Tire valve and cover sleeve

Abstract

[Problem] To provide technology that makes it possible to make the fixation of a tire valve to a rim more stable than before. [Solution] A tire valve according to the present disclosure comprises: a valve stem which is configured so as to accommodate a valve core; an elastomeric press fit member which covers the outer surface of the valve stem and which is configured to be press-fitted into a through hole of the rim of a tire wheel from the inner surface side of the rim and thereby be attached so as to penetrate the rim and extend across the inner side and the outer side of the rim; a rigid cover sleeve which is configured to be fitted on the outer side of the press fit member from the front end side of the press fit member and thereby butt against the outer surface of the rim; a first retaining and engaging part which is provided in a part of the valve stem that is exposed from the press fit member forward and in the cover sleeve and which causes the valve stem and the cover sleeve to engage with each other and thereby restricts the axial movement of the cover sleeve; and a second retaining and engaging part which is provided in the press fit member and in the cover sleeve and which causes the press fit member and the cover sleeve to engage with each other and thereby restricts the axial movement the cover sleeve.

Description

Tire valves and cover sleeves

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tire valve attached to a tire wheel and a cover sleeve used for the tire valve.

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of tire valve, there is known a type (commonly called a "snap-in valve") that is attached by being press-fitted into a valve mounting hole of a tire wheel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] JP 2007-153298 A (paragraph

[0039] , FIG. 8)

[0004] However, the conventional tire valves described above can tilt due to centrifugal force when the tire rotates. Therefore, the present application provides a technology that enables the tire valve to be fixed to the rim more stably than before.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the tire valve of the present disclosure is a tire valve comprising: a valve stem configured to accommodate a valve core; an elastomer press-in member that covers the outer surface of the valve stem and is configured to be pressed into a through hole in a rim of a tire wheel from the inner surface of the rim and attached in a state where it penetrates the rim inward and outward; a rigid cover sleeve that is fitted onto the outside of the press-in member from its tip end and abuts against the outer surface of the rim; a first anti-removal engagement portion that is provided on the portion of the valve stem exposed forward from the press-in member and on the cover sleeve, and that engage with each other to restrict axial movement of the cover sleeve; and a second anti-removal engagement portion that is provided on the press-in member and the cover sleeve, and that engage with each other to restrict axial movement of the cover sleeve.

[0006] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a tire valve and a tire wheel according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a tire valve body; FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a cover sleeve at an intermediate stage of being attached to the tire valve body; FIG. 4 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a base end portion of a tire valve; FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a cover sleeve according to a second embodiment; FIG. 6 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a base end portion of a tire valve according to a third embodiment;

[0007] [First Embodiment] A tire valve 10A according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. As shown in Figure 1, the tire valve 10A of this embodiment is formed by assembling a cover sleeve 50A, a condition monitoring device 60, a cap 36, and the like to a tire valve main body 10X. This tire valve 10A is a so-called snap-in valve, and the tire valve main body 10X is press-fitted into a valve mounting hole 92 in a rim 91 of a tire wheel 90 with the cover sleeve 50A removed (see Figure 2). The cover sleeve 50A is then attached to the portion of the tire valve main body 10X that is outside the rim 91.

[0008] First, the tire valve body 10X will be described. Here, the right end of the tire valve body 10X in Figures 1 and 2 forms the "tip end," and the opposite side forms the "base end." Hereinafter, for each component of the tire valve 10A, the right side in Figures 1 and 2 will be referred to as the "tip side" and the opposite side as the "base end," similar to the tire valve body 10X.

[0009] The tire valve body 10X includes a valve core 20, a valve stem 30A that houses the valve core 20, and a press-fit member 40A that covers a longitudinal intermediate portion of the valve stem 30A.

[0010] The valve stem 30A is, for example, a metal pipe, and as shown in Fig. 2, has a stepped surface 31D at a longitudinal midpoint on its outer surface. The distal end of the stepped surface 31D forms a large-diameter portion 31A, while the proximal end forms a small-diameter portion 31E. The large-diameter portion 31A is provided with, in order from the distal end, a first male thread portion 31B and a second male thread portion 31C. The first male thread portion 31B is threadedly engaged with the female thread portion 36N of the cap 36. The screw bottom diameter of the second male thread portion 31C is larger than the outer diameter of the cap 36. This allows the cover sleeve 50A to be attached to the tire valve body 10X with the cap 36 attached to the first male thread portion 31B.

[0011] A flange 31F projects from the small diameter portion 31E at a midpoint in the axial direction. The flange 31F has a triangular cross section and includes a flat surface facing the tip end of the valve stem 30A and a tapered surface facing the base end. The small diameter portion 31E is provided with an intermediate large diameter portion 31G adjacent to the base end of the flange 31F, with an outer diameter slightly larger than that of the entire small diameter portion 31E.

[0012] The inside of the valve stem 30A is provided with female threads 32A, 32B at the tip and base ends. Furthermore, inside the large diameter section 31A of the valve stem 30A, a tapered section 32C and a minimum inner diameter section 32D are provided closer to the base end than the female thread 32A, and the diameter gradually decreases toward the minimum inner diameter section 32D. The valve stem 30A is provided with an air vent 33 that penetrates the valve stem 30A in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction at a position closer to the base end, just before the female thread 32B.

[0013] Although the valve stem 30A in this embodiment is made of metal, it may be made of a non-metallic material such as resin as long as it is made of a rigid material.

[0014] The valve core 20 is a general-purpose component commonly used in various tire valves, and has the following structure. Specifically, the valve core 20 includes a support tube 21, a movable shaft 24 penetrating the support tube 21, and a compression coil spring (not shown). The support tube 21 is configured by rotatably connecting a cylindrical head 23 to one end of a cylindrical base 22. A bridge portion 23B spanning the opening of the cylindrical head 23 is provided on the end face of the cylindrical head 23 opposite the cylindrical base 22. A through-hole (not shown) is formed in the bridge portion 23B coaxially with the central axis of the cylindrical head 23. A thread portion 23N is formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical head 23. The outer diameter of the cylindrical base 22 gradually decreases with increasing distance from the cylindrical head 23.

[0015] The movable shaft 24 penetrates the support cylindrical portion 21, with both ends protruding from the support cylindrical portion 21. One end of the movable shaft 24 protruding from the cylindrical base portion 22 is provided with a flange portion having a thin dish structure, within which a sealing member (not shown) is received to form the valve body 24A. The other end of the movable shaft 24 is provided with a spring retaining flange 24C. A compression coil spring (not shown) inserted through the movable shaft 24 is sandwiched between the bridge portion 23B and the spring retaining flange 24C, and the elastic force of the compression coil spring presses the valve body 24A against the end face opening of the support cylindrical portion 21.

[0016] The valve core 20 is inserted into the valve stem 30A from the tip end side, and is assembled so that the outer surface of the cylindrical base portion 22 and the inner surface of the valve stem 30A are in close contact (a so-called metal seal state) by the threaded engagement of the threaded portion 23N of the cylindrical head portion 23 with the female threaded portion 32A of the valve stem 30A. The valve core 20 allows fluid to pass from the tip end to the base end of the valve stem 30A, but prevents fluid from passing in the opposite direction.

[0017] The press-fit member 40A is tubular and covers the valve stem 30A from the tip of the small-diameter portion 31E to a position just before the vent hole 33. The press-fit member 40A is made of vulcanized rubber and molded onto the outside of the valve stem 30A. The tip surface of the press-fit member 40A is vulcanized and bonded to the stepped surface 31D of the valve stem 30A, and the inner surface of the press-fit member 40A is vulcanized and bonded to the outer surface of the valve stem 30A over a range from the tip of the small-diameter portion 31E to a midpoint of the intermediate-large-diameter portion 31G. The inner surface of the press-fit member 40A extends from a midpoint of the intermediate-large-diameter portion 31G to a position closer to the base end, forming a medium-diameter hole 49A that is slightly larger than the intermediate-large-diameter portion 31G. The medium-diameter hole 49A expands the diameter of the medium-diameter hole 49A on the base end side to form a large-diameter hole 49B that is stepped in diameter from the medium-diameter hole 49A.

[0018] The outer surface of the press-fit member 40A is composed of, in order from the tip, a small-diameter portion 41, a tapered guide portion 42, a triangular ridge 43, a fitting portion 44, and a proximal large-diameter portion 45. The small-diameter portion 41 has an outer diameter slightly larger than that of the proximal end of the large-diameter portion 31A of the valve stem 30A and extends to a position just before the flange 31F. The outer diameter of the fitting portion 44 is larger than that of the small-diameter portion 41, and the outer diameter of the proximal large-diameter portion 45 is even larger than that of the fitting portion 44. The tapered guide portion 42 gradually increases in diameter from the proximal end of the small-diameter portion 41 toward the distal end of the fitting portion 44. The proximal end of the tapered guide portion 42 is slightly larger than the fitting portion 44 and then tapers slightly toward the fitting portion 44, forming a triangular ridge 43 that protrudes slightly from the distal end of the fitting portion 44. The step surface 45D between the fitting portion 44 and the large diameter base portion 45 is recessed in the shape of an annular groove, and the outer edge thereof forms a thin lip 45L.

[0019] The tire valve main body 10X is press-fitted into the valve mounting hole 92 of the tire wheel 90 as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 1 , the valve mounting hole 92 penetrates, for example, a tapered portion 91B that protrudes diagonally from the outer edge of a cylindrical portion 91A parallel to the central axis of the rim 91 of the tire wheel 90. The tire valve main body 10X is inserted into the valve mounting hole 92 from the tip end side on the inner surface of the rim 91. Then, the tapered guide portion 42 of the press-fitting member 40A abuts against the opening edge of the valve mounting hole 92. When the tire valve main body 10X is then pressed into the valve mounting hole 92, as shown in FIG. 3 , the press-fitting member 40A is deformed by reducing its diameter, and the stepped surface 45D of the proximal large diameter portion 45 abuts against the inner surface of the rim 91, thereby positioning the tire valve main body 10X relative to the tire wheel 90. In this state, the portion of the fitting portion 44 of the press-fitting member 40A that is positioned outside the rim 91 tapers continuously from the triangular ridge 43 to form a rim-facing surface 46 that faces the outer surface of the rim 91. An outer large-diameter portion 47 is formed, with the rim-facing surface 46 and the tapered guide portion 42 back-to-back. Inside the press-fitting member 40A, the medium-diameter hole portion 49A is in close contact with the valve stem 30A. A condition monitoring device 60 and a cover sleeve 50A, which will be described later, are attached to the tire valve main body 10X press-fitted onto the tire wheel 90 in this manner. The inner edge of the tire 94 engages with the outer edge of the tapered portion 91B of the rim 91 that is distant from the cylindrical portion 91A.

[0020] Although the valve stem 30A in this embodiment is made of vulcanized rubber, it may be made of a material other than vulcanized rubber, such as a soft resin, as long as it is made of elastomer.

[0021] The condition monitoring device 60 has a structure in which a battery and a circuit board (not shown) on which a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and a wireless circuit are mounted are packaged in a housing 61 shown in Fig. 2. A mounting hole 62 penetrates the housing 61, and one end of the mounting hole 62 is stepped to reduce its diameter. The valve stem 30A is inserted into the larger diameter side of the mounting hole 62, with the end face of the valve stem 30A abutting against the stepped surface of the mounting hole 62. A bolt 63 is inserted into the mounting hole 62 from the smaller diameter side and tightened into the female thread portion 32B of the valve stem 30A, thereby fixing the condition monitoring device 60 to the base end of the valve stem 30A.

[0022] The condition monitoring device 60 and the cap 36 may be attached to the tire valve body 10X before the tire valve body 10X is attached to the tire wheel 90. Furthermore, the method of fixing the condition monitoring device 60 to the valve stem 30A is not limited to the structure described above. For example, a male thread may be formed on the outer surface of the base end of the valve stem 30A, and a female thread that screws into the male thread may be provided on the condition monitoring device 60. Furthermore, although the tire valve 10A of this embodiment is equipped with the condition monitoring device 60, it is not necessary to have such a device.

[0023] The cover sleeve 50A is made of, for example, metal and includes a large-diameter receiving portion 52A on the proximal side of the small cylindrical portion 51, as shown in FIG. 3. The large-diameter receiving portion 52A includes a large cylindrical portion 54 having a larger diameter than the small cylindrical portion 51, an expanded-diameter portion 53 connecting the large cylindrical portion 54 and the small cylindrical portion 51, and a reduced-diameter portion 55 whose diameter decreases from the large cylindrical portion 54 toward the proximal end. The reduced-diameter portion 55 has a shorter axial length than the large cylindrical portion 54, and the opening diameter on the proximal side of the reduced-diameter portion 55 is larger than the opening diameter on the proximal side of the small cylindrical portion 51. The inner diameter of the distal end of the small cylindrical portion 51 is smaller than the inner diameter of the entire small cylindrical portion 51, and a female thread portion 51N is formed therein. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the proximal end surface of the cover sleeve 50A is flat and substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the cover sleeve 50A, and the inner opening edge of the proximal opening of the cover sleeve 50A is chamfered in an R-shape.

[0024] The cover sleeve 50A is attached to the tire valve body 10X as follows: The cover sleeve 50A is inserted into the tire valve body 10X with the base end opening of the cover sleeve 50A facing the tip of the tire valve body 10X, which has been press-fitted onto the rim 91 of the tire wheel 90. Then, as shown in Figure 3, the female thread portion 51N of the cover sleeve 50A abuts against the second male thread portion 31C of the valve stem 30A near the position where the base end of the cover sleeve 50A abuts against the tapered guide portion 42 of the press-fit member 40A. Therefore, by rotating the cover sleeve 50A to deepen the engagement between the female screw portion 51N and the second male screw portion 31C, the base end of the cover sleeve 50A passes through the outermost diameter portion of the outer large diameter portion 47, and by further deepening the engagement, as shown in FIG. 4 , the large diameter receiving portion 52A engages with the outer large diameter portion 47, and the base end face of the cover sleeve 50A abuts against the outer surface of the rim 91. Specifically, the outermost diameter portion of the outer large diameter portion 47 is in close contact with the large cylindrical portion 54 of the large diameter receiving portion 52A, the reduced diameter portion 55 faces the rim-facing surface 46 of the outer large diameter portion 47, and the base end face of the cover sleeve 50A faces the outer surface of the rim 91. This completes the attachment of the cover sleeve 50A to the tire valve body 10X, and the installation of the tire valve 10A to the tire wheel 90.

[0025] Although the cover sleeve 50A of this embodiment is made of metal, it does not have to be made of metal as long as it is made of a rigid body, and may be made of resin or ceramics.

[0026] This completes the description of the structure of the tire valve 10A of this embodiment. Next, the operation and effect of this tire valve 10A will be described. As described above, in the tire valve 10A of this embodiment, the press-fit member 40A covering the valve stem 30A is press-fitted into the valve mounting hole 92 of the tire wheel 90, and then the cover sleeve 50A is fitted onto the press-fit member 40A on the outside of the rim 91 and abuts against the outer surface of the rim 91. As a result, even if centrifugal force caused by rotation of the tire wheel 90 acts to tilt the tire valve 10A, the cover sleeve 50A abuts against the rim 91, restricting tilting of the tire valve 10A relative to the rim 91. Here, the cover sleeve 50A is prevented from coming off by a first anti-removal engagement portion 98 provided on the cover sleeve 50A and the valve stem 30A, and a second anti-removal engagement portion 99 provided on the cover sleeve 50A and the press-fit member 40A. The first retaining engagement portion 98 is an engagement between rigid bodies, so it can obtain a high engagement force, and the second retaining engagement portion 99 is an engagement between a rigid body and an elastic body, so it can prevent rattle. The cooperation of the first retaining engagement portion 98 and the second retaining engagement portion 99 suppresses rattle due to vibration and restricts axial movement of the cover sleeve 50A with a high engagement force. This stabilizes the fixation of the cover sleeve 50A, suppresses tilting of the tire valve 10A, and stabilizes the fixation of the tire valve 10A to the rim 91.

[0027] 4, the second anti-slip engagement portion 99 restricts axial movement of the cover sleeve 50A by two types of engagement: frictional engagement between the large cylindrical portion 54 of the large diameter receiving portion 52A and the apex of the outer large diameter portion 47, and engagement between the reduced diameter portion 55 of the large diameter receiving portion 52A and the rim-facing surface 46 of the outer large diameter portion 47. The restriction of rotation of the cover sleeve 50A by frictional engagement restricts loosening of the threaded engagement between the second male screw portion 31C and the female screw portion 51N, which constitute the first anti-slip engagement portion 98, and even if the threaded engagement loosens to a certain extent, further loosening of the threaded engagement between the second male screw portion 31C and the female screw portion 51N is restricted by the opposition of the reduced diameter portion 55 and the rim-facing surface 46. This prevents the cover sleeve 50A from loosening its engagement with the tire valve body 10X, enabling stable tilting regulation by the cover sleeve 50A, even if centrifugal force that tilts the tire valve 10A is repeatedly generated by the rotation of the tire wheel 90. Note that, although the second retaining engagement portion 99 of this embodiment includes two types of engagement, frictional engagement and opposing engagement, it may be configured to include only one of these.

[0028] Furthermore, as in a tire valve 10F of a sixth embodiment (see FIG. 9 ) described later, a bent engagement piece 58 may be provided inside the cover sleeve 50F as the second anti-removal engagement portion 99F of the cover sleeve 50F, but if a structure is adopted in which the outer large diameter portion 47 of the press-fit member 40A engages with the large diameter receiving portion 52A of the cover sleeve 50A that receives it, as in the present embodiment, the second anti-removal engagement portion 99 engages with the entire circumferential direction of the cover sleeve 50A and the press-fit member 40A, thereby stabilizing the engagement. Furthermore, since the outer large diameter portion 47 is provided with the tapered guide portion 42 on the side opposite to the rim-facing surface 46, the reduced diameter portion 55 of the cover sleeve 50A smoothly rides over the outermost portion of the outer large diameter portion 47 of the press-fit member 40A, making it easy to attach the cover sleeve 50A.

[0029] Furthermore, because the reduced diameter portion 55 of the cover sleeve 50A has a tapered shape that narrows toward the rim 91, the area where the cover sleeve 50A abuts against the outer surface of the rim 91 is kept within a narrow range, making it possible to attach the tire valve 10A to tire wheels 90 that have protrusions near the valve attachment hole 92. In other words, the tire valve 10A of this embodiment can be attached to a wider variety of tire wheels 90.

[0030] 5 has a structure in which the cover sleeve 50B of the present embodiment, shown in Fig. 5, is similar to the cover sleeve 50A of the first embodiment, but includes a plurality of slits 57. Specifically, the plurality of (e.g., four to eight) slits 57 are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction of the large diameter receiving portion 52B and extend from the base end of the expanded diameter portion 53 to the base end of the reduced diameter portion 55. According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the plurality of slits 57 divide the base end of the large diameter receiving portion 52B into a plurality of protruding pieces, which facilitates the expansion and contraction deformation of the base end of the cover sleeve 50B and facilitates attachment of the cover sleeve 50B to the tire valve body 10X.

[0031] [Third embodiment] The cover sleeve 50C of this embodiment shown in Figure 6 differs from the first embodiment only in that the reduced diameter portion 55C of the large diameter receiving portion 52C has a stepped structure in which the diameter is reduced from the large cylindrical portion 54.

[0032] Fourth Embodiment A cover sleeve 50D of this embodiment shown in FIG. 7 has a structure in which an extension tubular portion 56 is extended from the base end of the reduced diameter portion 55 of the cover sleeve 50A of the first embodiment.

[0033] [Fifth embodiment] In the cover sleeve 50E of this embodiment shown in Figure 8, an annular protrusion 55T with a triangular cross section is provided on the inner surface of the reduced diameter portion 55 of the cover sleeve 50A of the first embodiment, and the annular protrusion 55T is adapted to bite into the rim opposing surface 46 of the press-fit member 40A.

[0034] [Sixth Embodiment] The cover sleeve 50F of the tire valve 10F of this embodiment shown in Figure 9 does not have a reduced diameter portion 55 in the large diameter receiving portion 52F, and has a structure in which the large cylindrical portion 54 extends to a position where it can abut against the outer surface of the rim 91. Furthermore, the cover sleeve 50F has a plurality of engagement pieces 58 formed by cutting off multiple protruding pieces from the base end of the small cylindrical portion 51 and bending them inward at a right angle. Furthermore, an annular groove 41M is formed in the small diameter portion 41 of the press-fit member 40A, and the surface of the annular groove 41M facing the rim 91 is a groove side surface, and the multiple engagement pieces 58 engage with the rim-facing surface 46F so as to face each other. The multiple engagement pieces 58 and the rim-facing surface 46F form second anti-detachment engagement portions 99F.

[0035] [Seventh Embodiment] The tire valve 10G of this embodiment shown in FIG. 10 differs from the first embodiment in the structure of the first retaining engagement portion 98G. Specifically, the large-diameter portion 31A at the distal end of the valve stem 30G has a stepped diameter expansion from the first male thread portion 31B at its proximal end, where an annular groove 31M is formed. Furthermore, the cover sleeve 50G has multiple engagement pieces 59 formed by cutting off multiple protruding pieces from the distal end of the small cylindrical portion 51 and bending them inward at a right angle. The multiple engagement pieces 59 engage with the groove side surface 31N of the annular groove 31M facing the rim 91 so that they face each other. That is, the groove side surface 31N and the engagement pieces 59 form the first retaining engagement portion 98G. Although not shown, an E-ring, for example, may be attached to the annular groove 31M so that the distal end surface of the cover sleeve 50G abuts against the E-ring.

[0036] Eighth Embodiment In the tire valve 10A of the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the large diameter portion 31A at the tip side of the valve stem 30A had a first male thread portion 31B onto which the cap 36 is threaded and a second male thread portion 31C onto which the cover sleeve 50A is threaded, each having a different diameter and provided separately. However, in the valve stem 30H of a tire valve 10H of this embodiment shown in Fig. 11, the first male thread portion 31B is formed over the entire large diameter portion 31A, and the female thread portion 51N of the cover sleeve 50A is threaded onto the base end of the large diameter portion 31A, and the female thread portion 36N of the cap 36 is threaded onto the tip end of the large diameter portion 31A. In addition, the tip end of the cover sleeve 50A of this embodiment is provided with a tool engagement portion 80 having a hexagonal planar shape. In this embodiment, the female screw portion 51N of the cover sleeve 50A and the first male screw portion 31B of the valve stem 30H form a first retaining engagement portion 98H.

[0037] 12, a tire valve 10J of the present embodiment is provided with a cover sleeve 50J in which the cap 36 of the eighth embodiment and a cover sleeve 50A are integrated, and the tip end of a valve stem 30J is closed. In this embodiment, a first retaining engagement portion 98J is formed by the female thread portion 51N of the cover sleeve 50J and the first male thread portion 31B of the valve stem 30J.

[0038] <Supplementary Notes> Below, the group of features extracted from the above embodiment will be explained, indicating, as necessary, the effects, etc. Note that, for ease of understanding, the corresponding configurations in the above embodiment will be indicated in parentheses as appropriate below, but these group of features are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses.

[0039] [Feature 1] A rigid valve stem (30A) configured to accommodate a valve core (20), an elastomer press-fitting member (40A) configured to cover the outer surface of the valve stem (30A) and be press-fitted into a valve mounting hole (92) of a rim (91) of a tire wheel (90) from the inner surface side of the rim (91) so as to be attached in a state in which the rim (91) penetrates from inside to outside, and a rigid valve stem (30A) configured to be fitted from the tip side to the outside of the press-fitting member (40A) and be abutted against the outer surface of the rim (91). a cover sleeve (50A) of the valve stem (30A), a first anti-removal engagement portion (98) provided on the cover sleeve (50A) and a portion of the valve stem (30A) exposed forward from the press-fit member (40A), and the first anti-removal engagement portion (98) engages with the cover sleeve (50A) so as to restrict axial movement of the cover sleeve (50A), and a second anti-removal engagement portion (99) provided on the press-fit member (40A) and the cover sleeve (50A), and engages with the cover sleeve (50A) so as to restrict axial movement of the cover sleeve (50A).

[0040] [Feature 2] The press-fit member (40A) is provided with a rim-facing surface (46) that is disposed outside the rim (91) and faces the rim (91) as the second removal prevention engagement portion (99), and the second removal prevention engagement portion (99) of the cover sleeve (50A) is disposed opposite the rim-facing surface (46) of the press-fit member (40A).

[0041] [Feature 3] The tire valve (10A) according to Feature 1 or 2, wherein the press-fitting member (40A) has an outer large diameter portion (47) that has an outer diameter larger than the valve attachment hole (92) when attached to the valve attachment hole (92) and includes a rim-facing surface (46) that faces the outer surface of the rim (91), the cover sleeve (50A) is provided with a large diameter receiving portion (52A) that receives the outer large diameter portion (47) and has at least a portion that forms a reduced diameter portion (55) that faces the rim-facing surface (46), and the opposing portions of the rim-facing surface (46) and the reduced diameter portion (55) form the second removal prevention engagement portion (99).

[0042] [Feature 4] The tire valve (10A) according to Feature 3, wherein the outer large diameter portion (47) is provided, on the opposite side of the rim-facing surface (46), with a tapered guide portion (42) whose diameter decreases with increasing distance from the rim (91).

[0043] [Feature 5] The tire valve (10A) according to Feature 3 or 4, wherein the reduced diameter portion (55) has a tapered shape narrowing toward the rim (91).

[0044] [Feature 6] The tire valve (10A) according to Feature 5, wherein an end of the reduced diameter portion (55) abuts against an outer surface of the rim (91).

[0045] [Feature 7] The tire valve (10A) according to any one of Features 3 to 5, further comprising an extension tubular portion (56) extending from the reduced diameter portion (55) and abutting against an outer surface of the rim (91).

[0046] [Feature 8] The tire valve (10A) according to any one of Features 1 to 7, wherein the first anti-removal engagement portion (98) of the cover sleeve (50A) is a female thread portion (51N) formed on an inner surface of the cover sleeve (50A), and the first anti-removal engagement portion (98) of the valve stem (30A) is a male thread portion (31C) that threads into the female thread portion (51N).

[0047] [Feature 9] The tire valve (10H) according to Feature 8, further comprising a cap (36) that closes a tip end of the valve stem (30H) and has a female thread portion (36N) on an inner surface thereof, and the male thread portion (31B) of the valve stem (30H) is configured so that the female thread portion of the cap (36) can be threaded together with the female thread portion (51N) of the cover sleeve (50A).

[0048] [Feature 10] The tire valve (10J) according to Feature 8, wherein the cover sleeve (50J) has a bottom at one end and is configured to close the tip end of the valve stem (30J).

[0049] [Feature 11] The tire valve (10H) according to any one of Features 8 to 10, wherein the cover sleeve (50A) is provided with a tool engagement portion (80) that is hexagonal when viewed in the axial direction.

[0050] [Feature 12] The tire valve (10A) according to any one of Features 1 to 11, further comprising: a base-end exposed portion provided on the valve stem (30A) and protruding from a base-end surface of the press-fit member (40A); and a condition monitoring device (60) attached to the base-end exposed portion to monitor a condition inside the tire (94).

[0051] [Feature 13] A cover sleeve (50A) used for the tire valve (10A) according to any one of Features 1 to 12.

[0052] In the tire valve of Feature 1, a press-fit member covering the valve stem is press-fitted into a valve mounting hole of a tire wheel, and then a cover sleeve is fitted onto the press-fit member on the outside of the rim and abuts against the outer surface of the rim. As a result, even if centrifugal force caused by rotation of the tire wheel acts to tilt the tire valve, the cover sleeve abuts against the rim, restricting tilt of the tire valve relative to the rim. The cover sleeve is prevented from coming off by a first retaining engagement portion provided on the cover sleeve and the valve stem and a second retaining engagement portion provided on the cover sleeve and the press-fit member. The first retaining engagement portion is a rigid-body engagement, providing a high engagement force, while the second retaining engagement portion is a rigid-body engagement, providing an elastic-body engagement, preventing rattle. The cooperation of the first retaining engagement portion and the second retaining engagement portion suppresses rattle due to vibration and restricts axial movement of the cover sleeve with a high engagement force. This stabilizes the fixation of the cover sleeve, suppresses tilting of the tire valve, and stabilizes the fixation of the tire valve to the rim.

[0053] The second anti-pullout engagement portion may be configured so that the second anti-pullout engagement portions of the cover sleeve and the press-in member are frictionally engaged with each other, or as in Feature 2, the press-in member may have a rim-facing surface facing the outer surface of the rim as the second anti-pullout engagement portion, and the second anti-pullout engagement portion of the cover sleeve may be positioned opposite the rim-facing surface. Alternatively, a configuration may be provided that includes both of these.

[0054] The second removal prevention engagement portion of the cover sleeve may be a protrusion that bends into the cover sleeve, or as in Feature 3, the press-fit member may be provided with an outer large diameter portion having an outer diameter larger than the valve mounting hole, and the cover sleeve may be provided with a large diameter receiving portion sized to receive the outer large diameter portion of the press-fit member, so that the rim-facing surface of the outer large diameter portion of the press-fit member and the reduced diameter portion of the large diameter receiving portion of the cover sleeve face each other to form the second removal prevention engagement portion. According to the configuration of Feature 3, the second removal prevention engagement portions engage with each other over the entire circumferential direction of the cover sleeve and the press-fit member, thereby stably engaging the second removal prevention engagement portions with each other.

[0055] In the tire valve of Feature 4, a tapered guide portion that reduces in diameter as it moves away from the rim is provided on the opposite side of the outer large diameter portion of the press-fit member to the rim-facing surface, so that the reduced diameter portion of the cover sleeve smoothly passes over the outermost part of the outer large diameter portion of the press-fit member, making it easy to attach the cover sleeve.

[0056] The reduced diameter portion may be a flat disk-like shape, or may have a tapered shape narrowing toward the rim as in Feature 5. According to the configuration of Feature 5, the area where the cover sleeve abuts on the outer surface of the rim is kept small, making it possible to attach the tire valve to tire wheels that have a protrusion near the valve attachment hole. In other words, the tire valve of Feature 5 can be attached to a wider variety of tire wheels.

[0057] Alternatively, as in Feature 6, the end of the tapered reduced diameter portion may be abutted against the outer surface of the rim, or as in Feature 7, the extension tubular portion extending from the reduced diameter portion may be abutted against the outer surface of the rim.

[0058] The first retaining engagement portion may be an E-ring fixed to the valve stem and the tip surface of the cover sleeve abutting against the E-ring, or may be a male thread portion and a female thread portion formed on the valve stem and the cover sleeve as in Feature 8. Furthermore, as in Feature 9, the male thread portion of the valve stem may be used to thread into both the female thread portion of the cover sleeve and the female thread portion of the cap. Furthermore, the cover sleeve and the cap may be provided separately as in Feature 9, or may be integrated as in Feature 10. Furthermore, if a hexagonal tool engagement portion is provided on the cover sleeve as in Feature 11, the cover sleeve can be easily attached.

[0059] In tire valves such as those of Feature 12, in which a condition monitoring device for monitoring the condition inside the tire is attached to the exposed portion of the base end of the valve stem, the centrifugal force is large, so the effect of the tilting restriction by the cover sleeve described above is greater than in those in which a condition monitoring device is not attached.

[0060] Although the present specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but also includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, and also includes parts of the specific examples taken out alone.

[0061] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10A, 10F, 10G, 10H, 10J Tire valve 20 Valve core 30A, 30G, 30H, 30J Valve stem 31B First male thread portion (first removal prevention engagement portion) 31C Second male thread portion (first removal prevention engagement portion) 31N Groove side surface (first removal prevention engagement portion) 40A Press-fit member 42 Tapered guide portion 46, 46F Rim-facing surface 47 Outer large diameter portion 50A to 50G, 50J Cover sleeve 51N Female thread portion (first removal prevention engagement portion) 52A to 52C, 52F Large diameter receiving portion 54 Large cylindrical portion 55, 55C Reduced diameter portion 55T Annular ridge 56 Extended cylindrical portion 58 Engagement piece (second removal prevention engagement portion) 59 Engagement piece (first removal prevention engagement portion) 60 State monitoring device 80: Tool engagement portion 90: Tire wheel 91: Rim 92: Valve mounting hole 98, 98G, 98H, 98J: First retaining engagement portion 99, 99F: Second retaining engagement portion

Claims

1. A tire valve comprising: a rigid valve stem configured to accommodate a valve core; an elastomer press-in member covering the outer surface of the valve stem, and configured to be press-fitted into a valve mounting hole in a tire wheel rim from the inner surface of the rim so as to be attached in a state where it penetrates the rim from inside to outside; a rigid cover sleeve fitted onto the outside of the press-in member from its tip end so as to abut against the outer surface of the rim; first anti-removal engaging portions provided on the cover sleeve and on a portion of the valve stem exposed forward from the press-in member, which engage with each other to restrict axial movement of the cover sleeve; and second anti-removal engaging portions provided on the press-in member and the cover sleeve, which engage with each other to restrict axial movement of the cover sleeve.

2. A tire valve as described in claim 1, wherein the press-fit member has a rim-facing surface that is positioned outside the rim and faces the rim as the second retaining engagement portion, and the second retaining engagement portion of the cover sleeve is positioned opposite the rim-facing surface of the press-fit member.

3. A tire valve as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the press-in member has an outer large diameter portion which, when attached to the valve mounting hole, has an outer diameter larger than the valve mounting hole and includes a rim-facing surface that faces the outer surface of the rim, the cover sleeve is provided with a large diameter receiving portion that receives the outer large diameter portion and at least a portion of which is a reduced diameter portion that faces the rim-facing surface, and the opposing portions of the rim-facing surface and the reduced diameter portion form the second anti-detachment engagement portion.

4. A tire valve as set forth in claim 3, wherein the outer large diameter portion is provided with a tapered guide portion on the opposite side of the rim-facing surface, the diameter of which decreases with increasing distance from the rim.

5. A tire valve according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the reduced diameter portion has a tapered shape narrowing toward the rim.

6. A tire valve according to claim 5, wherein an end of said reduced diameter portion abuts against the outer surface of said rim.

7. A tire valve according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising an extended tubular portion extending from the reduced diameter portion and abutting against the outer surface of the rim.

8. A tire valve as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first anti-detachment engagement portion of the cover sleeve is a female thread portion formed on the inner surface of the cover sleeve, and the first anti-detachment engagement portion of the valve stem is a male thread portion that screws into the female thread portion.

9. A tire valve according to claim 8, further comprising a cap closing the tip of the valve stem and having a female thread on its inner surface, the male thread of the valve stem being configured so that the female thread of the cap can be threaded together with the female thread of the cover sleeve.

10. The tire valve according to claim 8, wherein the cover sleeve has a bottom at one end and is configured to close the tip end of the valve stem.

11. A tire valve according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the cover sleeve is provided with a tool engaging portion that is hexagonal when viewed in the axial direction.

12. A tire valve as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising: a base-end exposed portion provided on the valve stem and protruding from the base-end surface of the press-fitting member; and a condition monitoring device attached to the base-end exposed portion for monitoring the condition inside the tire.

13. A cover sleeve for use with a tire valve according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

Images