Pneumatically actuated mounting apparatus and method for a tire inflation gas parameter monitoring system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for securing a housing to a wheel supporting a tire that is inflated by an inflation gas pressure, comprising:
- a first cylinder coupled to the housing, the first cylinder containing a first piston and a first connecting rod that is movable in first and second directions;
a biasing device providing a pressure less than the inflation gas pressure for urging the piston and the first connecting rod in the first direction, the piston and the first connecting rod being movable in the second direction by the inflation gas pressure; and
a tether coupling together the housing, the wheel, and the first connecting rod such that when the tire is uninflated, the tether is made slack by the movement of the first connecting rod in the first direction, and when the tire is inflated by the inflation gas pressure, the tether is drawn taut by the movement of the first connecting rod in the second direction, thereby securing the housing to the wheel.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tire inflation gas telemetry system (30) is installed inside a tire (174) mounted to a wheel (170) and is placed within a protective housing (100) having pneumatic cylinders (116, 126) with piston rods (128, 130) that are extended or retracted by tire inflation gas pressure changes. The housing is suspended by a cable (156) slung around the wheel. The cable is slack or taut depending on motion of a first piston rod, and the telemetry system is pivoted into alternate protected and operational orientations by motion of a second piston rod. When the tire is uninflated, the cable is slack, and the telemetry system is pivoted into the protected orientation. As the tire is inflated, the cable becomes taut causing the housing to be drawn tightly against the wheel, and the telemetry system is pivoted into the operational orientation.
26 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for securing a housing to a wheel supporting a tire that is inflated by an inflation gas pressure, comprising:
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a first cylinder coupled to the housing, the first cylinder containing a first piston and a first connecting rod that is movable in first and second directions;
a biasing device providing a pressure less than the inflation gas pressure for urging the piston and the first connecting rod in the first direction, the piston and the first connecting rod being movable in the second direction by the inflation gas pressure; and
a tether coupling together the housing, the wheel, and the first connecting rod such that when the tire is uninflated, the tether is made slack by the movement of the first connecting rod in the first direction, and when the tire is inflated by the inflation gas pressure, the tether is drawn taut by the movement of the first connecting rod in the second direction, thereby securing the housing to the wheel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for securing a housing to a wheel supporting a tire that is inflated by an inflation gas pressure, comprising:
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coupling a first cylinder to the housing, the first cylinder containing a first piston and a first connecting rod that is movable in first and second directions;
urging the piston and the first connecting rod in the first direction with a pressure less than the inflation gas pressure, the piston and the first connecting rod being movable in the second direction by the inflation gas pressure;
coupling together the housing and the first connecting rod with a tether;
slinging the tether around the wheel while the tether is slack because of the movement of the first connecting rod in the first direction;
mounting the tire to the wheel;
inflating the tire with the inflation gas pressure to draw the tether taut by the movement of the first connecting rod in the second direction, thereby securing the housing to the wheel. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification