Fluid handling – Inflatable article – With gauge or indicator
Utility Patent
1999-02-12
2001-01-02
Rivell, John (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Inflatable article
With gauge or indicator
C073S146800, C137S557000
Utility Patent
active
06167900
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention provides a tire valve stem having a coupling for removably attaching a device such as a pressure gauge to the valve stem without impeding access to the valve and in a manner which allows the device to be rotatably positioned with respect to the valve stem.
BACKGROUND
It is well known that vehicle tires should be maintained within the tire inflation pressure range recommended by the manufacturer in order to prolong tire life and maximize vehicle handling characteristics. It is particularly important to maintain large commercial tires within the recommended tire inflation pressure. Such tires are expensive and susceptible to damage if operated for prolonged intervals at improper inflation pressures. Replacing such tires is time consuming, labour intensive and expensive. Moreover, significant loss of production time costs can be incurred if the equipment on which such tires are mounted is taken out of service for tire replacement.
The prior art has addressed the foregoing problems in a variety of ways. For example, a miniature manually actuated pressure gauge can be threaded over the end of the tire valve stem and left in place during normal operation of the vehicle. The vehicle operator or a maintenance worker actuates the gauge, typically by pressing a button on the gauge to admit air through the valve into the gauge, to obtain a tire pressure reading. However, because such devices protrude from the end of the valve stem, they are prone to breakage upon contact with foreign objects. This is a particularly acute problem in off road environments, in which many large commercial tires are operated. The gauge portion of the device can be broken away, leaving the threaded coupling portion of the device on the valve stem in a condition which allows air to leak from the tire through the valve.
Another prior art approach is to replace the tire valve stem with a custom stem having an integral “T” type connection on the side of the stem. A miniature pressure gauge is mounted on the “T” connection. This recesses the gauge beneath the top of the valve stem, reducing the risk of breakage discussed above. The “T” connection also allows access to the tire valve at all times without removal of the gauge, a problem to which the aforementioned prior art device is subject. However, the “T” connection restricts positioning of the gauge. The gauge's position is fixed by the position of the “T” connection which is a fixed, integral part of the valve stem. The valve stem's position is in turn fixed during initial mounting of the tire and is not easily adjusted thereafter. In most cases very little space is available adjacent the valve stem, necessitating difficult, precise positioning of the “T” connection and gauge. These factors can require provision of many different custom stems and/or gauges to suit different types of tires, rims, etc. The cost implications of limited production runs, maintenance of large inventories of custom parts, etc. are believed to have impeded widespread adoption of “T” connection type devices.
The prior art has also evolved a variety of transducer type devices capable of sensing tire operating parameters such as pressure or temperature and transmitting signals representative of such parameters to remote equipment for display, processing, etc. Yet another prior art approach is to couple a small diameter air conduit to a tire valve and extend the conduit to a remote sensor or transducer. These approaches can solve the positioning problem to which the aforementioned “T” connection type devices are subject, but they tend to be complex and expensive.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention provides a simple, inexpensive, tire valve stem having an integral pair of O-rings over which a pressure gauge or other device is easily mounted by sliding a mating collar provided on the device over the O-rings. The O-rings provide an airtight seal against the collar, while allowing rotation of the device with respect to the stem, either during or after mounting, to position the device anywhere within a 360° arc around the stem.
The O-rings are located on either side of an orifice which extends through the valve stem, beneath the valve. Air is thus allowed to pass from the pressurized valve stem, through the orifice, into an air-tight region between the O-rings, valve stem and collar. A port in the collar allows air to pass through the collar from the air-tight region into the device.
A wide variety of devices equipped with collars capable of air-tight, slidable mounting over the O-rings can be provided in addition to the aforementioned pressure gauge. For example, pressure transducers, pressure sensors, temperature gauges, temperature transducers, temperature sensors, or air conduits for coupling to remote equipment can be provided. Any such device can quickly and easily be interchanged with a device previously mounted on the valve stem by sliding the previously mounted device's collar off the valve stem and then sliding another device's collar over the O-rings.
For initial shipping purposes, a plain collar having no port and no gauge or other device can be slidably, sealingly mounted over the O-rings to prevent air passage beyond the air-tight region. The end user can quickly and easily replace the plain collar with a collar-equipped device suited to a particular application.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3610269 (1971-10-01), Adams
patent: 3854497 (1974-12-01), Rosenberg
patent: 4823835 (1989-04-01), Chu
patent: 5027848 (1991-07-01), Leeuwen
patent: 5083457 (1992-01-01), Schultz
patent: 5142904 (1992-09-01), Le
patent: 5452608 (1995-09-01), Green
patent: 5526861 (1996-06-01), Oshita et al.
patent: 5665908 (1997-09-01), Burkey et al.
patent: 5853020 (1998-12-01), Widner
Klarquist Sparkman Campbell & Leigh & Whinston, LLP
Rivell John
Schoenfeld Meredith H
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