The present disclosure relates generally to tire pressure sensors and, more specifically, to tire pressure sensor assemblies including a tire pressure sensor for mating with an over-inflation pressure relief valve in an aircraft wheel system.
Conventional aircraft wheel assemblies often include over-inflation pressure relief valves to prevent over-inflation of aircraft tires. Fewer aircraft wheel assemblies include tire pressure monitoring systems. Adding tire pressure monitoring systems to existing aircraft can be expensive and requires significant additional equipment and wiring. Further, in some aircraft, the additional equipment cannot be installed after initial assembly. While one-piece units comprising a combination tire pressure sensor and over-inflation (OI) pressure relief valve have been developed, a failure of either the tire pressure sensor segment or the OI pressure relief valve segment disadvantageously requires replacing the entire one-piece unit.
A tire pressure sensor is provided in accordance with various embodiments. The tire pressure sensor comprises a sensor housing having a first engagement portion defining an opening. A pressure sensing element is within the sensor housing and is in fluid communication with the opening of the sensor housing. The tire pressure sensor is configured to engage and be in fluid communication with an over-inflation pressure relief valve. The over-inflation relief valve is engagable in a wheel of an aircraft wheel assembly. The tire pressure sensor is also disengageable from the over-inflation pressure relief valve.
A tire pressure sensor assembly is provided, according to various embodiments. The tire pressure sensor assembly comprises an over-inflation pressure relief valve a tire pressure sensor engaged with, and configured to be in fluid communication with, the over-inflation pressure relief valve and disengageable therefrom. The over-inflation pressure relief valve is engagable in a wheel of an aircraft wheel assembly. The tire pressure sensor comprises a sensor housing having a first engagement portion defining an opening and a pressure sensing element within the sensor housing and in fluid communication with the opening of the sensor housing.
An aircraft wheel system is provided in accordance with various embodiments. The aircraft wheel system comprises a wheel having a sensor receptacle. An over-inflation pressure relief valve within pressure relief housing has a stem configured to mate with the sensor receptacle and defines a tire inflation gas entry opening. The over-inflation pressure relief valve comprises a frangible disk configured to rupture at a predetermined pressure. A tire pressure sensor is engageable with and disengageable from the over-inflation pressure relief valve. The tire pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the over-inflation pressure relief valve.
The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, the following description and drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. A more complete understanding of the present disclosure, however, may best be obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
The detailed description of embodiments herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show embodiments by way of illustration. While these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the inventions, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not for limitation. For example, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than one component or step may include a singular embodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full and/or any other possible attachment option.
The present disclosure describes various embodiments of tire pressure sensor assemblies including a tire pressure sensor for mating with an over-inflation pressure relief valve for use with aircraft wheels, as well as aircraft wheel systems. Various embodiments may be utilized in new aircraft designs, or retrofit to existing aircraft. Various embodiments permit easy replacement of a failed tire pressure sensor or failed over-inflation (OI) pressure relief valve, without having to sacrifice a one-piece unit comprising a combination tire pressure sensor and over-inflation pressure relief valve.
With initial reference to
Referring now to
Pressure relief housing 208 may be manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques, such as, for example, fused deposition modeling, polyjet 3D printing, electron beam freeform fabrication, direct metal laser sintering, electron-beam melting, selective laser melting, selective heat sintering, selective laser sintering, stereolithography, multiphoton photopolymerization, and/or digital light processing. Pressure relief housing 208 may also be manufactured using “conventional” techniques such as, for example, casting, machining, welding, or bonding. Any material and configuration of pressure relief housing 208 capable of withstanding pressure associated with inflated aircraft tires (e.g., 30 psi to 350 psi) is within the scope of the present disclosure.
Pressure relief housing 208 may comprise, for example, a stem 218. Stem 218 may be configured to interact with and be retained by valve receptacle 104 such that the over-inflation pressure relief valve is engageable in the wheel 102 of the aircraft wheel assembly (see
Both of the first and second engagement portions may have complementary threaded portions enabling engagement and disengagement of the over-inflation pressure relief valve 106 with the tire pressure sensor 210 (more particularly, engagement and disengagement of the first and second engagement portions). While a threaded mating is illustrated, it is to be understood that other mechanical interfaces may be used to permit engagement and disengagement of the over-inflation pressure relief valve 106 with the tire pressure sensor 210. For example, a quick-connection type mechanism may be used. Lockwire, lock cable, thread locking compounds, or mechanical methods may be used for additionally securing the over-inflation pressure relief valve 106 with the tire pressure sensor 210 so as to substantially prevent unintentional separation of the tire pressure sensor from the over-inflation pressure relief valve. The tire pressure sensor and over-inflation pressure relief valve may be secured, for example, to the wheel. The ability of the tire pressure sensor to disengage from the over-inflation pressure relief valve enables replacement of a failed sensor or valve.
Over-inflation pressure relief valve 106 may further comprise a frangible disk 214. Frangible disk 214 may be configured to rupture upon reaching a predetermined pressure, allowing pressure to be released from a tire coupled to wheel 102. The arrow A in
Tire pressure sensor 210 within a sensor housing 226 may comprise, for example, a pressure sensing element 224. The sensor housing 226 has a first engagement portion 230 defining an opening 232. In various embodiments, pressure sensing element 224 is in fluid communication with tire inflation gas entry opening 220 of pressure relief housing 208 and opening 232, and is configured to sense the pressure of tire inflation gas within a tire coupled to wheel 102. The sensor housing 226 in accordance with various embodiments comprises a metal, such as brass or steel. In further embodiments, sensor housing comprises a composite material. In yet other embodiments, sensor housing comprises a ceramic material. Although discussed with reference to specific embodiments, sensor housing may comprise any suitable material.
Sensor housing may be manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques, such as, for example, fused deposition modeling, polyjet 3D printing, electron beam freeform fabrication, direct metal laser sintering, electron-beam melting, selective laser melting, selective heat sintering, selective laser sintering, stereolithography, multiphoton photopolymerization, and/or digital light processing. Sensor housing may also be manufactured using “conventional” techniques such as, for example, casting, machining, welding, or bonding. Any material and configuration of sensor housing capable of withstanding pressure associated with inflated aircraft tires is within the scope of the present disclosure.
In various embodiments, tire pressure sensor 210 may further comprise a connector 228. The connector 228 may comprise, for example, an electronic device coupled to pressure sensing element 224 and capable of communicating with and reporting pressure data to an external device. The connector may comprise a pinless connector.
Referring now specifically to
Sensor reading device 330 may be configured to transmit pressure data from tire pressure sensor 210 to an interface 340. For example, interface 340 may comprise a display. In various embodiments, interface 340 comprises a display which is integral with sensor reading device, such as a graphical user interface (“GUI”) or display screen. In further embodiments, sensor reading device 330 is electronically coupled to an interface 340 such as, for example, a data logging computer. Any interface 340 capable of receiving and/or displaying pressure data from sensor reading device 330 is within the scope of the present disclosure.
Tire pressure sensor assemblies of the present disclosure may provide more cost effective and user-friendly relative to one-piece units comprising a combination tire pressure sensor and over-inflation pressure relief valve. For example, using discrete and separate tire pressure sensors and over-inflation pressure relief valves instead of the one-piece unit comprising the combination tire pressure sensor and over-inflation pressure relief valve saves costs when only one of the tire pressure sensor or the over-inflation pressure relief valve fails as the failed sensor or valve may be replaced without having to sacrifice the entire one-piece unit. The still operational sensor or valve may be reused in a tire pressure sensor assembly.
Benefits and other advantages have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical system. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the detailed description herein, references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiments.
Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f), unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
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