Patent Application
20170274711
Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates to monitoring and adjustment devices and more particularly pertains to a new monitoring and adjustment device for automated monitoring and adjustment of tire pressure.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing configured to couple to a rim of a wheel. A power module, a microprocessor, an air pump and a receiver are coupled to and positioned in the housing. The microprocessor is operationally coupled to the power module. The air pump and the receiver are operationally coupled to the microprocessor. The air pump has an outflow tube fluidically connected to a stem valve of the wheel. A sensor unit is coupled to the rim and positioned in the internal space defined by the rim and a tire mounted to the rim. The sensor unit is configured for wireless transmission of pressure measurements to the receiver. The microprocessor is positioned to respond to pressure readings relayed from the receiver to motivate the air pump to send air via the outflow tube through the stem valve.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A power module 14 is coupled to and positioned in the housing 12. The power module 14 comprises at least one battery 16. Preferably, the battery 16 is rechargeable.
A microprocessor 18 is coupled to and positioned in the housing 12. The microprocessor 18 is operationally coupled to the power module 14.
An air pump 20 is coupled to and positioned in the housing 12. The air pump 20 is operationally coupled to the microprocessor 18. The air pump 20 has an outflow tube 22 fluidically connected to a stem valve of the wheel. The outflow tube 22 has a first end 24 that is fluidically coupled to the air pump 20. The outflow tube 22 has a second end 26 that comprises a connector 28. The connector 28 is configured to couple to the stem valve.
A receiver 30 is coupled to and positioned in the housing 12. The receiver 30 is operationally coupled to the microprocessor 18. The receiver 30 is radio frequency enabled. Alternatively, the receiver 30 is infrared light enabled. Preferably, the receiver 30 is both radio frequency and infrared light enabled.
A sensor unit 32 is coupled to the rim of the wheel and positioned in the internal space defined by the rim and a tire mounted to the rim. The sensor unit 32 is configured for wireless transmission of pressure measurements. More specifically, the sensor unit 32 comprises a pressure detector 34 and a transmitter 36. The transmitter 36 is operationally coupled to the pressure detector 34. The transmitter 36 is wirelessly coupled to the receiver 30. The sensor unit 32 may comprise a vehicle manufacturer installed Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor. Alternatively, the sensor unit 32 may comprise an after-market Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor.
In use, the sensor unit 32 is configured to measure pressure and positioned to send pressure readings to the receiver 30. The microprocessor 18 is positioned to respond to pressure readings relayed from the receiver 30 to motivate the air pump 20 to send air via the outflow tube 22 through the stem valve.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
