Pressure indicating device for a tire

• US 6,606,903 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L&F Plastics, Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: L&F Plastics, Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hsu, Mu-Chuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US10/046,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20030079538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46--468
• US Class Current: 73/146.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0496 Valve stem attachments positioned outside of the tyre chamber

Abstract

An apparatus mounted on a valve for indicating tire pressure comprising a pressure indicator including a downward pipe having an inner thread, a hollow downward cylinder projected into the pipe, the cylinder having a bottom opening, a mainspring having one end coupled to the cylinder, the mainspring being capable of pivoting as air passes through the opening, and a pointer coupled to the other end of the mainspring. In a mounted state of pressure indicator and valve, the inner thread of the downward pipe is secured to the valve and the cylinder is urged against the valve to form an air path from the tire to the mainspring through the valve and the opening for the pivoting pointer.

Claims

1. An apparatus mounted on a valve of a tire for indicating pressure of the tire, with the valve including an elongate slender bar movable between open and close positions, the apparatus comprising a pressure indicator including a cap having an inner thread threadably secured to the valve, a hollow downward, cylinder projected into the cap and engaged with the elongate slender bar, the cylinder having a bottom opening, a spring on the hollow downward cylinder to bias the hollow downward cylinder relative to the cap and away from the elongate slender bar, a mainspring having one end coupled to the downward cylinder, the mainspring being capable of pivoting as air passes through the bottom opening of the cylinder, a pointer coupled to the other end of the mainspring, and a scale, wherein in a mounted state of the pressure indicator and the valve, the valve is in the closed position when the hollow downward cylinder is not pressed against the bias of the spring;

and when the spring is compressed, the hollow downward cylinder moves the elongate slendar bar to the open position to form an air path from the tire to the mainspring through the valve and the bottom opening for pivoting the pointer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 with the pressure indicator including a space enclosed by a disk member, with the hollow downward cylinder extended from the disk member, with the mainspring located in the space.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 with the spring sandwiched between the disk member and the cap.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 with the hollow downward cylinder including a bottom flange, with the cap including an end having an inner surface and an outer surface, with the end having a passage extending between the inner and outer surfaces and for slideable receipt of the hollow downward cylinder, with the spring abutting with the outer surface of the end, and with the bottom flange of the hollow downward cylinder abuttable with the inner surface of the end and the elongate slender bar.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 with the space enclosed by a transparent glass, with the scale being on a dial on the disk member.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 with the space enclosed by a transparent glass, with the scale being on a dial on the disk member.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 with the hollow downward cylinder including a bottom flange, with the cap including an end having an inner surface and an outer surface, with the end having a passage extending between the inner and outer surfaces and for slideable receipt of the hollow downward cylinder, with the spring abutting with the outer surface of the end, and with the bottom flange of the hollow downward cylinder abuttable with the inner surface of the end and the elongate,slender bar.

8. An apparatus for mounting on a valve of a tire for indicating pressure of the tire, with the valve of the tire including an elongate slender bar movable between open and close positions, comprising, in combination:

a cap having an open end, a closed end, and an inner thread extending from the open end, with the inner thread being threadably securable to the valve, with the closed end including an inner surface, an outer surface, and a passage extending between the inner and outer surfaces;

a hollow cylinder extending through the passage and having first and second ends, with the first end being engageable with the elongate slender bar of the valve; and

a pressure indicator on the second end of the hollow cylinder, with the hollow cylinder being moveable relative to the cap between normal and pressed states, with the hollow cylinder in the pressed state moving the valve to the open position and forming an air path from inside of the cap to the pressure indicator and in the normal state not urging the elongate slender bar of the valve from the closed position.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising, in combination:

a spring on the hollow cylinder and sandwiched between the cap and the pressure indicator for biasing the hollow cylinder from the pressed state to the normal state.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 with the hollow cylinder including a bottom flange abuttable with the inner surface of the closed end and the elongate slender bar.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 with the pressure indicator including a mainspring having one end coupled to the hollow cylinder, with the mainspring being capable of pivoting as air passes through the hollow cylinder;

a pointer coupled to another end of the mainspring; and

a scale indicating pressure.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 with the pressure indicator including a space enclosed by a disk member, with the hollow cylinder extended from the disk member, with the mainspring located in the space.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 with the spring sandwiched between the disk member and the cap.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 with the space enclosed by a transparent glass, with the scale being on a dial on the disk member.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 with the space enclosed by a transparent glass, with the scale being on a dial on the disk member.

16. The apparatus of claim 8 with the hollow cylinder including a bottom flange abuttable with the inner surface of the closed end and the elongate slender bar.

17. The apparatus of claim 8 with the pressure indicator including a mainspring having one end coupled to the hollow cylinder, with the mainspring being capable of pivoting as air passes through the hollow cylinder;

a pointer coupled to another end of the mainspring; and

a scale indicating pressure.