System for monitoring air pressure of motor vehicle

• US 4,742,712 A
• Filed: 03/19/1987
• Issued: 05/10/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Kokubu, Sadao
• Primary Examiner(s): WOODIEL, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US07/028,182
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 73/146.5, 73/146.2, 73/146.8, 340/58
• US Class Current: 73/146.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre

Abstract

A system for monitoring air pressure of a vehicle tire is disclosed which comprises; a pressure switch provided on a tire wheel side, the pressure switch being turned on when the air pressure of the vehicle tire assigned to said pressure switch becomes lower than a predetermined value; a vibration producing device for producing vibration at a predetermined natural frequency when the pressure switch is turned on, the vibration thus produced being transmitted to an axle shaft supporting said tire wheel; and a vibration detecting for detecting the vibration. The vibration detecting means is provided on the axle shaft side.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring air pressure of a vehicle tire which comprises:

a pressure switch means provided on a tire wheel side, said pressure switch means being turned on when the air pressure of the vehicle tire assigned to said pressure switch means becomes lower than a predetermined value;

a vibration producing means for producing vibration at a predetermined natural frequency when said pressure switch means is turned on, said vibration thus produced being transmitted to an axle shaft supporting said tire wheel; and

a vibration detecting means for detecting said vibration, said vibration detecting means being provided on the axle shaft side.

2. the system of claim 1, in which said pressure switch means and said vibration producing means are accommodated in a center cap which is centrally mounted on the tire wheel side of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2, in which said vibration producing means comprises a vibration transmitting member whichis spring-biased against oe end face of said axle shaft,and a piezo-electric element for applying vibration to said vibration transmitting member.

4. The system of claim 1, in which said vibration detecting means includes a pickup installed onan axle housing of said axle shaft, said pickup adapted to convert the natural vibration transmitted to said axle shaft into an electrical frequency signal.

5. A system for monitoring air pressure of a vehicle tire, which comprises:

a transmitter unit including a power source means, an oscillating circuit for carrying out oscillation in response to a detection signal outputted by a pressure sensor which is so arranged as to detect the air pressure of the vehicle tire, and a vibrator excited by an output of said oscillating circuit to vibrate at natural vibration;

an attachment selected according to a configuration of a tire hub, to connect said tire hub to said transmitter unit,

the natural vibrationof said vibrator thus excited being transmitted through said attachment and said tire hub to the vehicle body side; and

a vibration detecting means provided on the vehicle body side, for detecting the natural vibrationof said vibrator.

6. The system of claim 5, in which said power source means includes magnets and a coil.

7. A system for monitoring air pressure of a vehicle tire which comprises:

first and second oscillating circuits provided on a tire wheel side, oscillating at different frequencies;

a generator provided on the tire wheel side, for generating electric power with the rotation of said tire wheel, which is applied to said first and second oscillating circuits;

a trigger circuit provided on the tire wheel side, said grigger circuit causing said first oscillating circuit to start oscillation when a voltage generated by said generatr exceeds a predetermined value;

a pressure sensor means provided on the tire wheel side, said pressure sensor means causing said second oscillating circuit to start oscillation when the air pressure of said vehicle tire becomes lower than a predetermined value;

a vibration producing means provided on the tire wheel side, and vibrated according to said oscillation frequencies of said first and second oscillating circuits, an vibration output of said vibration producing means being transmitted to a wheel supporting axle shaft; and

a vibration detecting means provided on the axle shaft side to detect the natural vibration of said vibration producing device thereby to determine at least the conditions of said generator and said pressure sensor means.

8. A system for detecting air pressure of a vehicle tire which comprises:

a carrier oscillating circuit provided on a tire wheel side, for producing a carrier signal having a predetermined frequency;

a pressure sensor provided on the tire wheel side, for outputting a detection signal whose level changes with the air pressure of the respective tire;

a modulating circuit provided on the tire wheel side, for changing the frequency of said carrier signal according to the level of said detection signal;

a vibration producing means provided on the tire wheel side, and vibrating according to the frequency of said carrier signal, a vibration output of said vibration producing means being transmitted to the vehicle body side; and

a receiver provided on the vehicle body side, for detecting natural vibration of said vibration producing means to determine the air pressure of said tire.