Attachment mechanism for a tire monitoring system

A tire monitoring apparatus for mounting on a vehicle wheel that is configured to have a tire mounted thereon, the wheel having an opening, the apparatus comprising:

• a tire monitor for sensing pressure in the tire, the tire monitor having a housing with a spherical surface, the housing further having an opening that extends through the spherical surface;
• a tire inflator valve assembly that is configured to extend through the opening in the wheel and the opening in the housing, the valve assembly having a longitudinal axis and a threaded portion;
• and
• a threaded fastener that is engageable with the threaded portion of the valve assembly for attaching together the tire monitor and the valve assembly, the fastener including a base portion having first and second ends, the fastener further including multiple spaced apart first projections extending from the first end of the base portion, and multiple spaced apart second projections extending from the second end of the base portion, each projection having a spherical surface, wherein the spherical surfaces of the first projections are configured to provide at least three first points of contact with the spherical surface of the housing when the first end of the base portion of the fastener is facing toward the spherical surface of the housing and the fastener is engaged with the threaded portion of the valve assembly, such that the first points of contact lie generally in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the axis of the valve assembly, and wherein the spherical surfaces of the second projections are configured to provide at least three second points of contact with the spherical surface of the housing when the second end of the base portion of the fastener is facing toward the spherical surface of the housing and the fastener is engaged with the threaded portion of the valve assembly, such that the second points of contact lie generally in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the axis of the valve assembly.

A tire monitoring apparatus for mounting on a vehicle wheel that is configured to have a tire mounted thereon, the wheel having an opening, the apparatus comprising:

• a tire monitor for monitoring a tire parameter, the tire monitor having a housing with a spherical surface, the housing further having an opening that extends through the spherical surface;
• a tire valve stem that is configured to extend through the opening in the wheel and the opening in the housing, the valve stem having a threaded portion;
• and
• a threaded fastener that is engageable with the threaded portion of the valve stem and the spherical surface of the housing for attaching together the tire monitor and the valve stem, the fastener having a configuration that provides at least three points of contact with the spherical surface of the housing when the fastener is engaged with the spherical surface of the housing.