US5929330A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Visual tire cap pressure indicator
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1998-04-28
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Granted: 1999-07-27
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Expires: 2018-04-28
Abstract
Abstract A pressure gauge for a pressurized device is disclosed that provides a simple, efficient and highly visual indication of pressure change from a normal condition to various abnormal conditions. The pressure gauge includes a chamber, a pressure converter located within or operably associated with the chamber, a rotary member coupled to the converter and having an indicator pattern and a cap including at least one window through which at least a portion of the indicator pattern is viewable. Once the gauge is brought into fluid communication with a pressurized device, then the cap may be rotated or adjusted to align the windows with a desired marker type placing the gauge in a normal or first indicator data. A change in pressure in the chamber will cause the gauge to undergo a change to a new or different indicator state.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert P. Ford
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 07:38
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60C; B60C23/00; B60C23/02; B60C23/04; B60C23/0491; B60C23/0496
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A gauge comprising: a. a chamber adapted to be placed in fluid communication with a pressurized device; b. a converter operably associated with the chamber; c. a cylindrical rotary member coupled to the converter including an open-ended bottom, a closed-ended top, a side portion extending from top to bottom and an indicator pattern on the exterior surface of the side portion; and d. a cap covering the rotary member including an open-ended cap bottom, a closed-ended cap top, a cap side portion extending from top to bottom, a cylindrical inner surface co-axial with the exterior surface of the rotary member, and a plurality of windows having a width, where in response to a change in chamber pressure, the converter moves causing the rotary member to rotate relative to the cap windows changing an indicator state from a first state to a second state where the indicator state is viewable from the cap side.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
A gauge comprising: a. a chamber adapted to be placed in fluid communication with a pressurized device; b. a converter operably associated with the chamber; c. a cylindrical rotary member coupled to the converter including an open-ended bottom, a closed-ended top, a side portion extending from top to bottom and an indicator pattern on the exterior surface of the side portion; and d. a cap covering the rotary member including an open-ended cap bottom, a closed-ended cap top, a cap side portion extending from top to bottom, a cylindrical inner surface co-axial with the exterior surface of the rotary member, and a plurality of windows having a width, where in response to a change in chamber pressure, the converter moves causing the rotary member to rotate relative to the cap windows changing an indicator state from a first state to a second state where the indicator state is viewable from the cap side.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
65 words
The gauge of claim 1, wherein the pressure converter comprises a bourdon tube including an hermetically sealed end, an open end, and a twist where an interior of the tube is in fluid communication with the chamber at its open end, the sealed end is operatively connected to the rotary member, and a change in chamber pressure causes the tube to rotate the rotary member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
161 words
The gauge of claim 1, wherein the pressure converter comprises; i. a piston including a bottom surface and a top surface; ii. a track member having a twist angle attached to or integral with the top surface of the piston; iii. a follower member including a slit designed to slidingly engage and follow the track member and designed to be affixed to or be integral with the rotary member; iv. a flexible diaphragm sealingly engaging the chamber having a chamber side and a piston side where the piston side is affixed to the bottom surface of the piston, where the diaphragm is adapted to isolate the chamber from the piston, the track member, the follower member, the rotary member and the cap and where the diaphragm has a elastic resistance to deformation; and where a change in chamber pressure causes the piston and the track member to move up or down causing the follower member and the rotary member to rotate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The gauge of claim 1, wherein the rotary member top includes a second indicator pattern and where the cap top includes at least one cap top window.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The gauge of claim 1, wherein the cap is adjustable for setting the gauge to the first indicator state.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The gauge of claim 1, the cap further including a plurality of masks having a mask width and pattern and wherein the indicator pattern comprises a plurality of marker patterns, each marker pattern having a marker pattern width.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The gauge of claim 6, wherein each marker pattern comprises a repeating sequence of bands, each band having a band width and pattern.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The gauge of claim 7, wherein a first band in the repeating sequence of bands has a first band pattern, a second band in the repeating sequence of bands has a second band pattern and a third band in the repeating sequence of bands has a third band pattern.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The gauge of claim 8, wherein the first band pattern is a first color, the second band pattern is a second color and the third band pattern is a third color.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
87 words
The gauge of claim 1, wherein the indicator pattern comprises a plurality of a first marker pattern having a first marker width, a plurality of a second marker pattern having a second marker width and a plurality of a third marker pattern having a third marker width, and the cap window width is equal to the first marker width and the cap further including a plurality of masks having a mask width equal to the first marker width and a pattern equal to the first marker pattern.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
The gauge of claim 6, wherein the patterns are solid colors.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The gauge of claim 1, wherein the gauge is a tire valve cap pressure gauge and the pressurized device is a tire.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
127 words
The gauge of claim 1, wherein the converter comprises: i. a cylindrical cam including a cylindrical surface having at least one helical groove where the helical groove has a helical angle and adapted to engage at least one tab on an interior surface of the rotary member; and ii. a bias member comprising: (a) a spring having a spring constant interposed between a top of the cam and a bottom of the cap where the spring asserts a downward force on the cam; or (b) a flexible diaphragm sealingly engaging and isolating the chamber from the cam, the indicator and the cap, where the cam side of the diaphragm is affixed to a bottom of the cam and where the diaphragm has a elastic resistance to deformation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
The gauge of claim 13, wherein the spring constant and the helical angle or the elastic resistance to deformation and the helical angle cooperate so that a pressure change in the chamber between about 3 psi to about 5 psi results in a visual change in indicator state.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
116 words
The gauge of claim 1, wherein the converter comprises: i. a cylindrical cam including a cylindrical surface having at least one helical groove where the helical groove has a helical angle and adapted to engage at least one tab on an interior surface of the rotary member; ii. a bias member comprising a spring having a spring constant interposed between a top of the cam and a bottom of the cap where the spring asserts a downward force on the cam; and iii. a flexible diaphragm sealingly engaging and isolating the chamber from the cam, the indicator and the cap, where the cam side of the diaphragm is in contact with a bottom of the cam.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
10 words
The gauge of claim 15, wherein the diaphragm is inelastic.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
The gauge of claim 16, wherein the spring constant and the helical angle cooperate so that a pressure change in the chamber between about 3 psi to about 5 psi results in a visual change in indicator state.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
168 words
A method comprising the steps of: a. attaching to a pressurized device a gauge comprising: i. a chamber adapted to be placed in fluid communication with a pressurized device; ii. a converter operably associated with the chamber; iii. a cylindrical rotary member coupled to the converter including an open-ended bottom, a closed-ended top, a side portion extending from top to bottom and an indicator pattern on the exterior surface of the side portion; and iv. a cap covering the rotary member including an open-ended cap bottom, a closed-ended cap top, a cap side portion extending from top to bottom, a cylindrical inner surface co-axial with the exterior surface of the rotary member, and a plurality of windows where each window has a width, where in response to a change in chamber pressure, the converter moves causing the rotary member to rotate relative to the cap windows changing an indicator state from an initial state to a new state where the indicator state is viewable from the cap side.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
168 words
A method comprising the steps of: a. attaching to a pressurized device a gauge comprising: i. a chamber adapted to be placed in fluid communication with a pressurized device; ii. a converter operably associated with the chamber; iii. a cylindrical rotary member coupled to the converter including an open-ended bottom, a closed-ended top, a side portion extending from top to bottom and an indicator pattern on the exterior surface of the side portion; and iv. a cap covering the rotary member including an open-ended cap bottom, a closed-ended cap top, a cap side portion extending from top to bottom, a cylindrical inner surface co-axial with the exterior surface of the rotary member, and a plurality of windows where each window has a width, where in response to a change in chamber pressure, the converter moves causing the rotary member to rotate relative to the cap windows changing an indicator state from an initial state to a new state where the indicator state is viewable from the cap side.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of: b. rotating the cap to the initial state.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of: c. observing the new state.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4116157A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-07-26 | 2003-01-25 | 2003-07-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-07-26 | 2007-01-25 | 2007-07-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-07-26 | 2011-01-25 | 2011-07-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |