DIGITAL TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE WITH BLEED VALVE

• US 20100307232A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Measurement Ltd (Measurement Ltd., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Measurement Ltd (Measurement Ltd., Inc.)
• Inventors: Petrucelli, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146.8
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control

Abstract

A digital tire pressure gauge has a housing having a first and a second end. A port at the first end of the housing is adapted to engage with and open a needle valve of a tire valve stem. The gauge also includes a pressure sensor and a processor in electronic communication with the pressure sensor. A bleed valve is disposed in the housing and a bleed lever is in contact engagement with the bleed valve. When the port is coupled to the tire valve stem, in a first operational mode, the bleed valve is closed and an air pressure measurement is obtained. In a second operational mode, pressing the bleed lever causes the bleed valve to open and to allow air to be bled out from the tire via the pressure gauge.

Claims

1. A digital tire pressure gauge comprising:

a housing having a first and a second end;

a port at said first end of said housing, said port adapted to engage with and open a needle valve of a tire valve stem;

a pressure sensor disposed in said housing;

a processor in electronic communication with said pressure sensor;

a bleed valve disposed in said housing; and

a bleed lever in contact engagement with said bleed valve,

wherein, when said port is coupled to the tire valve stem, in a first operational mode, said bleed valve is closed and an air pressure measurement is obtained, and, in a second operational mode, said bleed lever, when pressed, causes said bleed valve to open and to allow air to be bled out from the tire via the pressure gauge.

2. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 1, further comprising a light source adjacent to said port.

3. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 2, further comprising a switch adapted to operate said light source.

4. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 3, wherein said switch is a push button.

5. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 1, further comprising an alphanumeric display, said display in electronic communication with said processor.

6. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 5, wherein said alphanumeric display is adapted to display graphics.

7. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 1, further comprising a memory, said memory in electronic communication with said processor.

8. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a grip area at said first end.

9. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 8, wherein said grip area comprises a plurality of ridges.

10. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a through-aperture at said second end.

11. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of input buttons in electronic communication with said processor.

12. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 1, further comprising an audio device, said audio device in electronic communication with said processor.

13. The digital tire pressure gauge according to claim 1, further comprising a power source.

14. A method for bleeding excess air from a tire comprising the steps of:

engaging a port of a tire pressure gauge to a valve stem of the tire, wherein said tire pressure gauge comprises;

a bleed valve in a switchable fluidic communication with the air in the tire; and

a bleed lever in contact engagement with said bleed valve, wherein said bleed lever is adapted to switch on and off the fluidic communication of said bleed valve with the air in the tire;

while keeping said port of said tire pressure gauge engaged with the valve stem, pressing said bleed lever to cause at least some air to bleed out of the tire via said bleed valve in said pressure gauge.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step of measuring an air pressure before the pressing step, wherein the pressing step is performed only if the measured air pressure is above a threshold pressure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said tire pressure further comprises a memory, said memory adapted to store the threshold pressure.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said tire pressure gauge further comprises an alphanumeric display, said display adapted to display the measured air pressure.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said tire pressure gauge further comprises an audio device, said device adapted to emit a sound if the measured air pressure is above the threshold pressure.