Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators – Internal alarm or indicator responsive to a condition of the...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-19
2004-10-05
Tong, Nina (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Internal alarm or indicator responsive to a condition of the...
C340S447000, C073S146200, C073S865800, C157S001100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06801126
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for installing tire pressure monitor sensors onto wheels and assembling tires onto the wheels.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Tire pressure monitor systems have been developed, including a tire pressure monitor sensor that is mounted to each wheel for sending signals to a central receiving unit aboard a vehicle for providing information regarding the tire pressure and temperature. Each of the tire pressure monitor sensors includes a respective radio frequency transmitter that transmits an RF signal. The RF signal includes both an identifier code and an indicator of tire pressure. A tire pressure monitor system of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,301.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a known tire pressure monitor sensor
10
is shown mounted to a wheel
12
. With reference to
FIGS. 1-3
, the tire pressure monitor sensor
10
includes a valve stem
14
and a sensor body
16
attached thereto. A rubber seal
18
is provided at a base portion of the valve stem
14
. The valve stem
14
is provided with a threaded portion
20
adjacent to the rubber seal
18
. The valve stem
14
of the TPMS sensor
10
is inserted through a standard valve stem hole provided in the wheel
12
and a threaded nut
22
is threadedly engaged with the threaded portion
20
of the valve stem
14
in order to secure the TPMS sensor
10
to the wheel
12
. The tire pressure monitor sensor
10
includes a pressure transducer and transmitter which transmit both an identification signal and a tire pressure signal to be read by a receiver antenna of a central controller. The body
16
of the tire pressure monitor sensor
10
includes electronics which need to be protected from damage during assembly of the tire onto the wheel. Accordingly, it is desirable in the art to provide a method and apparatus for installing the tire pressure monitor sensor and a tire onto a wheel in a manner that protects the tire pressure monitor sensor from damage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for assembling a tire onto a wheel having a tire pressure monitor sensor comprising the steps of mounting a tire pressure monitor sensor onto the wheel, orienting the wheel to place the tire pressure monitor sensor in a predetermined location using an automated orientation system, and assembling the tire onto the wheel using an automated tire and wheel assembly machine.
In addition, a method of assembling a tire onto a wheel having a tire pressure monitor is provided including mounting a tire pressure monitor sensor onto the wheel, orienting the wheel to place the tire pressure monitor sensor in a predetermined location, detecting an orientation of the wheel to determine if the tire pressure monitor sensor is in the predetermined location using signals emitted from the tire pressure monitor sensor and assembling the tire onto the wheel using an automated tire and wheel assembly machine.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of assembling a tire onto a wheel having a tire pressure monitor sensor is provided including mounting a tire pressure monitor sensor onto the wheel, assembling the tire onto the wheel using an automated tire and wheel assembly machine, inflating the tire pressure and reading a tire pressure from the tire pressure monitor sensor in order to confirm that the tire pressure monitor sensor is functioning and that the tire is properly inflated.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method of installing a tire pressure monitor sensor onto a wheel is provided including inserting a stem of a tire pressure monitor sensor into a hole in a wheel. A nut is applied to the threaded portion of the stem and is tightened to a first torque level beyond a required torque level. The nut is then loosened and then retightened to a second torque level below the first torque level. The nut is then held at the second torque level for a predetermined amount of time. As the elastomeric seal around the stem of the tire pressure monitor sensor adjusts to the applied torque, a residual torque level, at a final torque level, is then obtained.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
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patent: 5141040 (1992-08-01), Curcuri
patent: 5600301 (1997-02-01), Robinson
patent: 5604482 (1997-02-01), Majeed et al.
patent: 5928444 (1999-07-01), Loewe et al.
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patent: 6362731 (2002-03-01), Lill
patent: 6369703 (2002-04-01), Lill
patent: 6400263 (2002-06-01), Kokubo
patent: 6417766 (2002-07-01), Starkey
patent: 6422097 (2002-07-01), Menard et al.
patent: 6481083 (2002-11-01), Lawson et al.
patent: 6591672 (2003-07-01), Chuang et al.
patent: 6631637 (2003-10-01), Losey
patent: 6655203 (2003-12-01), Hsu
Dominion Technologies Group, Inc.
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Tong Nina
LandOfFree
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