Condition sensor of pneumatic tire

• US 6,591,672 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lite-On Automotive Corp. (Lite-On Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lite-On Automotive Corp. (Lite-On Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Chuang, Marvin, Kuo, Ching Hsiung
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mack, Corey D.
• Application Number:
  US09/941,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46, 731/462, 731/463, 731/468
• US Class Current: 73/146.8
• 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 23/0494 Valve stem attachments positioned inside the tyre chamber

Abstract

A condition sensor of pneumatic tire is configured to be attached on a pneumatic tire of a vehicle, and the pneumatic tire has a rim with a rim bed. The condition sensor comprises a sensor circuit for detecting the condition of the tire, a power source for supplying the sensor circuit with electric power; and a housing having a cover portion and a base portion, in which the base portion is used to receive the sensor circuit and the power source. The cover portion is provided with an arc-concave surface having a convexity, in which the arc-concave surface is in arc-line contact with the rim bed and the convexity can be used to adjust the relationship position between the housing and the rim bed.

Claims

1. A condition sensor of pneumatic tire configured to be attached on a pneumatic tire of a vehicle, and the pneumatic tire having a rim with a rim bed, the condition sensor comprising:

a sensor circuit for detecting the condition of the tire;

a power source for supplying the sensor circuit with electric power; and

a housing having a cover portion and a base portion, the base portion carrying the sensor circuit and the power source, and the cover portion being provided with an arc-concave surface having a convexity, in which the arc-concave surface is adapted to be brought in arc-line contact with the rim bed when the housing is mounted thereon, with the convexity used to adjust a relative position between the housing and the rim bed.

2. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 1, further comprising a valve stem cavity having a hole and a tire valve stem, the rim of the tire comprising a tire valve hole, and the condition sensor being adjustably mounted on the tire valve hole by means of the valve stem cavity.

3. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 2, wherein the tire valve stem further comprises a stopper having an arc-shape shoulder, the valve stem cavity has an arc-shape shoulder, and the hole of the valve stem cavity is an elongated hole such that the tire valve stem pivots with relation to the base portion on the axis of the arc-shape shoulder and the arc-shape shoulder keeps the tire valve stem from rotating during attaching of the tire valve stem, to adjustable mount the condition sensor on the tire valve hole.

4. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises an antenna coupled to the sensor circuit to transmit radio signals therefrom and interact with a receiver outside the tire, the antenna is arranged along a surface of the base portion to reduce the probability of the antenna damage.

5. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit further comprises an antenna to transmit radio signal and interact with receiver means outside of the tire, and the base portion further comprises a flaring recess deposed on the junction of the antenna and the base portion to keep the antenna from breaking due to unduly bending.

6. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the cover portion further comprises at least a through hole such that the sensor circuit can detect the condition of the tire.

7. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 6, wherein the diameter of the through hole is less than 0.5 mm.

8. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 7, wherein the perimeter surface of the through hole of the cover portion further comprises a protrusion structure.

9. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 1, further comprising at least an one-way slider, the base portion of the condition sensor comprising at least one groove, and the one-way slider being cooperating with the groove such that the one-way slider slides irreversibly inside the groove in one way and the condition sensor is further securely mounted.

10. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 9, wherein the one-way slider further comprises indent pawls, the groove further comprises indent notches, and the indent pawls cooperate with the indent notches such that the one-way slider can slide inside the groove in one way and the condition sensor can be further securely mounted.

11. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 9, wherein the one-way slider further comprises a slot to increase the flexibility thereof.

12. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 9, wherein the one-way slider further comprises a fin extended from one side thereof, and the groove further comprises indent notches on one side thereof, and the fin cooperates with the indent notches such that the one-way sliders slides irreversibly inside the groove in one way and the condition sensor is further securely mounted.

13. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the power source is a battery, and the battery is replaceable.

14. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 13, wherein the battery further comprises a battery seat for securely receiving the battery in the housing.

15. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit comprises a circuit board and a plurality of electronic elements, in which the surface of the printing circuit board of the sensor circuit on which the electrical elements is attached faces the cover portion to keep the stability of the sensor circuit from the effect of the centrifugal force during driving.

16. The condition sensor of claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises a bottom wall and opposite side walls extending, at a angle, from the bottom wall, the arc-concave surface of the cover portion spanning over the bottom wall continuously extends from one of the side walls to the other.

17. The condition sensor of claim 16, further comprising an antenna coupled to the sensor circuit for transmitting radio signals therefrom and interacting with a receiver outside the tire, the antenna being arranged on an outer surface of the bottom wall.

18. A condition sensor of pneumatic tire configured to be attached on a pneumatic tire of a vehicle, and the pneumatic tire having a rim with a rim bed, the condition sensor comprising:

a sensor circuit for detecting the condition of the tire;

a power source for supplying the sensor circuit with electric power;

a housing having a cover portion and a base portion, the base portion receiving the sensor circuit and the power source, and comprising at least one groove, and the cover portion provided with a valve stem cavity;

a tire valve stem sized to extend through a tire valve hole in the rim; and

at least an one-way sliders cooperating with the groove such that the one-way slider slides irreversibly inside the grooves in one way, and the condition sensor is securely mounted on the rim bed by means of the tire valve stem extending through the valve stem cavity and the one-way slider.

19. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 18, wherein the one-way slider further comprises indent pawls, the groove further comprises indent notches, and the indent pawls cooperate with the indent notches such that the one-way slider slides irreversibly inside the groove in one way and the condition sensor is further securely mounted.

20. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 18, wherein the one-way slider further comprises a slot to increase the flexibility thereof.

21. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 18, wherein the one-way slider comprises a fin extended from one side thereof, and the groove comprises indent notches on one side thereof, and the fin cooperates with the indent notches such that the one-way slider slides irreversibly inside the groove in one way and the condition sensor is further securely mounted.

22. The condition sensor of pneumatic tire of claim 18, wherein the valve stem cavity of the housing further comprises a conical hole, the tire valve stem comprises a stopper, and the conical hole cooperates with the stopper such that the condition sensor is further securely mounted on the rim via the tire valve hole.