Inflation System

• US 20070237652A1
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Belanger
• Original Assignee: John Belanger
• Inventors: Belanger, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,430,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/279
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/046 using electrical or electronical means
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/022 by means of pressure

Abstract

An inflation system is disclosed for automobile tires, bicycle tires, and other inflatable articles, wherein the inflating pump reads information from a microchip associated with the valve stem in the inflatable article, in order to inflate the tire or other inflatable article to the correct pressure. In one embodiment, the microchip contains one pressure level which the inflating pump reads and fills the inflatable article to. In another embodiment, the microchip contains several different pressure levels—based on different conditions—which the inflating pump reads, and the pump fills the inflatable article to the particular pressure level selected by the user.

Claims

1. A system for inflating an article, comprising:

(a) an inflating pump adapted to supply a stream of compressed fluid through a nozzle connected thereto;

(b) an inflation port adapted to connect said article and said nozzle in order to inflate said article;

(c) a microchip associated with said article, said microchip having inflation information located thereon; and

(d) means for wirelessly reading said inflation information from said microchip and inflating said article according to said inflation information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said microchip is a radio frequency identification tag.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said microchip is attached to said inflation port.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said article is a vehicle tire.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said system also comprises means for indicating whether a front or rear inflation pressure is desired, and said inflation information includes said front or rear inflation pressure.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said system also comprises means for indicating a passenger weight of a vehicle, and said inflation information includes an inflation pressure corresponding to said passenger weight.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said system also comprises means for indicating a preferred driving mode a vehicle, and said inflation information includes an inflation pressure corresponding to said preferred driving mode.

8. An inflation port for inflating an article, comprising:

p1 (a) a main body having a through-opening with a first end and a second end, said first end adapted to connect with an inflating pump and said second end adapted to connect with said article, and

(b) a microchip attached to said main body, said microchip having inflation information located thereon.

9. The inflation port of claim 8, wherein said microchip is a radio frequency identification tag.

10. The inflation port of claim 8, wherein said article is a vehicle tire.

11. The inflation port of claim 8, wherein said inflation information includes a front or rear inflation pressure.

12. The inflation port of claim 8, wherein said inflation information includes an inflation pressure corresponding to a passenger weight of a vehicle.

13. The inflation port of claim 8, wherein said inflation information includes an inflation pressure corresponding to a preferred driving mode for a vehicle.

14. A method of inflating an article, comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing an inflating pump, said inflating pump supplying a stream of compressed fluid;

(b) placing a nozzle of said inflating pump onto an inflation port that connects said nozzle and said article;

(c) determining a desired inflation pressure by wirelessly reading information on a microchip associated with said article; and

(d) inflating said article with said stream of compressed fluid to said desired inflation pressure obtained from said microchip.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said method also comprises the step of shutting off said stream of compressed fluid after said article has been inflated to said desired inflation pressure.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said method also comprises the step of indicating whether a front or rear inflation pressure is desired, and said determining step comprises reading said desired inflation pressure corresponding to said front or rear indication.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said method also comprises the step of indicating the passenger weight of a vehicle, and said determining step comprises reading said desired inflation pressure corresponding to said passenger weight from said microchip or calculating said desired inflation pressure corresponding to said passenger weight using said information on said microchip.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said method also comprises the step of indicating the preferred driving mode for a vehicle, and said determining step comprises reading said desired inflation pressure corresponding to said preferred driving mode from said microchip.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said article is a vehicle tire.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said article is a vehicle tire.