Self-regulating tire pressure system and method
First Claim
1. A self-regulating tire pressure system, comprising:
- a wheel for seating a tire, said wheel including a reservoir for providing a high pressure air source,a valve for establishing an air flow communication between said reservoir and a tire seated on said wheel in response to a low air pressure condition in the tire that is caused by either a slow leak or a fast leak,sensing means responsive to operations of said valve for generating a signal indicative of low pressure condition, andindicator means responsive to said signal for generating mutually distinct indications of a slow leak or a fast leak.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A self-regulating tire pressure system and method employs a bistable valve (10) that allows air from a high pressure reservoir (6) to replenish the pressure within a tire (4) when it has fallen below an actuating pressure, and discontinues its operation only after the tire pressure has increased to a closing pressure that is greater than the actuating pressure. The system is capable of sensing the valve'"'"'s (10) frequency of operation as an indication of a slow tire leak when the frequency exceeds a predetermined threshold, of sensing the number of valve (10) operations and the duration of each operation as an indication of a flat tire condition when the number of operations for a predetermined duration exceeds a second threshold, and of sensing the duration of the valve'"'"'s (10) operation as an indication of a low reservoir (6) pressure condition when that duration exceeds a third threshold. The valve (10) includes a bistable diaphragm (94, 120) that receives a reference pressure on one side and the tire pressure on its opposite side, and snaps between two stable positions respectively opening and closing the valve (10) in response to the tire pressure falling below the actuating pressure and then increasing to the closing pressure.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A self-regulating tire pressure system, comprising:
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a wheel for seating a tire, said wheel including a reservoir for providing a high pressure air source, a valve for establishing an air flow communication between said reservoir and a tire seated on said wheel in response to a low air pressure condition in the tire that is caused by either a slow leak or a fast leak, sensing means responsive to operations of said valve for generating a signal indicative of low pressure condition, and indicator means responsive to said signal for generating mutually distinct indications of a slow leak or a fast leak. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A self-regulating tire pressure system, comprising:
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a wheel for seating a tire, said wheel including a reservoir for providing a high pressure air source, a valve for establishing an air flow communication between said reservoir and a tire seated on said wheel in response to a low air pressure condition in the tire that is caused by either a slow leak or a fast leak, sensing means responsive to operation of said valve for generating a signal indicative of frequency and duration of valve operation, and logic means responsive to said signal for providing a first indication of a slow leak condition, a second indication of a fast leak condition, and a third indication of a low pressure in said reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification