Pressure alarm device

• US 6,006,600 A
• Filed: 07/21/1997
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Li-Hua Cheng
• Original Assignee: Li-Hua Cheng
• Inventors: Cheng, Li-Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clark, Robin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/897,687
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 73/146.5, 73/146.8, 340/442, 200/61.22, 200/61.25, 200/61.26, 116/34 R
• US Class Current: 73/146.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0496 Valve stem attachments positioned outside of the tyre chamber

Abstract

The invention herein relates to a kind of tire pressure alarm device that mainly consists of a cap installed on a connector body, with a trigger device and a power supply fixture installed within the internal space surrounded by the said connector body and the said cap; a pressure switch that includes an active recessed seat having a circular contact edge and which is capable of upward and downward movement within the confines of a guide ring mount, with the lower section positioned against the top of a diaphragm; a hollow threaded base that is fastened onto a mounting base at the upper extent of the active recessed seat and in which the coil spring contained inside the active recessed seat is secured with an adjustment screw; and a conductive ring, the circular edge of which contacts the outer circumference of the active recessed seat such that electric power is conducted between the conductive ring and the trigger device. The metal connector base and the plastic sleeve base of the connector body are formed as a single integrated unit and the said cap is screwed onto the sleeve base. The connector base is divided into two spaces by a spacer mount, of which one space has internal threads as well as a valve nozzle, and can be fastened to the threads on a tire valve stem and the space on the other side conjoined to the said sleeve base contains the components of the said pressure switch and, furthermore, all the components of the said pressure switch are inserted in the same direction.

Claims

1. A tire pressure alarm device, comprising:

a connector body formed by a metal connector base and a plastic sleeve base which is connected to an upper portion of the metal connector base such that the connector base extends therefrom;

a top-mounted cap which is screwed onto the sleeve base to define an internal space with the connector body;

a spacer mount separating the connector base into an upper space and a lower space;

internal threads disposed on the connector base within the lower space and adapted to engage threads on a tire valve stem;

a valve nozzle providing fluid communication between the lower space and the upper space;

a trigger device and a power supply fixture installed within the internal space;

a conical spring positioned in between the trigger device and the power supply fixture; and

a pressure switch disposed within the upper space and the internal space, said pressure switch having components including a diaphragm, a guide ring mount, a conductive ring, an active recessed seat with a circular contact edge, a coil spring, a hollow threaded base, a mounting base, and an adjustment screw of the coil spring, the active recessed seat having a lower section positioned against a top of the diaphragm and being capable of upward and downward movement within the guide ring mount, the hollow threaded base being fastened onto the mounting base at an upper extent of the active recessed seat, the coil spring being seated within the active recessed seat, the adjustment screw being screwed into the hollow threaded base and extending to contact the coil spring, the conductive ring being supported by the guide ring mount such that the active recessed seat completes an electrical circuit of the conductive ring, the trigger device and the power supply fixture when the circular contact edge thereof is in contact with the conductive ring, the components of the pressure switch being inserted in the same direction.

2. A tire pressure alarm device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting base of the pressure switch is screwed onto the sleeve base.

3. A tire pressure alarm device according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one groove in the mounting base which opens at each side thereof; and

at least one extension ring disposed in the groove, the extension ring having extension strips which project from the groove at each side;

wherein the conductive ring contacts the extension strips such that the active recessed seat completes an electrical circuit of the conductive ring, the extension ring, the trigger device and the power supply fixture when the circular contact edge thereof is in contact with the conductive ring.

4. A tire pressure alarm device according to claim 1, wherein the connector base extends into the sleeve base beyond at least the height of a sealing point between the sleeve base and the top-mounted cap and physically contacts the conductive ring.