Dual Tire Pressure Monitor with Equalizer Apparatus and Tire Inflation System Integration

• US 20120218095A1
• Filed: 02/27/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joe Huayue Zhou
• Original Assignee: Joe Huayue Zhou
• Inventors: Zhou, Joe Huayue
• Granted Patent: US 8,564,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00354 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/007 having multiple wheels arranged side by side
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 29/064 Hose connections for pneumatic tyres, e.g. to spare wheels
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/09 Error detection only, e.g. using cyclic redundancy check [CRC] codes or single parity bit

Abstract

A wireless dual tire pressure monitor and equalizer apparatus is adapted to install on a vehicle dual wheel and connect to the two tire valve stems. The apparatus includes capabilities of monitoring individual tire pressure and transmitting tire data to be received by a remote receiver, equalizing pressure in the two tires when pressure is above a selected level, isolating the two tires when pressure is below the selected level, and transmitting warning signals upon detection of low pressure and air leaks. The apparatus further includes capability to integrate with available tire inflation systems for providing tire pressure monitoring and equalizing functionalities.

Claims

1. A tire pressure equalizer and tire pressure monitor for dual tires comprising:

(A) a housing adapted to be mounted on a dual tire wheel assembly, having;

(1) a first chamber and a second chamber separated by a sealed diaphragm, having;

(a) the first chamber having a seat opposite the diaphragm, with a central opening, the diaphragm being adapted to seat and close off the seat,

(b) first passageway means for communicating the first chamber to one tire,

(c) second passageway means for communicating the first chamber seat opening and the other tire, and

(d) fill means communicating with the first chamber;

(2) a removable rigid cap with a lock ring affixed on the housing for forming the second chamber,

(3) an inverted cup disposed in the second chamber with the base engaging the diaphragm opposite the seat;

(4) spring means in the second chamber compressively disposed in between said cap interior end and the cup bottom wall and urging the cup and diaphragm toward seating disposition, whereby permitting said cup and diaphragm driven by said spring moving to seat and isolate the two tires as pressure dropped below a selected pressure, and moving to unseat and open up air communication between the tires when pressure rose above the selected pressure;

(5) a tire pressure monitor section having;

(a) first hole means with passage communicating to the first passageway,

(b) second hole means with passage communicating to the second passageway,

(c) electronic assembly means having a combination of a control unit, two pressure sensors, radio frequency signal transmitter, antenna, and power supply mounted on a print circuit board, and

(d) mounting means securing said electronic assembly into tire pressure monitor section with said pressure sensors pressed against respective said hole to form an airtight mating, such that each pressure sensor through said hole adapted to expose directly to air pressure in the respective passageway and associated tire;

(B) remote radio signal reception means for receiving and displaying tire pressure data and alerts transmitted by said tire pressure monitor.

7. The system of claim 1, further including tire inflation system integration means, comprising a tire inflation airflow control assembly, having:

(A) solenoid valve means adapted to fit inline on a tire inflation system controller output air delivery line for permitting and shutting off airflow in said air delivery line;

(B) warning light means installing on driver observable trailer body for alerting low tire pressure condition;

(C) central control means having in combination;

(1) wireless signal reception means receiving tire pressure data transmitted by dual tire pressure monitor of claim 1,

(2) external device interface means interfacing to said solenoid valve and warning light,

(3) tire inflation airflow control means having,

(a) low tire pressure processing means determining low tire pressure condition and switching to open said solenoid valve for permitting airflow, and turning on said warning light, and

(b) normal tire pressure processing means determining normal pressure condition and switching to close said solenoid valve for shutting off airflow, and turning off said warning light.

8. The solenoid valve of claim 7, alternatively adapted to fit inline on the air supply line from a trailer air tank output port to a tire inflation system controller input port.

9. The housing and electronic assembly of claim 1, further including a replaceable battery assembly and a removable covering cap.

10. The electronic assembly of claim 1, further including induced signal generation means to be activated by an external magnet placing near the said electronic assembly.

11. The electronic assembly of claim 1, further including induced signal generation means to be activated by an external Low-Frequency (LF) triggering signal.

12. The electronic assembly of claim 1, further including tire temperature measurement means.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising apparatus protection means by having the electronic assembly covering portion of the housing adapted to orient toward the wheel for reducing possible damages to the electronics caused by flying debris on the road.

2. A tire pressure monitor for dual tires comprising:

(A) a tire monitoring module housing adapted to be mounted on a dual tire wheel assembly, having;

(1) first passage means establishing air communication with one tire,

(2) second passage means establishing air communication with the other tire,

(3) first fill means communicating with the first passage,

(4) second fill means communicating with the second passage,

(5) electronic assembly means having a combination of a control unit, two pressure sensors, radio frequency signal transmitter, antenna, and power supply mounted on a print circuit board, and

(6) mounting means securing said electronic assembly with said pressure sensors pressed against respective passage opening to form an airtight mating, such that each pressure sensor through said respective passage adapted to expose directly to air pressure in the respective tire;

(B) remote radio signal reception means for receiving and displaying tire pressure data and alerts transmitted by said tire monitoring module.

3. A method of packaging dual tire pressure and temperature monitoring data in a 64-bit long communication message format, comprising:

(A) an 8-bit data field having;

(1) a message type identifier subfield, and (2) a tire monitoring status subfield;

(B) a 24-bit unique dual tire monitor identifier field;

(C) an 8-bit outer tire pressure measurement data field;

(D) an 8-bit inner tire pressure measurement data field;

(E) an 8-bit data field having the higher temperature data of the two tires;

(F) an 8-bit checksum field for data transmission error checking.

4. A method of packaging dual tire pressure and temperature monitoring data in a communication message format, comprising:

(A) a message type identifier;

(B) a tire monitoring status field;

(C) a unique dual tire monitor identifier field;

(D) an outer tire pressure measurement data field;

(E) an inner tire pressure measurement data field;

(F) a temperature data field having the higher temperature data of the two tires;

(G) an error-checking code field.

5. A tire pressure monitor integrated tire inflation airflow controller, comprising:

(A) tire pressure monitor means installing on each tire and sending out wireless signals containing tire pressure data;

(B) warning light means installing on driver observable trailer body for alerting low tire pressure condition;

(C) solenoid valve means adapted to fit inline on a tire inflation system controller assembly output air delivery line for permitting and shutting off airflow in said air delivery line;

(D) central control means having in combination;

(1) wireless signal reception means receiving tire pressure data transmitted by said tire pressure monitor,

(2) external device interface means interfacing to said solenoid valve and warning light, and

(3) tire inflation airflow control means having,

(a) low tire pressure processing means determining low tire pressure condition and switching to open said solenoid valve for permitting airflow, and turning on said warning light, and

(b) normal tire pressure processing means determining normal pressure condition and switching to close said solenoid valve for shutting off airflow, and turning off said warning light.

6. The solenoid valve of claim 5, alternatively adapted to fit inline on the air supply line from a trailer air tank output port to a tire inflation system controller input port.