ELECTRONIC UNIT FOR MEASURING OPERATING PARAMETERS OF A VEHICLE WHEEL, COMPRISING AN ELECTRONIC MODULE AND AN INFLATION VALVE

• US 20140283923A1
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Kempf, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,417,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/227
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0494 Valve stem attachments positioned inside the tyre chamber
• 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 29/005 characterised by particular features of the valve stem
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 29/02 Connection to rims
• 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: G01M 17/02 Tyres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3662 With gauge or indicator

Abstract

The electronic unit includes an inflation valve adapted to be secured to a wheel rim and including an abutment head against the rim, extending in the continuation of which are a rigid tube, an electronic module mounted in a slidable manner along the tube, and elements for the relative locking in translation of the module along the tube, defining at least two positions of relative locking, each adapted to correspond to a preselected thickness of the rim intended to be equipped with the unit. The module and abutment head include two complementary front faces adapted in order to come into correspondence at a predetermined minimum distance from each other that is identical for all the preselected widths of rims intended to be equipped with the unit. Optical tracking devices are provided to permit verification of whether the distance separating the two complementary front faces corresponds to the predetermined minimum distance.

Claims

1. An electronic unit for measuring operating parameters of a vehicle wheel, comprising:

an inflation valve (2) including, on the one hand, a valve body (3) intended to extend through an orifice arranged in a wheel rim, and comprised of a trunk (4) and an abutment head (5) against the rim, and, on the other hand, a rigid hollow tube (10) extending in the continuation of the abutment head (5),

an electronic module (1) adapted to be mounted in a slidable manner around the rigid tube (10),

and means for securing the electronic module (1) and the inflation valve (2) in a position, known as the locked position, of said electronic module, where the latter extends in the direct continuation of the abutment head (5) of said inflation valve (2), said means for securing comprising means of locking including devices (11a, 11b, 18) for the relative locking in translation of the electronic module (1) along the rigid tube (10), defining at least two positions of relative locking, each adapted to correspond to a preselected thickness of the rim intended to be equipped with the electronic unit, said electronic unit being characterized in that the electronic module (1) and the abutment head (5) of the inflation valve (2) comprise;

two complementary front faces (7, 13) adapted in order to come into correspondence in the locked position of the electronic module (1), at a predetermined minimum distance one from the other that is identical for all the preselected widths of rims intended to be equipped with the electronic unit,

devices (8, 16) for the optical tracking of the longitudinal position of the electronic module (1) along the rigid tube (10), adapted to permit verification of whether the distance separating the two complementary front faces (7, 13), in the locked position of said electronic module, corresponds to the predetermined minimum distance.

2. The electronic unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the inflation valve (2) is of the “

snap-in”

type and includes;

a valve body (3) made of an elastomeric material, provided with a longitudinal axial bore (9) and composed of an elastically deformable trunk (4) and an abutment head (5) separated from the trunk (4) by a collar (6) adapted to be positioned in a sealed manner in the orifice arranged in the rim,

and a hollow tubular core (10) made of a rigid material having dimensions adapted to be accommodated in the bore (9) of the valve body (3) and to extend to either side in the continuation of said valve body, said tubular core being constituted by two longitudinal sections arranged one in relation to the other and relative to the valve body (3), in such a way as to allow an elastic deformation of the trunk (4) capable of permitting the installation of the inflation valve (2) through the orifice of the rim.

3. The electronic unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the locking means comprise:

locking devices arranged on the periphery of the rigid tube (10), consisting of at least two transverse notches (11a, 11b),

a plate latch (17) associated with the electronic module (1) and exhibiting a locking device consisting of a locking tooth (18) adapted to be accommodated in one of the transverse notches (11a, 11b) of the rigid tube (10), in the locked position of the electronic module (1), said plate latch;

being mounted on the electronic module (1) with a possibility of deflection between a position of locking in which the locking tooth (18) is engaged in a notch (11a, 11b) of the rigid tube (10), and a position of unlocking in which the locking tooth (18) allows a relative displacement in translation of the electronic module (1) relative to the rigid tube (10),

being associated with elastic means (21) adapted, in the absence of loads, in order to apply to this plate latch (17) a force for maintaining the latter in its locking position, and, during an influence exerted on these elastic means (21), in order to bring about a displacement of this plate latch (17) towards its unlocking position.

4. The electronic unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the means of optical tracking include at least one projecting lug (16) extending in relation to a peripheral portion of the front face of one of the elements, being the electronic module (1) or the abutment head (5), and having a length matching the minimum predetermined distance for the locked position of the electronic module (1).

5. The electronic unit as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the lug (16) is arranged in such a way as to be positioned, in the assembled position of the electronic module (1) and of the inflation valve (2), opposite the generator of the orifice arranged in the rim furthest from the base of said rim.

6. The electronic unit as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the means of optical tracking include at least one projecting lug (16) extending in relation to the front face of one of the elements, being the electronic module (1) or the abutment head (5), exhibiting a length substantially greater than the minimum predetermined distance for the locked position of the electronic module (1), and a recess (8) having a form adapted in order to accommodate the extremity of said lug, arranged opposite one another in the front face (7) of the other element, abutment head (5) or electronic module (1).

7. The electronic unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the electronic module (1) and the abutment head (5) include complementary parallel front faces (7, 13) arranged in such a way that said electronic module is inclined at an angle in the order of 10°

to 40°

in relation to the longitudinal axis of the valve body (2).

8. The electronic unit as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the locking means comprise:

locking devices arranged on the periphery of the rigid tube (10), consisting of at least two transverse notches (11a, 11b),

a plate latch (17) associated with the electronic module (1) and exhibiting a locking device consisting of a locking tooth (18) adapted to be accommodated in one of the transverse notches (11a, 11b) of the rigid tube (10), in the locked position of the electronic module (1), said plate latch;

being mounted on the electronic module (1) with a possibility of deflection between a position of locking in which the locking tooth (18) is engaged in a notch (11a, 11b) of the rigid tube (10), and a position of unlocking in which the locking tooth (18) allows a relative displacement in translation of the electronic module (1) relative to the rigid tube (10),

being associated with elastic means (21) adapted, in the absence of loads, in order to apply to this plate latch (17) a force for maintaining the latter in its locking position, and, during an influence exerted on these elastic means (21), in order to bring about a displacement of this plate latch (17) towards its unlocking position.

9. The electronic unit as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that the means of optical tracking include at least one projecting lug (16) extending in relation to a peripheral portion of the front face of one of the elements, being the electronic module (1) or the abutment head (5), and having a length matching the minimum predetermined distance for the locked position of the electronic module (1).

10. The electronic unit as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that the means of optical tracking include at least one projecting lug (16) extending in relation to a peripheral portion of the front face of one of the elements, being the electronic module (1) or the abutment head (5), and having a length matching the minimum predetermined distance for the locked position of the electronic module (1).

11. The electronic unit as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the means of optical tracking include at least one projecting lug (16) extending in relation to the front face of one of the elements, being the electronic module (1) or the abutment head (5), exhibiting a length substantially greater than the minimum predetermined distance for the locked position of the electronic module (1), and a recess (8) having a form adapted in order to accommodate the extremity of said lug, arranged opposite one another in the front face (7) of the other element, abutment head (5) or electronic module (1).