Patent ID: 7218210

Claim:
A multi-wheeled highway vehicle for transporting passengers, cargo or both, comprising: a. plurality of wheels supporting said vehicle, said wheels having pneumatic tires mounted thereon; b. a transducer mounted on one of said wheels at a position radially inboard of the tire mounted on the wheel, for sensing pressure in the tire mounted on the wheel and providing an output signal indicative thereof; c. a comparator connected to said wheel at a position radially inboard of the tire-wheel interface, receiving said output signal, for comparing said output signal from said transducer to a reference and providing an second output signal indicative of said comparison; d. a transmitter carried by said vehicle, receiving said second output signal produced by said comparator, for sending tire pressure information in said second output signal to a remote locale, optionally together with information identifying said vehicle, and/or the location of said vehicle and/or the speed and/or direction of travel thereof; e. an aerodynamic wheel cover assembly attached to the inner periphery of said wheel having said transducer connected thereto, said wheel cover assembly comprising: i. a substantially elliptically-shaped dome sized to be securely attached to the wheel with the rim facing into a concave side of said dome; ii. an exhaust port positioned at an apex of the dome, having diameter creating low pressure within the wheel cover when the wheel cover is fastened to said wheel and said wheel is rotating; iii. a bridge over the exhaust port; iv. a mechanical pressure gauge, an intake valve, a valve stem, a valve assembly and a gauge, at least one of which being disposed on said bridge and remaining ones being proximate said bridge, wherein the valve stem, hose, gauge and valve assembly are in pneumatic communication such that when the hose is in pneumatic communication with a fill-valve of the tire, the gauge displays pressure of the tire and the tire can be inflated and deflated via the valve stem; v. a wheel clip assembly base portion comprising a strip curved to conform to an inner periphery of the rim; vi. a wheel clip assembly bracket portion attached to the base portion and having a first and second end; vii. a spring clip secured to the second end; and viii. a Dzus fastener positioned about the spring clip and securing the aerodynamic wheel cover against the bracket portion.