Tire inflation system

• US 10,144,254 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aperia Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aperia Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Richardson, Brandon
• Primary Examiner(s): Plakkoottam, Dominick L
• Application Number:
  US15/280,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20170015159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 417211, 417221, 417231, 417233, 152419, 152421
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/126 the pumps being mounted on the wheel rims
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/127 the pumps being mounted on the hubs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/137 comprising cam driven pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/043 characterised by the inflation control means or the drive of the air pressure system
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/00 Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 35/01 the means being mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/06 Control using electricity regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/08 Regulating by delivery pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/22 by means of valves F04B49/03 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/04 the means being cams, eccentrics or pin-and-slot mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/042 the means being cams
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/045 the means being eccentrics
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/1485 the rotation being unlimited with respect to driving means with a fluid connection between inertia member and rotating driving means F16F15/167
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/00 Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0617 specially adapted for fluid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/18 Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g. with turbines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1846 structurally associated with wheels or associated parts dynamos arranged in the wheel hub of cycles B62J6/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86002 Fluid pressure responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2107 : Follower
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2117 : Power generating-type flywheel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2128 : Damping using swinging masses, e.g., pendulum type, etc.

Abstract

A tire inflation system and method for a tire supported by a wheel, the tire inflation system including a pump system including a pump cavity configured to fluidly connect to the tire, an actuating element configured to actuate relative the pump cavity, a drive mechanism rotatably coupled to the wheel, the drive mechanism including a motion transformer and an eccentric mass, a valve fluidly connecting the pump cavity to a fluid reservoir; and a control system configured to operate the valve.

Claims

1. A tire inflation system for a tire supported by a wheel, comprising:

a housing configured to mount to a surface of the wheel;

a pump mounted to the housing, the pump comprising;

a pump cavity configured to fluidly connect to the tire, and

an actuating element configured to actuate relative the pump cavity;

a drive mechanism defining a drive mechanism center of mass, the drive mechanism comprising;

a motion transformer mechanically coupled to the actuating element and rotatably mounted to the housing about a drive mechanism rotational axis, and

an eccentric mass, statically connected to the motion transformer, that offsets the drive mechanism center of mass from the drive mechanism rotational axis;

a valve fluidly connecting the pump cavity to a fluid reservoir, wherein the valve is operable between an open position and a closed position;

a sensor set configured to measure an eccentric mass parameter; and

a processing system mounted to the housing, connected to the valve, and communicatively coupled to the sensor set, the processing system configured to;

receive measurements of the eccentric mass parameter from the sensor set;

determine that the eccentric mass is approaching a mass spin state based on the measurements of the eccentric mass parameter; and

operate the valve in response to determination that the eccentric mass is approaching the mass spin state.

2. The tire inflation system of claim 1, further comprising a motion transformer couple rotatably coupled to the actuating element and a bearing surface of the motion transformer, wherein the motion transformer is mechanically coupled to the actuating element through the motion transformer couple.

3. The tire inflation system of claim 1, further comprising a rechargeable battery mounted to the housing.

4. The tire inflation system of claim 3, wherein the rechargeable battery is electrically connected to the valve and the sensor set.

5. The tire inflation system of claim 3, wherein the housing further comprises an electric generator electrically connected to the rechargeable battery, the electric generator comprising a stator and a rotor, wherein the rotor of the electric generator comprises a portion of the motion transformer.

6. The tire inflation system of claim 1, wherein the sensor set comprises a motion sensor mounted to the drive mechanism, the motion sensor configured to measure a parameter indicative of angular velocity of the eccentric mass;

wherein the processing system is configured to determine that the eccentric mass is approaching the mass spin state in response to the angular velocity of the eccentric mass falling within a mass spin angular frequency range, wherein the mass spin angular frequency range is defined by a lower angular frequency threshold and an upper angular frequency threshold encompassing a resonant frequency of the drive mechanism.

7. The tire inflation system of claim 6, wherein the valve is an electronic control valve comprising an electrically actuatable valve actuator, wherein the processing system is configured to apply an electric current to the electrically actuatable valve actuator in response to determination that the eccentric mass is approaching the mass spin state.

8. The tire inflation system of claim 1, wherein the sensor set comprises a motion sensor mounted to the interior of the housing, the motion sensor configured to measure a parameter indicative of a rotational velocity of the housing, wherein the processing system is configured to determine that the eccentric mass is approaching the mass spin state in response to the rotational velocity of the housing falling within a mass spin velocity range, wherein the mass spin velocity range is defined by a lower velocity threshold and an upper velocity threshold encompassing a characteristic velocity characterizing a resonant frequency of the drive mechanism.

9. The tire inflation system of claim 8, wherein the motion sensor is a gyroscope mounted to the interior of the housing at a face proximal the eccentric mass.

10. The tire inflation system of claim 8, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer mounted to the housing.

11. The tire inflation system of claim 1, further comprising a communications module within the housing, wherein the communications module is configured to communicatively connect the processing system to a native application running on an external user device.

12. A tire inflation system for a tire supported by a wheel, comprising:

a housing mountable to a surface of the wheel;

a pump comprising;

a pump cavity configured to fluidly connect to the tire; and

an actuating element configured to actuate relative the pump cavity;

a drive mechanism rotatably coupled to the wheel and having a drive mechanism center of mass, the drive mechanism comprising an eccentric mass that offsets the center of mass from a drive mechanism rotational axis;

a valve fluidly connecting the pump cavity to a fluid reservoir, wherein the valve is operable between an open position and a closed position;

a control system controlling the valve, the control system configured to operate the valve when the eccentric mass approaches a mass spin state, wherein the control system comprises;

a sensor set, configured to measure a parameter of the eccentric mass; and

a processing system, mounted to the housing and configured to;

receive measurements of the eccentric mass parameter from the sensor set;

determine that the eccentric mass is approaching a mass spin state based on the measurements of the eccentric mass parameter; and

operate the valve in response to determination that the eccentric mass is approaching the mass spin state.

13. The tire inflation system of claim 12, wherein the sensor set comprises a motion sensor configured to measure an angular velocity of at least one of the eccentric mass and the housing;

wherein the processing system is configured to determine that the eccentric mass is approaching the mass spin state in response to the angular velocity of at least one of the eccentric mass and the housing falling within a mass spin angular frequency range, wherein the mass spin angular frequency range is defined by a lower angular frequency threshold and an upper angular frequency threshold encompassing a resonant frequency of the drive mechanism.

14. The tire inflation system of claim 12, wherein the sensor set comprises a vibration sensor mounted to the housing, the vibration sensor configured to measure housing vibration, wherein the processing system determines that the eccentric mass is approaching the mass spin state in response to the housing vibration substantially matching a predetermined vibration pattern associated with the approaching mass spin state.

15. The tire inflation system of claim 12, wherein the valve is an electronic control fluid valve, wherein the control system is configured to operate the electronic control fluid valve into the open position in response to the determination that the eccentric mass is approaching the mass spin state.

16. The tire inflation system of claim 12, wherein the valve comprises a centrifugal force valve, the centrifugal force valve configured to open along an actuation axis in response to application of a centrifugal force exceeding a cracking force, the cracking force selected based on the centrifugal force generated by wheel rotation at a resonant frequency of the drive mechanism, wherein the centrifugal force valve is arranged with the actuation axis substantially radially aligned relative to the drive mechanism rotational axis, wherein the control system comprises a disc of the centrifugal force valve.

17. A method for stabilizing a tire inflation system for a tire supported by a wheel, comprising:

actuating an actuating element relative a pump cavity using relative motion between a housing statically mounted to the wheel and an eccentric mass rotatably coupled to the housing at a rotation axis, the eccentric mass having center of mass offset from the rotation axis, wherein the pump cavity is fluidly connected to the tire;

measuring an eccentric mass parameter indicative of mass spin with a sensor set;

determining that the eccentric mass is in an imminent mass spin state with a processing system mounted to the housing, based on the measurement of the eccentric mass parameter; and

in response to determining that the eccentric mass is in the imminent mass spin state, selectively venting the pump cavity by controlling a stabilization mechanism fluid valve, fluidly connecting the pump cavity to a fluid reservoir, to operate in an open position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

measuring the parameter of the eccentric mass with the sensor set comprises measuring an angular velocity of the eccentric mass;

determining that the eccentric mass is in the imminent mass spin state comprises determining that the angular velocity of the eccentric mass falls within a mass spin angular frequency range defined by a lower angular frequency threshold and an upper angular frequency threshold encompassing a resonant frequency of the drive mechanism.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein measuring the eccentric mass parameter comprises sampling signals output by the sensor set at a predetermined frequency;

the method further comprising;

determining that the eccentric mass has exited the imminent mass spin state based on the measured eccentric mass parameter; and

in response to determination that the eccentric mass has exited the imminent mass spin state, controlling the stabilization valve to operate in a closed position.