Tire pressure monitoring system wheel mounting bracket

• US 8,984,937 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William C. Falkenborg
• Original Assignee: William C. Falkenborg
• Inventors: Falkenborg, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US13/793,491
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/146.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0494 Valve stem attachments positioned inside the tyre chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0498 for rim attachments B60C23/0494, B60C23/0496 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/04 for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains , e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B

Abstract

A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) wheel mounting bracket that is designed to attach a TPMS to an air flow tube having means for being attached to a vehicle wheel rim. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket includes a first end that terminates with a vertical section having a threaded bore, and a second end that terminates with a tube/bracket attachment bore. When a threaded bolt is inserted through a bracket attachment bore located on the TPMS and into the threaded bore on the vertical section, the TPMS is secured to the first end of the TPMS wheel mounting bracket. The tube/bracket attachment bore located on the second end is dimensioned to fit over the air inlet tube that is secured to the TPMS mounting bracket by means of a bolt.

Claims

1. A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) wheel mounting bracket that functions in combination with a vehicle wheel rim that includes a tire-valve attachment cavity having an air passage bore, a TPMS having a bracket attachment bore, and an air inlet tube having an upper end and a lower end, wherein to the upper end is integrally attached a wheel rim attachment nut having an air-outlet bore that intersects the air-inlet tube and that is dimensioned to fit into the tire-valve attachment cavity, a set of upper tube threads that extend from the upper end of the air inlet tube, and a set of lower tube threads that extend from the lower end of the air inlet tube, an air-check valve that is inserted into the lower end of the air inlet tube, a resilient upper washer that interfaces with the lower surface of the wheel rim attachment nut, a resilient lower washer, and an air-inlet tube securing nut, wherein said TPMS wheel mounting bracket comprises:

a) a horizontal section having a first end, a second end, a wheel rim recess and a tube nut recess,

b) a vertical section that integrally extends upward from the first end of the horizontal section and having an upper terminus, a threaded TPMS/bracket attachment bore that accepts a threaded bolt that is inserted via a washer into the TPMS bracket attachment bore and threaded into the threaded TPMS/bracket attachment bore, and

c) a tube/bracket attachment bore located adjacent the second end of the horizontal section wherein the upper surface of the tube/bracket attachment bore interfaces via the resilient upper washer with the lower surface of the wheel rim attachment nut and the lower surface of the tube/bracket attachment bore interfaces with the resilient lower washer, wherein said wheel mounting bracket is located between the resilient upper washer and the resilient lower washer, wherein when the wheel rim attachment nut and the air-inlet tube securing nut are tightened, said TPMS wheel mounting bracket is secured to the vehicle wheel rim.

2. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 1 wherein the horizontal section of said bracket further comprises on the upper surface a wheel rim recess.

3. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 2 wherein the horizontal section of said bracket further comprise an its lower surface a tube nut recess.

4. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 1 wherein the lower resilient washer further has a downward extending protrusion.

5. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 1 wherein the wheel rim attachment nut and the air-inlet tube securing nut have a hexagonal head.

6. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 1 wherein the air inlet tube has an inward displacement.

7. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 1 wherein said TPMS wheel mounting bracket is made of a material that is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, steel, brass, copper and carbon fiber.

8. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 7 wherein the aluminum bracket is anodized to prevent oxidation.

9. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 1 wherein the vertical section is configured as a rectangle dimensioned to fit along the confines of the TPMS structure having the bracket attachment bore.

10. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 9 wherein the second end of the horizontal section that encompasses the tube/bracket attachment bore has a circular shape.

11. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 10 wherein the circular section is recessed.

12. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 1 wherein the vertical section is displaced inward to correspond to the angled surface of the TPMS.

13. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 1 further comprising an air check valve that is inserted into the lower end of the air inlet tube.

14. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 1 further comprising an air inlet tube cap that is attached to the lower tube threads on the air inlet tube.

15. The TPMS wheel mounting bracket as specified in claim 1 wherein the sides of said brackets horizontal section are laterally extended to enhance the structural integrity of said TPMS mounting bracket.