Tire pressure indicator carried aboard a wheel

• US 5,979,232 A
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Larry W. Halcomb
• Original Assignee: Larry W. Halcomb
• Inventors: Halcomb, Larry W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): AW MUSSE, ABDULLAHI H
• Application Number:
  US09/170,291
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 116/34 R, 73/146.2-146.8
• US Class Current: 73/146.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/02 Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure hand-held tyre pressure gauges G01L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0496 Valve stem attachments positioned outside of the tyre chamber

Abstract

A tire pressure indicator carried on a tire being monitored for inflation pressure. The indicator includes a housing enclosing an indicating member bearing color coding corresponding to proper inflation. Preferably, additional color coding is provided corresponding to excessive tire pressure and to low or inadequate tire pressure. The indicating member occupies a chamber having a coil spring acting on the indicating member from one direction, and air pressure from the tire acting on the indicating member from the other direction. Differential in forces acting on the indicating member move the indicating member such that the appropriate color coding is revealed through a window formed in the housing. Optionally, the pressure indicator includes a conduit enabling inflation of the tire without requiring removal of the indicator. In alternative embodiments, the novel indicator threads to a conventional filling valve, and replaces the conventional filling valve.

Claims

1. A tire pressure indicator to be installed in a pneumatic wheel and tire assembly, for indicating pressure within the tire, comprising:

a housing having an inner chamber and a window exposing said inner chamber to the exterior of said housing;

an indicating member slidably disposed within said inner chamber, said indicating member having a first external area colored with a first predetermined hue for indicating proper pressure within the tire;

a connector disposed to manually connect said housing to the wheel on which the tire is mounted, said connector having an air passage establishing pneumatic communication between said inner chamber and air generating pressure within the tire;

resilient biasing means for moving said indicating member within said inner chamber responsive to pressure conducted through said air passage such that said first external area colored with a first predetermined hue is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is in a predetermined range of pressures; and

a bypass conduit disposed in pneumatic communication with said air passage of said connector, whereby the tire is charged with compressed gas without removing said tire pressure indicator from the wheel.

2. The tire pressure indicator according to claim 1, said indicating member having a second external area colored with a second predetermined hue and a third external area colored with a third predetermined hue, said resilient biasing means disposed to move said indicating member such that said second external area is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is above the predetermined range of pressures and said third external area is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is below the predetermined range of pressures.

3. The tire pressure indicator according to claim 1, wherein said connector comprises threads compatible with male threads of a conventional filling valve, whereby said tire pressure indicator is threaded to the filling valve, and said tire pressure indicator includes a projection which depresses the filling valve when said tire pressure indicator is threaded to the filling valve, such that pneumatic communication between the tire and said air passage of said connector is maintained when said tire pressure indicator is threaded to the filling valve of the tire.

4. A tire pressure indicator to be installed in a pneumatic wheel and tire assembly, for indicating pressure within the tire, comprising:

a housing having an inner chamber and a window exposing said inner chamber to the exterior of said housing;

an indicating member slidably disposed within said inner chamber, said indicating member having a first external area colored with a first predetermined hue for indicating proper pressure within the tire, second external area colored with a second predetermined hue for indicating excessive pressure within the tire, and a third external area colored with a third predetermined hue for indicating low pressure within the tire;

a connector disposed to connect said housing to the wheel on which the tire is mounted, said connector having an air passage establishing pneumatic communication between said inner chamber and air generating pressure within the tire, wherein said connector comprises threads compatible with male threads of a conventional filling valve, whereby said tire pressure indicator is threaded to the filling valve, and said tire pressure indicator includes a projection which depresses the filling valve when said tire pressure indicator is threaded to the filling valve, such that pneumatic communication between the tire and said air passage of said connector is maintained when said tire pressure indicator is threaded to the filling valve of the tire;

a coil spring of predetermined spring rate disposed to move said indicating member within said inner chamber responsive to pressure conducted through said air passage such that said first external area colored with a first predetermined hue is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is in a predetermined range of pressures, said second external area is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is above the predetermined range of pressures and said third external area is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is below the predetermined range of pressures, wherein said coil spring is disposed within said inner chamber on one side of said indicating member, and said air passage of said connector is disposed on an opposing side of said indicating member, whereby said indicating member moves within said inner chamber responsive to differential in force between spring force of said compression coil spring and pneumatic pressure conducted from the tire to said inner chamber; and

a bypass conduit disposed in pneumatic communication with said air passage of said connector, whereby the tire is charged with compressed gas without removing said tire pressure indicator from the tire.

5. A tire pressure indicator to be installed in a pneumatic wheel and tire assembly, for indicating pressure within the tire, comprising:

a housing having an inner chamber and a window exposing said inner chamber to the exterior of said housing;

an indicating member slidably disposed within said inner chamber, said indicating member having a first external area colored with a first predetermined hue for indicating proper pressure within the tire, second external area colored with a second predetermined hue for indicating excessive pressure within the tire, and a third external area colored with a third predetermined hue for indicating low pressure within the tire;

a connector disposed to connect said housing to the tire, said connector having structure cooperating with the tire to establish an air passage establishing pneumatic communication between said inner chamber and air generating pressure within the tire;

a coil spring of predetermined spring rate disposed to move said indicating member within said inner chamber responsive to pressure conducted through said air passage such that said first external area colored with a first predetermined hue is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is in a predetermined range of pressures, said second external area is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is above the predetermined range of pressures and said third external area is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is below the predetermined range of pressures, wherein said coil spring is disposed within said inner chamber on one side of said indicating member, and said air passage of said connector is disposed on an opposing side of said indicating member, whereby said indicating member moves within said inner chamber responsive to differential in force between spring force of said compression coil spring and pneumatic pressure conducted from the tire to said inner chamber; and

a bypass conduit disposed in pneumatic communication with said air passage of said connector, whereby the tire is charged with compressed gas without removing said tire pressure indicator from the tire.

6. A tire pressure indicator to be installed in a pneumatic wheel and tire assembly, for indicating pressure within the tire, comprising:

an opaque housing having an inner chamber and a solid, transparent window exposing said inner chamber to the exterior of said housing;

an indicating member slidably disposed within said inner chamber, said indicating member having a first external area colored with a first predetermined hue for indicating proper pressure within the tire;

a connector disposed to manually connect said housing to the wheel on which the tire is mounted, said connector having an air passage establishing pneumatic communication between said inner chamber and air generating pressure within the tire, wherein said indicating member is disposed to move upwardly responsive to air pressure of the tire;

resilient biasing means for urging said indicating member to move downwardly within said inner chamber such that said first external area colored with a first predetermined hue is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is in a predetermined range of pressures,

wherein said housing includes a portion above said window and a second portion below said window, said window is located on the side of said housing, and said window forms a transparent circumferential band encircling said inner chamber, whereby said inner chamber is visible from the side of said indicator in any direction; and

a bypass conduit disposed in pneumatic communication with said air passage of said connector, whereby the tire is charged with compressed gas without removing said tire pressure indicator from the wheel.

7. The tire pressure indicator according to claim 6, said indicating member having a second external area colored with a second predetermined hue and a third external area colored with a third predetermined hue, said resilient biasing means disposed to move said indicating member such that said second external area is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is above the predetermined range of pressures and said third external area is visible through said window when pressure within the tire is below the predetermined range of pressures.

8. The tire pressure indicator according to claim 6, wherein said connector comprises threads compatible with male threads of a conventional filling valve, whereby said tire pressure indicator is threaded to the filling valve, and said tire pressure indicator includes a projection which depresses the filling valve when said tire pressure indicator is threaded to the filling valve, such that pneumatic communication between the tire and said air passage of said connector is maintained when said tire pressure indicator is threaded to the filling valve of the tire.