Wheel unit with insert for motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a wheel unit (1) for a motor vehicle wheel, said wheel unit (1) comprising a housing (10), a measurement module (20) mounted inside said housing (10) and configured to measure at least the air pressure inside the wheel, and a valve (30), said housing (10) comprising an insert (170) integrated into said front wall (150), the insert (170) comprises two deformable curved front portions (171A) projecting from the front face of the front wall (150) of the housing (10) and each configured to abut against the rear face of the clamping ring (330) and to be plugged by the clamping ring (330) when the union nut (340) is tightened against the rim.

Description

[TECHNICAL FIELD]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicles and more particularly to a wheel unit for a wheel of a motor vehicle and to a method for mounting such a wheel unit. [BACKGROUND]

[0002] Today, it is known practice to install a wheel unit in a wheel of a motor vehicle to measure the pressure and the temperature of the air in the wheel and, if applicable, to signal to the driver a drop in pressure or an abnormal rise in temperature.

[0003] The wheel unit of known type comprises a casing, a measuring module and a valve. The measuring module is installed inside the casing and is configured to measure the air pressure inside the wheel.

[0004] The valve comprises, in a known manner, a valve body configured to be positioned in an orifice in the rim and to extend between a free end of the air inlet fitted with a cap and a connection end.

[0005] The valve further comprises a clamping ring placed around the valve body and configured to bear, via a front face of the clamping ring, against an internal face of the rim so as to compress the seal.

[0006] The valve also comprises a union nut configured to be placed around the valve body and to bear against an external face of the rim so as to fix the wheel unit on the rim by cooperation of the rim with the clamping ring.

[0007] Finally, the valve comprises a valve seat connected to the valve body by its connection end and extending along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the valve body on both sides of the connection end, said valve seat being installed with a clearance in a housing formed in an upper part of the casing to pivot around the longitudinal axis of the valve seat and so that the valve body extends out of the casing through an opening formed in a front wall of the casing.

[0008] With this type of wheel unit, the tightening of the union nut can cause the clamping ring to deform and bend the front wall of the casing, in particular around the opening in which the valve body extends, and this can weaken the casing of the wheel unit and, in particular when the wheel unit is subjected to accelerations of several hundred g or to over-tightening of the union nut, can cause the mounting of the wheel unit on the rim to break, thus generating possibly incorrect measurements.

[0009] The tightening of the union nut can also cause the bending of the clamping ring and this can reduce the effectiveness of its compressed seal or even cause a loss of air pressure in the tire, in particular if the union nut is over-tightened.

[0010] It would therefore be advantageous to have a simple, reliable and effective solution that allows at least partial correction of these drawbacks. [SUMMARY]

[0011] To this end, one subject of the application is first of all a wheel unit for a motor vehicle wheel, said wheel unit comprising a housing made of a plastic material, a measuring module mounted inside said housing and configured to measure at least the air pressure inside the wheel, and a valve comprising:

[0012] - a metal valve body configured to be positioned in an orifice in a wheel rim and to extend between an air inlet free end equipped with a cap and a connection end,

[0013] - a metal clamping ring placed around the valve body and configured to abut, via a front face of the clamping ring, an internal face of the wheel rim, so as to compress the seal, and comprising a rear face opposite the front face,

[0014] - a union nut configured to be placed around the valve body and to abut an external face of the wheel rim, so as to fix the wheel unit on the wheel rim by cooperation of the wheel rim with the clamping ring via the wheel rim, and

[0015] - a metal valve seat connected to the valve body by its connection end and extending along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the valve body on both sides of the connection end, said valve seat being mounted with a play in a housing formed in an upper part of the housing, so as to pivot around the longitudinal axis of the valve seat, and so that the valve body extends out of the housing through an opening formed in a front wall of the housing.

[0016] The wheel unit is notable in that the housing comprises an internal metal insert integrated, in particular molded or overmolded, into said front wall, said insert comprising at least two curved portions projecting from the front wall and configured to come into contact with the valve to lock said valve against the front wall, while maintaining a play to prevent the clamping ring and / or the valve seat from coming into contact with the plastic part of the front wall.

[0017] The curved portions prevent direct compression of the housing between the clamping ring and the valve seat (environmental resistance) and thus preserve the integrity of the components. This also makes it possible to reduce or even eliminate the risk of tipping of the housing as the wheel turns.

[0018] In one embodiment, the insert comprises two deformable curved front portions projecting from a front face of the front wall of the housing and each configured to abut against a rear face of the clamping ring and to be jammed by said clamping ring when the union nut is tightened against the wheel rim, without the clamping ring coming into contact with the front wall of the housing.

[0019] These deformable curved front portions allow the shape of the insert of the cover to be determined so as to conform to the clamping ring and thus impart a firm, efficient and reliable clamping, by being jammed, i.e. deformed by extrusion, by the rear face of the clamping ring during tightening. The jamming of the curved front portions also allows the clamping ring to avoid bending and remain flat during clamping, thereby increasing the clamping strength and thus allowing the seal to maintain optimal efficiency when the wheel unit is mounted on the rim, thereby preventing air from escaping, causing a loss of pressure in the tire, especially when the union nut is over-tightened. The mounted wheel unit is thus able to withstand several hundred g of acceleration without moving, thus improving the quality of the measurements.

[0020] Preferably, in the case where the valve seat has a domed front face facing the rear face of the front wall, the insert comprises two curved rear portions protruding from the rear face of the front wall of the cover and whose shape is determined so as to conform to the domed front face of the valve seat, so as to absorb the forces exerted on the rear face of the front wall by the valve seat during tightening.

[0021] In one embodiment, the insert comprises both two deformable curved front walls and two curved rear walls.

[0022] Advantageously, the insert is one-piece so as to be easy to manufacture and mold.

[0023] Preferably, the insert is metallic, for example made of steel.

[0024] Advantageously, the insert comprises two wings connected by a connecting arm, each wing comprising a curved front portion.

[0025] Also advantageously, in the case where the insert comprises two wings connected by a connecting arm and two curved rear portions, each wing comprises one curved rear portion.

[0026] In one embodiment, the rear face of the clamping ring is flat, so as to allow an efficient jamming of the clamping ring against the curved portions of the insert during tightening, this jamming creating two flat tracks that prevent the clamping ring from bending.

[0027] In one embodiment, the rear face of the clamping ring is curved.

[0028] In one embodiment, the clamping ring has a circular shape.

[0029] The invention also relates to a method of mounting a wheel unit as described above, said method comprising the following steps:

[0030] - inserting the valve body into the valve orifice in the rim,

[0031] - positioning the valve by pivoting around the longitudinal axis of the valve seat,

[0032] - fitting a union nut around the valve body,

[0033] - tightening the union nut against the front face of the rim, so that the rear face of the clamping ring plugs the curved front portion of the insert.

[0034] The application also relates to a wheel for a motor vehicle, comprising a wheel unit as described above.

[0035] The application also relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one wheel as described above. [SUMMARY]

[0036] Other characteristics and advantages of the application will become apparent on reading the following description. This description is purely illustrative and should be read with reference to the attached drawings in which:

[0037] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating one embodiment of a wheel unit according to the application.

[0038] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 Fig. 2 is another perspective view of the wheel unit of Fig. 1, in which the casing is shown transparent. Figure 1

[0039] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the casing of the wheel unit of Fig. 1, showing the deformable curved front portion obtained from the plastic material of the casing before plugging. Figure 1

[0040] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the casing of the wheel unit of Fig. 1, showing the housing for receiving the valve seat and the secondary deformable curved portion. Figure 1

[0041] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the metal insert comprising the curved front portion and the rear portion.

[0042] Figure 6 [ Figure 6 ] Figure 1 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the valve of the wheel unit of Fig. 1.

[0043] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the arrangement of the metal insert of Fig. 5 and the valve seat of Fig. 6. Figure 5 Figure 6 [DETAILED DESCRIPTION] ​​​​​​

[0044] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An example of a wheel unit 1 according to the application is shown. The wheel unit 1 is a valve sensor mounted in a per se known manner through an aperture in a wheel rim (not shown).

[0045] The terms "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "lateral" are defined in relation to the position of the sensor as shown. Figure 1 The terms "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "lateral" are defined in relation to the position of the sensor as shown.

[0046] The wheel unit 1 comprises a casing 10, a measuring module 20 (visible in Figure 2 through the transparent casing 10), a power supply battery 25 (also visible in Figure 2 through the transparent casing 10) and a valve 30.

[0047] The measuring module 20 is configured to measure, in a per se known manner, the pressure of the air inside the wheel. The measuring module can also be configured, for example, to measure the temperature of the air inside the tyre and the radial acceleration of the wheel unit 1 and therefore of the wheel itself.

[0048] As shown in Figure 2 , the casing 10 extends along a longitudinal axis X and defines an internal space in which the measuring module 20 is mounted (the casing 10 is shown in a transparent manner in Figure 2 ).

[0049] With reference to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the casing 10 comprises an upper wall 101, lateral walls 102 and a lower wall 103 made of the same material, for example by overmoulding a plastic material.

[0050] The casing 10 comprises, on its upper wall 101, a rectangular housing 110 in which a through aperture 110A is formed, visible in particular in Figure 1 , thus allowing the air to be delivered to the measuring module 20.

[0051] With reference to Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the casing 10 also comprises, on its upper wall 101, two projecting walls 120 projecting perpendicularly to said upper wall 101 and parallel to each other. The casing 10 also comprises, on its upper wall 101, stiffeners 130 projecting perpendicularly to said upper wall 101 and parallel to each other.

[0052] The two projecting walls 120 and the stiffeners 130 each support a curved upper portion 140.

[0053] The casing 10 comprises a convex front wall 150 extending upwardly from the lateral wall 102. The front wall 150 connects the two projecting walls 120 and the two curved upper portions 140 so as to form with the upper wall 101 a housing 160 open at its upper portion. An opening 150A is formed in the front wall 150 and opens into the housing 160.

[0054] With reference Figure 5 , the casing 10 comprises a metal insert 170 embedded in the material of the front wall 150, for example by molding or overmolding. The insert 170 comprises two wings 171 extending parallel to each other and connected by a connecting arm 172. Each wing 171 has a curved front portion 171A and a curved rear portion 171B.

[0055] As Figure 3 illustrated, the curved front portion 171A projects from the front face of the front wall 150.

[0056] As Figure 4 illustrated, the curved rear portion 171B projects from the rear face of the front wall 150.

[0057] The valve 30 comprises a valve body 310, a cap 320, a clamp ring 330, a union nut 340 and a valve seat 350.

[0058] The valve body 310 is in the form of a tubular element and is configured to be positioned through an orifice in the rim of a wheel so as to project beyond the rim and to allow the tire to be inflated from the outside of the wheel in a manner known per se.

[0059] The valve body 310 extends along a longitudinal axis Y between a threaded free end, called "air inlet" end, intended to be placed outside the rim and on which the cap 320 is threadedly coupled, and a connecting end connected to the valve seat 350.

[0060] The clamp ring 330 comprises a flat face 331 Figure 5 on the side facing the casing 10 and a front face 332 intended to bear against the inner face of the rim, thereby compressing the seal 331. Two ribs 151 extend from the front wall 150 and are formed from the material of said front wall 150 and prevent the rotation of the clamp ring 330 Figure 1 once mounted against the two flat faces 333 of the clamp ring 330.

[0061] The union nut 340 serves to fix the valve 30 on the outer face of the rim by cooperating with the clamp ring 330 located on the inner side of the rim.

[0062] The valve seat 350 is connected to the valve body 310 by its connecting end and extends perpendicularly to said valve body 310 along the longitudinal axis Z on both sides of the connecting end. The valve seat 350 is mounted in the housing 160 with a certain play and such that the valve body 310 extends through the opening 150A. The two projecting walls 120 prevent the valve seat 350 from rotating around the longitudinal axis Y of the valve body 310.

[0063] With reference to Figure 7 When the valve 30 is clamped on the rim (not visible for the sake of clarity), the flat face 331 of the clamping ring 330 will wedge (i.e. extrude) the curved front portion 171A, while the valve seat 350 rests on the curved rear portion 171B, thus ensuring optimal clamping.

[0064] Examples of embodiments

[0065] The wheel unit 1 takes the form of a unitary element, i.e. the valve seat 350 is mounted in the housing 160.

[0066] To mount the wheel unit 1 on the rim, the valve 30 is placed in the aperture in the rim until the clamping ring 330 abuts against the inner face of the rim. Depending on the embodiment, the position of the wheel unit 1 can be adjusted by pivoting the valve 30 around the longitudinal axis Z of the valve seat 350, the domed front face of which abuts against the curved portion 171B of the insert 170 and the rear face of the front wall 150 of the casing 10, or preferably against the curved projecting portion 171B only.

[0067] Next, the union nut 340 is screwed from the outside of the rim until it abuts against the outer face of the rim.

[0068] By tightening the union nut 340 against the outer face of the rim, the flat face 331 of the clamping ring 330 will wedge (i.e. extrude) the curved front portion 171A, while the valve seat 350 rests on the curved rear portion 171B, possibly wedging these curved rear portions as well, thus ensuring a reliable and optimal clamping.

[0069] The invention thus makes it possible to fix the wheel unit 1 simply, effectively and quickly, while guaranteeing high resistance to load situations (clamping, extrusion, rotation of the wheel, vibrations, etc. related to the mounting of the tyre on the rim) and optimal airtightness of the seal supported by the clamping ring.

Claims

1. A wheel unit (1) for a motor vehicle wheel, comprising a housing (10) made of plastic material, a measuring module (20) mounted inside the housing (10) and configured to measure at least the air pressure inside the wheel, and a valve (30) comprising: - a metal valve body (310) configured to be positioned in an orifice in a rim and to extend between an air inlet free end equipped with a cap (320) and a connection end, - a metal clamping ring (330) placed around the valve body (310) and configured to abut, via a front face (332) of the clamping ring, an internal face of the rim so as to compress a seal, and comprising a rear face (331) opposite the front face (332), - a union nut (340) configured to be placed around the valve body (310) and to abut an external face of the rim so as to fix the wheel unit (1) on the rim by cooperation of the rim with the clamping ring (330), - a metal valve seat (350) connected to the valve body (310) by its connection end and extending along a longitudinal axis (Z) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (Y) of the valve body (310) on both sides of the connection end, said valve seat (350) being mounted with clearance in a housing (160) formed in an upper portion of the housing (10) so as to pivot around the longitudinal axis (Z) of the valve seat (350) and so that the valve body (310) extends out of the housing (10) through an opening (150A) formed in a front wall (150) of the housing (10), the wheel unit (1) being characterized in that the housing (10) comprises a built-in metal insert (170) integrated into said front wall (150), said insert (170) comprising at least two curved portions (171A, 171B) projecting from the front wall (150) and configured to come into contact with the valve (30) to lock said valve (30) against the front wall (150) while maintaining a clearance to prevent the clamping ring (330) and / or the valve seat (350) from coming into contact with the plastic portion of the front wall (150).

2. The wheel unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein The insert (170) comprises two deformable curved front portions (171A) projecting from a front face of the front wall (150) of the housing (10) and each configured to abut against a rear face of the clamping ring (330) and to be jammed by said clamping ring (330) when the union nut (340) is tightened against the rim, the clamping ring not coming into contact with the front wall (150) of the housing (10).

3. The wheel unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, In the case where the valve seat (350) has a domed front face facing the rear face of the front wall (150), the insert (170) comprises two curved rear portions (171B) protruding from the rear face of the front wall (150) of the casing (10) and shaped so as to conform to the domed front face of the valve seat (350).

4. The wheel unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The insert (170) is monolithic.

5. The wheel unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The insert (170) comprises two wings (171) connected by a connecting arm (172), each wing having a curved front portion (171A).

6. The wheel unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The insert (170) is metallic, for example made of steel.

7. The wheel unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The rear face of the clamping ring (330) is planar or curved.

8. The wheel unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The clamping ring (330) is metallic.

9. A method of mounting a wheel unit (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: - inserting the valve body (310) into the valve orifice in the rim, - positioning the valve (30) by pivoting about the longitudinal axis (Z) of the valve seat (350), - fitting the union nut (340) around the valve body (310), - tightening the union nut (340) against the front face of the rim so that the rear face (331) of the clamping ring (330) plugs the curved front portion (171A) of the insert (170).

10. A wheel for a motor vehicle comprising a wheel unit (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A motor vehicle comprising at least one wheel as claimed in the preceding claim.

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