Tire pressure gauge with cap wrench
AssigneeMeasurement Ltd.
InventorChristine Anderson Bucknell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire pressure gauge with a valve cap wrench is disclosed. A bore at one end of the tire pressure gauge may be used to grip and remove a valve cap mounted on a valve stem of a tire. A port at the other end of the tire pressure gauge may be used to measure air pressure in a tire. The measured air pressure may be displayed on a display on the pencil gauge. The cap wrench may have a collet to hold a valve cap and a switch to tighten and loosen grip on a valve cap. The cap wrench may also have a plunger to push a valve cap out of the pencil gauge.
Claims20
A pressure gauge with a valve cap wrench comprising:
- a housing;
- a bore defined in said housing, said bore adapted to accommodate a valve stem cap associated with a body containing a fluid;
- a collet adapted to selectively engage and disengage a valve stem cap associated with a body containing a fluid and accommodated in said bore;
- a user-operable switch adapted to cause said collet to selectively engage and disengage a valve stem cap associated with a body containing a fluid;
- a port defined in said housing, said port adapted to engage and open a needle valve on a valve stem;
- a pressure sensor associated with said housing and adapted to measure the pressure of a fluid in said body when said port engages and opens a needle valve on the valve stem.
A combined tire pressure gauge and a valve cap wrench comprising:
- a housing having a bore and a port, wherein said port is adapted to engage and open a needle valve on a tire valve stem;
- a collet, wherein said collet comprises:
- a generally cylindrical section defining a plurality of longitudinal slits;
- a ramp defined on said generally cylindrical section;
- and
- a plurality of arms extending from said generally cylindrical section, wherein an inward depression of said ramp causes a concentric contraction of said plurality of arms, and an outward release of said ramp causes a concentric expansion of said plurality of arms,
- a sleeve positioned along an interior surface defined by said plurality of arms, said sleeve adapted to contract and expand concentrically, responsive to concentric contraction and expansion of said plurality of arms respectively, thereby establishing and releasing a generally firm grip over a tire valve stem cap accommodated in said bore respectively;
- a collar having an inwardly protruding circumferential lip, said collar positioned generally concentrically with said collet, and said lip adapted to engage said ramp to either inwardly depress said ramp or to outwardly release said ramp;
- a user-operable switch coupled to said collar and disposed on the housing, said switch adapted to cause said collar to slide about said collet and cause said lip to inwardly depress or outwardly release said ramp, thereby selectively causing said plurality of arms and said sleeve to either concentrically contract and establish a generally firm grip over a tire valve stem cap accommodated in said bore or to concentrically expand and release a generally firm grip over a tire valve stem cap accommodated in said bore;
- a pressure sensor, adapted to be in fluidic communication with a fluid in a tire when said port engages and opens the needle valve on the tire valve stem and to measure the pressure of the fluid in the tire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.