Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] The present invention relates to a Mounting Assembly for a Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor in a Wheel Assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] Typically, in some modern vehicles, a Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor is provided for as an aid for the rider. The Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor (TPMS) senses tyre pressure, and the sensed tyre pressure is then displayed on an instrument cluster. Generally, the utility of TPMS is when the tyre pressure falls below a prescribed level, wherein when the tyre pressure is low, the TPMS senses the same and this is indicated to the rider, which can at least prevent puncture like events. Conventionally, there are no wires attached to the TPMS and the TPMS is wirelessly connected to the instrument cluster.
[003] Generally, in existing design of motorized wheel, limited space is available on wheel to mount the TPMS. In such scenarios, the TPMS is attach on a well of wheel rim by means of two-sided adhesive tape. But the adhesive tape does not provide sufficient bond strength to hold the TPMS on the wheel rim as it falls out during running condition of the vehicle. Further, universal primer is used to increase the adhesive strength which was carcinogenetic material and was prohibited.
[004] Generally, if adhesives tape does not hold the TPMS on the wheel rim, a bracket with anti-rotation provision that is integrated with the air valve, is used to mount the TPMS on the wheel rim. However, the drawback of this provision is that the integration of bracket with the air valve requires a threading of the valve which affects the assembly of valve on the wheel rim. Due to threaded brass part of the valve, the assembly of the valve on the wheel rim by means of a snap fit becomes difficult. Further, the mounting of bracket with air filling valve by means of a fastener require alteration in the design of air filling valve. Such alteration in the design of air filling valve causes the air filing valve to get deformed and hence the air leakage from the tyre may be caused.
[005] Any kind of design modification with the TPMS, especially when the TPMS is intended to be provided on the motorized wheel, is very much restricted due to such narrow depth and width of the well of the rim. By changing the design of the TPMS and mounting it directly to the wheel rim could interference with the tyre assembly process and potentially damage TPMS as well as the Tyre. Change in the TPMS design may require fresh tooling as well as the narrow depth and height of well region of wheel rim does not allow to change the design of TPMS.
[006] Further, change in orientation of the TPMS leads to assembly difficulty. Especially when the tyre is being installed on the wheel rim. The tyre tends to cause some form of damage in the TPMS. Also, another challenge is that tyre should not be damaged by wheel rim and other parts. Another approach is to attach a metal strip on the wheel rim, wherein the TPMS is attached to the metal strip. However, this approach does not cater multiple tyre and rim sizes.
[007] Thus, there is a need in the art for a mounting assembly for the Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor in the vehicle which addresses at least the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[008] In one aspect, the present invention is directed towards a mounting assembly for a Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor in a wheel assembly. The mounting assembly includes a support flange extending radially outward from an outer surface of a wheel rim. The outer surface of the wheel rim is configured to receive a tyre. The mounting assembly includes a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket includes a holding portion configured to extend along the outer surface of the wheel rim. The holding portion is configured to securely hold the tyre pressure monitoring sensor. The mounting bracket further includes a bridging portion extending from the holding portion. The bridging portion is configured to extend along the outer surface of the wheel rim. The mounting bracket further includes a mounting portion. The mounting portion extending from the bridging portion. The mounting portion is configured to be removably attached to the support flange, thereby supporting the mounting bracket on the outer surface of the wheel rim.
[009] In an embodiment of the invention, the wheel rim is provided on the wheel assembly connected to a power unit of a vehicle.
[010] In another embodiment of the invention, the outer surface of the wheel rim includes a pair of outwardly projecting tyre bed surfaces. The pair of outwardly projecting tyre bed surfaces are configured to receive the tyre and a wheel well which is provided between the pair of tyre bed surfaces and wherein the support flange is provided in the wheel well of the outer surface of the wheel rim.
[011] In a further embodiment of the invention, the support flange includes a longitudinal portion extending along the outer surface of the wheel rim. The support flange also includes a transverse portion extending radially outward from the outer surface of the wheel rim wherein the transverse portion includes a slot configured to receive a fastener for attaching the mounting portion to the support flange.
[012] In a further embodiment of the invention, the holding portion includes a pair of curved members extending radially outwards from the outer surface of the wheel rim. The pair of curved members being configured to securely hold the Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor.
[013] In an embodiment of the invention, the mounting portion includes a through hole. The through hole is being configured to receive a fastener for attaching the mounting portion to the support flange.
[014] In another embodiment of the invention, the tyre pressure monitoring sensor is disposed in the wheel well of the outer surface of the wheel rim.
[015] In a further embodiment of the invention, the mounting portion is configured to be fastened to the support flange, thereby supporting the mounting bracket on the outer surface of the wheel rim.
[016] In a further embodiment of the invention, the wheel well includes a base wall and a pair of peripheral walls extending radially outward from the base wall.
[017] In a further embodiment of the invention, the support flange is provided on the base wall of the wheel well, thereby supporting the mounting bracket on the base wall of the wheel well.
[018] In a further embodiment of the invention, the support flange is provided on one of the pair or peripheral walls of the wheel well, thereby supporting the mounting bracket on one of the peripheral walls of the wheel well.
[019] In a further embodiment of the invention, the support flange is welded on to the outer surface of the wheel rim.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[020] Reference will be made to embodiments of the invention, examples of which may be illustrated in accompanying figures. These figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although the invention is generally described in context of these embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments.
Figure 1 illustrates an exploded view of a mounting assembly for a Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 illustrates an isometric view of the mounting assembly on a wheel rim, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of a mounting bracket with the Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor (TPMS), in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 4 illustrates another perspective view of the mounting bracket without TPMS, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 5 illustrates an isometric view of a support flange, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 6 illustrates the mounting assembly on the wheel, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 7 illustrates a sectional view of the mounting assembly on the wheel, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[021] The present invention relates to a mounting assembly for a Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor (TPMS) in a wheel assembly.
[022] The wheel assembly of the present invention is typically used in a vehicle such as a two wheeled vehicle, or a three wheeled vehicle, or a four wheeled vehicle, or other multi-wheeled vehicles as required. However, it should be understood that the present invention as illustrated may find its application in any non-automotive application using a wheel assembly and requiring tyre pressure monitoring.
[023] Figure 1 and Figure 2 illustrates the mounting assembly 100 for the Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor (TPMS) 110 in a wheel assembly. The mounting assembly 100 for the TPMS 110 includes a support flange 140 and a mounting bracket 150. The support flange 140 extends radially outward from an outer surface 122 of a wheel rim 120. Herein, the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120 is configured to receive a tyre 130.
[024] Reference is made to Figure 3 and Figure 4, wherein, as illustrated, the mounting bracket 150 includes a holding portion 152, a bridging portion 154 and a mounting portion 156. The holding portion 152 of the mounting bracket 150 is configured to extend along the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120. The holding portion 152 is configured to securely hold the TPMS110. The bridging portion 154 of the mounting bracket 150 extends from the holding portion 152. The bridging portion 154 is configured to extend along the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120, wherein the mounting portion 156 of the mounting bracket 150 extends from the bridging portion 154. The mounting portion 156 is configured to be removably attached to the support flange 140, thereby supporting the mounting bracket 150 on the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120.
[025] In an embodiment, as referenced in Figure 4, the holding portion 152 comprises a pair of curved members 158 extending radially outwards from the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120. Herein, the pair of curved members 158 are provided to securely hold the TPMS 110 from at least two sides, thereby restricting the freedom of movement of the TPMS 110.
[026] In an embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 1, the wheel rim 120 is connected to a power unit 200 of a vehicle, thus the wheel assembly is a motorized wheel assembly, thus having greater packaging constraints.
[027] In the embodiment depicted in Figure 2, the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120 has a pair of outwardly projecting tyre bed surfaces 124A, 124B which are configured to receive the tyre 130. The outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120 also includes a wheel well 126 which is provided between the pair of tyre bed surfaces 124A, 124B. In this embodiment, the TPMS 110 is disposed in the wheel well 126 of the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120. In this embodiment, to facilitate the provision of the TPMS 110 on the wheel well 126, the support flange 140 is provided in the wheel well 126 of the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120, thus allowing for attachment of the mounting bracket 150 with the support flange 140 in the wheel well 126.
[028] Reference is made to Figure 5, wherein as illustrated, the support flange 140 comprises a longitudinal portion 142 that extending along the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120. The support flange 140 further has a transverse portion 144 that extends radially outward from the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120. As further illustrated in Figure 5, the transverse portion 144 comprises a slot 146 that is configured to receive a fastener for attaching the mounting portion 156 to the support flange 140 for mounting of the TPMS 110. In an embodiment, the support flange 140 is welded on to the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120, thereby fixedly attaching the support flange 140 on the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120,
[029] Correspondingly, as referenced in Figure 4, the mounting portion 156 of the mounting bracket 150 comprises a through hole 157. Herein, the through hole 157 is configured to receive a fastener for attaching the mounting portion 156 to the support flange 140. Herein, the mounting portion 156 is configured to be fastened to the support flange 140, thereby supporting the mounting bracket 150 on the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120. To facilitate this, a fastener passes through the slot 146 of the support flange 140 and the through hole 157 on the mounting portion 156, thereby supporting the mounting bracket 150 on the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120 and hence mounting the TPMS 110 on the outer surface 122 of the wheel rim 120.
[030] In an embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 2, the wheel well 126 comprises a base wall 126A and a pair of peripheral walls 126B, 126B’ extending radially outward from the base wall 126A. Herein, in an embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 6 and Figure 7, the support flange 140 is provided on the base wall 126A of the wheel well 126, thereby supporting the mounting bracket 150 on the base wall 126A of the wheel well 126. Therefore, the TPMS 110 is mounted on the base wall 126A of the wheel well 126.
[031] In an alternative embodiment, the support flange 140 is provided on one of the pair or peripheral walls 126B, 126B’ of the wheel well 126, thereby supporting the mounting bracket 150 on one of the peripheral walls 126B, 126B’ of the wheel well 126. Therefore, the TPMS 110 is mounted on one of the peripheral walls 126B, 126B’ of the wheel well 126.
[032] In an embodiment, the mounting bracket 150 is made of a metal strip or a plastic. In another embodiment, the mounting bracket 150, when fabricated from a metal, is a steel strip produced by sheet metal process. Firstly, the blanking operation takes place and after that drawing and bending process follow subsequently to give the desired shape to mounting bracket 150. If the mounting bracket 150 is to be made of plastic, the same is produced by injection moulding. Herein, the wall thickness of the mounting bracket 150 will be kept higher in comparison with a metal mounting bracket 150 to achieve the same desired result. Similarly, in an embodiment, the support flange 140 is made of metal. In another embodiment, any shape of metal strip can be used for manufacturing the support flange 140. In an embodiment, the joining of the support flange 140 with the wheel rim 120 includes all permanent and temporary joining. Also, the support flange 140 and the mounting bracket 150 can be joined by employing any method of joining in addition to use of fasteners.
[033] Advantageously, in the present invention provides the mounting assembly for the TPMS in the wheel assembly without doing any change in the current TPMS design and without interfering the air filling valve design. The mounting assembly of the present invention provides higher reliability for securely holding the TPMS on the outer surface of the wheel rim. Further, the present invention allows secure mounting of the TPMS in the narrow wheel rim or narrow wheel well of the motorized wheel.
[034] Also, as per present invention, by virtue of mounting the TPMS to the wheel rim and bolting of the same to the support flange, the present invention allows for zero degree of freedom in the movement of TPMS. Also, due to the mounting bracket, the connection of the TPMS to the mounting bracket, and of the mounting bracket to the support flange is rigid and securely holds the TPMS tightly on the wheel which gives a longer life span to the TPMS. The mounting bracket also reduces the effect of vibration on TPMS.
[035] The present invention in addition to ensuring that the TPMS is securely mounted on the wheel rim, also ensures that the mounting of the TPMS is independent of air filling valve mounting. The present invention allows overall improved efficiency of the vehicle as a user can ride the vehicle with an accurate tyre pressure.
[036] While the present invention has been described with respect to certain embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modification may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

List of Reference Numerals
100 – Mounting assembly
110 – Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor
120 – Wheel rim
122 – Outer surface
124A, 124B – Bed surfaces
126 –Wheel well
126A – Base wall
126B, 126B’ – Peripheral walls
130 – Tyre
140 – Support flange
142 – Longitudinal portion
144 – Transverse portion
146 – Slot
150 – Mounting bracket
152 – Holding portion
154 – Bridging portion
156 – Mounting portion
157 – Through hole
158 – Curved member
200 – Power unit
, Claims:1. A mounting assembly (100) for a Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor (TPMS) (110) in a wheel assembly, the mounting assembly (100) comprising:
a support flange (140) extending radially outward from an outer surface (122) of a wheel rim (120), the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120) configured to receive a tyre (130); and
a mounting bracket (150) comprising:
a holding portion (152) configured to extend along the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120), the holding portion (152) configured to securely hold the tyre pressure monitoring sensor (110);
a bridging portion (154) extending from the holding portion (152), the bridging portion (154) configured to extend along the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120); and
a mounting portion (156), the mounting portion (156) extending from the bridging portion (154), the mounting portion (156) configured to be removably attached to the support flange (140), thereby supporting the mounting bracket (150) on the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120).

2. The mounting assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel rim (120) is provided on the wheel assembly connected to a power unit (200) of a vehicle.

3. The mounting assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120) comprises a pair of outwardly projecting tyre bed surfaces (124A, 124B) configured to receive the tyre (130), and a wheel well (126) provided between the pair of tyre bed surfaces (124A, 124B), and wherein the support flange (140) is provided in the wheel well (126) of the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120).

4. The mounting assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support flange (140) comprises a longitudinal portion (142) extending along the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120) and a transverse portion (144) extending radially outward from the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120), wherein the transverse portion (144) comprises a slot (146) configured to receive a fastener for attaching the mounting portion (156) to the support flange (140).

5. The mounting assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding portion (152) comprises a pair of curved members (158) extending radially outwards from the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120), the pair of curved members (158) being configured to securely hold the Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensor (110).

6. The mounting assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting portion (156) comprises a through hole (157), the through hole (157) being configured to receive a fastener for attaching the mounting portion (156) to the support flange (140).

7. The mounting assembly (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tyre pressure monitoring sensor (110) is disposed in the wheel well (126) of the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120).

8. The mounting assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting portion (156) is configured to be fastened to the support flange (140), thereby supporting the mounting bracket (150) on the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120).

9. The mounting assembly (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the wheel well (126) comprises a base wall (126A) and a pair of peripheral walls (126B, 126B’) extending radially outward from the base wall (126A).

10. The mounting assembly (100) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the support flange (140) is provided on the base wall (126A) of the wheel well (126), thereby supporting the mounting bracket (150) on the base wall (126A) of the wheel well (126).

11. The mounting assembly (100) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the support flange (140) is provided on one of the pair or peripheral walls (126B, 126B’) of the wheel well (126), thereby supporting the mounting bracket (150) on one of the peripheral walls (126B, 126B’) of the wheel well (126).

12. The mounting assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support flange (140) is welded on to the outer surface (122) of the wheel rim (120).