Sensor unit

• US 7,328,608 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hosokawa, Toshiyuki, Sekino, Yousuke, Komatsu, Goro, Yoshimura, Yasunori, Kashiwai, Mikio, Takagi, Hisamitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J.
• Application Number:
  US11/202,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20060038670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46, 340/447, 152/152.1
• US Class Current: 73/146
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver

Abstract

A sensor unit includes a sensor body consisting of a detecting part which detects an inside pressure of a tire, and a transmitting part which transmits a pressure signal detected by the detecting part, and a base member which holds the sensor body. The base member is fixed to a wheel through a heat curable adhesive layer.

Claims

1. A sensor unit for a tire, said sensor unit comprising:

a sensor body including a detecting part which detects an inside variable of a tire,

said sensor body comprising;

a base-contacting surface having a first shape, and

a transmitting part which transmits a signal based on the variable detected by the detecting part;

a base member which holds the sensor body,

said base member comprising a sensor-contacting surface having a second shape corresponding to said first shape;

wherein;

the second shape engages the first shape of the base-contacting surface of the sensor body such that the sensor body is removably attachable thereto without requiring extra fasteners; and

the base member is fixed to a wheel using a heat curable adhesive layer.

2. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the base member is fixed to a rim of the wheel.

3. A sensor unit according to claim 2, wherein the base member is fixed to a well of the rim.

4. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the sensor body is detachably held on the base member.

5. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat curable adhesive layer is a sheet-like member having two opposed sides which are both coated with adhesive.

6. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the variable comprises at least one of pressure and temperature.

7. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein one of the base member and the sensor body includes a protrusion and the other of the base member and the sensor body includes a receiving portion which slidably receives the protrusion when the sensor body is held by the base member.

8. A sensor unit according to claim 7, further including a stopper to prevent the sensor body from being separated from the base member when the sensor body is held by the base member.

9. A sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat curable adhesive layer comprises a semi-structural acrylic form tape.

10. A method of attaching a sensor unit including a base member and a sensor body to a wheel, said method comprising the steps of:

applying a heat curable adhesive layer to the base member;

attaching the base member to the wheel via the heat curable adhesive layer;

heating the heat curable adhesive layer to cure same; and

removably attaching the sensor body to the base member.

11. A method of claim 10, wherein the base member is fixed to a rim of the wheel.

12. A method of claim 11, wherein the base member is fixed to a well of the rim.

13. A method of claim 10, wherein the sensor body is detachably held on the base member without requiring extra fasteners.

14. A method of claim 10, wherein the heat curable adhesive layer is a sheet-like member having two opposed sides which are both coated with adhesive.

15. A method of claim 10, wherein the heat curable adhesive layer comprises a semi-structural acrylic form tape.

16. A method of claim 10, wherein the sensor unit detects at least one of pressure and temperature within a tire attached to the wheel.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the sensor body comprises a base-contacting surface having a first shape;

wherein the base member comprises a sensor-contacting surface configured to correspond to said first shape and to engage the base-contacting surface of the sensor body; and

wherein the step of removably attaching the sensor body to the base member comprises sliding the sensor body along the base member such that the sensor-contacting surface of the base member removably engages the base-contacting surface of the sensor body to removably dispose the sensor body thereon.

18. A tire monitoring system comprising

a sensor unit which monitors tire pressure and temperature;

said sensor unit comprising

a sensor body having a groove; and

a base member having a protrusion;

wherein said protrusion corresponds to said groove of the sensor body;

wherein

said sensor body is removably attached to the base member and held in position using a stopper, and

said base member is fixedly attached to a rim of wheel using an adhesive layer.