Multifunctional tire pressure gauge

• US 7,024,928 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: INTERFLOW Corp.
• Original Assignee: INTERFLOW Corp.
• Inventors: Chen, Jui-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonanto, George P
• Application Number:
  US11/035,301
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 731/468, 731/463
• US Class Current: 73/146.8
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0092 Pressure sensor associated with other sensors, e.g. for measuring acceleration or temperature G01L9/025, G01L9/045, G01L9/065, G01L9/085, G01L9/105, G01L9/125, G01L19/02, G01L19/04 take precedence; measuring two or more variable G01D21/02; temperature sensors with pressure compensation G01K1/26

Abstract

A multifunctional tire pressure gauge for a car functions to measure the inner temperature of the car, the voltage of the car battery and the tire pressure of the tire. Thus, when the plug is inserted into the cigarette lighter of the car, the tire pressure gauge can be used to measure the temperature of the inside of the car and the voltage of the car battery simultaneously. In addition, after the plug is removed from the cigarette lighter, the tire pressure gauge functions as a portable tire pressure gauge.

Claims

1. A tire pressure gauge, comprising:

a housing;

a circuit board mounted in the housing;

an air pipe mounted on and extended from an end of the circuit board;

a plug mounted on and protruded outward from a first end of the housing;

a hollow positive pole press rod movably mounted on the air pipe and having a first end connected to a first side of the circuit board and a second end protruded outward from the plug;

a negative pole press rod movably mounted on the first end of the housing and having a first end connected to a second side of the circuit board and a second end protruded outward from the housing.

2. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a first elastic member mounted on the positive pole press rod and having a distal end connected to the first side of the circuit board.

3. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a second elastic member mounted on the negative pole press rod and having a distal end connected to the second side of the circuit board.

4. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a face plate mounted on the housing;

a display mounted on the face plate;

a function button mounted on the face plate and connected to a function button switch of the circuit board;

a switching button mounted on the face plate and connected to a switching button switch of the circuit board.

5. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 4, wherein the housing includes an upper cover and a lower cover combined with the upper cover, and the face plate is mounted on the upper cover of the housing.

6. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 4, wherein the circuit board is provided with a battery seat connected to the face plate.

7. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 6, further comprising a battery cover mounted on an opened side of the housing to cover the battery seat.

8. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a transparent side cover mounted on an opened second end of the housing to cover the circuit board;

a lighting member mounted in the housing and located beside the side cover to provide an illuminating effect.

9. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 8, wherein the circuit board is provided with a battery seat connected to the lighting member.

10. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a battery cover mounted on an opened side of the housing to cover the battery seat.

11. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 1, wherein the air pipe is mounted in a hollow inner wall of the positive pole press rod and has an inside formed with an air hole.

12. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a soft gasket mounted on a periphery of the air pipe and urged on the inner wall of the positive pole press rod to provide an air tight effect.

13. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 4, wherein the circuit board includes:

a controller;

a power switching circuit connected to the controller and selectively connected to a car battery and a battery to switch a power supply into the controller;

a sensor switching circuit connected to the controller;

a user operation interface connected to the controller and connected to the function button switch and the switching button switch to control operation of the display, the function button and the switching button of the face plate.

14. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 13, wherein the display of the face plate is connected to the controller.

15. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 13, further comprising a detector mounted in the circuit board and including:

a voltage sensor selectively connected to the sensor switching circuit of the circuit board so that the sensor switching circuit is switched to supply detected voltage values from the voltage sensor to the controller;

a tire pressure sensor connected to the air pipe and selectively connected to the sensor switching circuit of the circuit board so that the sensor switching circuit is switched to supply detected tire pressure values from the tire pressure sensor to the controller;

a temperature sensor connected to the controller of the circuit board to supply detected temperature values to the controller.

16. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 1, wherein when the plug is inserted into a cigarette lighter of a car, the tire pressure gauge can be used to measure the temperature of an inside of the car and the voltage of a car battery of the car simultaneously.

17. The tire pressure gauge in accordance with claim 1, wherein when the plug is removed from the cigarette lighter of the car, the tire pressure gauge functions as a portable tire pressure gauge.