Valve arrangement

• US 8,813,773 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wegmann automotive GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Alligator Ventilfabrik GmbH (Familie Steiff mit CA. 50 Gesellschaftern)
• Inventors: Palaoro, Renato, Klaiber, Ulf, Kindelmann, Sven, Oppold, Timo, Haeussler, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Fristoe, Jr., John K
• Assistant Examiner(s): REID, MICHAEL ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US13/140,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20110248204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,714 Days
• Field of Search: 137/223, 137/557, 731/463, 731/464, 731/465, 731/468, 152/415
• US Class Current: 137/223
• 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 23/0452 Antenna structure, control or arrangement vehicle tyre mounted antennas H01Q1/2241
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0494 Valve stem attachments positioned inside the tyre chamber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3584 Inflatable article [e.g., tire filling chuck and/or stem]

Abstract

A valve device having a valve body (1, 1′) releasably connected by a retaining unit (4, 4′) to a housing (3, 3′) designed for receiving electronic tire pressure measuring device, so that the retaining unit fixes the valve body in a relative position to the housing in a locked state, and the valve body can be displaced in an axial extension direction relative to the housing and released from the same in an unlocked state. The retaining unit is provided on or in the housing, so that it engages laterally in a jacket-side locking segment of the valve body for producing the locked state, and are designed so that the retaining unit is secured or locked on or in the housing in the locked state.

Claims

1. A valve device comprising a valve body (1, 1′

), which is releasably connected by a retaining unit (4, 4′

) to a housing (3, 3′

) for receiving electronic tire pressure measuring means so that, in a locked state of the retaining unit, the valve body is fixed relative to the housing and, in an unlocked state, the valve body can be displaced in an axial extension direction relative to the housing and released therefrom, wherein the retaining unit is provided on or in the housing so that it engages laterally on or in a jacket-side locking segment of the valve body and establishes the locked state, and the retaining unit is retained or locked on or in the housing in the locked state, wherein the retaining unit embodies a snap-in connection with the locking segment in the locked state and the valve body is formed such that it bends the retaining unit outwardly in response to being plugged into the housing, wherein the locking segment comprises a jacket-side recess on the valve body and dimensioned for interacting with the retaining unit to establish the snap-in connection and wherein the retaining unit comprises a lever having an arm which extends transversely to the valve body and is radially pivotable relative to the valve body between the locked state wherein the arm engages the jacket-side recess and the unlocked state wherein the arm is removed from the jacket-side recess.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining unit is a component assembly, which is supported on or in the housing in a pivotable, rotatable, resilient and/or plastically deformable manner.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining unit is accessible in a housing-external manner, and operatable manually and/or by a tool for disengaging the locked state.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining unit comprises a deformable body which, when subjected to a plastic deformation disengages the locked state.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining unit is a one-piece segment which fits into corresponding structure of the housing.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining unit is separate from the housing and supported such that it is held on or in the housing and/or is locked in the locked state by the valve body.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining unit is designed in one piece and comprises a spring segment (44) as well as two journals in a U- or V-shaped cross sectional shape, one journal (40) of which is supported on the housing.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the one journal (40) engages with a groove or an undercut of the housing for attaching the retaining unit to the housing.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the valve body is designed in one piece.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the valve body and housing have corresponding planar surfaces for preventing twist of the valve body relative to the housing.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the valve device is a snap-in valve.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining unit comprises a metallic retaining unit connected electrically and/or in a high-frequency manner to transmitting and/or receiving electronics, which is provided in the housing.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the retaining unit (4′

) is designed in one piece as a stamped part, comprises a contact segment (46) designed for interacting with a printed circuit board, which supports transmitting or receiving electronics, respectively.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining unit is in the housing.