Wheel assembly identification device

• US 7,360,700 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Parks, Stefan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haupt; Kristy A.
• Application Number:
  US11/784,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20070187517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/384, 235/385, 340/438, 340/446, 340447-448, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/10.52
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape

Abstract

An identification device modified to fit into a lug nut hole of a rim of a wheel assembly to supply information to a remote interrogator pertaining to the tire, rim, and valve stem prior to mounting the wheel assembly on the vehicle. The device includes a conical body molded of a plastic material and has a coded chip embedded in the plastic material. The chip is provided with either a passive or an active electronic circuit for relaying identifying information to a remote interrogator. A spring device is mounted on the body to removably retain the device within the lug hole until the wheel assembly is mounted on a vehicle.

Claims

1. An identification device modified to fit in a wheel lug nut hole to identify a wheel assembly prior to mounting on a vehicle, said identification device comprising a conical-shaped body formed of a plastic material having a resilient mount extending outwardly from the body for removably mounting the device in the nut hole, and includes a radio frequency identification tag embedded within the body of the device.

2. The identification device defined in claim 1 wherein the resilient mount includes at least one spring.

3. The identification device defined in claim 1 wherein the resilient mount includes a pair of spring strips extending along opposed locations on the device.

4. The identification device defined in claim 1 wherein the tag contains an electronic circuit.

5. The identification device defined in claim 4 wherein the tag contains either an active or passive electronic circuit.

6. The identification tag defined in claim 1 wherein the conical-shaped body has a smooth conical outer surface.

7. In combination a wheel assembly including a rim having a plurality of lug nut holes formed therein and a tire mounted thereon, and an identification device removably mounted in one of the lug nut holes of the rim, said device including a conical-shaped body formed of a plastic material and containing a radio frequency identification tag embedded within the body and having a retention spring extending outwardly from the body for removably mounting the device in said lug nut hole.

8. The combination defined in claim 7 wherein the identification tag contains a passive circuit for forwarding information stored in said tag to a remote interrogator in response to a signal from said interrogator.

9. The combination defined in claim 7 wherein the body of the device has a smooth outer conical surface.

10. The combination defined in claim 7 wherein a pair of retention springs extend outwardly from the body and extend along opposite locations on the device.

11. The combination defined in claim 10 wherein the pair of retention springs are bowed spring strips and are bowed outwardly beneath the rim to retain the device in the lug nut hole.

12. The combination defined in claim 7 wherein the conical-shaped body has a flat top surface;

and in which said flat top surface generally aligns with the adjacent surface of the rim surrounding the lug nut hole.