Temperature and pressure compensating indicator

• US 6,595,046 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary Lemberger
• Original Assignee: Gary Lemberger
• Inventors: Lemberger, Gary, Anthony, Michael M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mack, Corey D.
• Application Number:
  US09/963,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20020112537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 731/462, 731/463, 731/468
• US Class Current: 73/146.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0496 Valve stem attachments positioned outside of the tyre chamber

Abstract

A tire pressure gauge apparatus for securing to a vehicle tire valve stem mounted to a tire valve stem port in a vehicle tire includes an apparatus housing containing a received air chamber for placement in fluid communication with received air from within a vehicle tire and containing a biasing air chamber containing a fixed quantity of biasing air, the chambers being sealingly separated from each other by a pressure equilibration structure which includes a pressure indicator element, the pressure equilibration structure moving within the housing to alter the relative volumes of the two chambers and thus to equalize the pressures of the two chambers, and the pressure indicator element moving relative to the apparatus housing as the equilibration structure moves to equalize chamber pressures to display a tire pressure reading.

Claims

1. A tire pressure gauge apparatus for securing to a vehicle tire valve stem mounted to a tire valve stem port in a vehicle tire, the vehicle tire containing received air having a received air pressure, the valve stem including a tubular stem body containing a valve assembly having a valve opening means, the stem body having a stem connection end fitted sealingly to the tire valve stem port in fluid communication with the received air contained within the vehicle tire, and having a stem air receiving port for connecting to compressed air source to deliver air from the compressed air source through the valve stem into the vehicle tire, the apparatus comprising:

a housing for securing over the stem air receiving port to be in fluid communication with received air within the tire stem and thus with received air contained within the vehicle tire;

valve opening means connected to the remainder of said apparatus for opening aid valve opening means;

and a pressure equilibration structure dividing said housing into a received air chamber for receiving air from the vehicle tire and a biasing gas chamber containing a biasing gas and comprising a pressure indicator element, said pressure equilibration structure and said pressure indicator element being movable relative to said housing, and said pressure indicator element displaying a pressure reading of received air from within the tire which varies with the position of said pressure equilibration structure relative to said housing, and said biasing gas having a biasing gas pressure which varies with ambient temperature substantially in direct proportion to the variation of received air pressure with ambient temperature;

such that alteration of the pressure of received air within said received air chamber from the valve stem causes movement of said equilibration structure within said housing to re-establish pressure equilibrium between the biasing gas sealed within said biasing gas chamber and received air within said received air chamber, and movement of said equilibration structure causes said indicator element to move relative to said housing to provide a received air pressure reading.

2. A tire pressure gauge apparatus for securing to a tire valve stem mounted to valve stem port in a vehicle tire, the vehicle tire containing received air having a received air pressure, the valve stem including a tubular stem body containing a valve assembly having an outwardly biased valve opening shaft, the stem body having a stem connection end fitted to the tire in fluid communication with received air contained within the vehicle tire, and having a stem air receiving port for connecting to a compressed air source to deliver air from the compressed air source through the valve stem into the vehicle tire, the stem receiving port having external threads for affixation of a valve stem cap and having internal threads into which the valve assembly is screwed, the apparatus comprising:

a housing for securing over the stem air receiving port to be in fluid communication with received air within the tire stem and thus with received air contained within the vehicle tire;

valve opening means connected to said housing for depressing said valve opening shaft and thereby opening said valve assembly;

and a pressure equilibration structure dividing said housing into a received air chamber for receiving air from the vehicle tire and a biasing gas chamber containing a biasing gas and comprising a pressure indicator element, said pressure equilibration structure and said pressure indicator element being movable relative to said housing, and said pressure indicator element displaying a pressure reading of received air from within the tire which varies with the position of said pressure equilibration structure relative to said housing, and said biasng gas having a biasing gas pressure which varies with ambient temperature substantially in direct proportion to the variation of received air pressure with ambient temperature;

such that alteration of the pressure of received air within the received air chamber from the valve stem causes movement of said equilibration structure within the housing to re-establish pressure equilibrium between the biasing gas sealed within said biasing gas chamber and received air within said received air chamber, and movement of said equilibration structure causes said indicator element to move relative to said housing to provide a received air pressure reading.

3. The gauge apparatus of claim 2, wherein said housing is a tubular housing having a housing inner surface and having an open connection end and a closed indicator display end, said biasing gas chamber including an indicator display window and terminating in an integral housing end wall;

and wherein said pressure equilibration structure comprises a diaphragm panel and said indicator element comprises an indicator cylinder marked with calibrations and secured to said diaphragm panel and extending into said biasing gas chamber and passing adjacent to said indicator display window, said diaphragm panel being sized in diameter to fit within said housing and being sealingly and circumferentially joined to said inner surface;

diaphragm panel securing means connected to said housing for sealingly securing said diaphragm panel to said housing inner surface;

valve opening shaft depression means connected to the remainder of said apparatus for depressing the valve opening shaft to release air from within the tire into said received air chamber;

apparatus securing means connected to the remainder of said apparatus for securing said apparatus to the tubular stem body;

such that the apparatus is screwed onto the stem air receiving end to create a seal between said received air chamber and the tubular stem body, and such that the valve opening shaft depression means depresses the valve opening shaft to an extent which opens the valve assembly to pass air from within the tire into said received air chamber and against said diaphragm panel; and

such that pressure of received air from within the tire deflects said diaphragm panel toward said biasing gas chamber, thereby compressing the biasing gas until the pressure of the biasing gas rises to equal the pressure of the received air within the received air chamber, whereupon the attached indicator cylinder comes to rest to indicate the pressure of air contained within said received air chamber and within the vehicle tire.

4. The gauge apparatus of claim 3, wherein said calibrations are circumferential color bands.

5. The gauge apparatus of claim 3, wherein said calibrations are lines labeled with pressure reading figures.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said tubular housing comprises an abrupt reduction in diameter between said connection end and said indicator display end defining a housing step forming a housing shoulder, such that said housing connection end is a wider housing tube segment defining said received air chamber and said housing indicator display end is a narrower housing tube segment defining said biasing gas chamber;

and wherein said diaphragm panel is secured sealingly against said housing shoulder.

7. The gauge apparatus of claim 2, wherein said housing is a tubular housing having an open connection end and a closed indicator display end said biasing gas chamber including an indicator display window and an integral housing end wall;

and wherein said indicator element comprises an indicator cylinder dividing said biasing gas chamber from said received air chamber and being slidably mounted within said housing to slide into and out of said basing gas chamber, said indicator cylinder being marked with calibrations and passing adjacent to said indicator display window;

valve opening shaft depression means connected to the remainder of said apparatus for depressing the valve opening shaft to release air from within the tire into said received air chamber;

apparatus securing means connected to the remainder of said apparatus for securing said apparatus to the tubular stem body;

such that the apparatus is screwed onto the stem air receiving end to create a seal between said received air chamber and the tubular stem body, and such that the valve opening shaft depression means depresses the valve opening shaft to an extent which opens the valve assembly to pass air from within the tire into said received air chamber and against said indicator cylinder; and

such that pressure of received air from within the tire slides said indicator cylinder into said biasing gas chamber, thereby compressing the biasing gas until the pressure of the biasing gas within the biasing gas chamber rises to equal the pressure of the received air within the received air chamber, whereupon the indicator cylinder comes to rest to indicate the pressure of air contained within said received air chamber and within the tire.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said tubular housing comprises an abrupt reduction in diameter between said connection end and said indicator display end defining a housing step, such that said housing connection end is a wider housing tube segment defining said received air chamber and said housing indicator display end is a narrower housing tube segment defining said biasing gas chamber.

9. The gauge apparatus of claim 2, wherein said housing is a tubular housing having an open connection end and a closed indicator display end, said biasing gas chamber including an indicator display window and terminating in an integral housing end wall;

and wherein said pressure equilibration structure comprises a partition wall having a partition wall air passing port and an indicator bellows secured to said partition wall over said partition wall air passing port and extending into said biasing gas chamber, said indicator bellows being axially expandable into said biasing gas chamber, said indicator bellows being marked with calibrations and passing adjacent to said indicator display window;

valve opening shaft depression means connected to the remainder of said apparatus for depressing the valve opening shaft to release air from within the tire into said received air chamber and into said indicator bellows;

apparatus securing means connected to the remainder of said apparatus for securing said apparatus to the tubular stem body;

such that the apparatus is screwed onto the stem air receiving end to create a seal between said received air chamber and the tubular stem body, and such that the valve opening shaft depression means depresses the valve opening shaft to an extent which opens the valve assembly to pass air from within the tire into said received air chamber and into said indicator bellows; and

such that pressure of received air from within the tire expands said indicator bellows into said biasing gas chamber, thereby compressing the biasing gas until the pressure of the biasing gas within said biasing gas chamber rises to equal the pressure of the received air within said received air chamber, whereupon the attached indicator bellows ceases to expand, and indicates the pressure of air contained within said received air chamber and the vehicle tire.

10. A tire pressure gauge and valve stem apparatus for securing into a valve stem port in a vehicle tire, the vehicle tire containing received air having a received air pressure, comprising:

a vehicle tire valve stem comprising a tubular stem body containing a valve assembly, said stem body having a stem connection end with means for fitting sealingly into a tire valve stem port in fluid communication with the received air contained within the vehicle tire, and having a stem air receiving port for connecting to a compressed air source to deliver air from the compressed air source through the valve stem into the vehicle tire;

a gauge housing secured to said tubular stem body in fluid communication with received air contained within said tubular stem body through a tubular stem body lateral opening and thus in fluid communication with received air contained within the vehicle tire;

and a pressure equilibration structure dividing said housing into a received air chamber for receiving air from the vehicle tire and a biasing gas chamber containing a biasing gas and comprising a pressure indicator element, said pressure equilibration structure and pressure indicator element being movable relative to said housing and displaying a pressure reading of received air from within the tire which varies with the position of the pressure equilibration structure relative to the housing, and said biasing gas having a biasing gas pressure which varies with ambient temperature substantially in direct proportion to the variation of received air pressure with ambient temperature;

such that alteration of the pressure of received air within the received air chamber causes movement of said pressure equilibration structure within the housing to re-establish pressure equilibrium between the biasing gas sealed within said biasing gas chamber and received air within said received air chamber, and movement of said equilibration structure causes said indicator element to move relative to said housing to provide a received air pressure reading.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said housing is a tubular housing having a connection end secured to a side of said tubular stem body and a closed indicator display end, said biasing gas chamber including an indicator display window and terminating in an integral housing end wall;

and wherein said pressure equilibration structure comprises a diaphragm panel and said indicator element comprises an indicator cylinder marked with calibrations and secured to said diaphragm panel and extending into said biasing gas chamber and passing adjacent to said indicator display window, said diaphragm panel being sized in diameter to fit within said housing and being sealingly and circumferentially joined to the inner surface of said housing;

and diaphragm panel securing means connected to said housing for sealingly securing said diaphragm panel to said step;

such that pressure of received air from within the tire deflects said diaphragm panel toward said biasing gas chamber, thereby compressing the biasing gas until the pressure of the biasing gas within the biasing gas chamber rises to equal the pressure of the received air within the received air chamber, whereupon the attached indicator cylinder comes to rest to indicate the pressure of air contained within said received air chamber and within the tire.

12. The gauge apparatus of claim 11, wherein said calibrations are circumferential color bands.

13. The gauge apparatus of claim 11, wherein said calibrations are lines labeled with pressure reading figures.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said tubular housing comprises an abrupt reduction in diameter between said connection end and said indicator display end defining a housing step forming a housing shoulder, such that said housing connection end is a wider housing tube segment defining said received air chamber and said housing indicator display end is a narrower housing tube segment defining said biasing gas chamber;

and wherein said diaphragm panel is secured sealingly against said housing shoulder.

15. The gauge apparatus of claim 10, wherein said housing is a tubular housing having a connection end secured to a side of said tubular stem body and a closed indicator display end, said biasing gas chamber including an indicator display window and terminating in an integral housing end wall;

and wherein said indicator element comprises an indicator cylinder dividing said biasing gas chamber from said received air chamber and being slidably mounted within said housing to slide into and out of said biasing gas chamber, said indicator cylinder being marked with calibrations and passing adjacent to said indicator display window;

such that pressure of received air from within the tire slides said indicator cylinder into said biasing gas chamber, thereby compressing the biasing gas until the pressure of the biasing gas within the biasing gas chamber rises to equal the pressure of the received air within the received air chamber, whereupon the indicator cylinder comes to rest to indicate the pressure of air contained within said received air chamber and within the tire.

16. The gauge apparatus of claim 15, wherein said calibrations are circumferential color bands.

17. The gauge apparatus of claim 15, wherein said calibrations are lines labeled with pressure reading figures.

18. The gauge apparatus of claim 10, wherein said housing is a tubular housing having a connection end and a closed indicator display end, said biasing gas chamber including an indicator display window and terminating in an integral housing end wall;

and wherein said pressure equilibration structure comprises a partition wall having a partition wall air passing port and an indicator bellows secured to said partition wall over said partition wall air passing port and extending into said biasing gas chamber, said indicator bellows being axially expandable into said biasing gas chamber, said indicator bellows being marked with calibrations and passing adjacent to said indicator display window;

such that pressure of received air from within the tire expands said indicator bellows into said biasing gas chamber, thereby compressing the biasing gas until the pressure of the biasing gas within said biasing gas chamber rises to equal the pressure of the received air within said received air chamber, whereupon the attached indicator bellows ceases to expand and achieves a substantially fixed position relative to said housing to indicate the pressure of air contained within said received air chamber and within the tire.

19. A tire pressure gauge and valve stem apparatus for securing into a valve stem port in a vehicle tire, comprising:

a vehicle tire valve stem comprising a tubular stem body containing a valve assembly, said stem body having an outer surface and having a stem connection end with means for fitting sealingly into a tire valve stem port, and having a stem air receiving port for connecting to a compressed air source to deliver air from the compressed air source through the valve stem into the vehicle tire;

a gauge housing comprising a housing circumferential wall formed of a translucent material and bowed outwardly from said circumferential wall along the longitudinal axis of said housing circumferential wall and wrapped sealingly and circumferentially around said tubular stem body; and

wherein said equilibration structure is an elastic bladder contained within said housing circumferential wall defining an annular space between said bladder and said housing circumferential wall and wrapped circumferentially around and sealingly secured to the outer surface of said tubular stem body;

a stem branch passageway extending laterally from the interior of said stem body and opening within said bladder;

and a substantially opaque liquid contained within said annular space defined between said bladder and said housing circumferential wall together with a certain quantity of biasing gas;

the quantity and pressure of the biasing gas and the elastic resistance of said bladder in relation to the minimum adequate tire air pressure being such that a tire air pressure of at least a certain magnitude which is deemed adequate causes said bladder to expand radially, to compress the biasing gas and to displace said substantially opaque liquid and bear against the inner surface of said housing circumferential wall, making a portion of said bladder visible through said housing circumferential wall, and such that a tire air pressure of less than the certain magnitude deemed adequate permits the elasticity of said bladder and the pressure of said biasing gas to retract said bladder from contact with said housing circumferential wall and said substantially opaque liquid to flow between said ladder and said circumferential wall to obscure said bladder from view.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said bladder is brightly pigmented and wherein said opaque liquid is darkly pigmented for increased visual contrast between said bladder and said opaque liquid for greater bladder visibility when said bladder bears against said housing circumferential wall.

21. A pressure gauge apparatus for placement in fluid communication with a fluid contained within a fluid container, the fluid container including a container opening, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a housing interior for sealingly securing to the container opening to place the housing interior in fluid communication with fluid within the fluid container;

and a pressure equilibration structure dividing said housing into a received fluid chamber and a biasing gas chamber and comprising a pressure indicator element, said pressure equilibration structure and said pressure indicator element being movable relative to said housing, and said pressure indicator element displaying a pressure reading of fluid received from the fluid container, the pressure reading varying with the position of said pressure equilibration structure relative to said housing, and said biasing gas having a biasing gas pressure which varies with ambient temperature substantially in direct proportion to the variation of received air pressure with ambient temperature;

such that alteration of the pressure of received fluid within said received fluid chamber from the fluid container causes movement of said equilibration structure within said housing to re-establish pressure equilibrium between the biasing gas sealed within said biasing gas chamber and received fluid within said received fluid chamber, and movement of said equilibration structure causes said pressure indicator element to move relative to said housing to indicate a received fluid pressure reading.

22. A tire pressure gauge apparatus for securing to a tire valve stem mounted to a valve stem port in a vehicle tire, the valve stem including a tubular stem body containing a valve assembly having an outwardly biased valve opening shaft, the stem body having a stem connection end for fitting to the tire in fluid communication with air within the tire, and having a stem air receiving port for connecting to a compressed air source to deliver air from the compressed air source through the valve stem into the vehicle tire, with external threads for affixation of a valve stem cap and having internal threads into which the valve assembly is screwed, the apparatus comprising:

an apparatus mounting structure comprising connection means for sealingly securing to the stem air receiving end;

a housing connected to said apparatus mounting structure for securing over the stem air receiving port in fluid communication with received air within the tire stem and thus with received air contained within the vehicle tire;

valve opening shaft depression means connected to the remainder of said apparatus for depressing said valve opening shaft and thereby opening said valve assembly, said means for depressing being connected to said housing;

and a pressure equilibration structure dividing said housing into a received air chamber and a biasing gas chamber and comprising a pressure indicator element, said pressure equilibration structure and said pressure indicator element being movable relative to said housing, and said pressure indicator element displaying a pressure reading of received air from within the tire which varies with the position of said pressure equilibration structure relative to said housing;

such that alteration of the pressure of received air from the tire within the received air chamber causes movement of said equilibration structure within said housing to re-establish pressure equilibrium between the biasing gas sealed within said biasing gas chamber and received air within said received air chamber, and movement of said equilibration structure causes said indicator element to move relative to said housing to indicate a received air pressure reading.

23. The gauge apparatus of claim 22,

wherein said apparatus mounting structure comprises a mounting tube a diameter sized to receive the tire stem air receiving end and having internal threads sized and pitched to match and engage the tire stem air receiving end external threads;

wherein said housing is a tubular and has a housing inner surface and has an open connection end and a closed indicator display end, said biasing gas chamber including an indicator display window and terminating in an integral housing end wall;

and wherein said pressure equilibration structure comprises an indicator bladder and said indicator element comprises an indicator cylinder marked with calibrations and secured to said indicator bladder and extending into said biasing gas chamber and passing adjacent to said indicator display window, said indicator bladder being sized in diameter to fit within said housing and being sealingly and circumferentially joined to the inner surface of said housing;

indicator bladder securing means connected to said housing for sealingly securing said indicator bladder to the inner surface of said housing;

valve opening shaft depression means connected to the remainder of said apparatus for depressing the valve opening shaft to release air from within the tire into said received air chamber, said valve opening shaft depression means comprising said valve opening shaft depression protrusion and said housing;

apparatus securing means connected to the remainder of said apparatus for securing said apparatus to the tubular stem body;

such that manual force applied to said housing toward said tire stem advances said housing toward said tire stem and thus advances said valve opening shaft depression protrusion against said valve opening shaft, thereby depressing said valve opening shaft and opening said valve assembly;

such that the apparatus is screwed onto the tire stem air receiving end to create a seal between said received air chamber and the tubular stem body, and such that the valve opening shaft depression means depresses the valve opening shaft to an extent which opens the valve assembly to pass air from within the tire into said received air chamber and against said indicator bladder; and

such that pressure of received air from within the tire deflects said indicator bladder toward said biasing gas chamber, thereby compressing the biasing gas until the pressure of the biasing gas rises to equal the pressure of the received air within the received air chamber, whereupon said indicator cylinder comes to rest to indicate the pressure of air contained within said received air chamber and thus the pressure of air within the tire.

24. The gauge apparatus of claim 23, wherein said mounting tube comprises an outwardly protruding longitudinal mounting tube rib and wherein said sliding tube comprises a longitudinal slide slot, wherein said mounting tube rib protrudes through said slide slot and wherein said slide slot is sufficiently longer than said mounting tube rib that said mounting tube rib is free to slide within said slide slot such that said sliding tube and said floating body housing are slidable together relative to said mounting tube, and wherein the points of abutment of said mounting tube rib against ends of said slide slot define said limits.