Tire Inflation System and Method of Control

• US 20150075672A1
• Filed: 09/18/2013
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology LLC (Meritor, Inc. (Nevada))
• Original Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology LLC (Meritor, Inc. (Nevada))
• Inventors: Trostle, Robert W., Koulinitch, Anatoli, Flory, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 10,391,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/4
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00318 on the wheels or the hubs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00354 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00372 characterised by fluid diagrams
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 29/00 Arrangements of tyre-inflating valves to tyres or rims; Accessories for tyre-inflating valves, not otherwise provided for tools for mounting or demounting valves B60C25/18

Abstract

A system and method of controlling inflation of a tire. Tire pressure may be determined by providing pulses of pressurized gas to a tire valve. The pulses of pressurized gas may not open the tire valve when the tire pressure is greater than or equal to the target tire pressure, thereby inhibiting overinflation.

Claims

1. A method of controlling inflation of a tire comprising:

determining tire pressure by;

providing a pulse of pressurized gas to a tire valve, wherein the pulse of pressurized gas does not open the tire valve when the tire pressure is greater than or equal to a target tire pressure; and

measuring a pressure of the pulse of pressurized gas.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the pulse of pressurized gas is provided at a pressure that is less than the target tire pressure.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising inflating a tire when the pressure of the pulse is less than a target tire pressure and the pressure of the pulse is within a threshold amount of a pressure of a previous pulse of pressurized gas provided to the tire valve.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the pulse of pressurized gas is delivered at a higher pressure than the previous pulse.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the pulse of pressurized gas is provided by a pressurized gas source and a pulse duration of the pulse of pressurized gas is based on a supply pressure of pressurized gas from the pressurized gas source.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the pulse duration of the pulse of pressurized gas is based on a pulse duration for the previous pulse.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the pulse of pressurized gas has a pulse duration of the pulse of pressurized gas that is greater than the pulse duration of the previous pulse.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein pressure of the pulse of pressurized gas is measured by a pressure sensor disposed outside the tire.

9. A method of controlling inflation of a tire comprising:

determining a first pressurized gas pulse duration time;

providing a first pulse of pressurized gas from a pressurized gas source to a tire for the first pressurized gas pulse duration time;

measuring a pressure of pressurized gas associated with the first pulse;

determining a second pressurized gas pulse duration time;

providing a second pulse of pressurized gas from the pressurized gas source to the tire for the second pressurized gas pulse duration time that differs from the first pressurized gas pulse duration time;

measuring a pressure of pressurized gas associated with the second pulse; and

comparing the pressure associated with the first pulse with the pressure associated with the second pulse;

wherein the tire is underinflated when the pressure associated with the first pressurized gas pulse is within a predetermined amount of the pressure associated with the second pressurized gas pulse.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising inflating the tire with pressurized gas from a pressurized gas source when the tire is underinflated.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the first pressurized gas pulse duration time is less than the second pressurized gas pulse duration time.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising providing a third pulse of pressurized gas to the tire for a third pressurized gas pulse duration time that is longer than the second pressurized gas pulse duration time when the pressure associated with the second pulse is less than a target tire pressure and the pressure associated with the second pulse is not within a predetermined amount of the pressure of the first pressurized gas pulse.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein determining a second pressurized gas pulse duration time is based on the first pressurized gas pulse duration time and a pressure of pressurized gas from a pressurized gas source.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining whether a maximum number of pressurized gas pulses has been exceeded and activating an alert when the maximum number of pressurized gas pulses has been exceeded.

15. A tire inflation system comprising:

a pressurized gas source that is configured to provide a pressurized gas to a tire;

an outlet valve that controls flow of pressurized gas to the tire;

an inlet valve that controls flow of pressurized gas to the outlet valve;

a first pressure sensor for detecting pressure of the pressurized gas provided by the pressurized gas source; and

a second pressure sensor disposed between the inlet valve and the outlet valve;

wherein a pulse of pressurized gas is delivered from the pressurized gas source to the tire by opening the outlet valve and the inlet valve, closing the inlet valve after a current pressurized gas pulse duration time has elapsed, waiting for a predetermined period of time to allow the pressure to stabilize between the inlet valve and the tire, and measuring pressure with the second pressure sensor;

wherein the measured pressure is indicative of a tire pressure when the pulse pressure is less than a target tire pressure and the measured pressure is within a threshold amount of a pressure value of a previous pressure pulse.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising closing the outlet valve after measuring pressure with the second pressure sensor.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the tire has a tire valve and the pulse of pressurized gas does not open the tire valve.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the first pressure sensor is disposed between the inlet valve and the pressurized gas source.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the current pressurized gas pulse duration time is based on data from the first pressure sensor.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the current pressurized gas pulse duration time is based on a pressurized gas pulse duration time for the previous pressure pulse.