Modular TPMS Valve Stem With Replaceable Battery Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) require costly and time-consuming professional maintenance to replace batteries, which can be dangerous and inconvenient for users, as they need to deflate tires or remove wheels to access the sensors.
Innovation Solution
A modular TPMS sensor design with an externally replaceable battery, where the valve stem core secures the battery and includes a spring-loaded terminal for easy connection and disconnection, allowing battery replacement without removing the tire or deflating it, using a valve stem core designed to removably secure a battery within the valve stem and a sensor configured with an electrical connection to connect the sensor to power from the battery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the battery is integrated into the TPMS sensor housing, then the sensor structure is compact and integrated, but the battery cannot be easily replaced without removing the sensor from the tire
Solution Approach 1:
The TPMS sensor is divided into separate functional modules: the sensor housing mounted on the tire, the valve stem assembly, and the battery compartment. This segmentation allows the battery to be accessed and replaced independently through the valve stem without removing the sensor from the tire, resolving the contradiction between ease of battery replacement and structural integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery is extracted from the main sensor housing and placed in a separate accessible location within the valve stem assembly. This extraction allows users to replace the battery by simply removing the valve stem core, without needing to remove the entire sensor from the tire, thus improving operational ease while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Productivity
If professional mechanics are required to replace TPMS sensor batteries, then battery replacement can be performed reliably, but maintenance costs and time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The valve stem core is designed with a user-friendly removal mechanism that allows tire owners to replace the battery themselves without needing professional mechanical assistance. The spring-loaded core can be easily removed and reinstalled by users, enabling self-service battery replacement that is both fast and sufficiently reliable for this simple maintenance task.
3Ease of operation
If the tire must be deflated to access the TPMS sensor battery, then the battery can be accessed, but safety hazards and inconvenience increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is extracted from the sealed sensor housing and relocated to the valve stem assembly, which remains accessible even when the tire is inflated. Users can remove the valve stem core and access the battery without deflating the tire, eliminating the safety hazards and inconvenience associated with tire deflation while maintaining easy battery accessibility.
4Ease of operation
If the wheel must be removed from the vehicle to replace the TPMS sensor battery, then the battery can be accessed, but time and effort expenditure increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is extracted from the wheel-mounted sensor housing and placed in the valve stem assembly. This allows users to access and replace the battery by simply removing the valve stem core from the inflated tire, without needing to remove the wheel from the vehicle. This dramatically reduces the time and effort required for battery replacement from potentially 30-60 minutes to just a few minutes.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular TPMS sensor with an externally replaceable battery is disclosed. The valve stem facilitates battery replacement with a valve stem core designed to removably secure a battery within the valve stem and a sensor configured with an electrical connection designed to connect the sensor to power from the battery. The valve stem has an interior cavity configured to retain the valve stem core. The battery may be at least partially retained within the valve stem. The removable sensor may be configured to connect to an end of the valve stem distal from the valve stem core. The electrical connection may comprise a spring-loaded terminal configured to connect or disconnect the sensor and battery as the battery is inserted or removed from the valve stem through a valve stem end proximal to the valve stem core, permitting battery replacement without removing or deflating a tire configured with the sensor.