Installation for measuring pressure of at least one aeroplane wheel tire

• US 6,959,596 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Electronics & Defense
• Original Assignee: Messier-Bugatti (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Pradier, Jean-Clair, Gautier, Antoine
• Primary Examiner(s): OEN, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US10/473,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46, 731/462, 731/463, 731/465, 731/468, 340442-447
• US Class Current: 73/146.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2200/02 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals

Abstract

An installation for measuring the pressure of at least one tire of a wheel of an aeroplane includes: at least a pressure measuring sensor associated with a tire; a unit operating on the pressure measurement provided in the aeroplane; and radio-frequency transmission elements including for the or each sensor, a revolving antenna borne by the wheel and connected to each measuring sensor and to a fixed antenna connected by a conductive cable to the unit operating on the pressure measurement. The fixed antenna is adapted to be borne by the aeroplane structure away from the or each wheel at least in an upper part of the shock strut of the landing gear bearing the wheel.

Claims

1. Installation (12) for measuring the pressure of at least one tire of a wheel (16, 24) of an airplane (10), comprising:

at least one pressure measuring sensor (26) associated with a tire;

a unit (30) operating on the pressure measurement, provided in the airplane (10); and

radio-frequency transmission means comprising on the one hand, for the at least one pressure measuring sensor, a revolving antenna (28) borne by the wheel (16, 24) and connected to the at least one pressure measuring sensor (26) and, on the other hand, a fixed antenna (34;

134) connected by a conductive cable (32) to the unit (30) operating on the pressure measurement,

characterized in that the fixed antenna (34;

134) is adapted to be carried by the structure of the airplane at a spacing from each wheel (16, 24) at least in an upper part of the shock strut (18, 20;

122) of a landing gear element (14, 20) carrying the wheel.

2. Measuring installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the sock strut (18, 20;

122) has two movable sections (122A, 122B) connected by a shock absorber (122c), and the fixed antenna (134) is carried by the upper part (122a) of the shock strut (122) on the movable section (122A) which is integral with the aircraft fuselage.

3. Measuring installation according to claim 1 characterized in that the fixed antenna (34) is carried by the aircraft fuselage.

4. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said radio-frequency transmission means are adapted for the radio-frequency transmission of a power signal for supplying the at least one pressure measuring sensor (26).

5. Installation according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors (26) associated with a plurality of movable antennas (28), and wherein the transmission means comprise means for discriminating between the signals emitted from each movable antenna (28).

6. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission frequency is between 100 kHz.

7. Airplane comprising an installation for measuring the pressure of at least one tire of a wheel according to claim 1.