Adjustable TPMS Valve Insert for Multi-Rim Sensor Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing tire inflation valves for vehicles, particularly trucks, lack an adjustable system to accommodate different rim shapes, sizes, and TPMS sensor orientations, complicating their installation and ensuring safety during mounting.
Innovation Solution
A tire inflation valve with an adjustable insert that allows the TPMS sensor to be positioned and adjusted relative to the valve head, enabling compatibility with various rim configurations and ensuring secure fastening without compromising safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a standardized valve design is used, then manufacturing and inventory management are simplified, but adaptability to different rim configurations and sensor orientations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is divided into a fixed body portion and a separate adjustable sensor mounting portion. The sensor mounting portion can be independently positioned and secured at different angles relative to the valve body, allowing adaptation to various rim configurations while keeping the main valve body standardized for easy manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor mounting portion is designed to be adjustable and repositionable after assembly, transforming a static standardized valve into a dynamic system that can adapt its sensor orientation to match different rim shapes and sizes, thereby resolving the contradiction between standardization and adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple specialized valve types are produced for different truck applications, then adaptability to specific rim and sensor configurations is improved, but device complexity and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single standardized valve body design incorporates a universal adjustable sensor mounting mechanism that can accommodate multiple sensor orientations and different rim configurations. This eliminates the need for multiple specialized valve types, reducing inventory complexity while maintaining broad adaptability across truck applications.
3Manufacturing precision
If the TPMS sensor is rigidly fixed to the valve head, then sensor positioning is precise, but adaptability to different rim shapes and sizes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mounting mechanism transitions from a rigid fixed connection to a dynamic adjustable connection. The sensor can be positioned precisely on the valve body and then secured at various angles relative to the rim, achieving both positioning accuracy and adaptability through the adjustable mounting portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between sensor and valve is segmented into a positioning interface (for precision) and a mounting interface (for adjustability). This allows the sensor to be precisely positioned on the valve body while the entire assembly can be adjusted to different orientations on the rim.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the valve design accommodates all possible rim configurations, then adaptability is maximized, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is segmented into a simple standardized body and a separate adjustable sensor mounting portion. This segmentation allows the main body to remain simple for easy manufacturing, while the mounting portion provides the necessary adaptability through its adjustable design.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than designing a complex static valve that accommodates all configurations, the solution uses a dynamic adjustable mounting mechanism on a simple valve body. This approach achieves universal adaptability through post-assembly adjustment rather than through complex pre-designed structural variations.
Data Source
Figure 1~3a
Figure 3b~3d
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
A tire inflation valve (1) associable with a TPMS sensor comprises a stem (8) ending in a head (11) equipped with a head body (111). Such valve is characterized in that it comprises an adjustable insert (2) associable with a TPMS sensor (3) by means of a connection means (4) and hinged to the head body (111) to rotate about a transverse axis (Z) and allow the adjustment of the position of the sensor (3). Such solution allows to achieve a single valve suitable for all needs, since, by virtue of the adjustable insert (2) it is possible to modify the inclination of the TPMS sensor according to the different use conditions.