Pressure switch

• US 5,028,749 A
• Filed: 12/15/1989
• Issued: 07/02/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Hodate, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US07/451,059
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 200/61.25, 200/83 A, 200/83 B, 200/83 N, 200/83 C, 200/61.22
• US Class Current: 200/61.25
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/32 actuated by bellows

Abstract

A pressure switch for use in a device for alarming the reduction of pneumatic pressure of vehicle tire is disclosed. The switch comprises a base board, a bellofram secured to the base board and having conductive coating of one electric contact applied to the inner surface and the outer surface thereof and having both bellows and diaphragm characteristic, a housing provided to enclose the bellofram and for defining a hermetic chamber, and a conductor provided at inner portion and outer portion of the bellofram near the center of the diaphragm portion thereof and for forming another electric contact. A back pressure is applied to the inner portion or outer portion of the bellofram against the pneumatic pressure of a vehicle tire.

Claims

1. A pressure switch for a device which provides an alarm in response to a reduction of pneumatic pressure in a vehicle tire, said pressure switch comprising:

a base board;

a bellofram comprising a cylindrical metal bellows, and a metal diaphragm having a central portion, said bellows having one end which is integrally formed with the diaphragm, and having the other end electrically connected to said base board so as to enclose a space, said bellofram further having an inner surface which is coated with a conductive metal layer;

a rod conductor which is insulated from, and hermetically sealed to said base board, one end of said rod conductor being disposed adjacent the central portion of said diaphragm such that a switching contact is formed by said one end of said rod and the central portion of said metal diaphragm;

a closed-type housing having one end hermetically secured to said base board, and the other end in communication with an inner portion of the pneumatic vehicle tire, said bellofram being enclosed within said closed-type housing; and

a pipe member for filling the space within said bellofram with a first gas, thereby providing a back pressure corresponding to a pressure to be detected in the pneumatic tire.

2. The pressure switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central portion of said diaphragm includes a projection which projects towards said one end of said rod conductor.

3. The pressure switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal diaphragm of said bellofram is provided with an additional mass on a side of said diaphragm which is opposite to said projection, said additional mass allowing sensing of centrifugal acceleration.

4. The pressure switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive metal layer applied to the inner surface of said bellofram is a gold plated layer.

5. The pressure switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vertex surface of said conductor is flat.

6. The pressure switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pneumatic tire is filled with a second gas, said first and second gas being the same type of gas.

7. A pressure switch for a device which provides an alarm in response to a reduction of pneumatic pressure in a vehicle tire, said pressure switch comprising:

a base board;

a bellofram comprising a cylindrical metal bellows, and a metal diaphragm having a central portion, said bellows having one end which is integrally formed with the diaphragm, and having the other end electrically connected to said base board, said bellofram further having an inner surface which is coated with a conductive metal layer;

a rod conductor which is insulated from, and hermetically sealed to said base board, one end of said rod conductor being disposed adjacent the central portion of said diaphragm such that a switching contact is formed by said one end of said rod and the central portion of said metal diaphragm;

a closed-type housing having one end hermetically secured to said base board, and the other end in communication with an outer portion of the pneumatic vehicle tire, said bellofram being enclosed within said closed-type housing, a space enclosed by said close-type housing but not being enclosed by said bellows being termed a first space; and

a pipe member for filling said first space with a first gas, thereby providing a back pressure corresponding to a pressure to be detected in the pneumatic tire.

8. The pressure switch as claimed in claim 7, wherein the central portion of said diaphragm includes a projection which projects towards said one end of said rod conductor.

9. The pressure switch as claimed in claim 7, wherein the metal diaphragm of said bellofram is provided with an additional mass on a side of said diaphragm which is opposite to said projection, said additional mass allowing sensing of centrifugal acceleration.

10. The pressure switch as claimed in claim 7, wherein the conductive metal layer applied to the inner surface of said bellofram is a gold plated layer.

11. The pressure switch as claimed in claim 7, wherein a vertex surface of said conductor is flat.

12. The pressure switch as claimed in claim 7, wherein the pneumatic tire is filled with a second gas, said first and second gas being the same type of gas.

13. The pressure switch according to claim 10, wherein said gold layer is plated to a thickness of between 1 and 3 μ

m.

14. The pressure switch according to claim 7, wherein said conductive metal layer has a thickness of between 30 to 100 μ

m.