System for supplying pressurized air to a vehicle tire through the hub of the wheel

• US 6,955,201 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2003
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SKF Industrie SPA (ABet SKF)
• Original Assignee: SKF Industrie SPA (ABet SKF)
• Inventors: Brunetti, Marco, Musso, Michele, Zavaglia, Luca, Ruetter, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Stormer, Russell D.
• Application Number:
  US10/436,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20030217798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 152415-417
• US Class Current: 152/417
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00318 on the wheels or the hubs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00345 Details of the rotational joints

Abstract

A hollow suspension standard (20) of a vehicle equipped with a system for supplying pressurized air to a tire through the hub of the wheel has an inner cavity (22) and a seat (21) for housing a wheel hub bearing unit (10). The standard (20) forms a first passage (23) for establishing fluid communication between the inner cavity (22) and the hub-bearing unit (10), and a second passage (24) establishing fluid communication between the inner cavity (22) and a source of pressurized air mounted on board of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A hollow suspension standard for a vehicle equipped with a system for supplying pressurized air to a tire through the hub of the wheel, the standard forming a vertically extending inner cavity and a lower cylindrical seat for housing a bearing unit for the hub of the wheel, wherein the standard forms

at least a first lower passage between the inner cavity and the lower seat for establishing fluid communication between the inner cavity and the hub-bearing unit, and

a second upper passage formed in an upper part of the standard, said second passage establishing fluid communication between the inner cavity and a source of pressurized air mounted on board of the vehicle.

2. The suspension standard of claim 1, wherein the second passage is formed at a side of the standard facing the inside of the vehicle.

3. A system for supplying pressurized air to a vehicle tire through the hub of a wheel, comprising:

a hollow suspension standard including;

a vertically extended inner cavity,

a lower cylindrical seat for housing a bearing unit for the hub of the wheel,

at least a first lower passage between the inner cavity and the lower seat for establishing fluid communication between the inner cavity and the lower seat, and

a second upper passage formed in an upper part of the standard, said second passage establishing fluid communication between the inner cavity and a source of pressurized air mounted on board of the vehicle; and

a hub-bearing unit mounted in said seat and having passages establishing fluid communication between said first passage of the standard and the wheel tire.