Vehicle Wheel Electronic Unit Valve Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic units for measuring vehicle wheel parameters are overdimensioned and heavy due to the need for significant stiffening to withstand centrifugal forces and vibrations, and the assembly of the inflation valve requires a dead volume, leading to increased complexity and weight.
Innovation Solution
An electronic unit with an electronic module and inflation valve where the module has a metal plate with a notch for the valve body, allowing direct insertion and locking without a dead zone, and a cam profile to resist tilting, along with a plastic module and overmolded metal insert for reduced size and weight, and adjustable articulation for stress reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the electronic module is significantly stiffened to withstand centrifugal forces and vibrations, then the retention of screwing torque is improved, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic unit is divided into two separate components: the electronic module and the inflation valve assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the electronic module can be lightweight and compact while the inflation valve assembly handles the mechanical loading and force transmission to the rim.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflation valve is extracted from the electronic module as a separate component. By removing the inflation valve from the electronic module, the electronic module no longer needs to be stiffened to withstand the forces transmitted through the valve, thus reducing its complexity and weight while maintaining reliable torque retention through the separate valve assembly's connection to the rim.
2Ease of manufacture
If a dead volume is arranged for the installation of the inflation valve, then the assembly is simplified, but the dimensions and weight of the electronic module increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the electronic unit into separate modules (electronic module and inflation valve assembly), the patent eliminates the need for a dead volume within the electronic module for valve installation. The valve assembly becomes an independent component that connects directly to the rim, allowing the electronic module to be compact and lightweight without accommodating the valve's installation space.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflation valve is extracted as a separate assembly from the electronic module. This extraction eliminates the requirement for a dead volume within the electronic module, thereby reducing its dimensions and weight while maintaining ease of assembly through the separate valve assembly's independent installation process.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the electronic module is made larger to accommodate the inflation valve assembly, then the assembly stability is improved, but the weight and size of the electronic unit increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electronic unit into separate components, allowing the electronic module to remain compact and lightweight while the inflation valve assembly provides the necessary structural stability for force transmission. Each segment is optimized for its specific function without requiring excessive size.
Solution Approach 2:
By extracting the inflation valve as a separate assembly, the electronic module is freed from the requirement to be oversized for valve accommodation. The valve assembly independently provides the structural framework for stable force transmission to the rim, enabling the electronic module to minimize weight and size.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic unit for measuring operating parameters of a vehicle wheel, including an electronic module (1) and an inflation valve (2) comprising a body (6, 7) designed to extend through an orifice arranged in a wheel rim, and an assembly head (4) separated from the body by a shoulder forming a face for locking the inflation valve against the rim. The electronic module (1) includes an outer wall (13, 14) defining a lateral housing for the assembly head (4) of the inflation valve (2), delimited by a metal plate (11) made in one piece with the electronic module, for pressing of the locking face of the assembly head, and furnished with a notch for the body (6, 7) of the inflation valve to pass through.