Tire pressure drop alarm device sensing partial travel on irregular road surface

• US 5,604,307 A
• Filed: 01/29/1996
• Issued: 02/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Horie, Hiroto, Nakajima, Mikao, Iida, Akiko
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FELBER, JOSEPH LEON
• Application Number:
  US08/593,370
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 73/146.2, 73/146.5, 340/444, 364/558
• US Class Current: 73/146.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00

Abstract

A tire pressure drop alarm device for judging a pneumatic pressure drop by calculating rotational angular velocities of tires provided for a four-wheel vehicle. When the vehicle is traveling on a road which varies in condition between left and right sides, a front/rear ratio of rotational angular velocities of the tires at the shoulder side of the road changes more markedly than that of rotational angular velocities of the tires at the center side, and a large time differential value appears. Therefore, it is possible to judge the traveling condition of the vehicle when the road condition varies between left and right sides. When it is judged that the traveling condition of the vehicle encounters a road condition which varies between left and right sides, the tire rotation of the four wheels is likely to become unbalanced, giving a false alarm even if the tire pressure does not drop. In this case, the judgment by the pneumatic pressure drop judging means is inhibited to prevent an issuance of a false alarm.

Claims

1. A tire pressure drop alarm device, comprising:

rotational angular velocity calculating means for calculating rotational angular velocities of tires provided for corresponding wheels of a four-wheel vehicle having a front left wheel, a front right wheel, a rear left wheel and a rear right wheel;

pneumatic pressure drop judging means for judging whether a tire pressure drops, based on the rotational angular velocities calculated by the rotational angular velocity calculating means;

alarm means for generating a signal corresponding to a judgment result output of the pneumatic pressure drop judging means;

operating means for determining a first time differential value of a front/rear wheel ratio of the rotational angular velocities of the left tires and a second time differential value of a front/rear wheel ratio of the rotational angular velocities of the right tires, and determining a difference between the first time differential value and the second time differential value;

one-sided irregular road traveling judging means for judging a traveling condition of the vehicle, to determine a variation in road conditions between left and right sides of the vehicle, based on the difference between the first time differential value and the second time differential value determined by the operating means when the vehicle is operating under one-sided irregular road traveling conditions, and for generating a judgment result output; and

means for inhibiting the pneumatic pressure drop judging means when the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means indicates a variation in road conditions between left and right sides of the vehicle.

2. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 1, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means comprises means for performing integral processing on the difference between the first time differential value and the second time differential value determined by the operating means to generate a value upon which the traveling condition of the vehicle is judged.

3. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 2, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means determines a variation in road conditions exists between the left and right sides of the vehicle, when the value generated by the integral processing means is greater than a predetermined threshold value t₁ ;

and determines a variation in road conditions does not exist between the left and right sides of the vehicle when the value generated by the integral processing means becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value t₂, wherein t₁ is greater than t₂.

4. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 1, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means determines a variation in road conditions exists between the left and right sides of the vehicle, when the difference between the first time differential value and the second time differential value determined by the operating means is greater than a predetermined threshold t₁ ;

and determines a variation in road conditions does not exist between the left and right sides of the vehicle when the difference between the first time differential value and the second time differential value becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value t₂, wherein t₁ is greater than t₂.

5. A tire pressure drop alarm device, comprising:

rotational angular velocity calculating means for calculating rotational angular velocities of tires provided for corresponding wheels of a four-wheel vehicle having a front left wheel, front right wheel, a rear left wheel, and a rear right wheel;

pneumatic pressure drop judging means for judging whether a tire pressure drops, based on the rotational angular velocities calculated by the rotational angular velocity calculating means;

alarm means for generating a signal corresponding to a judgment result output of the pneumatic pressure drop judging means;

operating means for determining a first front/rear ratio of the rotational angular velocities of the left tires and a second front/rear ratio of the rotational angular velocities of the right tires, and determining a time differential value of a difference between the first front/rear wheel ratio and the second front/rear ratio;

one-sided irregular road traveling judging means for judging a traveling condition of the vehicle to determine a variation in road conditions between left and right sides of the vehicle, based on the differential value of the difference between the first front/rear wheel ratio and the second front/rear wheel ratio determined by the operating means when the vehicle is operating under one-sided irregular road traveling conditions, and for generating a judgment result output; and

means for inhibiting the pneumatic pressure drop judging means when the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means indicates a variation in road conditions between left and right sides of the vehicle.

6. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 5, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means comprises means for performing integral processing on the time differential value of the difference in the first front/rear wheel ratio and the second front/rear wheel ratio determined by the operating means to generate a value upon which the traveling condition of the vehicle is judged.

7. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 6, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means determines a variation in road conditions exists between the left and right sides of the vehicle, when the value generated by the integral processing means is greater than a predetermined threshold value t₁ ;

and determines a variation in road conditions does not exist between the left and right sides of the vehicle when the value generated by the integral processing means becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value t₂, wherein t₁ is greater than t₂.

8. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 5, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means determines a variation in road conditions exists between the left and right sides of the vehicle, when the time differential value of the difference between the first front/rear wheel ratio and the second front/rear wheel ratio determined by the operating means is greater than a predetermined threshold value t₁ ;

and determines a variation in road conditions does not exist between the left and right sides of the vehicle when the time differential value of the difference between the first front/rear wheel ratio and the second front/rear wheel ratio becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value t₂, wherein t₁ is greater than t₂.

9. A tire pressure drop alarm device, comprising:

rotational angular velocity calculating means for calculating rotational angular velocities of tires provided for corresponding wheels of a four-wheel vehicle having a front left wheel, a front right wheel, a rear left wheel, and a rear right wheel;

pneumatic pressure drop judging means for judging whether a tire pressure drops, based on the rotational angular velocities calculated by the rotational angular velocity calculating means;

alarm means for generating a signal corresponding to a judgment result output of the pneumatic pressure drop judging means;

operating means for determining a first time differential value of a front/rear wheel ratio of the rotational angular velocities of the left tires and a second time differential value of a front/rear wheel ratio of the rotational angular velocities of the right tires, and determining a ratio of the first time differential value and the second time differential value;

one-sided irregular road traveling judging means for judging a traveling condition of the vehicle, to determine a variation in road conditions between left and right sides of the vehicle, based on the ratio of the first time differential value and the second time differential value determined by the operating means when the vehicle is operating under one-sided irregular road traveling conditions, and for generating a judgment result output; and

means for inhibiting the pneumatic pressure drop judging means when the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means indicates a variation in road conditions between left and right sides of the vehicle.

10. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 9, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means comprises means for performing integral processing on the ratio of the first time differential value and the second time differential value determined by the operating means to generate a value upon which the traveling condition of the vehicle is judged.

11. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 10, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means determines a variation in road conditions exists between the left and right sides of the vehicle, when the value generated by the integral processing means is greater than a predetermined threshold value t₁ ;

and determines a variation in road conditions does not exist between the left and right sides of the vehicle when the value generated by the integral processing means becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value t₂, wherein t₁ is greater than t₂.

12. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 9, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means determines a variation in road conditions exists between the left and right sides of the vehicle, when the ratio of the first time differential value and the second time differential value determined by the operating means is greater than a predetermined threshold t₁ ;

and determines a variation in road conditions does not exist between the left and right sides of the vehicle when the ratio of the first time differential value and the second time differential value becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value t₂, wherein t₁ is greater than t₂.

13. A tire pressure drop alarm device, comprising:

rotational angular velocity calculating means for calculating rotational angular velocities of tires provided for corresponding wheels of a four-wheel vehicle having a front left wheel, a front right wheel, a rear left wheel, and a rear right wheel;

pneumatic pressure drop judging means for judging whether a tire pressure drops, based on the rotational angular velocities calculated by the rotational angular velocity calculating means;

alarm means for generating a signal corresponding to a judgment result output of the pneumatic pressure drop judging means;

operating means for determining a first front/rear ratio of the rotational angular velocities of the left tires and a second front/rear ratio of the rotational angular velocities of the right tires, and determining a time differential value of a ratio of the first front/rear wheel ratio and the second front/rear ratio;

one-sided irregular road traveling judging means for judging a traveling condition of the vehicle to determine a variation in road conditions between left and right sides of the vehicle, based on the differential value of the ratio of the first front/rear wheel ratio and the second front/rear wheel ratio determined by the operating means when the vehicle is operating under one-sided irregular road traveling conditions, and for generating a judgment result output; and

means for inhibiting the pneumatic pressure drop judging means when the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means indicates a variation in road conditions between left and right sides of the vehicle.

14. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 13, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means comprises means for performing integral processing on the time differential value of the ratio of the first front/rear wheel ratio and the second front/rear wheel ratio determined by the operating means to generate a value upon which the traveling condition of the vehicle is judged.

15. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 14, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means determines a variation in road conditions exists between the left and right sides of the vehicle, when the value generated by the integral processing means is greater than a predetermined threshold value t₁ ;

and determines a variation in road conditions does not exist between the left and right sides of the vehicle when the value generated by the integral processing means becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value t₂, wherein t₁ is greater than t₂.

16. A tire pressure drop alarm device according to claim 13, wherein the one-sided irregular road traveling judging means determines a variation in road conditions exists between the left and right sides of the vehicle, when the time differential value of the ratio of the first front/rear wheel ratio and the second front/rear wheel ratio determined by the operating means is greater than a predetermined threshold value t₁ ;

and determines a variation in road conditions does not exist between the left and right sides of the vehicle when the time differential value of the the first front/rear wheel ratio and the second front/rear wheel ratio becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value t₂, wherein t₁ is greater than t₂.