Device for monitoring the air pressure of pneumatic tires of vehicles

• US 6,062,072 A
• Filed: 04/10/1998
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dynatron AG
• Original Assignee: Dynatron AG
• Inventors: Vollm, Ernst, Mock, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Benjamin R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AW MUSSE, ABDULLAHI H
• Application Number:
  US09/011,288
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 73/146.2, 73/146.3, 73/146.4, 73/146.5, 73/146.8
• US Class Current: 73/146.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2241 used in or for vehicle tyres

Abstract

A device for monitoring the air pressure of pneumatic tires of vehicles having a pressure measuring system arranged on the vehicle wheel, the measured values of which are transmitted by means of a transmitter to a receiver, whereby each vehicle wheel is preferably associated with a receiver. The transmitters have a transmitting antenna which is fixed in relation to the wheel and is not integrated into the transmitter. The transmitter is preferably an antenna with several windings which are vulcanized in the side flanks or into the tread of the tire.

Claims

1. Device for monitoring the air pressure in the air chamber of pneumatic tires of vehicles comprising:

a pressure measuring system arranged on a vehicle wheel which registers the pressure in the air chamber of the tire and emits a representative electrical pressure signal for the pressure value;

a transmitter arranged on a vehicle wheel which receives the issued pressure signal from the pressure measuring system and sends an appropriate pressure send signal out;

a receiver arranged at a distance from a vehicle wheel which receives the signal transmitted by the transmitter;

as well as an antenna which is not integrated in the transmitter, but rather while being in electrical connection with the transmitter, is arranged independently therefrom in the wheel,

wherein said transmitter comprises a stand-by mode, in which said pressure send signal is sent out to said receiver at predetermined time intervals and

wherein a monitor is provided in said transmitter which switches said transmitter in an active send mode when the pressure in the tire drops by a pressure gradient above a predetermined value.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is fixed in relation to the tread of the tire.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is fixed in relation to the tire side flanks.

4. Device according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter is affixed in relation to the tires.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein a transformation device is provided which digitally encodes the transmitted signal from the transmitter.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter sends out an identification signal with the pressure signal which clearly identifies the pressure measurement system, and wherein the receiver recognizes this transmitted identification signal and wherein the signal is only then further processed, forwarded on to the central control unit respectively, when the received identification signal corresponds to a predetermined characteristic.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein the identification signal is stored in the transmitter as a digital series of numbers with n bits and wherein the identification comparison signal in the receiver is likewise stored as a digital series of numbers with n bits.

8. Device according to claim 6, wherein the identification comparison signal stored in the receiver is variable in order to be able to adapt the identification signal and the identification comparison signal from the transmitter and the receiver unit to each other.

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of the signals from the transmitter to the receiver occurs as carrier waves with electromagnetic waves (radio waves) at a constant frequency.

10. Device according to claim 9, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic carrier waves is in the radio wave band.

11. Device according to claim 7, wherein the transmission of data results from a change in the phase position of a sine-formed carrier signal (phase shift keying).

12. Device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter has a time relay unit and is controlled in this manner, wherein the pressure measuring system measures the pressure in predetermined, essentially fixed time intervals.

13. Device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter has a detector unit which recognizes a transmitted signal from the receiver and which, upon the first occurrence of this signal, switches the transmitter from a passive stand-by-mode into an active send-mode so that a pressure measurement can be taken and the send signal emitted.

14. Device according to claim 13, wherein each of the pressure measuring and transmitter devices arranged on the vehicle wheel is associated with a receiver, whereby the signal received by the receiver is conveyed on to a central display device.

15. Device according to claim 6, wherein the receiver is connected with a switch device which controls the switching of the receiver from normal operating mode, in which the air pressure will be controlled, into a pairing mode, in which the receiver receives the identification signal of each transmitter and stores it as an identification comparison signal.

16. Device according to claim 15, wherein each transmitter has a detector device which recognizes the transmission of a predetermined switch signal and thereupon switches the transmitter into a pairing mode in which the identification signal and a shown pairing mode additional signal is emitted.

17. Device according to claim 1, wherein a temperature measurement device is furthermore provided on the vehicle wheel which detects the temperature in the air chamber of the tire, and wherein the transmitter receives the emitted pressure signal from the temperature measurement device and sends out the appropriate temperature signal, which is then received by the receiver and further processed.

18. Device according to claim 17, wherein an audio or optical warning is issued when the temperature in one of the tires exceeds a set value or when too large of a temperature discrepancy is ascertained between different tires of the same vehicle or between the tires and the outside environment temperature.

19. Device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is formed as a spiral which is held in the tire by elastic force.

20. Device according to claim 19, wherein the antenna is comprised of individual rings which are connectable via a plug connection to an electrical coil and are fixed in the tires through elastic force.

21. Device according to claim 19, wherein the individual antenna windings are coated with an elastic body.

22. Method for use of the device according to claim 1 in pneumatic tires of a vehicle or machine selected from the group consisting of personal automobiles, trucks, self-driving machines and airplanes.

23. Device according to claim 2, wherein the antenna is secured to the tread of the tire.

24. Device according to claim 3, wherein the antenna is secured to the tire side flanks.

25. Device according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter is secured on the tread or side flanks of the tire.

26. Device according to claim 10, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic carrier waves is between 4 and 100 Kilohertz.

27. Device according to claim 10, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic carrier waves is between 4 and 50 Kilohertz.

28. Device according to claim 10, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic carrier waves is between 4 and 15 Kilohertz.

29. Device according to claim 11, wherein the transmission of data results from a differential change in the phase position (differential phase shift keying).

30. Device according to claim 15, wherein the receiver is connected with a switch device which controls the switching of the receiver from normal operating mode, in which the air pressure will be controlled, into a pairing mode, in which the receiver receives the identification signal of each transmitter and stores it as an identification comparison signal with an association of the respective wheel position.