Arrangement for monitoring operating parameters of vehicle pneumatic tires mounted on wheel rims

• US 5,353,020 A
• Filed: 01/08/1992
• Issued: 10/04/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Schurmann, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Giust, John
• Application Number:
  US07/818,182
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.31, 340/870.32, 340/870.33, 340/442, 340/445, 340/448, 340/449
• US Class Current: 340/870.31
• 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: B60C 23/0498 for rim attachments B60C23/0494, B60C23/0496 take precedence

Abstract

An arrangement for monitoring operating parameters of vehicle pneumatic tires mounted on wheel rims is provided with sensors (58, 60) for selected operating parameters and with transmitting means comprising rim-side mounted rotor members (28) and bodywork-side mounted stator members (32) coupled thereto for transmitting the operating parameters detected by the sensors (58, 60) to an evaluating arrangement in the vehicle connected to the stator members (32). In an opening (20) of the wheel rim (10) in the region of the rim well (22) a measuring module (24) comprising two components (36, 38) detachably connected together is disposed. One of the components (36, 38) is mounted on the side facing the tire (14) and the other is mounted on the side of the rim well (22) remote from the tire (14). The sensors (58, 60) are mounted on one of the two components (36). The other component (38) is electrically connected to the rotor members (28) and the signals furnished by the sensors ( 58, 69) and representing operating parameters are transmitted by inductive coupling to a pickup (68) in the component (38) lying on the side of the rim well (22) remote from the tire (14).

Claims

1. An arrangement for monitoring the operating parameters of vehicle pneumatic tires, mounted on rotor members of the vehicle, including wheel rims which have rim wells and openings in the rim wells, and the vehicle pneumatic tires rotated about stator members of the vehicle, and having interiors comprising:

sensors for detecting selected operating parameters and providing said operating parameters to electronic circuitry;

the electronic circuitry for receiving said operating parameters and generating signals representative of said operating parameters and providing said signals to transmitting means;

the transmitting means for transmitting said signals representative of said operating parameters to an evaluating arrangement in said vehicle, and comprising rim-side mounted rotor members and bodywork-side stator members coupled thereto;

a measuring module, which lies within an opening in a rim well of a wheel rim, and comprises a first and a second component, which are detachably connected together, wherein said first component is disposed facing the tire and said second component is disposed remote from the tire on the rim well; and

wherein said sensors and said electronic circuitry are mounted on said first component and said second component is electrically connected to said rim-side mounted rotor members, and wherein further said signals representative of said operating parameters are coupled from said first component by inductive coupling to said second component.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein, for inductive coupling of said signals representative of said operating parameters, in each case a ferrite core with a coupling coil is installed in each of said first and second components of said measuring module and that the two coupling coils are loosely coupled together.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the coupling coil is part of a resonant circuit of high Q and low impedance.

4. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein each ferrite core is formed by one-half of a pot-core and that the pot core halves are so installed in an opposing relationship with a predetermined air gap between the opposing pot core halves for obtaining the loose coupling.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said first component, disposed on the side of the rim well facing the tire, has an edge flange with which it bears on the region of the rim well inner surface surrounding the opening in the rim well and clamps a seal inserted therebetween.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameters to be monitored are the pressure and the temperature in the tire, and wherein further on said first component, a pressure sensor and at least one temperature sensor are mounted, and the temperature sensor is so arranged that it responds to the temperature of the air in the tire.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said first component comprises a carrier plate which is mounted on a side of said second component and carries said pressure sensor, and that a passage in said first component establishes a connection between said pressure sensor and the tire interior.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said passage establishing a connection between the pressure sensor and said tire interior tapers conically towards said pressure sensor.

9. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein a second temperature sensor is arranged on the carrier plate in the immediate vicinity of said pressure sensor.