Tire pressure sensor apparatus for a pneumatic tire of a vehicle

• US 5,844,131 A
• Filed: 05/25/1996
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alligator Ventilfabrik GmbH (Familie Steiff mit CA. 50 Gesellschaftern)
• Original Assignee: Alligator Ventilfabrik GmbH (Familie Steiff mit CA. 50 Gesellschaftern)
• Inventors: Reinhardt, Rolf, Gabelmann, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): Oen, William L.
• Application Number:
  US08/666,881
• Time in Patent Office: 920 Days
• Field of Search: 73/146.8, 73/146.5, 340/445, 340/442, 340/443, 340/447, 364/558
• US Class Current: 73/146.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre
• 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 23/0494 Valve stem attachments positioned inside the tyre chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 29/02 Connection to rims

Abstract

In an apparatus for measuring the tire pressure in a pneumatic tire of a vehicle by means of a measurement value sensor, which is acted upon by the tire pressure, on the rim bed (12) of a rim (10), which accommodates a tire valve (20), for the pneumatic tire, connected to the tire valve (20) is a signal housing (44) which is associated with the rim bed (12) and which includes an electronic sender means as the measurement value sensor for the tire pressure. The signal housing (44) is connected to the tire valve (20) by a hollow screw (40) which engages into the valve bore (28) and is adjustable relative thereto in such a way that the tire valve/signal housing combination can be used for equipping different rim cross-sections. That purpose is also served by base elements (52) which project from the underneath surface of the signal housing (44) and which sit on the rim bed (12) and which with the suspension point on the screw (40) form a multi-point mounting configuration.

Claims

1. Tire pressure sensor apparatus for a pneumatic tire of a vehicle, which comprises:

a tire rim having a rim bed;

a tire valve for a pneumatic tire on said rim;

a sensor means on said rim bed acted on by the tire pressure;

said sensor means having transmitter means for interacting with receiver means outside of said tire; and

said sensor means comprising a signal housing having at least two base elements for resting on said rim bed and for adjustably supporting said signal housing in a mounted state.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including an axial valve bore in the tire valve, wherein the signal housing is connected to the tire valve by a connecting element and is adjustable relative to said tire valve.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said connecting element is a hollow screw with a head, and wherein the head of the hollow screw bears against the side of a longitudinal wall of the signal housing which is remote from the valve, the screw passing with clearance through the longitudinal wall.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the longitudinal wall includes an opening for the hollow shank of the screw, which opening extends parallel to the end faces of the housing.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said opening is a slot which is provided in a transverse wall parallel to the longitudinal wall.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3, including a contact surface of the signal housing having a configuration such that when the screw is tightened the signal housing is urged into the rim bed.

7. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said signal housing has an underneath surface towards the rim, and wherein projecting from said underneath surface are two base elements between which extends a plane defined by the axis of the connecting elements.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the signal housing is mounted on the tire valve and on the two base elements, and wherein said two base elements are spaced from the tire valve and spaced from each other.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal housing is cuboidal with narrow sides, and wherein the base elements are bar-like shaped portions in the region of the narrow sides of the cuboidal signal housing.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal housing includes a transverse wall, and wherein a side of the transverse wall, which is remote from the valve, defines an apex groove with groove walls, the groove extending from a surface of the signal housing.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cavern is formed in the signal housing at the rear surface thereof, and the base of the tire valve is adjustably mounted in the cavern.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the cavern is defined by a part-spherical surface which bears against a part-spherical peripheral surface of the valve base.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, including a central rib extending into the cavern and delimited by part-spherical surfaces, said rib being fitted into a corresponding groove of the valve base.

14. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the cavern is in the form of a slot into which is fitted a valve base which is flat at both sides thereof, and wherein part-spherical surfaces are arranged in the slot at two mutually oppositely disposed sides, and wherein part-spherical surfaces of the valve base are disposed opposite said part-spherical surfaces in the slot.

15. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the cavern and the apex groove are provided in a projection portion on the signal housing, wherein the housing projection portion is arranged centrally on an approximately cuboidal base portion.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein lateral outside surfaces of the housing projection portion are inclined towards each other away from shoulder surfaces of the base portion.

17. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein an insert space for an insert which is at least one of a power source and a measurement valve sensor, is arranged adjacent base elements in the base portion on both sides of a center line which crosses the longitudinal axis of the signal housing.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, including fixing elements for the insert in the insert space.

19. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the center line is a straight line of symmetry of the signal housing.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said signal housing includes a first surface which is adjacent the valve, and wherein said first surface is inclined outwardly at an angle from a bottom surface towards the projection portion on the housing.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein a surface of the projection portion of the housing is inclined in the same direction as the first surface and at an angle.

22. Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the inclination of the surface of the projection portion of the housing, which is remote from the valve, is greater than the inclination of the first surface of the signal housing which is adjacent the valve.

23. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the length of the signal housing is between 50 mm and 70 mm.

24. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of width to length of the signal housing is approximately 1:

2 to 1;

3.

25. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total area of the signal housing to its length is 1:

3 to 1;

4.

26. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the height of the base elements to the length of the signal housing is approximately 1:

15 to 1;

18.

27. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal housing is formed from a tough plastic material of low specific weight.

28. Apparatus according to claim 1, including two of said base elements.