Temporary mobility kit with inadvertent flow prevention techniques

• US 9,096,018 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Guan, Yingchao, Steele, Kimberly Ann, Jones, Darryl L., He, Zhi Qiang, Maryanovsky, Sergey
• Primary Examiner(s): Niesz, Jason K
• Application Number:
  US13/893,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20130248046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 141/5, 141/38, 141/67, 141/114, 141/193, 141/197, 141/231, 141/285, 141/313, 141/351, 141/372, 81/152, 81/156, 81/155, 152/509, 285/93
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 73/166 Devices or methods for introducing sealing compositions into articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2030/00 Pneumatic or solid tyres or parts thereof conveyor belts B29L2031/7092; drive belts B29L2031/7094; fourdrinier belts B29L2031/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 29/062 for filling a tyre with particular materials, e.g. liquids B60C5/004, B60C5/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/85978 With pump
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a temporary mobility kit for repairing tires, including: an air compressor; a sealant assembly selectively connected to the air compressor; a sealant hose in the sealant assembly, configured to connect the air compressor to a tire valve; and a first circuit configured to assess a connection condition.

Claims

1. A temporary mobility kit for repairing tires, comprising:

a kit housing;

an air compressor;

a sealant assembly including a sealant hose, wherein the sealant hose is configured to connect the air compressor to a tire valve;

a diverter switch configured to switch the temporary mobility kit between a sealant function and an air inflation function;

a first circuit configured to assess a connection status of (1) attachment of the sealant assembly to the kit housing, or (2) attachment of the sealant hose to the tire valve; and

a second circuit configured to connect the air compressor to a power source when (1) an on-signal is received from an on/off switch after power is received from the power source and (2) a control signal is received from the diverter switch indicating that the diverter switch has changed position after the power is received from the power source.

2. The kit of claim 1, wherein the sealant assembly includes at least one metal contact in the sealant assembly configured to engage the kit housing, wherein the at least one metal contact in the sealant assembly forms a portion of the first circuit to assess the connection status of the sealant assembly to the kit housing.

3. The kit of claim 2, wherein the at least one metal contact of the sealant assembly is configured to engage a metal contact in the kit housing.

4. The kit of claim 1, wherein the sealant hose includes a pair of metal contacts configured to engage the tire valve, wherein the pair of metal contacts form a portion of the first circuit to assess the connection status of the sealant hose to the tire valve.

5. The kit of claim 1, further comprising a reset circuit configured to provide a signal indicating that the power is received from the power source.

6. The kit of claim 1, wherein the sealant assembly comprises a valve and the diverter switch is operatively coupled to the valve, wherein the diverter switch commands the valve to open when the sealant function of the kit has been selected via the diverter switch.

7. A temporary mobility kit for repairing tires, comprising:

an air compressor;

a sealant assembly comprising a sealant hose configured to connect the air compressor to a tire valve;

a diverter switch configured to switch the temporary mobility kit between a sealant function and an air inflation function;

a first circuit configured to provide a signal indicating that power is received from a power source; and

a second circuit configured to link the power source to the air compressor when a connection between the sealant hose and the tire valve has been detected, the signal from the first circuit has been provided, and a control signal has been received from the diverter switch indicating that the diverter switch has changed position after the signal from the first circuit has been provided.

8. The kit of claim 7, further comprising an on/off switch circuit configured to provide an on-signal after the signal from the first circuit has been provided.

9. The kit of claim 7, further comprising a circuit configured to assess a connection status between the sealant assembly and a kit housing of the kit.

10. The kit of claim 9, wherein the sealant assembly includes at least one contact in the sealant assembly configured to engage a contact of the kit housing, wherein the at least one contact in the sealant assembly forms a portion of the circuit to assess the connection status between the sealant assembly and the kit housing.

11. The kit of claim 7, further comprising a circuit configured to assess a connection status between the sealant hose and the tire valve.

12. The kit of claim 11, wherein the sealant hose includes a pair of metal contacts configured to engage the tire valve, wherein the pair of metal contacts form a portion of the circuit to assess the connection status between the sealant hose and the tire valve.