VALVE ARRANGEMENT

• US 20110248204A1
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Published: 10/13/2011
• 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: Klaiber, Ulf, Oppold, Timo, Kindelmann, Sven, Haeussler, Gerd, Palaoro, Renato
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 251/366
• 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′) releaseably 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

1-15. -15. (canceled)

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

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

) to a housing (3, 3′

), which is designed for receiving electronic tire pressure measuring means so that, in a locked state of the retaining unit, the valve body fixes in a relative position 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 for establishing the locked state, and are designed so that the retaining unit is retained or locked on or in the housing in the locked state, wherein the retaining unit is designed for embodying 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 a jacket-side annular groove, which is provided on the valve body and which is dimensioned as retaining unit for interacting with a shaped element, can establish the snap-in connection.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the retaining unit is designed as a component assembly, which is supported on or in the housing in a pivotable, rotatable, resilient and/or plastically deformable manner.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the retaining unit is designed in a lever or bracket manner and form an arm or journal, which is provided for engaging in or on the locking segment, respectively.

19. The device according to claim 16, wherein the retaining unit encompass an activating segment, which can be accessed in a housing-external manner, which can be operated manually and/or by a tool for disengaging the locked state.

20. The device according to claim 16, wherein the retaining unit encompass an area, which is designed for the deformation and which is subjected to a plastic deformation as reaction to an access, which establishes the set-up of the disengaged state.

21. The device according to claim 16, wherein the retaining unit is designed as a segment, which fits tightly to the housing in one piece.

22. The device according to claim 16, wherein the retaining unit is designed as an element, which is separate from the housing and is supported such that the element is held on or in the housing and/or is locked in the locked state under the effect of the valve body.

23. The device according to claim 16, wherein the retaining unit, which is designed in one piece, encompass 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.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein the one journal (40) engages with a groove or an undercut of the housing for attaching the retaining unit to the housing.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein the valve body is designed in one piece.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein the valve body encompass an anti-twist protection area, which causes an anti-twist protection and which is designed for the non-positive interaction with a segment of the housing.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein the valve device is designed as a snap-in valve.

28. The device according to claim 16, wherein the metallic retaining unit is connected electrically and/or in a high-frequency manner to a transmitting and/or receiving electronics, which is provided in the housing.

29. The device according to claim 28, wherein the retaining unit (4′

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