Patent Application
20150097662
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tire pressure monitoring technology, and more particularly, to a flexible board type tire pressure sensor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional tire pressure monitoring systems commonly use a tire pressure sensor device in each tire to detect tire characteristic data (tire pressure or temperature) and to transmit detected data to a processor that processes the data and provides processed data to the vehicle driver by text graphics, lighting or sound, thereby effectively improving driving safety.
During installation of a conventional tire pressure sensor device in a vehicle wheel, a fastening member (such as screw bolt or nut) is used to affix the tire pressure sensor device to the air valve. However, this fastening member can easily loosened or forced away from the vehicle wheel by a centrifugal force during high speed rotation of the vehicle wheel, losing the tire pressure sensor fixation effect. When this condition occurs, the tire pressure sensor device can easily be forced to hit the wheel rim repeatedly during high speed rotation of the vehicle wheel, causing damage.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a flexible board type tire pressure sensor device, which enhances the structural stability in the installation in the tire, providing accurate sensing results.
To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a flexible board type tire pressure sensor device of the present invention comprises a flexible PC board, a sensor module, a transmission terminal set and an antenna. The flexible PC board comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first surface of the flexible PC board is bonded to an inside wall of a tire of a vehicle wheel. The sensor module is installed in the second surface of the flexible PC board for sensing a variety of statuses of the tire during rotation of the vehicle wheel and then generating a corresponding sensor signal. The transmission terminal set is installed in the second surface of the flexible PC board and electrically connected with the sensor module for the connection of a setting tool for transmission of a variety of communication programs to the sensor module for storage. The antenna is installed in the second surface of the flexible PC board and electrically connected with the sensor module for sensing out a sensor signal generated by the sensor module.
Preferably, the flexible PC board comprises an adhesive layer coated on the first surface thereof for bonding to the inside wall of the tire of the vehicle wheel, and at least one vent hole cut through the first and second surfaces for exhaust of residual air between the flexible PC board and the adhesive layer during installation, achieving best adaptation between the flexible PC board and the tire.
Preferably, the flexible PC board comprises a frame mounted at the second surface around the sensor module, and an encapsulation structure molded in the frame to surround the sensor module and to provide best insulation protection to the sensor module.
Preferably, the flexible PC board comprises a plurality of protrusions equally spaced around the periphery thereof to increase the contact area between the flexible PC board and the inside wall of the tire of the vehicle wheel, enhancing the structural stability after installation.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs denote like components of structure.
Referring to
The flexible PC board 20 is a flexible copper foil substrate treated through etching and other processing processes for use as electronic signal transmission medium. The flexible PC board 20 comprises a first surface 21, a second surface 22 opposite to the first surface 21, an adhesive layer 23 coated on the first surface 21 for bonding the flexible PC board 20 to an inside wall of a tire 14 of a vehicle wheel 10, as shown in
The sensor module 30 is mounted at the second surface 22 of the flexible PC board 20, and adapted for sensing the internal pressure, temperature or other related information of the tire 14 and generating a corresponding sensor signal. This sensor module 30 is of the known art and not within the scope of the technical features of the present invention. In order to save space, detailed description with respect to the arrangement of the internal components of the sensor module will not be necessary.
The transmission terminal set 40 is installed in the second surface 22 of the flexible PC board 20, and electrically connected with the sensor module 30. The transmission terminal set 40 comprises 5 pcs of transmission terminals 42, wherein transmission terminals from 1st to 4th are respectively adapted for power control, grounding, data synchronization signal transmission, and program data transfer, and the 5th transmission terminal is a spare and can be used for frequency switching and anti-error control. Thus, when transmission terminal set 40 is linked to a setting tool (not shown), a user can use the setting tool to select the communication program subject to the brand, year and model of the vehicle and then to transmit the selected communication program to the sensor module 30 for storage.
The antenna 50 is installed in the second surface 22 of the flexible PC board 20 and electrically connected with the sensor module 30, and adapted for sending out the sensor signal generated by the sensor module 30.
Referring also to
We know from the above, as shown in
On the other hand, as shown in
Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
