TPMS Valve Stem Core Battery Replacement Without Tire Deflation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) require costly and time-consuming professional maintenance to replace batteries, which is dangerous and inefficient, as users must remove wheels or deflate tires to access sensors.
Innovation Solution
A TPMS sensor with an externally replaceable battery, where the valve stem core secures the battery and a spring-loaded terminal connects/disconnects it, allowing battery replacement without removing the sensor from the tire or deflating it, using a valve stem with an interior cavity to retain the battery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the battery is integrated inside the sensor housing, then the sensor structure is compact and protected, but the battery cannot be replaced without removing the sensor from the tire
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is divided into separable components: the sensor housing remaining on the tire and the battery contained within the valve stem core. This segmentation allows the battery to be replaced independently without removing the sensor from the tire, resolving the contradiction between protected integration and replaceability.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery is extracted from the main sensor housing and relocated to the valve stem core. This extraction enables the battery to be accessed and replaced through the valve stem opening, eliminating the need to remove the sensor assembly from the tire while maintaining battery replaceability.
2Reliability
If the sensor is permanently installed on the wheel, then tire pressure monitoring is continuous, but battery replacement requires wheel removal and professional service
Solution Approach 1:
The battery replacement mechanism is designed to enable user self-service through the valve stem opening. Users can replace the battery themselves without requiring professional mechanic intervention, wheel removal, or specialized tools, while the sensor remains permanently mounted on the wheel for continuous monitoring.
3Loss of time
If the battery is accessible through the valve stem, then battery replacement is simple and quick, but the valve stem structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is nested within the valve stem core, which itself is part of the valve stem assembly. This nested structure allows the battery to be accessed through the existing valve stem opening without requiring additional access points or complex external mechanisms, minimizing structural complexity while enabling quick replacement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables users to replace batteries easily and safely, reducing maintenance costs and time, allowing self-service without specialized tools, and maintaining tire pressure monitoring capability promptly.
Implementation Method 1
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
Data Source
AI summary
A 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 sensor may be configured in a sensor body connected 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.