TIRE VALVE AND PROCESS FOR REMOVING IT

• US 20110203711A1
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• 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), TRW Automotive USLLC (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Gosi, Matteo, Monjuvent, Jérôme, Moynet, Julien, Botte, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,245,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/427
• 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: B60C 25/18 Tools for mounting or demounting air valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 29/00 Arrangements of tyre-inflating valves to tyres or rims; Accessories for tyre-inflating valves, not otherwise provided for tools for mounting or demounting valves B60C25/18
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 29/06 Accessories for tyre-inflating valves, e.g. housings, guards, covers for valve caps, locks, not otherwise provided for B60C23/0496 takes precedence; tools for screwing and unscrewing valve caps B25B27/0057; pump connectors F04B33/005
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 Disassembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53591 to or from wheel rim of resilient tire or tube

Abstract

Inflation valve (230; 330) comprising a tube (33) and designed for use in an assembly consisting of a tire (10) and a wheel (20), the valve comprising: (i) snap-in means (35, 36) that enable the valve to be fixed in a cylindrical hole of circular cross-section formed in a rim (21) of the wheel; (ii) means suitable for receiving a torque intended to rotate the valve in the hole; (iii) an attachment piece (237; 337) provided with means for attaching the valve to a unit (40) designed to be fitted inside the tire; the means enabling the valve to be attached to the unit being such that the attachment piece is separated from the unit when the valve is rotated in the hole in a predetermined rotation direction.

Claims

1. An inflation valve comprising a tube and designed to be used on an assembly consisting of a tire and a wheel, the valve comprising:

snap-in means that enable the valve to be fixed in a cylindrical hole of circular cross-section formed in a rim of the wheel;

means suitable for receiving a torque intended to rotate the valve in the hole;

an attachment piece provided with means for attaching the valve to a unit designed to be fitted inside the tyre tire;

wherein the means enabling the valve to be attached to the unit are such that the attachment piece is separated from the unit when the valve is rotated in the hole in a predetermined rotation direction.

2. The inflation valve of claim 1, wherein the means suitable for receiving a torque intended to rotate the valve in the hole are provided on the tube of the valve.

3. The inflation valve of claim 1, wherein the attachment piece consists in an adaptation of the tube of the valve, such that the unit is attached directly to the tube.

4. The inflation valve of claim 1, wherein the attachment piece is distinct from the tube of the valve.

5. The inflation valve of claim 2, wherein the valve is provided with a nut formed on the tube of the valve, this nut being suitable for receiving a torque intended to rotate the valve in the hole.

6. The inflation valve according to claim 2, wherein the valve comprises a valve mouth provided with an outer thread having a first thread pitch P1 and wherein the predetermined rotation direction is the direction of the thread on the valve mouth.

7. The inflation valve of claim 1, wherein the attachment piece is provided with means for attaching the valve to the unit by rotational engagement.

8. The inflation valve of claim 1, wherein the attachment piece is provided with a thread having a second screw pitch P2, this thread enabling the valve to be attached to the unit by screwing, the thread axis of the attachment piece being substantially the same as the rotation axis of the valve in the valve hole.

9. The inflation valve according to claim 2, wherein the valve comprises a valve mouth provided with an outer thread having a first thread pitch P1 and wherein the predetermined rotation direction is the direction of the thread on the valve mouth, wherein the attachment piece is provided with a thread having a second screw pitch P2, this thread enabling the valve to be attached to the unit by screwing, the thread axis of the attachment piece being substantially the same as the rotation axis of the valve in the valve hole, and wherein the second thread P2 is inverted relative to the first thread P1.

10. A process for removing the valve of claim 1, the valve being fitted in a valve hole and attached to a unit designed to be fitted inside the tire, the process comprising the following steps:

(A) a torque is applied to the means suitable for receiving a torque, so as to rotate the valve in the hole in the predetermined rotation direction until the valve is separated from the unit;

(B) the valve is extracted from the rim by pulling.

11. A process for removing the valve according to any of claims 6 to 9, the valve being fitted in a valve hole and attached to a unit designed to be fitted inside the tire, the process comprising the following steps:

(A) a valve-puller tool is screwed onto the valve mouth;

(B) after reaching the end of the thread on the valve mouth, the rotation of the tool in the screwing direction is continued so as to rotate the valve in the hole until the valve is separated from the unit;

(C) the valve is extracted from the rim by pulling.