Tire pressure dependent cruise control device

• US 9,238,407 B1
• Filed: 02/05/2014
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jose Brito
• Original Assignee: Jose Brito
• Inventors: Brito, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US14/173,532
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models

Abstract

A tire pressure dependent cruise control device automatically disengages cruise control upon detection of unbalanced tire pressures. The device includes a vehicle and a pair of aligned wheels coupled to the vehicle. A cruise control unit is operationally coupled to the vehicle for maintaining a speed of the vehicle independent of a driver constantly depressing a pedal of the vehicle. Each of a pair of sensors is coupled to the vehicle adjacent to an associated one of the wheels. The sensors are aligned and the sensors monitor alignment of the sensors. The sensors are communicatively coupled to the cruise control unit wherein the cruise control unit is deactivated from maintaining a constant speed of the vehicle upon the sensors detecting misalignment of the sensors indicating unbalanced tire pressure in the wheels.

Claims

1. A tire pressure dependent cruise control device comprising:

a vehicle;

a pair of aligned wheels coupled to said vehicle;

a cruise control unit operationally coupled to said vehicle for maintaining a speed of said vehicle independent of a driver constantly depressing a pedal of said vehicle; and

a pair of sensors, each said sensor being coupled to said vehicle adjacent to an associated one of said wheels, said sensors being aligned, said sensors monitoring alignment of said sensors, said sensors being communicatively coupled to said cruise control unit wherein said cruise control unit is deactivated from maintaining a constant speed of said vehicle upon said sensors detecting misalignment of said sensors indicating unbalanced tire pressure in said wheels, said pair of sensors being aligned across a width of said vehicle.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

said pair of wheels being a first pair of wheels and said pair of sensors being a first pair of sensors;

a second pair of aligned wheels coupled to said vehicle; and

a second pair of said sensors, each sensor of said second pair being coupled to said vehicle adjacent to an associated one of said wheels of said second pair of wheels, said second pair of sensors being aligned, said second pair of sensors monitoring alignment of said second pair of sensors, said second pair of sensors being communicatively coupled to said cruise control unit wherein said cruise control unit is deactivated from maintaining a constant speed of said vehicle upon said second pair of sensors detecting misalignment of said second pair of sensors indicating unbalanced tire pressure in said second pair of wheels.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each said sensor comprises:

a panel; and

a pair of mounting apertures extending through said panel wherein said panel is configured for being mounted to said vehicle by fasteners extended through said apertures and engaging said vehicle.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein each said sensor comprises:

a projector transmitting a sensor beam from said sensor; and

a receiver positioned to receive said sensor beam from an oppositely positioned one of said sensors when said sensors are aligned.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

said pair of wheels being a first pair of wheels in a plurality of wheels coupled to said vehicle, said plurality of wheels comprising said first pair of said wheels and a second pair of said wheels, each of said first pair and said second pair of said wheels being aligned across said vehicle;

said pair of sensors being a first pair of sensors in a plurality of sensors, each said sensor being coupled to said vehicle adjacent to an associated one of said wheels, said plurality of sensors comprising said first pair of sensors corresponding to said first pair of wheels and a second pair of sensors corresponding to said second pair of wheels wherein said sensors monitoring alignment of said first pair of sensors and alignment of said second pair of sensors, misalignment of one of said first pair of sensors and said second pair of sensors indicating unbalanced tire pressure respectively in one of said first pair of said wheels and said second pair of said wheels, each of said first pair of sensors and said second pair of said sensors being aligned across a width of said vehicle, each of said sensors being communicatively coupled to said cruise control unit wherein said cruise control unit is deactivated from maintaining a speed of said vehicle upon detection of misalignment of one of said first pair of sensors and said second pair of sensors; and

wherein each said sensor comprises

a panel, said panel comprising a pair of flanges extending from a main section of said panel, said flanges being diametrically aligned across said main section of said panel, said main section of said panel being circular,

a pair of mounting apertures extending through said panel wherein said panel is configured for being mounted to said vehicle by fasteners extended through said apertures and engaging said vehicle, each of said mounting apertures extending through a respective one of said flanges,

a projector transmitting a sensor beam from said sensor,

a receiver positioned to receive said sensor beam from an oppositely positioned one of said sensors when said sensors are aligned, and

a lens cover, said lens cover directing said sensor beam from said oppositely positioned one of said sensors to said receiver.

6. A tire pressure dependent cruise control device comprising:

a vehicle;

a pair of aligned wheels coupled to said vehicle;

a cruise control unit operationally coupled to said vehicle for maintaining a speed of said vehicle independent of a driver constantly depressing a pedal of said vehicle;

a pair of sensors, each said sensor being coupled to said vehicle adjacent to an associated one of said wheels, said sensors being aligned, said sensors monitoring alignment of said sensors, said sensors being communicatively coupled to said cruise control unit wherein said cruise control unit is deactivated from maintaining a constant speed of said vehicle upon said sensors detecting misalignment of said sensors indicating unbalanced tire pressure in said wheels, wherein each said sensor comprises a panel and a pair of mounting apertures extending through said panel wherein said panel is configured for being mounted to said vehicle by fasteners extended through said apertures and engaging said vehicle; and

said panel comprising a pair of flanges extending from a main section of said panel, each of said apertures extending through a respective one of said flanges.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising said flanges being diametrically aligned across said main section of said panel.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising said main section of said panel being circular.

9. A tire pressure dependent cruise control device comprising:

a vehicle;

a pair of aligned wheels coupled to said vehicle;

a cruise control unit operationally coupled to said vehicle for maintaining a speed of said vehicle independent of a driver constantly depressing a pedal of said vehicle;

a pair of sensors, each said sensor being coupled to said vehicle adjacent to an associated one of said wheels, said sensors being aligned, said sensors monitoring alignment of said sensors, said sensors being communicatively coupled to said cruise control unit wherein said cruise control unit is deactivated from maintaining a constant speed of said vehicle upon said sensors detecting misalignment of said sensors indicating unbalanced tire pressure in said wheels, wherein each said sensor comprises a projector transmitting a sensor beam from said sensor and a receiver positioned to receive said sensor beam from an oppositely positioned one of said sensors when said sensors are aligned; and

wherein each said sensor further comprises a lens cover, said lens cover directing said sensor beam from said oppositely positioned one of said sensors to said receiver.