Tire internal pressure alarm device

• US 8,138,904 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Kokubu, Takao, Yamaguchi, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afrifa-Kyei, Anthony D
• Application Number:
  US12/377,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20100148950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 340/442
• US Class Current: 340/442
• 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: G01L 19/0609 Pressure pulsation damping arrangements

Abstract

An elastic member 11 positioned between an inner surface of a casing 2 and a front face of a pressure sensing portion 8 of a pressure sensor 1 reduces a possibility of liquid and foreign matters in a tire directly reaching the pressure sensing portion 8. The elastic member also increases adhesiveness between the pressure sensing portion 8 of the pressure sensor 1 and a labyrinth structure and further prevents a potting agent 9b from flowing into the sensing portion 8. Moreover, the elastic member 11 is a member constituting at least a part of the labyrinth structure, so that it does not need that a wall is provided on the pressure sensor 1 and a dedicated seal member is provided on the pressure sensing portion 8.

Claims

1. A tire internal pressure alarm device having a casing in which a pressure sensor for detecting an internal pressure of a tire and electronic components for processing signals with regard to the internal pressure are embedded, the casing being provided with a pressure introduction passage for introducing the internal pressure from a pressure introduction aperture formed on an outer surface of the casing to a pressure sensing portion of the pressure sensor, wherein an elastic member constituting at least a part of a labyrinth structure is positioned between an inner surface of the casing and a front face of the pressure sensing portion of the pressure sensor.

2. The tire internal pressure alarm device according to claim 1, wherein a potting agent is provided on a portion covering the electronic components.

3. The tire internal pressure alarm device according to claim 1, wherein a hard potting agent having superior water resistance and corrosion resistance than those of the potting agent is deposited on the potting agent.

4. The tire internal pressure alarm device according to claim 1, wherein a wall portion defining the pressure introduction passage is formed of the inner surface of the casing and the elastic member such that the wall portion has a wall surface section perpendicular to a traveling direction of a path directing from the pressure introduction aperture to the pressure sensing portion.

5. The tire internal pressure alarm device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure introduction passage has a main path section and a branch path branched from the main path section at a right angle.

6. The tire internal pressure alarm device according to claim 1, comprising at least the two pressure introduction apertures.

7. The tire internal pressure alarm device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor comprises a housing on which the pressure introduction aperture is formed and a moisture sensing sheet provided in the housing at a position corresponding to the pressure introduction aperture.

8. The tire internal pressure alarm device according to claim 7, wherein the moisture sensing sheet is a sheet printed with a water-soluble coloring agent.