DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAINING TIRE PRESSURE
First Claim
1. A device for maintaining pressure in a tire, comprising:
- a first compression block having a first compression face;
a second compression block having a second compression face; and
an air reservoir adapted to receive air from outside the tire,wherein air in said air reservoir is pressurized more than once per revolution of the tire by a relative motion between said first and second compression faces.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device for automatically maintaining tire pressure is adapted to pump air into a tire up to two times per wheel revolution. Embodiments of the device include a flexible compression strip adapted for attachment to an inner peripheral surface of a tire. Opposing compression faces on the compression strip apply pressure to a compression tube attached to the compression strip. Air in an air reservoir inside the compression tube is expelled from a collapsible segment of the compression tube pressed on by the compression faces and into accumulator segments extending beyond the edges of the compression strip. A ratio of the combined volumes of the collapsible and accumulator segments to the volume of the collapsible segment determines a set point pressure. Air is expelled into a tire having an inflation pressure less than the set point pressure but is not expelled into a tire having pressure greater than the set point pressure.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device for maintaining pressure in a tire, comprising:
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a first compression block having a first compression face; a second compression block having a second compression face; and an air reservoir adapted to receive air from outside the tire, wherein air in said air reservoir is pressurized more than once per revolution of the tire by a relative motion between said first and second compression faces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for installing a pressure maintenance device in a tire, comprising:
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attaching a compression tube having an air reservoir to a compression strip; attaching the compression strip to an inner peripheral surface of the tire; attaching a first end of a flexible tube for receiving air from outside the tire to an inlet on the compression tube; and attaching a second end of the flexible tube to a bypass hole. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method for automatically maintaining air pressure in a tire having a pressure maintenance device, comprising:
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rotating the tire until the pressure maintenance device is above a leading edge of a contact patch between the tire and a road surface; deflecting a first compression block in the pressure maintenance device toward a second compression block in the pressure maintenance device, thereby increasing air pressure in the pressure maintenance device and starting a first compression cycle; after starting the first compression cycle, and if air pressure inside the pressure maintenance device is greater than air pressure inside the tire, expelling air from the pressure maintenance device into the tire; incrementally rotating the tire until the first and second compression blocks deflect away from each other, and if air pressure in the pressure maintenance device is less than air pressure outside the tire, drawing air from outside the tire into the pressure maintenance device, thereby completing the first compression cycle; after completing the first compression cycle, incrementally rotating the tire until the pressure maintenance device is above a trailing edge of the contact patch between the tire and the road surface; deflecting the first compression block in the pressure maintenance device toward the second compression block in the pressure maintenance device, thereby increasing air pressure in the pressure maintenance device and starting a second compression cycle; after starting the second compression cycle, and if air pressure inside the pressure maintenance device is greater than air pressure inside the tire, expelling air from the pressure maintenance device into the tire; and incrementally rotating the tire until the first and second compression blocks deflect away from each other, and if air pressure in the pressure maintenance device is less than air pressure outside the tire, drawing air from outside the tire into the pressure maintenance device, thereby completing the second compression cycle within the same revolution of the tire as the first compression cycle.
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Specification