GB2218493A

GB2218493A - Tyre valve cap

Info

Publication number: GB2218493A
Application number: GB8811323A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey Fenton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-05-13
Filing date: 1988-05-13
Publication date: 1989-11-15
Also published as: GB8811323D0

Abstract

A valve cap (10) for a pneumatic tyre (19) for a vehicle comprises a body part (11) of tubular form having one end thereof closed by an end part (12). The cap (10) has markings on a part (13, 22) thereof which are distinguishable from the remainder of the cap (10) so as to indicate the pressure to which the tyre should be inflated and/or the make of vehicle or tyre. The markings on part (13) may be colouring in accordance with a predetermined code of colours representing differing pressures and/or numbers (14) indicative of such pressures, and the markings on part (22) may be a company trading style or Trade Mark. <IMAGE>

Description

This invention relates to caps, and in particular to caps for fitting to the free ends of the valves of pneumatic tyres of motor vehicles.

Such caps are generally referred to as "valve caps", and serve primarily to prevent the ingress of dirt, stones and other foreign bodies into the valve such as might either prevent or impair the proper operation of the valve, or cause premature deflation of the tyre.

The invention is based on the realisation that such a valve cap can fulfil one or more secondary functions in addition to the abovedescribed primary function.

The invention provides a valve cap for a pneumatic tyre, said cap having markings thereon indicative of the pressure to which said tyre should be inflated for use.

The valve cap may be of tubular form having one end thereof closed by an end part, and said markings may be provided on said tubular part.

Said markings may comprise colouring in accordance with a predetermined code. Alternatively or additionally said markings may comprise numbers indicative of said pressure.

Said end part may have further markings thereon, and said further markings may be representative of a make of tyre or vehicle. Said further markings may comprise a name, trade mark, badge or logo. Said end part may be separable from said tubular part so as to be connected thereto at any desired relative angular disposition.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of cap in accordance with the invention Fig 2 is a front view of the cap of Fig 1 and Fig 3 is a perspective part view of the cap of Figs 1 and 2 in use on a vehicle.

Referring now to Figs 1 and 2 there is shown a cap 10 comprising a tubular body 11 having one end thereof closed by an end part 12. The central portion 13 of the body 11 is formed to have a trefoil cross-section whose concave sides are coloured, as shown in Fig 2, according to a predetermined code so as to indicate the pressure to which the tyre, to which the cap 10 is to be fitted, is to be inflated. A recommended code is as follows Pressure, lb/in2 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Colour white grey yellow pink turquoise orange red Pressure, ib/in2 27 28 29 30 Unspecified Colour green brown blue purple black In addition the appropriate tyre pressure is indicated at 14 on each of the edges 15 of the central portion 13, as shown in Fig 2.

The other end 16 of the cap 10 has a blind bore 17 extending axially thereof, which bore 17 is screw-threaded so that the cap 10 may be screwed onto the valve of a vehicle tyre. This is seen more clearly in Fig 3, which shows the cap 10 fitted to a valve 18 of a vehicle tyre 19. When the wheel 20 is in the position shown in Fig 3 with the valve 18 at the lowermost position in its path of movement in use, the valve 18 conveniently extends upwardly and outwardly of the rim 21 of the wheel 20.

With the valve 18 in this position the top surface 22 of the end part 12 of the cap 10 is readily visible to a person standing near to the wheel 20. Further markings 23 in the form of a word, badge, logo or other form of Trade Mark appropriate to the make of vehicle or tyre is provided on such upper surface 22 so as to be readily observable by such person.

By means of the invention it may be readily determined to what pressure a particular tyre should be inflated for use on the vehicle.

Conveniently the recommended code could be displayed adjacent compressed air supplies at garages and the like, and/or on the gauge dials of such supplies. It is also readily determined that the valve cap is appropriate to the make of vehicle or tyre to which it has been fitted.

Other embodiments of cap in accordance with the invention will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art. For example the valve cap body may be of any desired configuration and a part thereof other than that shown in the drawing may have the colouring applied thereto.

Alternatively the complete cap may be coloured in accordance with the recommended code. The pressure indicated in numbers on the cap may be in units other than, or in addition to, pounds per square inch as is customary in the case of British vehicles.

Preferably the cap is moulding of a plastics material, although a non-oxidising metal may be used if preferred.

Claims

L A valve cap for a pneumatic tyre for a vehicle, said cap comprising a body having indicator markings thereon distinguishable from said body.
2. A valve cap according to claim 1 wherein said body is of tubular form having one end thereof closed by an end part.
3. A valve cap according to claim 2 wherein said markings are provided on said tubular part.
4. A valve cap according to claim 2 wherein said markings are provided on said end part.
5. A valve cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said markings are indicative of the pressure to which said tyre should be inflated for use.
6.A valve cap according to claim 5 wherein said markings comprise colouring in accordance with a predetermined code of colours representing differing pressures.
7. A valve cap according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein said markings comprise numbers indicative of said- pressure.
8. A valve cap according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said markings are representative of a company's trading style
9. A valve cap according to claim 8 wherein said markings comprise a Trade Mark.
10. A valve cap according to claim 2 or any claim dependent thereon wherein said end part may be disposed at any angular disposition relative to said tubular part.
11. A valve cap according to claim 10 wherein said end part is separable from said tubular part.
12. A valve cap according to claim 3 or any claim dependent thereon wherein at least a central portion of said body is formed having a trefoil cross-section.
13. A valve cap according to claim 12 wherein said trefoil cross-section provides concave sides having said markings thereon.
14. A valve cap according to claim 13 wherein said trefoil cross-section provides edges having further ones of said markings thereon.
15. A valve cap according to any one of claims 1 to 14 of a plastics material.
16. A valve cap for a pneumatic tyre for a vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.