Electronic alarm circuitry

• US 4,086,564 A
• Filed: 05/27/1975
• Issued: 04/25/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Firestone Tire & Rubber Company (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Claxton, William Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Waring, Alvin H.
• Application Number:
  US05/581,392
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 340/58, 340/267 R, 340/268, 340/271, 340/366 D, 340/373, 340/383, 200/61.22, 200/61.23, 200/61.25, 200/61.26
• US Class Current: 340/445
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0423 Photo-electric, infrared or visible light means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies

Abstract

An electronic device for indicating an abnormal condition in a rotatable member. A typical use for such a device would be for the detection of a low pressure condition in a tire on a vehicle. In the preferred form for this typical use, a reflecting surface, such as a mirror, is affixed to the wheel and associated with a pressure sensitive device. A light source reflects light off the mirror upon each revolution of the tire which is received by a photo-transistor. A timing device in the form of a retriggerable monostable multivibrator is triggered by the photo-transistor and puts out a high signal for a predetermined period of time. As long as the timing device receives triggering signals at time intervals less than that predetermined period of time, the output of the timing device will remain high and no alarm will be given. If a low pressure condition exists, the pressure sensitive device will move the mirror to misalign it with the light source such that the phototransistor does not give a triggering signal to the timing device within the predetermined period of time. Then an alarm, such as a buzzer and/or light, will alert the operator of the abnormal pressure condition. Means can be provided to prevent false alarms should the wheel be moving at a very slow speed such that one revolution thereof would exceed the predetermined time period of the timing device. In addition, means are also provided to prevent false alarms should the reflective surface coincidentally line up with the light source when the vehicle is stopped.

Claims

1. Apparatus for indicating an abnormal condition in a rotatable member comprising, sensing means capable of providing periodic signals indicative of a normal condition of the rotatable member, the absence of said periodic signals being indicative of an abnormal condition of the rotatable member, timing means receiving said periodic signals to provide a first output signal indicative of a normal condition of the rotatable member as long as said periodic signals are received within a predetermined time period and recognizing the absence of said periodic signals to provide a second output signal indicative of an abnormal condition of the rotatable member, and indicator means receiving said first and second output signals of said timing means and indicating the abnormal condition upon the occurrence of a said second output signal.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes switch means mounted adjacent the rotatable member and means responsive to the condition of the rotatable member to periodically close said switch means to provide said periodic signals and to leave said switch means open to establish the absence of said periodic signals indicative of an abnormal condition.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said timing means includes a monostable multivibrator triggered by said periodic signals of said sensing means, and means to retrigger said monostable multivibrator to provide the first output signal of said timing means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, said timing means further including a capacitor, and wherein the predetermined time period is determined by the charging rate of said capacitor, said means to retrigger prohibiting said capacitor from charging up.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the rotatable member is a pneumatic tire and the abnormal condition is an internal pressure below a predetermined value.

2. Apparatus for indicating an abnormal condition in a rotatable member comprising;

sensing means capable of providing periodic first signals indicative of a normal condition of the rotatable member and a second signal indicative of an abnormal condition of the rotatable member;

said sensing means including a light source stationarily mounted adjacent the rotatable member and providing a beam of light, a mirror mounted on the rotatable member to receive the beam of light;

photo-transistor means stationarily mounted adjacent the rotatable member, the beam of light normally being transmitted by said mirror to said photo-transistor means upon each revolution of the rotatable member to provide said periodic first signals of said sensing means, and means responsive to an abnormal condition in the rotatable member to change the angular mounting of said mirror on the rotatable member to prevent transmission of the beams of light to said phototransistor means to provide said second signal of said sensing means;

timing means receiving said periodic first signals of said sensing means to provide a first output signal indicative of a normal condition of the rotatable member as long as said periodic first signals are received within a predetermined time period and receiving said second signal of said sensing means to provide a second output signal indicative of an abnormal condition of the rotatable member; and

indicator means receiving said first and second output signals of said timing means and indicating the abnormal condition upon the occurrence of a said second output signal.

7. Apparatus for indicating when the internal pressure of any of a plurality of pneumatic tires on a vehicle falls below a predetermined value comprising, sensing means for each tire capable of providing periodic signals indicative of an internal pressure in the tire above the predetermined value, the absense of said periodic signals being indicative of an internal pressure in the tire below the predetermined value, timing means for each sensing means receiving said periodic signals of its said sensing means to provide a first output signal indicative of a pressure in the pneumatic tire above the predetermined value as long as said periodic signals are received within a predetermined time period and recognizing the absence of said periodic signals to provide a second output signal indicative of an internal pressure in the tire below the predetermined value, and indicator means receiving said first and second output signals of said timing means to indicate when the internal pressure of a tire is below the predetermined value.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the periodic signals of said sensing means occur once each revolution of the tire and the second signal of said timing means will normally occur when the tire is not rotating and further comprising means to prevent false alarms when the tire is not rotating.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein there are four tires on the vehicle, two front tires and two rear tires, and further comprising first transistor means receiving the signals from the timing means of the two front tires, said first transistor means conducting upon receiving said first output signal of said timing means of either of the two front tires, and second transistor means receiving the signals from the timing means of the two rear tires, said second transistor means conducting upon receiving said first output signal of said timing means of either of the two rear tires, said first output signal of each said timing means being prohibited from being received by said indicator means when either of said transistor means is nonconducting.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said indicator means includes a single sound buzzer for all tires and a light for each tire.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising switch means to turn off said buzzer.

12. Apparatus according to claim 7 including means to prevent said second output signal of said timing means from activating said indicator means should said predetermined time period be shorter than the time between the periodic signals of said sensing means.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said means to prevent causes a time delay before said second output signal of said timing means activates said indicator means.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, said timing means including a capacitor and wherein the predetermined time period is determined by the charging rate of said capacitor, and said means to prevent includes a capacitor, the time delay being determined by the charging rate of said capacitor of said means to prevent, the charging rate of said capacitor of said means to prevent being slower than the charging rate of said capacitor of said timing means.

15. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said means to prevent is normally triggered when the output signal of said timing means goes from said first output signal to said second output signal.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15 further comprising means to trigger said means to prevent when the output signal of said timing means goes from said second output signal to said first output signal indicative of initial rotation of the tires.

17. Apparatus for indicating when the internal pressure of any of a plurality of pneumatic tires on a vehicle falls below a predetermined value comprising;

a power supply providing a voltage output;

circuit means for each tire connected to said power supply and providing a first voltage output approximately corresponding to the output of said power supply when the internal pressure of a tire is above the predetermined value and a second output voltage approaching ground when the internal pressure of a tire is below the predetermined value;

said circuit means including sensing means for each tire responsive to the internal pressure of the tire and providing an output signal indicative thereof, and timing means for each tire receiving the output signal of said sensing means and providing the output signals of said circuit means;

each said sensing means including a light source stationarily mounted adjacent each tire and providing a beam of light, reflecting means mounted on the rotatable member to receive the beam of light, photo-transistor means stationarily mounted adjacent each tire and capable of receiving the beam of light from said reflecting means to provide said output signal, and means responsive to the internal pressure of the tire to change the annular orientation of said reflecting means so that said beam of light will not be transmitted to said photo-transistor;

an indicating light for each tire connected between said power supply and said output of each said circuit means and glowing when the output of its said circuit means is said second output voltage; and

sound means connected between said power supply and the output of each said circuit means to provide an audible alarm when the internal pressure of a tire is below the predetermined value.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 further comprising switch means between said power supply and said sound means and between said power supply and each said indicating light, said switch means being operative to remove the voltage of said power supply from said sound means while at the same time maintaining the voltage of said power supply connected to each said indicating light.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 further comprising transistor means connected between said circuit means and said switch means and rendered conductive upon receipt of said first voltage output from said circuit means of at least one tire.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said switch means includes a test position to bypass said transistor means and activate the audible alarm of said sound means and activate each indicating light.

21. Apparatus for indicating when the internal pressure of any of a plurality of pneumatic tires on a vehicle falls below a predetermined value comprising;

a power supply providing a voltage output;

circuit means for each tire connected to said power supply and providing a first voltage output approximately corresponding to the output of said power supply when the internal pressure of a tire is above the predetermined value and a second output voltage approaching ground when the internal pressure of a tire is below the predetermined value;

said circuit means including sensing means for each tire responsive to the internal pressure of the tire and providing an output signal indicative thereof, and timing means for each tire receiving the output signal of said sensing means and providing the output signals of said circuit means;

each said sensing means including a light source stationarily mounted adjacent each tire and providing a beam of light, reflecting means mounted on the rotatable member to receive the beam of light, photo-transistor means stationarily mounted adjacent each tire and capable of receiving the beam of light from said reflecting means to provide said output signal, and means responsive to the internal pressure of the tire to interrupt the beam of light so that it will not be transmitted to said photo-transistor;

an indicating light for each tire connected between said power supply and said output of each said circuit means and glowing when the output of its said circuit means is said second output voltage; and

sound means connected between said power supply and the output of each said circuit means to provide an audible alarm when the internal pressure of a tire is below the predetermined value.