TRANSMISSION OF INFORMATION BETWEEN ELEMENTS IN RELATIVE MOTION

• US 3,614,732 A
• Filed: 06/18/1969
• Issued: 10/19/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daniel Lejeune
• Original Assignee: Daniel Lejeune
• Inventors: Lejeune, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Application Number:
  US04/834,353
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 340/58,57,213,152TR,196,258C,258R,280 200/61.22,61.23,61.25 116/34 74/146.5,146.4,146.3,146.2 331/65
• US Class Current: 340/448
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0428 using passive wheel mounted resonance circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/043 using transformer type signal transducers, e.g. rotary transformers
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/04 using magnetically coupled devices

Abstract

A driver is apprised, while driving, of an abnormal temperature or pressure in any of the tires of an automobile A receiver oscillator, mounted on the automobile frame near each tire, contains two inductors so arranged that the oscillator is normally blocked. A pair of inductors, associated with each tire and moving therewith, are arranged in series with a normally open switch, which is closed in response to the condition to be monitored. When this switch is closed, the passing of these latter inductors near those of the receiver oscillator causes it to become unblocked, thus producing a signal to warn the driver of the abnormal condition.

Claims

1. Detection apparatus for the detection of a condition of interest and the transmission, without physical connection, of information relating thereto between two elements in relative motion, comprising:

(a) receiver circuit means on one of said elements, said receiver means comprising an oscillator with two magnetically coupled inductors, the direction of winding of the inductors, the connections of the inductors, and their relative positions in space being such that the oscillator is normally blocked while it oscillates if there is reversed on one of the inductors the direction of winding, the connections, or the pole positions;

(b) emitter circuit means on the other of said elements, said emitter circuit means being normally open and comprising two inductors connected in series, mounted with their axes parallel and having their windings coiled so that current flowing therethrough turns in opposite directions in the two series inductors; and

(c) sensor means for closing said normally open emitter circuit means in response to a condition to be detected, whereby said emitter circuit means is placed in condition to unblock the oscillator, said receiver circuit means and said emitter circuit means being mounted so that they are alternately relatively far from and relatively close to each other, transmission of information being made when said receiver circuit means and said emitter circuit means are relatively close to each other.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the emitter circuit means comprises a base plate of insulating material and conductive plane spirals mounted side by side on the baseplate, the spiral windings ending at spaced terminals.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the oscillator comprises a transistor, a series-mounted inductor and capacitor, a polarization resistor in parallel with the series-mounted inductor and capacitor, the series-mounted inductor and capacitor and polarization resistor being in the transistor base circuit, and a second inductor in the transistor collector circuit and coupled to the series-mounted inductor so as to block oscillations while the emitter circuit means is open.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising signal means for signalling the detected condition and amplifier and switching means connecting said oscillator to said signal means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a block of insulating material for mounting circuit means including the oscillator and amplifier and switching means, a lead extending from the block to the signal means, a first pin mounted on the block for connecting the lead to the block-mounted circuit means, and a second pin mounted on the block for grounding the block-mounted circuit means and for attaching the block to said one of said elements, said block of insulating material being mounted so that the relative motion between said two elements briNgs said emitter circuit means and said oscillator relatively far from and relatively close to each other.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising delay means for prolonging the actuating of the signal means so that the signal means generates a continuous output notwithstanding intermittent unblocking of the oscillator by the emitter means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a vehicle and a pneumatic tire mounted thereon, the sensor means and emitter circuit means being mounted for movement with the tire and the receiver means being stationary with respect to the vehicle.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the sensor means is pressure responsive and closes the emitter circuit means in response to abnormal pressure within the tire.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the sensor means is temperature responsive and closes the emitter circuit means in response to abnormal temperature of the tire.

10. Apparatus for monitoring the tires of an automotive vehicle and apprising the vehicle operator of a predetermined abnormal condition of any of the monitored tires, comprising separate sensor means operatively associated with each tire to be monitored, separate emitter circuit means operatively associated with each sensor means, each sensor-emitter assembly moving with the associated tire-wheel assembly, separate receiver circuit means operatively associated with each emitter circuit means, the receiver circuit means being mounted on the frame of the vehicle adjacent to the paths respectively followed by the emitter circuit means when the vehicle is in operation, a single signal circuit responsive to actuation of any of the receiver circuit means, and a signal device responsive to actuation of the signal circuit and mounted in such a manner that, when it is actuated, it alerts the operator to an abnormal condition of one of the vehicle tires, (a) each receiver circuit means comprising a block of insulating material, an oscillator with two magnetically coupled inductors mounted on said block of insulating material, the direction of winding of the inductors, the connections of the inductors, and their relative positions in space being such that the oscillator is normally blocked while it oscillates if there is reversed on one of the inductors the direction of winding, the connections, or the pole positions, a lead extending from the block to the signal circuit, a first pin mounted on the block for connecting the lead to the oscillator, and a second pin mounted on the block for grounding the oscillator and attaching the block to the vehicle frame;

(b) each emitter circuit means being normally open and comprising a base plate of insulating material, two inductors connected in series and mounted on said base plate with their axes parallel and having their windings coiled side by side in a plane so that current flowing therethrough turns in opposite directions in the two series inductors, the coiled windings ending at spaced-apart terminals; and

(c) each sensor closing the normally open emitter circuit means associated therewith by connecting said spaced-apart terminals in response to the predetermined abnormal condition of the tire monitored thereby;

whereby the development of the predetermined abnormal condition in any of the monitored tires is sensed by the sensor means associated therewith, which closes the emitter circuit means associated therewith by connecting the terminals thereof, which unblocks the oscillator of the receiver circuit means associated therewith, which actuates the signal circuit, which actuates the signal device, which apprises the vehicle operator of the abnormal condition.