Tire pressure regulation system
First Claim
1. In a wheel-pneumatic tire assembly intended for operation on soft or hard terrain in a range of vehicle speeds:
- the improvement comprising mechanism causing the tire to have a relatively large area footprint in a low vehicle speed range, and a relatively small area footprint in a high vehicle speed range;
said mechainsm comprising partition means (14) subdividing the tire into a series of separate pressurizable compartments occupying different contiguous locations around the tire circumference;
wall means (52, 52a) arranged in each compartment for dividing same into a relatively large main chamber and a relatively small air-admission chamber (48);
a first air intake check valve between the atmosphere and each air admission chamber for admitting air into the admission chamber when the admission chamber pressure is below atmospheric pressure;
a second valve between each air admission chamber and each main chamber, each said second valve being responsive to centrifugal force and tire-terrain squeeze pressure for transferring air from the associated air-admission chamber to the associated main chamber when the vehicle is in a transition speed range between the low and high speed ranges;
and a third exhaust valve between each main chamber and atmosphere, each said third valve being responsive to centrifugal force for exhausting pressurized air out of the main chamber to the atmosphere only when the vehicle is at a specific speed range within the transition speed range.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle wheel-tire assembly wherein the tire has a low inflation pressure (large tire footprint) in a low vehicle speed range, and a large inflation pressure (small tire footprint) in a high vehicle speed range. The tire is partitioned into a series of circumferential compartments, with each compartment being provided with a valve mechanism for introducing air into the compartment and/or withdrawing air from the compartment as needed to maintain desired inflation pressures in the different vehicle speed ranges. The system is contained entirely in the wheel-tire assembly; no external air compressors or control valves are utilized.
60 Citations
6 Claims
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1. In a wheel-pneumatic tire assembly intended for operation on soft or hard terrain in a range of vehicle speeds:
- the improvement comprising mechanism causing the tire to have a relatively large area footprint in a low vehicle speed range, and a relatively small area footprint in a high vehicle speed range;
said mechainsm comprising partition means (14) subdividing the tire into a series of separate pressurizable compartments occupying different contiguous locations around the tire circumference;
wall means (52, 52a) arranged in each compartment for dividing same into a relatively large main chamber and a relatively small air-admission chamber (48);a first air intake check valve between the atmosphere and each air admission chamber for admitting air into the admission chamber when the admission chamber pressure is below atmospheric pressure; a second valve between each air admission chamber and each main chamber, each said second valve being responsive to centrifugal force and tire-terrain squeeze pressure for transferring air from the associated air-admission chamber to the associated main chamber when the vehicle is in a transition speed range between the low and high speed ranges; and a third exhaust valve between each main chamber and atmosphere, each said third valve being responsive to centrifugal force for exhausting pressurized air out of the main chamber to the atmosphere only when the vehicle is at a specific speed range within the transition speed range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- the improvement comprising mechanism causing the tire to have a relatively large area footprint in a low vehicle speed range, and a relatively small area footprint in a high vehicle speed range;
Specification