Back to results
US 2022/0187119 A1Published application
Vehicle wheel assembly having improved monitoring capabilities for various vehicle conditions and monitoring device for accomplishing such monitoring
AssigneeMaxion Wheels U.S.A. LLC
InventorsJohn Evan Bunner, Joseph W. Wolf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A monitoring device includes a housing adhered to a drop well of a wheel inside of a vehicle tire. The housing rotates with the wheel. An electrical circuit disposed within the housing. The electrical circuit including a load sensing device disposed within the housing. The load sensing device sensing forces exerted on the wheel. A transceiver coupled to the electrical circuit. The transceiver communicates load data sensed by the load sensing device to components exterior of the wheel.
Claims20
A monitoring device comprising:
- a housing configured to be secured to an outer side surface of a wheel rim of a vehicle wheel inside of a vehicle tire, the housing rotating with the vehicle wheel;
- an electrical circuit configured to be disposed within the housing;
- and
- a transceiver coupled to the electrical circuit configured to communicate data to one or more components exterior of the vehicle wheel;
- and
- a clamp load spacing device for monitoring a clamp load of the vehicle wheel, the clamp load spacing device configured to be secured between a disk portion of the vehicle wheel and a wheel hub when the wheel is mounted to the wheel hub, the clamp load spacing device configured to sense whether the disk portion of the vehicle wheel becomes unloaded from a loaded state which indicates that the clamp load is decreasing to indicate that the disk portion is transitioning from the loaded state to the unloaded state;
- wherein signals relating to clamp load data as sensed by the clamp load spacing device are transmitted to the electrical circuit to indicate whether the wheel is in the loaded state or is decreasing to indicate that the disk portion is transitioning from the loaded state to the unloaded state.
4 more elements
A monitoring device comprising:
- a housing configured to be secured to an outer side surface of a wheel rim of a vehicle wheel inside of a vehicle tire, the housing rotating with the vehicle wheel;
- an electrical circuit configured to be disposed within the housing;
- and
- a transceiver coupled to the electrical circuit configured to communicate data to one or more components exterior of the vehicle wheel;
- and
- a clamp load spacing device for monitoring a clamp load of the wheel, the clamp load spacing device configured to be secured between a disk portion of the vehicle wheel and a wheel hub when the wheel is mounted to the wheel hub, the clamp load spacing device configured to sense whether the disk portion of the vehicle wheel becomes unloaded from a loaded state which indicates that the clamp load is decreasing to indicate that the disk portion is transitioning from the loaded state to the unloaded state, the clamp load spacing device being generally arcuately shaped and including apertures that are configured to align with lug nut holes provided in the disk portion and the wheel hub;
- wherein signals relating to clamp load data as sensed by the clamp load spacing device are transmitted to the electrical circuit to indicate whether the wheel is in the loaded state or is decreasing to indicate that the disk portion is transitioning from the loaded state to the unloaded state;
- wherein the clamp load spacing device is segregated into a plurality of sections or is a single monolithic component formed in a complete circle, wherein each section or the single monolithic component is mounted between the wheel disk and the wheel hub for evenly spacing the vehicle wheel when mounted to the wheel hub;
- wherein to detect a decrease in the clamp load which is indicative of the disk portion transitioning from the loaded state to the unloaded state, a strain or deflection sensor is integrated within the clamp load spacing device.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.