Abstract: The present invention relates to an expansion valve intended to be arranged in a fluid passage between an upstream conduit and a downstream conduit, the expansion valve comprising: —a tubular valve body which is provided, in an upstream axial end section, with at least one upstream orifice intended to be in communication with the upstream conduit and, in a downstream axial end section, with at least one downstream orifice intended to be in communication with the downstream conduit, the downstream orifice and the upstream orifice being connected by a main channel, —a shut-off device which is movable between a closed position and an open position with respect to the downstream orifice. The shut-off device includes a slider which is mounted to slide axially on the downstream axial end section of the valve body.

Abstract: A valve may include an inlet, an outlet, and a plunger located at least partially within a central passage of the valve, where the plunger is movable between an open state and a closed state, and where the inlet is in fluid communication with the outlet when the plunger is in the open state, and where the plunger prevents fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet when the plunger is in the closed state. A solenoid may have a winding that surrounds the central passage of the valve and at least partially surrounds the plunger. The plunger may have a magnetizable material that experiences a linear force extending along the central passage of the valve when the winding of the solenoid receives a current.

Abstract: A valve may include a valve body forming a central passage extending from a first side of the valve body to a second side of the valve body. A valve pin may be located within the central passage, where the valve pin includes a sealing head that selectively contacts a valve seat of the valve body to control flow of a fluid through the central passage. A spring may have a first end that is fixed relative to the valve pin. A spring seat may be fixed relative to a second end of the spring, where the spring is fixed relative to a calibration plunger, and where the calibration plunger is secured to a threadless calibration wall of the valve body via an interference fit.

Abstract: Methods and systems for adaptively configuring a tire mounted sensor (TMS) with vehicle-provided parameters are disclosed. A vehicle control unit obtains data from vehicle sensors and other sources and transmits configuration parameters to the TMS. The TMS signal processing components are configured according to the configuration parameter to minimize the number of tire rotations needed to generate an accelerometric profile and extract a tire feature. The extracted feature is transmitted back to the vehicle control unit with the aim of minimizing the computational resources and battery consumption of the TMS.

Abstract: A valve may include a valve body forming a central passage extending from a first side of the valve body to a second side of the valve body. A valve pin may be located within the central passage, where the valve pin includes a sealing head that selectively contacts a valve seat of the valve body to control flow of a fluid through the central passage. A spring may have a first end that is fixed relative to the valve pin. A spring seat may be fixed relative to a second end of the spring, where the spring is fixed relative to a calibration plunger, and where the calibration plunger is secured to a threadless calibration wall of the valve body via an interference fit.

Abstract: A tire monitoring device comprising a sensor for monitoring a tire parameter and a first controller for controlling the operation of the device. A measurement apparatus is provided for generating parameter measurement data from the sensor output signal. A second controller is provided for controlling the operation of the measurement apparatus. The second controller communicates parameter data to the first controller based on the measurement data. The device is particularly suited to monitoring tire pressure and detecting tire burst events.

Abstract: A tire pressure monitoring system comprising a tire pressure monitoring device for mounting on an internal surface of a tire and including a pressure sensor for monitoring the fluid pressure in the tire. The system has an RFID tag located on the tire separately from the tire pressure monitoring device. In response to detecting a tire pressure event from monitoring the fluid pressure of said fluid, the tire pressure monitoring device causes the RFID to transmit data, which is received by the tire pressure monitoring device.

Abstract: A method of locating a wheel-mounted electronic device, such as a tire pressure monitoring device. A wireless signal is transmitted from an interrogation device from each of a plurality of interrogation locations. The signals are received by the wheel-mounted device and received signal strength is measured for each interrogation location. The wheel-mounted device then transmits, in respect of each interrogation location, a wireless signal indicating the measured signal strength. These signals are received by the interrogation device which determines from them a location of the wheel-mounted device with respect to a wheel.

Abstract: A check valve may include a valve body forming a central passage extending from a first side of the valve body to a second side of the valve body. A valve pin may be located within the central passage, where the valve pin includes a sealing head that selectively contacts a valve seat of the valve body to control flow of a fluid through the central passage. A spring may be included, where the spring has a first end that is fixed relative to the valve pin and a second end fixed to a spring seat. The valve body and the spring seat may be fixed to one another without the use of threads.

Abstract: The invention relates to a valve comprising a tubular body in which a valve stem moves axially, the head of the stem cooperating with a corresponding seat on the valve body, said stem acting against a coiled spring that is housed in a chamber of circular cross-section and disposed between a bearing zone at a first end of the chamber and the stem in order to return the stem to the seat, said spring comprising: a first end with a large turn of a diameter substantially identical to a diameter of the chamber at the first end; and a second end with a small turn connected to the shank or the head of the stem and a second large turn for centering and radial stabilization in the chamber.

Abstract: A tire pressure monitoring device for a wheeled vehicle that is capable of detecting vehicle motion from the output of a pressure sensor. The device determines from the output signal an indication of the power of the signal, for example the variance of the signal, and detects if the vehicle is stationary or in motion depending on the determined indication of power. The device may determine that the vehicle is in motion if the determined indication of power exceeds a threshold value.

Abstract: A method of determining an orientation of a tire mounted device with respect to a wheel rim using an acceleration sensor, With the wheel in a designated orientation and not rotating, a polarity of acceleration along a vertical axis is determined. Then it is determined which of a first absolute orientation or a second absolute orientation the tire mounted device is in depending on the determined polarity. The determined absolute orientation is correlated with the designated orientation to determine which of a first or second orientation with respect to the wheel rim the tire mounted device is in.

Abstract: A safety valve releases a fluid in the event of a fire. To do so it comprises a valve shutter in a body for opening or closing a pipe containing the fluid. A first spring is kept under tension against heat-sensitive means for releasing the valve shutter when the tension is released by the sensitive means. The sensitive means comprise a piston acting on the first spring, a pipe being connected to a chamber delimited in the body by the piston on the opposite side to the first spring. The pipe and the chamber contain a pressurized control fluid so that the piston keeps the first spring under tension. The pipe is made of a material capable of melting at a predetermined temperature so as to release the fluid in the event of a fire around the pipe.

Abstract: A tire monitor for mounting on a wheel rim, the tire monitor comprising a housing having a first part (644A) configured to receive a component substrate (645) and a second part (644B) configured to receive one or more other components of the tire monitor, for example a battery. The first and second parts of the housing are non-coplanar and non-parallel with one another. When the tire monitor is mounted on the wheel rim, the substrate is non-coplanar and non-parallel with a plane (T) that is tangential to the wheel rim at the location where the tire monitor is mounted on the rim and preferably the substrate plane is substantially radial with respect to the wheel rim.

Abstract: A tire monitoring apparatus comprising a monitor installed on a tire and a pulse width measuring apparatus for measuring the width of pulses produced by the monitor. The pulse width measuring apparatus comprises a frequency analyzer for producing a frequency representation of the pulse, a signal processor for determining a minimum value of the frequency representation, and a pulse width estimator that inverts the minimum value to produce a measurement for the pulse width. The tire monitoring apparatus uses the pulse width measurement as an indication of characteristics of the tire.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring parameter values from an electrical input signal comprises a signal sampling device operable to sample the input signal and to produce a corresponding output comprising a measured parameter value; a signal level detector configured to detect changes in the level of the input signal by more than a threshold amount; and a controller co-operable with the signal sampling device and the signal level detector. The controller is configured to operate the signal sampling device to sample the input signal in response to the signal level detector detecting a change in the input signal level by more than the threshold amount.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are provided for tire pressure detectors that may operate according to one of two or more selectable frequencies. Tire pressure detectors may include an RF section to modulate pressure information from a pressure sensor onto an output signal. The frequency of the output signal may be selectable from two or more frequencies based on a frequency required by a vehicle that the tire pressure detector is to be used with. An RF matching circuit may be coupled between the RF section and an antenna, with an impedance of the RF matching circuit selected based of the frequency of the output signal. Such impedance matching may provide a constant power level output from the tire pressure detector independent of the frequency of the tire pressure detector transmissions.

Abstract: Auto-location systems and methods of tire pressure monitoring sensor units arranged with a wheel of a vehicle detect a predetermined time (T1) when a wheel phase angle reaches angle of interest using a rim mounted or a tire mounted sensor. The systems and methods transmit a radio frequency message associated with a wheel phase angle indication. The wheel phase angle indication triggers wheel phase and/or speed data such as ABS data at the predetermined time (T1) to be stored. A correlation algorithm is executed to identify the specific location of a wheel based on the wheel phase and/or speed data at the predetermined time (T1). TPM sensor parameters from a tire pressure monitoring sensor unit are assigned to the specific location of the wheel based on a confidence interval width analysis of the ABS data at the predetermined (T1).

Abstract: A pressure regulator valve has a housing that defines a fluid passage and a flat seat disposed around an opening of the fluid passage and exit ports. A pin with a raised conforming elastomeric embossment that contacts the seat when the valve is closed is axially disposed in the housing. The pin is biased to maintain the elastomeric embossment in contact with the seat to maintain the valve closed and control an opening pressure of the valve. Flow of fluid through and out of the pressure regulator valve housing is controlled through adjustment of a level of this biasing. The fluid flows across the flat seat and between the flat seat and the embossment when the valve is open in such a manner that the flow is generally laminar and such that the valve minimizes pressure gain at the onset of flow.

Abstract: A method for determining change of direction of a vehicle includes steps of maintaining a rolling window of ABS data indicative of ABS tooth count and capturing a relevant rolling window of ABS data at the predetermined one-measurement point; storing the rolling window of the ABS data indicative of ABS tooth in a buffer; monitoring the ABS data and detecting a valid stop event which causes the rate of change of ABS tooth count to substantially decrement to zero; and monitoring the ABS data and detecting a valid move event which causes the rate of change of ABS tooth count to substantially increment from zero.