JP2005001579A - Antenna holding structure for tire air pressure controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To fix an antenna of a tire side receiver onto an air hose by a restriction tool to fix the antenna firmly and easily. <P>SOLUTION: One side of the air hose 4 is connected to an air valve B for injecting air into a tire T, and the other side thereof is connected to an actuator 3. The actuator 3 is provided in the central part of a wheel W to release air in the tire T. The tire side receiver has the antenna 12 for receiving a control signal for driving the actuator 3 from an outside. An electric power supply means receives the control signal from the tire side receiver to supply electric power to the actuator 3. The antenna 12 is fixed onto the air hose 4 by the restriction tool 13 for bundling the antenna 12 and the air hose 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an antenna holding structure of a tire air pressure control device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as a system for detecting tire puncture at an early stage, for example, in order to make a driver recognize a decrease in tire air pressure while a car is running, a decrease in tire air pressure is detected based on the rotational speed of four wheels. There are two types, a tire air pressure drop monitoring system and a tire air pressure drop monitoring system that directly detects the internal pressure (air pressure) of the tire (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Publication No. 48-6829 [0004]
In recent years, such tire pressure drop monitoring systems are becoming more important with the spread of U.S. regulations and run-flat tires. Therefore, it has been necessary to evaluate them by an optimum performance evaluation test in order to improve their performance. . In addition, in such a performance evaluation test, a device for deliberately removing air from the tire is necessary in order to know whether the system can normally detect a decrease in air pressure.
[0005]
Therefore, a tire pressure control device as shown in FIG. 6 is used as a device for removing air from the tire.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the above-described conventional tire pressure control device.
In the tire pressure control device 100, when a control signal is input from an external transmitter 101 outside the vehicle, the control signal is transmitted to the pressing device 103 via a tire-side receiver 102 provided on the tire T side. Based on the control signal, the air hose 104 connected to the pressing device 103 presses the valve pin of the valve B provided on the tire T, and releases the air in the tire T. With this configuration, the air in the tire T can be evacuated by a predetermined amount at a predetermined time, and the air pressure in the tire T during vehicle travel, which has not been possible in the past, can be controlled.
[0006]
In such a tire pressure control device 100, a fixing board 105 to which components such as a tire side receiver 102 and a pressing device 103 provided on the tire T side are joined is fixed to a wheel flange 106 with screws 107, The fixing board 105 is covered with a lid 108 from above. The wheel flange 106 is fixed to the wheel W by a wheel nut 109, and each component is fixed to the tire T side. The screw 107 and the wheel nut 109 are provided at positions that do not interfere with each other.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In a conventional tire pressure control apparatus having an antenna in a tire-side receiver, a cord (antenna) is bent and fixed in a space between a fixed board and a lid (not shown). In this case, since the antenna is bent and installed in a narrow space between the fixed board and the lid, the length cannot be increased in accordance with the wavelength of the radio wave, so that there is a problem that reception sensitivity is poor.
In addition, there is also a tire-side receiver provided with an antenna, in which a cord-like antenna is pulled out of the tire pressure control device. In this case, there is a problem in that the antenna cannot be securely fixed to the wheel or the like depending on the shape of the wheel even if the desired length can be secured.
[0008]
Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is to fix the antenna of the tire-side receiver to the air hose with a restraint, so that the antenna can be used regardless of the shape of the wheel. It is an object to provide an antenna holding structure of a tire pressure control device that can be firmly fixed easily.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, the antenna holding structure of the tire pressure control device according to claim 1 is installed at an air hose having one end connected to a valve for injecting air into the tire, and a central portion of the wheel, An actuator connected to the other end of the air hose to release air in the tire, and a tire-side receiver having an antenna for receiving a control signal for driving the actuator from the outside;
And a power supply means for supplying power to the actuator in response to a control signal from the tire-side receiver, wherein the antenna is fixed to the air hose by a restraining tool. Features.
[0010]
According to the present invention as set forth in claim 1, the antenna of the tire side receiver is an air hose having one end connected to a valve of the wheel and the other end connected to an actuator installed at the center of the wheel. Since the antenna can be installed in a state of being exposed in a straight line outside the wheel, the sensitivity of the antenna can be improved. In addition, since the antenna is fixed to the air hose with a restraining tool, the antenna can be prevented from being caught, and the fixing work can be performed with the restraining tool from the outside of the vehicle. Therefore, the work for fixing the antenna to the air hose is easy. It is.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an antenna holding structure of a tire pressure control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an antenna holding structure of a tire pressure control device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing each component of the antenna holding structure of the tire pressure control device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an antenna holding structure of the tire pressure control device according to the present embodiment, and is a perspective view showing an installation state of an air hose and an antenna. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a layout in the housing.
[0012]
A tire air pressure control device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a device for remotely operating the air pressure on the tire T by a radio signal from an external transmitter 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the tire pressure control device 1 includes a control board 2 connected to an antenna 12, an actuator 3, an air hose 4 connected to the actuator 3, a battery (power supply means) 5, an external device The transmitter 6 is mainly provided. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, among these, the control board 2, the actuator 3, and the battery 5 are built in the housing 7 and attached to the central portion of the wheel W. The external transmitter 6 is provided in a vehicle interior (not shown).
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 7 includes a bottomed cylindrical storage case body 7 a having an open top, and a lid 7 b that closes the opening of the storage case body 7 a. An air hole 7c is formed in the bottom surface of the storage case body 7a so that the air inside can be discharged to the outside, and the moisture resistance is improved by the air hole 7c. Further, an attachment screw 7d is provided through the center of the lid 7b so that the head of the attachment screw 7d can be gripped and easily fitted into the storage case body 7a.
A bracket 8 is fixed with screws V1 in the storage case main body 7a (see FIG. 4), and a screw hole 8a formed in the bracket 8 and a screw portion of a mounting screw 7d of the lid 7b are screwed together. The storage case main body 7a and the lid 7b are fitted. The storage case main body 7a may be provided with a watertight packing between the storage case main body 7a and the lid 7b in order to improve waterproofness.
[0014]
The control board 2 is formed of a printed board in which an electronic element 2b such as a CPU or a resistance element and a lead terminal 2a for connecting to the connector 12a of the antenna 12 are soldered. The control board 2 has a function as a receiver that receives a control signal for driving the actuator 3 from the external transmitter 6 and a function of a control device for controlling the actuator 3.
The control board 2 corresponds to the “tire receiver” in the claims.
[0015]
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a connection state of the air hose and the antenna.
The antenna 12 whose base end is fixed to the control board 2 is made of, for example, a cord having a core wire coated with a coating 12b such as a resin. The length of the antenna 12 is preferably set to a length that matches the wavelength of the radio wave transmitted from the external transmitter 6 in order to improve the reception sensitivity. For example, the length of the antenna 12 is 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 of the wavelength, or the same length as the wavelength. The antenna 12 is fixed to the air hose 4 by a plurality of clip-like restraining tools 13 as shown in FIGS. And when the length of an antenna is long, according to the length of the air hose 4, it bends suitably and it fixes to the air hose 4.
In addition, the restraint tool 13 should just be what can restrain the antenna 12 to the air hose 4 firmly, without damaging the surface of the air hose 4, The shape and material are not specifically limited. The restraint 13 is preferably lightweight and can be freely bent. For example, the restraint 13 is optimally a twist tie made of a soft wire covered with a resin film such as vinyl.
[0016]
The actuator 3 is a device that operates the valve C using a motor 3c including a servo motor, a step motor, and the like as a drive source to reduce the tire air pressure. The actuator 3 is configured so as to convert a force in the rotational direction into a force in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 3a and to quickly advance and retract the tip 3b in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 3a every predetermined stroke. . The actuator 3 projects the tip 3b by a predetermined stroke, thereby pressing a valve pin C1 (see FIG. 5) of a valve C provided on an air hose 4 to be described later to release air in the tire T by a predetermined amount. . In addition, the actuator 3 stops the release of air by moving the tip 3b backward by a predetermined amount after a predetermined time has elapsed.
[0017]
The air hose 4 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is a hollow hose for guiding the air in the tire T to the housing 7 in the center of the wheel W. The air hose 4 is formed of a member having high rigidity in order to suppress bending due to centrifugal force or vertical vibration during traveling of the vehicle. One end of the air hose 4 is connected to a valve B provided on the wheel W in a state where the valve pin is always pressed, and the other end is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the storage case main body 7a. Is connected to the actuator 3 through a valve C having the same structure (see FIGS. 3 to 5). That is, the air in the tire T is exposed to the outside from the air hole 7c through the inside of the housing 7 by pressing the valve pin C1 of the valve C provided on the other end side of the air hose 4 with the tip 3b of the actuator 3. It is a mechanism to be released. In the present embodiment, the air hose 4 has a structure having the valve C and the valve pin C1 on the actuator 3 side. However, the present invention is not particularly limited, and the valve pin is directly fitted to the valve B provided on the tire T. It can also be set as the structure which has.
[0018]
The battery 5 supplies power to the control board 2 and the actuator 3. The battery 5 is configured, for example, by connecting a plurality of single 5 type dry batteries in series. The dry batteries are arranged at equal intervals along the inner peripheral surface of the storage case body 7a. By doing in this way, while being attached to the wheel W and rotating with the wheel W, the rotation balance improves and the storage efficiency can be improved.
The battery 5 corresponds to “power supply means” described in the claims.
[0019]
The external transmitter 6 has a transmitter function of transmitting a control signal for driving the actuator 3 to the control board 2 via the antenna 12. The wireless communication between the control board 2 and the external transmitter 6 can use an analog system using FM modulation or a digital system using PCM modulation. The communication direction may be one-way communication from the external transmitter 6 side toward the control board 2 or may be bidirectional communication.
[0020]
Next, the arrangement of the components built in the housing 7 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, the actuator 3 is disposed at the center of the bottom of the storage case body 7a, and the battery 5 is disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the storage case body 7a. The control board 2 is disposed above the actuator 3 and is fixed to the bracket 8 with screws V2 so as not to move inside the storage case body 7a.
By arranging in this way, the balance of the center of gravity of the entire tire air pressure control device 1 is improved, and the strength and durability of the device itself, and further, the rotation balance when attached to the wheel W and rotated together with the wheel W are improved.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 7 is attached to the center of the wheel W via a star-shaped fixing stay 9. At this time, a wheel nut 10 having a screw hole 10a in the head is screwed to five wheel bolts (not shown) protruding from the wheel W. On the other hand, a screw (not shown) is fitted into a screw hole 7e provided in the lower surface of the storage case body 7a through a fixing hole 9a drilled in the fixing stay 9, so that the housing 7 is fixed to the fixing stay 9. It sticks to. The fixing stay 9 to which the housing 7 is fixed is screwed into a screw hole 10 a provided in the head of the wheel nut 10 by a bolt 11 that passes through the hole 9 b of the fixing stay 9. Mounted at the center of the shaft. As a result, the housing 7 can be easily attached to the wheel W simply by fastening together with the fixing nut 9 to the wheel nut 10, and can be easily detached from the wheel W simply by removing the bolt 11. In addition, it is not necessary to make a dedicated fixed stay, and the cost can be reduced accordingly.
Further, even various wheels W having different wheel nuts 10 and the like can be dealt with by simply replacing the fixing stay 9, so that versatility can be increased.
Furthermore, it is not necessary to remove the wheel W or the tire T for attachment to the wheel W, and the attachment operation can be easily performed. Further, it is not necessary to make a mounting jig or the like dedicated for mounting, and it is economically inexpensive.
In this embodiment, the fixing stay 9 is formed in a star shape. However, the shape of the fixing stay 9 is not particularly limited, and may have a hole that matches the position of the wheel nut 10. For example, it may be rectangular or circular.
[0022]
The air hose 4 and the antenna 12 are arranged in a state of being pulled out from the side surface of the housing 7. As shown in FIG. 4, the air hose 4 has one end connected to the central portion side of the wheel W and the other end connected to a valve B installed on the outer peripheral side of the wheel W so as not to shake. Be placed.
The antenna 12 is fixed to the air hose 4 by a restraining tool 13 in a bent state. Since the antenna 12 is fixed by the restraining tool 13 from the vehicle outer side of the wheel W, the work of fixing the antenna 12 to the air hose 4 by the restraining tool 13 can be easily performed.
[0023]
Next, the operation of the tire pressure control device 1 will be described.
When a control signal is transmitted from the external transmitter 6 while the vehicle is running, the control signal is transmitted to the actuator 3 via the antenna 12 and the control board 2. Since the antenna 12 is installed outside the wheel W and is not installed in the wheel W or the housing 7, the reception sensitivity is good. Moreover, since the antenna 12 is firmly fixed to the air hose 4 by the plurality of restraining tools 13, 13, 13, the antenna 12 does not interfere with other members during vehicle travel.
Then, the actuator 3 advances the tip 3b based on the control signal, and moves backward after a predetermined time, so that the valve pin C1 of the valve C provided at the center of the wheel W is moved at a predetermined stroke for a predetermined time. A predetermined amount of air is discharged from the tire T into the housing 7 and released to the outside through the air holes 7 c and the air holes 9 c formed in the fixing stay 9. As a result, air can be extracted by a predetermined amount at a predetermined time while the vehicle is running. Therefore, the accuracy of the performance evaluation test of the air pressure drop monitoring system can be improved.
[0024]
As mentioned above, although an example about the suitable embodiment of the present invention was explained, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and design change is possible suitably in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of the present invention.
[0025]
In the present embodiment, the housing 7 is configured to house the control board 2, the actuator 3, and the battery 5. For example, a pressure sensor that detects the air pressure in the tire T in the housing 7. In addition, an operation confirmation lamp for detecting whether or not the tire pressure control device is operating normally, a power source thereof, and the like can be accommodated in a visible manner.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the antenna of the tire-side receiver is fixed to an air hose having one end connected to a wheel valve and the other end connected to an actuator installed in the center of the wheel. By doing so, the antenna can be installed in a state exposed to the outside of the wheel, so that the sensitivity of the antenna can be improved. In addition, since the antenna can be fixed to the air hose by the restraining tool, it can be easily fixed from the outside of the vehicle by the restraining tool. Therefore, the work of fixing the antenna to the air hose is easy.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an antenna holding structure of a tire pressure control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing components of the antenna holding structure of the tire pressure control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an antenna holding structure of the tire pressure control device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing an installation state of an air hose and an antenna.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a layout in a housing.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a connection state of an air hose and an antenna.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional tire pressure control device.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Tire pressure control device 2 Control board (tire side receiver)
3 Actuator 4 Air hose 5 Battery (Power supply means)
6 External transmitter 13 Restraint B, C Valve T Tire W Wheel

Claims (1)

An air hose with one end connected to a valve that injects air into the tire;
An actuator installed at the center of the wheel and connected to the other end of the air hose to release air in the tire;
A tire-side receiver having an antenna that receives an external control signal for driving the actuator;
A tire pressure control device comprising: a power supply unit that receives a control signal from the tire-side receiver and supplies power to the actuator;
An antenna holding structure of a tire air pressure control device, wherein the antenna is fixed to the air hose by a restraining tool.

Images