Tire pressure drop detecting apparatus
First Claim
1. Apparatus for detecting a pressure drop in a tire chamber formed in a tire-and-wheel assembly including a wheel rim rotatable about a predetermined axis and an annular pneumatic tire fitted to the wheel rim, comprising:
- an electric oscillator assembly fixedly positioned with respect to said predetermined axis, andan electric resonator assembly mounted on said wheel rim and arranged to be brought into face-to-face relationship to said oscillator assembly when said tire-and-wheel assembly assumes a predetermined angular position about said predetermined axis,wherein the resonator assembly comprises;
a protective receptacle fast on said wheel rim and having a concavity open toward said oscillator assembly when said tire-and-wheel assembly assumes said predetermined angular position;
a pressure-sensitive switch unit responsive to a drop of the air pressure in said tire chamber below a predetermined value and including a casing structure fixedly positioned within said receptacle and a member projecting from said casing structure into said tire chamber through an opening in said wheel rim and formed with a passageway open into the tire chamber;
a resonant capacitor positioned within said receptacle;
a resonant inductor positioned within the receptacle and electrically connected to said resonant capacitor across said switch unit; and
a body of dielectric potting compound securely held within said receptacle and having encapsulated therein the resonant inductor and capacitor and at least a portion of the casing structure of said switch unit,in which said resonant inductor consists of a resonant coil which is wound in a generally rectangular configuration when viewed in plan on a plane to be confronted by said oscillator assembly when said tire-and-wheel assembly assumes said predetermined angular position about said predetermined axis of the wheel rim said switch unit and said resonant capacitor being positioned internally of said resonant coil.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for detecting a pressure drop in a tire chamber of a tire-and-wheel assembly for an automotive vehicle, comprising an oscillator assembly held stationary with respect to the vehicle body structure and a resonator assembly mounted on the wheel rim of the tire-and-wheel assembly, wherein the resonator assembly comprises a resonant inductor and a resonant capacitor which are electrically connected together across a pressure-sensitive switch unit directly communicating with the tire chamber and which are positioned together with a portion of the switch unit within a protective receptacle secured to the wheel rim and wherein the resonant inductor and capacitor and the portion of the switch unit are encapsulated in a body of potting compound forming a potted resonance circuit structure within the protective receptacle, the switch unit and the resonant capacitor being positioned intermally of the resonant inductor.
11 Citations
23 Claims
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1. Apparatus for detecting a pressure drop in a tire chamber formed in a tire-and-wheel assembly including a wheel rim rotatable about a predetermined axis and an annular pneumatic tire fitted to the wheel rim, comprising:
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an electric oscillator assembly fixedly positioned with respect to said predetermined axis, and an electric resonator assembly mounted on said wheel rim and arranged to be brought into face-to-face relationship to said oscillator assembly when said tire-and-wheel assembly assumes a predetermined angular position about said predetermined axis, wherein the resonator assembly comprises; a protective receptacle fast on said wheel rim and having a concavity open toward said oscillator assembly when said tire-and-wheel assembly assumes said predetermined angular position; a pressure-sensitive switch unit responsive to a drop of the air pressure in said tire chamber below a predetermined value and including a casing structure fixedly positioned within said receptacle and a member projecting from said casing structure into said tire chamber through an opening in said wheel rim and formed with a passageway open into the tire chamber; a resonant capacitor positioned within said receptacle; a resonant inductor positioned within the receptacle and electrically connected to said resonant capacitor across said switch unit; and a body of dielectric potting compound securely held within said receptacle and having encapsulated therein the resonant inductor and capacitor and at least a portion of the casing structure of said switch unit, in which said resonant inductor consists of a resonant coil which is wound in a generally rectangular configuration when viewed in plan on a plane to be confronted by said oscillator assembly when said tire-and-wheel assembly assumes said predetermined angular position about said predetermined axis of the wheel rim said switch unit and said resonant capacitor being positioned internally of said resonant coil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification