed for the four wheels of a vehicle. The first and second trigger units are attached to wall surfaces of tire housings corresponding to the left front and left rear wheels respectively. Each of the first and second trigger units is arranged in a position of the wall surface having an angle from 5 to 25 degrees with respect to the side of the corresponding wheel. Transceivers attached to a right front and right rear wheels are thus located farther from the trigger units than the left front and left rear wheels, respectively. Such arrangement allows the transceivers attached to the right front and right rear wheels to receive the outputted trigger signals with sufficient accuracy due to high field strength.

Claims

1. A trigger unit mounting structure in a wheel position detection system for a vehicle,

the system including a trigger arrangement for outputting a trigger signal over a magnetic field towards a transceiver attached to each of wheels of the vehicle by comprising a magnetic field type antenna being configured by a core wounded by a coil through which an electric current flows to generate the magnetic field,

the transceiver receiving the trigger signal, measuring a reception strength of the received trigger signal, and transmitting data of the measured reception strength to a receiver in a body of the vehicle,

the wheel position detection system thus detecting a wheel position of the each of the wheels based on the data transmitted from the transceiver,

the trigger arrangement comprising,

a first trigger unit configured to output a trigger signal to first transceivers individually attached to a right front wheel and a left front wheel:

and

a second trigger unit configured to output a trigger signal to second transceivers individually attached to a right rear wheel and a left rear wheel,

each trigger unit of (i) the first trigger unit and (ii) the second trigger unit being arranged such that a closer-side wheel of each of (i) front wheels and (ii) rear wheels is closer to the each trigger unit than a farther-side wheel of the each of (i) front wheels and (ii) rear wheels,

the closer-side wheel being accommodated in a tire housing having an internal wall surface facing the closer-side wheel,

the each trigger unit being arranged at a point J on the internal wail surface, wherein

a vertical plane A is defined as a side plane of the closer-side wheel directed in a vehicle-length direction and orthogonal to a ground surface being horizontal,

a horizontal plane B is defined as a plane including the point i and parallel with the ground surface,

a curve X is defined by intersecting with each other (i) the horizontal plane B and (ii) the internal wall surface

a tangent Y is defined at the point J on the curve X,

an intersecting point K is defined by intersecting with each other the vertical plane A and the tangent Y,

a line Z is defined by projecting the tangent Y on an intersecting line formed by (i) the vertical plane A and (ii) the horizontal plane B, and

an angle W as an angle of the internal wall against the side plane of the closer-side wheel is defined at the intersecting point K by (ii) the tangent Y and (ii) the line Z; and

wherein each of the first trigger unit and the second trigger unit is arranged at the point J such that the angle W is within a range between 5 degrees to 25 degrees.

2. The trigger unit mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein

the each trigger unit is arranged such that a central axis of the core and the coil has an angle in a range equal to or greater than zero degree and less than 90 degrees with respect to the vehicle-length direction.

3. The trigger unit mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein

the each trigger unit is arranged such that a central axis of the core and the coil is parallel with the vehicle-length direction.

4. The trigger unit mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein

a distance R of the mount point J is defined as a length parallel with the vehicle-length direction and orthogonal to a vertical plane including a rotation axis of the closer-side wheel, and

the distance R of the second trigger unit is either (i) equal to or greater than 3 cm frontward of the vehicle or (ii) equal to or greater than 10 cm rearward of the vehicle.

5. The trigger unit mounting structure according to claim 4, wherein

the distance R of the second trigger unit is in a range from 3 cm to 30 cm frontward of the vehicle.

6. The trigger unit mounting structure according to claim 4,

the distance R of the second trigger unit is in a range from 9 cm to 27 cm frontward of the vehicle.

7. The trigger unit mounting structure according to claim 1,

wherein a distance R of the mount point J is defined as a length parallel with the vehicle-length direction and orthogonal to a vertical plane including a rotation axis of the closer-side wheel, and

the distance R of the first trigger unit is equal to or greater than 3 cm either frontward or rearward of the vehicle.

8. The trigger unit mounting structure according to claim 7,

the distance R of the second trigger unit is in a range from 3 cm to 30 cm rearward of the vehicle.

9. The trigger unit mounting structure according to claim 7,

the distance R of the second trigger unit is in a range from 9 cm to 27 cm rearward of the vehicle.