TIRE INFLATION SYSTEM

• US 20140000755A1
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aperia Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aperia Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Richardson, Brandon, Carlberg, Dave, Shelander, Ace
• Granted Patent: US 9,151,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/4
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00 Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/001 Devices for manually or automatically controlling or distributing tyre pressure whilst the vehicle is moving
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/127 the pumps being mounted on the hubs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/137 comprising cam driven pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/043 characterised by the inflation control means or the drive of the air pressure system
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 3/06 using pendulums
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/00 Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 35/01 the means being mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/08 Regulating by delivery pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/04 the means being cams, eccentrics or pin-and-slot mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/042 the means being cams
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 25/00 Adaptations of pumps for special use of pumps for elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/1485 the rotation being unlimited with respect to driving means with a fluid connection between inertia member and rotating driving means F16F15/167
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/08 for interconverting rotary motion and reciprocating motion F16H23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/00 Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/18 Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g. with turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86002 Fluid pressure responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2107 Follower
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2117 Power generating-type flywheel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2128 Damping using swinging masses, e.g., pendulum type, etc.

Abstract

A tire inflation system including a drive mechanism having a rotational axis, a pump cavity positioned a radial distance away from the axis of rotation, and a force translator coupling the rotational axis to the pump cavity. The drive mechanism includes a cam comprising an arcuate bearing surface having a non-uniform curvature, the cam rotatable about the rotational axis, and an eccentric mass couple to the cam that offsets a center of mass of the drive mechanism from the rotational axis. The pump cavity is rotatably coupled to the cam, wherein the pump cavity includes an actuating element and a chamber. The force translator couples the arcuate bearing surface to the actuating element, wherein the force translator includes an axis having an arcuate position fixed to an arcuate position of the pump cavity.

Claims

1. A tire pressurization system configured to mount to a wheel having a rotational axis, the system comprising:

a casing configured to mount to the wheel;

a first compressor mounted to the casing and configured to fluidly connect to a fluid source, the first compressor comprising a first chamber and a first actuating element, the first actuating element having a first area;

a second compressor mounted to the casing, fluidly connected to the first compressor and configured to fluidly connect to a tire interior, the second compressor comprising a second chamber and a second actuating element, the second actuating element having a second area; and

a drive mechanism mounted to the casing and configured to actuate the second compressor between a compressed state and a recovered state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is a passive drive mechanism.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the passive drive mechanism comprises an eccentric mass configured to mount to the wheel with a center of mass offset from the rotational axis, wherein relative rotation between the eccentric mass and the second compressor actuates the second compressor between the compressed state and the recovered state.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the passive drive mechanism further comprises a cam having an arcuate bearing surface and the second compressor comprises a force translator movably connecting the second actuating element to the arcuate bearing surface.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the force translator comprises a roller having a roller rotational axis fixed to the second actuating element, the roller configured to roll along the arcuate bearing surface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is coupled to and configured to actuate the first compressor between a compressed state and a recovered state.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a frame statically connecting the first actuating element and the second actuating element in opposing operation states.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second area is equal to the first area.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the casing is configured to mount to a hub of the wheel.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second compressor is fluidly connected in series to the first compressor.

12. A method of inflating a tire to a desired tire pressure with a system contained on a wheel supporting the tire, the method comprising:

pressurizing fluid from a fluid source to a first pressure below the desired tire pressure with a first compressor having a first pressurization area;

flowing the pressurized fluid from the first compressor to a second compressor, the second compressor having a second pressurization area less than or equal to the first pressurization area;

pressurizing the fluid from the first pressure to the desired tire pressure with the second compressor; and

flowing the fluid at the desired tire pressure to a tire interior.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second compressor comprises a second reciprocating pump, wherein pressurizing fluid with a second compressor comprises reciprocating the second reciprocating pump with a passive drive mechanism.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein pressurizing the fluid with the second compressor comprises engendering relative rotation between the second compressor and a drive mechanism during wheel rotation and leveraging the relative rotation to drive second compressor operation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the drive mechanism comprises an eccentric mass configured to mount to the wheel with a center of mass offset from a rotational axis of the wheel, wherein engendering relative rotation between the second compressor and the drive mechanism comprises maintaining a position of the eccentric mass relative to a gravity vector during wheel rotation.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a cam having an arcuate bearing surface with a non-uniform curvature, wherein leveraging the relative rotation to drive first compressor operation comprises applying a varying force to an actuating element of the first compressor as the first compressor moves along successive portions of the arcuate bearing surface.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein pressurizing the fluid to the first pressure comprises flowing the fluid from the fluid source to the first compressor, wherein flowing the fluid from the fluid source to the first compressor occurs substantially simultaneously with pressurizing the fluid from the first pressure to the desired tire pressure with the second compressor.