Temperature-offsetting magnetically coupled pressure sender

• US 6,761,072 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2002
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mlho, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mlho, Inc.
• Inventors: Burns, Alan Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US10/191,612
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 737/00--56
• US Class Current: 73/708
• 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: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/04 Means for compensating for effects of changes of temperature , i.e. other than electric compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/083 electrical

Abstract

A temperature compensating or offsetting magnetically coupled pressure sender comprises a pressure responsive element coupled to a rotating permanent magnet via a temperature sensitive element. The sender is intended to relay a pressure reading from within sealed vessels, including vehicle tires, without requiring penetration the wall of the vessel. In vehicular applications, the recommended pressure is usually stated for “cold” tires. Operating a vehicle heats up its tires and increases their pressure, which may produce a misleading indication. Pressure senders described in this invention have temperature compensating or offsetting elements built in to the pressure senders so that the indicated pressure is always referenced to a “cold” tire. Spiral or helical metallic strips or elastomeric members may be employed as the temperature compensating or offsetting elements.

Claims

1. In a method for externally sensing pressure of a fluid within a pressure vessel including the steps of

(a) locating and mounting for rotation, a magnetic field source inside of the pressure vessel containing the fluid for providing a magnetic field having an axis of symmetry rotating in a particular plane;

(b) coupling the magnetic field source to a pressure activated bellows also located inside of the pressure vessel expanding and contracting responsive to pressure differences Δ

P between fluid pressure inside the pressure vessel and a known fluid pressure, the expansion and contraction of the bellows rotationally orienting the axis of symmetry of the provided magnetic field in the particular plane inside the pressure vessel;

(c) sensing orientation of the axis of symmetry of the provided magnetic field outside the pressure vessel; and

(d) correlating the orientation of the axis of symmetry of the magnetic field sensed to pressure within the pressure vessel,

the improvement wherein;

said coupling the magnetic field source to a pressure activated bellows is by means of an intermediate member responsive to temperature within said pressure vessel.

2. The improvement as recited in claim 1 wherein said pressure vessel comprises a combination of an inflated, annular pneumatic tire hermetically sealed around a wheel rim for a vehicle.

3. The improvement as recited in claim 1 wherein said intermediate member responsive to temperature is a spiral ribbon expanding and contracting in response to temperature within the pressure vessel.

4. The improvement as recited in claim 1 wherein said intermediate member responsive to temperature is a helical ribbon expanding or contracting in response to temperature within the pressure vessel.

5. In a magnetically coupled pressure gauge for indicating fluid pressure within a pressure vessel outside the pressure vessel, comprising in combination,

(a) a rotatable sender means mounted inside the pressure vessel for providing a rotatable magnetic field having a specific direction, the specific direction of the magnetic field in the plane parallel to an axis of symmetry of the magnetic field;

(b) a pressure actuated bellows mechanism also mounted inside of the pressure vessel coupled for rotating the sender means rotationally changing orientation of the specific direction of the magnetic field in a plane parallel to the axis of symmetry responsive to variations in fluid pressure within the vessel; and

(c) sensor means mounted outside of the pressure vessel for sensing and indicating orientation of the specific direction of the magnetic field provided by the sender means in a plane parallel its axis of symmetry as rotated to a particular orientation by the pressure actuated bellows mechanism,

the improvement wherein;

said pressure activated bellows mechanism is coupled for rotating said sender means rotationally includes an intermediate member responsive to temperature within said pressure vessel.

6. The improvement as recited in claim 5 wherein said mechanism for coupling the bellows to the rotating sender means comprises, in combination, a high-pitch lead screw, a back-driven follower, and a temperature responsive member.

7. The improvement as recited in claim 5 wherein said intermediate member responsive to temperature is a spiral ribbon expanding and contracting in response to temperature within the pressure vessel.

8. The improvement as recited in claim 5 wherein said intermediate member responsive to temperature is a helical ribbon expanding and contracting in response to temperature within the pressure vessel.

9. The improvement as recited in claim 5 wherein said pressure vessel comprises a combination of an inflated, annular pneumatic tire hermetically sealed around a wheel rim for a vehicle.