Tire sensor

• US 7,034,672 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2002
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Digital Components, Inc. (LBO Capital Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Global Tech International Incorporated (Grand Hall Enterprise Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dinello, Panfilo M., Pointer, Robin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/481,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20040212486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 340/447, 340/442, 340/445, 340/446, 340/448, 340/443, 340/444, 731/464, 731/465, 116/34.R, 116/34.B, 152/152.1
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/001 Shaping in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/18 Slush casting, i.e. pouring moulding material into a hollow mould with excess material being poured off
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 69/004 making articles by joining parts moulded in separate cavities, said parts being in said separate cavities during said joining B29C45/006, B29C51/267 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/467 and impregnating the reinforcements during mould closing B29C70/465 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/00 Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/06 containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/206 Meshes, lattices or nets
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2007/002 Panels; Plates; Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3079 Cockpits, canopies
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/441 Countertops
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7178 Pallets
• 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: B60C 23/04985 using straps surrounding the rims

Abstract

A tire monitoring device for monitoring various tire conditions of a tubeless tire mounted on a vehicle wheel having a recessed portion of the wheel and a wheel rim 5 defining the recessed portion, including a composite wheel having at least one wire free transmitter and a receiver incorporated into and embedded into the surface of the composite wheel in the recessed portions of the wheel. The transmitter and receiver will monitor, transmit and receive signals about the tire condition, including tire pressure and temperature. Also included is an embedded antenna permanently incorporated into the recessed portion of 10 the composite wheel, such that the antenna becomes a part of the wheel, with an antenna winding length of from about 0.5 to about 5.0 meters long. Other embodiments include the use of a toroidal antenna in the recessed portion of the wheel.

Claims

1. A tire monitoring device for monitoring various tire conditions of a tubeless tire mounted on a vehicle wheel rotatably mounted on an axle of a vehicle, said vehicle having an underbody and wheel wells for housing the vehicle wheel, said wheel having a recessed portion of the wheel and a wheel rim defining the recessed portion, said tire monitoring device comprising:

a composite wheel having a recessed portion of the wheel and a wheel rim defining the recessed portion suitable for supporting a tubeless tire mounted thereon, wherein said composite wheel is made from a material being selected from the group consisting of graphite, plastics, double skinned reinforced foam-center plastic composites, composite coated steel rim wheel, aluminum alloys, Kevlar reinforced plastics and metal mesh reinforced plastics;

at least a wire free transmitter and a receiver for monitoring signals about the tire condition having a wavelength of from about 1 to about 150 Hz;

a toroidal antenna permanently incorporated into the recessed portion of the wheel rim, such that the antenna relays information about the tire, and wherein the antenna is embedded into the composite wheel such that the antenna is permanently incorporated into the wheel, not requiring any further assembly.

2. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter includes a surface acoustic wavelength sensor for transmitting information about the tire pressure and temperature to the operator of the vehicle.

3. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the receiver is located in a remote location from the vehicle wheel itself, where the receiver is in a location selected from the group consisting of the vehicle underbody and the vehicle wheel well.

4. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the toroidal antenna is from about 10 millimeters to about 5 centimeters in diameter.

5. The monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a cockpit display.

6. The monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a cockpit communicator.

7. A tire monitoring device for monitoring various tire conditions of a tubeless tire mounted on a vehicle wheel rotatably mounted on an axle of a vehicle, said vehicle having an underbody and wheel wells for housing the vehicle wheel, said wheel having a recessed portion of the wheel and a wheel rim defining the recessed portion, said tire monitoring device comprising:

a composite wheel having a recessed portion of the wheel and a wheel rim defining the recessed portion suitable for supporting a tubeless tire mounted thereon wherein said composite wheel is made from a material being selected from the group consisting of graphite, plastics, double skinned reinforced foam-center plastic composites, composite coated steel rim wheels, aluminum alloys, Kevlar reinforced plastics and metal mesh reinforced plastics;

at least one wire free transmitter and a receiver incorporated into and embedded into the surface of the composite wheel in the recessed portions of the wheel such that the transmitter and receiver are both permanently embedded into the composite wheel, and said transmitter and receiver are both adapted for monitoring, transmitting and receiving signals about the tire condition, said transmitter transmitting signals having a wavelength of from about 1 to about 150 Hz;

an embedded antenna permanently incorporated into the recessed portion of the composite wheel, such that the antenna becomes a part of the wheel, with an antenna winding length of from about 0.5 to about 5.0 meters long.

8. The monitoring device of claim 7, wherein the at least one wireless transmitter transmits signals with information regarding the tire pressure and tire temperature to the operator of the vehicle.

9. The monitoring device of claim 7, wherein the receiver is attached remote to the location of the wheel, in a location selected from the group consisting of the vehicle underbody and the wheel well.

10. The monitoring device of claim 7, further comprising a cockpit display.

11. The monitoring device of claim 7, further comprising a cockpit communicator.