Method and system for measuring and adjusting pressure of tires

• US 6,148,888 A
• Filed: 08/05/1997
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fast Air SL
• Original Assignee: Fast Air SL
• Inventors: Loureiro Benimeli, Fermin Jaime
• Primary Examiner(s): Lorin, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US08/836,661
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 152/415, 141/95, 340/442
• US Class Current: 152/415
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/046 using electrical or electronical means

Abstract

Method and system for measuring and adjusting pressure of tires of vehicles in order to set the appropriate pressure to a tire when the latter is in temperature and pressure conditions different from nominal conditions, the method and system comprising the steps of measuring the pressure inside the tire, measuring the temperature inside the tire, calculating a pressure value equivalent to the nominal value as a function of said measured values, visualizing the measured values, introducing said values in an air supplying machines, and supplying said calculated pressure to the tire. They system for implementing said method comprises a thermocouple, a pressure tester provided with means in contact with the thermocouple, and an air supplying machine and a connector provided with means in contact with the thermocouple; or alternatively, the system comprises an emitting and sensing device arranged on the surface of the rim inside the tire, a remote control apparatus operating with radiofrequencies'"'"' signals and an air supplying machine.

Claims

1. A method for measuring and adjusting pressure of one or more tires intended to provide the tire with an appropriate pressure when the tire is under conditions of temperature and pressure unequal to nominal values of temperature and pressure which correspond to a temperature defined as ambient temperature, and a pressure defined as the appropriate pressure for the tire at ambient temperature while the tire is at rest, the method comprising the following steps:

measuring the pressure inside the tire;

measuring the temperature inside the tire;

calculating a pressure value equivalent to the nominal pressure as a function of said measured temperature value, said calculated equivalent pressure being an appropriate pressure for use in the tire at the measured temperature conditions;

displaying the measured temperature and pressure values, as well as the value of the pressure calculated as equivalent to the nominal as a function of said measured value of temperature;

introducing said calculated equivalent pressure value into an air supplying machine; and

supplying said calculated equivalent pressure into the tire.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measured pressure and temperature values of the tire are communicated outside the tire by means of electronic signals.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measured pressure and temperature values of the tire are communicated outside the tire by means of radiofrequency waves.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calculation of the pressure value equivalent to the nominal pressure as a function of the measured temperature is carried out in a pressure tester by means of a microprocessor incorporated into the same.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calculation of the pressure value equivalent to the nominal pressure as a function of the measured temperature is carried out in a air supplying machine by a microprocessor incorporated in the same.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calculation of the pressure value equivalent to the nominal pressure as a function of the measured temperature is carried out in a remote control apparatus by a microprocessor incorporated in the same.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the nominal pressure values of the tire at ambient temperature are introduced into the tester through a number of push-buttons.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the nominal pressure values of the tire at ambient temperature are introduced into the air supplying machine through a number of push-buttons.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the nominal pressure values of the tire at ambient temperature are introduced into the remote control apparatus through a number of push-buttons.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the value of the pressure equivalent to the nominal pressure as a function of the present temperature and pressure of the tire is communicated to the air supplying machine by electronic signals.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the value of the pressure equivalent to the nominal pressure as a function of the present temperature and pressure of the tire is communicated to the air supplying machine by radiofrequency signals.

12. A system for measuring and adjusting pressure of tires, the system comprising:

A) a tire valve which incorporates a thermocouple for measuring a temperature inside the tire,

b) a pressure tester for measuring a pressure inside the tire, said pressure tester including a mouthpiece provided with a pressure inlet and contact means suitable for being connected to said thermocouple,

c) a processor adapted and configured for receiving a nominal pressure value of the tire at ambient temperature, and measured temperature and pressure values from the thermocouple and the pressure tester, and adapted and configured for calculating the pressure equivalent to the nominal pressure as a function of the measured temperature value, and

d) a pressured-air supplying machine, provided with a pneumatic inflating equipment associated to a hose for air passage, which ends at a connection mouthpiece provided with contact means suitable also for being connected to the tire valve thermocouple.

13. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that the thermocouple emerges out from the rear zone of the valve such that it is placed inside the tire and it consists of conductor means which pass through an electrically isolating body of said valve, each of which having external and independent contact means at their ends, located at the front zone of the valve.

14. The system according to claim 13, characterized in that one of the thermocouple contact mean consists of a metal ring externally mounted on the isolating body of the valve, whereas the other contact means consists of the metal body of the valve itself which includes the elements for closing the same.

15. The system according to claim 12 wherein the pressure tester incorporates:

a) the processor, which is a microprocessor which registers tire pressure and temperature values when the mouthpiece of the pressure tester is coupled to the tire valve, b) a series of push-buttons, arranged for introducing into the microprocessor the value of the nominal pressure of the tire at ambient temperature;

c) a display means arranged for displaying values corresponding to the tire nominal pressure, the pressure and the temperature inside the tire, the pressure equivalent to the nominal pressure as a function of the temperature inside the tire;

d) a number of push-buttons which have pre-determined pressure values assigned thereto, and two other push-buttons suitable for increasing or decreasing the chosen pressure values.

16. The system according to claim 12 wherein the air supplying machine includes:

a) the processor, which is microprocessor which simultaneously registers tire pressure and temperature values when the mouthpiece of a hose is coupled to the tire valve;

b) a keyboard arranged for introducing the value of the nominal pressure of the tire at ambient temperature into the microprocessor; and

c) a display means arranged for displaying values corresponding to the tire nominal pressure, the pressure and temperature inside the tire, the pressure equivalent to the nominal pressure as a function of the present temperature of the tire, d) a number of push-buttons which have pre-determined pressure values assigned thereto, and two other push-buttons suitable for increasing or decreasing the chosen pressure values.

17. The system according to claim 16, characterized in that the pneumatic equipment of the air supplying machine is governed by the microprocessor in order to supply the tire with the pressure equivalent to the nominal pressure in terms of temperature, mannually through the push-buttons of the machine.

18. A system for measuring and adjusting pressure of a tire, the system comprising:

a) at least one sensor and emitter device arranged on a rim surface inside the tire for measuring pressure and temperature values in the tire and emitting such information via radiofrequency signals,

b) at least one remote control apparatus arranged to receive radiofrequency signals,

c) a means for calculating an appropriate pressure equivalent for the tire as a function of the measured temperature, given a nominal pressure value of the tire at ambient temperature, and

d) a pressured-air supplying machine provided with a pneumatic inflating equipment associated to a hose for the passage of air, which ends at a connection mouthpiece.

19. The system according to claim 18 characterized in that the sensor and emitter device consists of means for measuring the pressure and the temperature inside the tire, means for emitting and receiving radiofrequency waves, means for converting radiofrequency waves into electronic signals and vice versa, a microprocessor suitable for governing the operation of the sensor and emitter device and a power supply device, preferably an electric energy supplying battery.

20. The system according to claim 18 characterized in that the remote control apparatus consists of means for emitting and receiving radiofrequency waves, means for converting radiofrequency waves into electronic signals and vice versa, a microprocessor suitable for governing the operation of the remote control apparatus, means for displaying processed data, a keyboard which consists of a series of push-buttons arranged for introducing and for changing pressure values in the remote control apparatus and a power supply device, preferably an electric energy supplying battery.

21. The system according to claim 18 characterized in that air the supplying machine essentially consists of a microprocessor suitable for governing the operation of the machine, a keyboard which consists of a series of push-buttons arranged for introducing and for changing pressure values in the air supplying machine.

22. The system according to claim 20 characterized in that the air supplying machine incorporates means for receiving radiofrequency waves and means for converting said waves into electronic signals and for supplying them to said microprocessor of said machine.

23. The system according to claim 20 characterized in that remote control apparatus is portable.

24. The system according to claim 20 characterized in that the remote control apparatus is fixed inside the vehicle, preferably on the front panel inside the same.

25. The system according to claim 24 characterized in that means for receiving and emitting radiofrequency waves are fixed on the vehicle bodywork nearby each wheel of the same.

26. The system according to claim 18, characterized in that the air supplying mouthpiece consists of an evolving body inside of which there are situated:

an outlet tip threaded in an end inside a blocking body which has a generally cylindrical configuration with a portion of the same having a larger diameter and provided with a series of movable portions separated by a series of longitudinal grooves situated at a portion of smaller diameter;

a cylindrical sleeve inside which there is a rod which passes through a central orifice located at a base surface at one end of the sleeve;

a spring on which an end of the rod rests;

an elastic joint arranged on the base surface of said sleeve; and

a cervoclip located at an end of said envolving body which corresponds to said outlet tip.

27. The system according to claim 26 characterized in that the envolving body has a cylindrical portion of longer diameter on the surface of which a series of ribs are observed.

28. The system according to claim 26 characterized in that the blocking body is made of a material, preferably of metal, which has flexibility in a radial direction.

29. The system according to claim 26 characterized in that the blocking body has respective salient portions at the free end of each one of the movable portions, and the evolving body has at an end opposite to the outlet tip and at the inner surface thereof a perimeteric recess coinciding with said salient portions of the blocking body.

30. The system according to claim 26 characterized in that the rod of the air supplying mouthpiece has a cubic or rectangular-prismatic configuration at the end which remains inside the sleeve of said tip, and a plane base at the opposite end.

31. The system according to claim 26 characterized in that the evolving body is displaceable on the blocking body until the salient portions of the latter fit into the perimeteric recess of the former due to the tendency of said salient portions to move in a radial direction towards the outside in the unblocking position.

32. The system according to claim 26, characterized in that the air supplying machine includes a tool which consists of an essentially cylindrical body which has at an end thereof a cavity axially arranged to permit the placing of a rod-shaped utensil whose free end has a configuration suitable for being coupled to a valve core, said rod remaining fixed inside said cylindrical body;

another cavity axially arranged at the opposite end having a first portion of larger diameter and with a key-shaped configuration suitable for manipulating valves, end caps and the like, and a second portion continuing from the first portion with a smaller diameter to allow the introduction of valve ends while they are being manipulated by the first portion.

33. The system according to claim 26, said system being automatic and including rollers which are capable of rotating in a synchronized manner around their respective axial axes and are arranged so as to permit the vehicle wheel to be placed on the same for transmitting the rotation of said rollers to said wheel, said rollers being operated by an operating mechanism such as an electric motor;

a proximity detection device, an air supplying mouthpiece, an equipment for displacement of said air supplying mouthpiece, and a control equipment intended for governing the operation of the components of the system.

34. The system according to claim 23, characterized in that the operation mechanism of the rollers is managed by the control equipment.

35. The system according to claim 33 characterized in that the proximity detection device is intended for detecting the position of the tire valve during the rotation of the wheel and for sending electronic signals of proximity detection to the control equipment.

36. The system according to claim 33 characterized in that the equipment for displacing the air supplying mouthpiece receives signals from the control equipment to displace the air supplying machine to the tire valve, and effect the coupling of said mouthpiece of said valve.