Pneumatic pressure sensor switch device for a vehicle tire

• US 5,635,691 A
• Filed: 09/25/1995
• Issued: 06/03/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jan Ballyns
• Original Assignee: Jan Ballyns
• Inventors: Ballyns, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US08/533,286
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 152/418, 340/611, 340/626, 340/443, 340/442, 73/717, 73/723, 73/146.5, 200/61.22, 200/61.25, 200/61.26, 200/81 R, 200/81.4, 200/81.5, 200/83 R, 200/83 A, 200/83 J, 200/83 N, 200/83 Y
• US Class Current: 200/61.25
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04985 using straps surrounding the rims

Abstract

A pneumatic sensor switch for giving a warning signal if a pneumatic vehicle tire has too low pressure has a gas-filled chamber, separated from the inflation space in the tire by a flexible diaphragm cooperating electrically with a metal part in the chamber to form an electric switch open at safe pressures in the tire and closed at dangerous lower pressures. There is an electric circuit with battery and transmitter to transmit warning signals to the outside if the switch is closed. There may be a second chamber with an electric switch contact, filled with gas at a lower pressure and also separated from the inflation space in the tire by a flexible diaphragm so that the contact is open at atmospheric pressure therein and closed by the diaphragm at higher pressures. The electric switches of both chambers are connected in series so that a warning signal is given only at pressures in the dangerous range, when both switches are closed, and not at atmospheric pressure nor at safe operating pressures in the tire.

Claims

1. A pneumatic pressure sensor switch device for a pneumatic tire, comprising means in addition to said switch device for mounting said switch device inside the inflation chamber of the tire, a sensor having a closed chamber filled with gas at a pressure above atmospheric pressure, one of the walls of the chamber being a flexible diaphragm, of which the surface remote from the chamber is exposed to the pressure in the inflation chamber of the tire, a movable electric switch contact point cooperating with a stationary switch contact point on the chamber, said movable contact point being provided on a movable part cooperating with the diaphragm so that the diaphragm moves said contact point out of contact with said stationary contact point at predetermined pressures in the tire and allows said contact points to make electrical contact at lower pressures in the tire, said sensor being taken up in an electric circuit with means to take up a source of electric energy and a transmitter to give radio signals to the outside of the tire when said circuit is closed.

2. A switch device according to claim 1, in which a wall of the closed chamber is made of electrically conductive material, so as to constitute itself directly the switch contact point cooperating with the switch contact point moved by its flexible diaphragm, said wall having an opening into which the said movable switch contact point, embodied as a spring contact, reaches, so that the spring contact is in electrical contact with said chamber wall at all pressures in the tire below the safe inflation pressure of the tire, which safe pressure deflects the diaphragm of this chamber so that it pushes the spring contact farther into the chamber out of electrical contact with said chamber wall.

3. A switch device according to claim 2, in which said spring contact extends from a peripheral part of the chamber and has a part between its ends and near the center of the diaphragm, which is bent so as to form a protrusion extending towards the diaphragm, so that at said predetermined operating pressures in the tire the diaphragm pushes onto the protrusion to keep the free end of the spring contact out of contact with the said chamber wall.

4. A switch device according to claim 1, in which the closed chamber has another stationary switch contact point so that said switch contact moved by said diaphragm away from said stationary switch contact point will reach said other stationary switch contact point to close the electric circuit at outside pressures on said diaphragm higher than said predetermined pressures in the tire.

5. A switch device according to claim 1, said diaphragm being electrically conductive, and in which the closed chamber has stationary electrical contact means, so that the electrically conductive diaphragm itself contacts these means to close the electric circuit at outside pressures on the diaphragm higher than said predetermined pressures in the tire.

6. A switch device according to claim 1, in which the gas pressure in the closed chamber is at most one third lower than the normal operating pressure in the tire.

7. A switch device according to claim 1, in which the said sensors are identical in shape and dimensions and have different gas pressures in the closed chamber.

8. A switch device according to claim 1, in which the only restoring force determining the position of the diaphragm at certain gas pressure differences to both sides thereof is the inherent resiliency of the diaphragm.

9. A pneumatic pressure sensor switch device for a pneumatic tire, comprising means for mounting said switch device inside the inflation chamber of the tire, two chambers, each having a flexible diaphragm as one of its walls, which diaphragms are, on their opposite surface, exposed to the pneumatic pressure in the inflation chamber of the tire, both chambers having electrical contact means operated by their diaphragm and electrically connected in series and to a transmitter to generate signals to be received outside the tire if an electric circuit through the transmitter is closed by both diaphragms, in which one of the chambers is filled with gas at a pressure much lower than the normal pressures in the inflation chamber of the tire, the electrical contact means in this chamber being open at atmospheric pressure on the outside of its diaphragm and being closed by movement of said diaphragm at higher pressures thereon.

10. A pneumatic pressure sensor switch device for a pneumatic tire, comprising means for mounting said switch device inside the inflation chamber of the tire, a sensor having a closed chamber filled with gas at a pressure above atmospheric pressure, one of the walls of the chamber being a flexible diaphragm, of which the surface remote from the chamber is exposed to the pressure in the inflation chamber of the tire, a movable electric switch contact point cooperating with a stationary switch contact point on the chamber, said movable contact point being provided on a movable part cooperating with the diaphragm so that the diaphragm moves said contact point out of contact with said stationary contact point at predetermined pressures in the tire and allows said contact points to make electrical contact at lower pressures in the tire, said sensor being taken up in an electric circuit with means to take up a source of electric energy and a transmitter to give radio signals to the outside of the tire when said circuit is closed, there being also a second sensor with a closed second chamber filled with gas at a lower pressure than the pressure in the other chamber, said second chamber having a second flexible diaphragm as one of its walls, exposed to the pressure in the inflation chamber of the tire, said second diaphragm carrying an electric contact point cooperating electrically with a fixed contact point in this second sensor so that the said contact points are out of contact at atmospheric pressure in the tire and are in contact by movement of the diaphragm at higher pressures in the tire, this second sensor being connected with its contact points in series in the said electric circuit of the first-said sensor.

11. A switch device according to claim 10, in which the two closed chambers are connected so that they lie side by side with a separating wall between them, the said flexible diaphragms bordering said combined device one at each side.

12. A switch device according to claim 11, in which an electrically insulating annulus surrounds a metal casing forming the greater part of the wall of the closed chamber with the highest pressure, the space between one of said diaphragms and said casing constituting the closed chamber with the lowest pressure.

13. A switch device according to claim 10, in which both chambers are filled by an inert gas.

14. A switch device according to claim 10, in which at least one of the diaphragms is made of electrically conductive material.

15. A switch device according to claim 10, in which the wall of a metal casing forming the greater part of the wall of the closed chamber with the highest pressure, bordering the chamber with the lower pressure, is bulged out towards the diaphragm of this low-pressure chamber to form the electrical contact cooperating therewith.