Small trailer tire inflation system
AssigneeEqualaire Systems, Inc.
InventorMark Kevin Hennig
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire inflation system for a small trailer may include a fluid pressure source mountable to the trailer, and fluid conduits providing sealed fluid communication between the fluid pressure source and the small trailer's pneumatic tires. The system may further include a fluid connector configured for connection to an external fluid power source.
Claims28
A tire inflation system for a trailer capable of being pulled by a non-class 8 vehicle, the trailer comprising an axle and a first pneumatic tire mounted at a first end of the axle and a second pneumatic tire mounted to the other a second end of the axle, but without air brakes, the system comprising:
- a first rotary fluid connection mounted at the first end of the trailer axle and in sealed fluid communication with the first pneumatic tire;
- a second rotary fluid connection mounted at the second end of the trailer axle and in sealed fluid communication with the second pneumatic tire;
- a first fluid connector configured for sealed connection to a fluid pressure source mounted to the vehicle and not to the trailer, the first rotary fluid connection and the second rotary fluid connection being in sealed fluid communication with the first fluid connector such that fluid flowing into the first fluid connector from the fluid pressure source may flow substantially simultaneously into the first and second pneumatic tires;
- a first one-way valve in sealed fluid communication with the first fluid connector and the first pneumatic tire, the first one-way valve disposed so as to allow pressurized fluid to flow from the first fluid connector to the first pneumatic tire but not from the first pneumatic tire to atmosphere when the fluid connector is not in sealed connection to the fluid pressure source;
- and
- the first one-way valve further being in sealed fluid communication with the second pneumatic tire, the first one-way valve disposed so as to allow pressurized fluid to flow from the first fluid connector to the second pneumatic tire but not from the second pneumatic tire to atmosphere when the fluid connector is not in sealed connection to the fluid pressure source.
A tire inflation system for a trailer capable of being pulled by a non-class 8 vehicle, the trailer comprising an axle and a first pneumatic tire mounted at a first end of the axle and a second pneumatic tire mounted at a second end of the axle, the trailer not being equipped with air brakes, the system comprising:
- a fluid pressure source mounted to the vehicle, the fluid pressure source powerable by energy provided by the vehicle;
- a fluid conduit providing sealed fluid communication between the fluid pressure source and each of the first and second pneumatic tires so as to allow pressurized fluid from the vehicle-mounted fluid pressure source to flow from the fluid pressure source to each of the first and second pneumatic tires;
- and
- a fluid connector providing sealed fluid communication with the first and second pneumatic tires, the fluid connector comprising a first one-way valve configured for sealed fluid communication with an external fluid pressure source external to the trailer and vehicle so as to allow fluid to flow from the external fluid pressure source simultaneously to each of the first and second pneumatic tires separately from the fluid pressure source, the first one-way valve disposed so as to prevent pressurized fluid from escaping from the fluid connector to atmosphere when the fluid connector is not connected to the external fluid pressure source.
A method of inflating trailer pneumatic tires, the trailer capable of being pulled by a non-class 8 vehicle, the trailer comprising an axle and a pneumatic tire mounted at each end of the axle, but without air brakes, the method comprising:
- mounting to the trailer a first fluid connector comprising a first one-way valve configured for sealed fluid communication with a fluid pressure source mounted to the vehicle, the first one-way valve disposed so as to prevent pressurized fluid from escaping from the first fluid connector to atmosphere when the first fluid connector is not connected to the fluid pressure source;
- providing sealed fluid communication between the first fluid connector and each pneumatic tire;
- and
- connecting the first fluid connector to the fluid pressure source so as to allow pressurized fluid to flow from the fluid pressure source to each pneumatic tire substantially simultaneously.
A tire inflation system for a trailer capable of being pulled by a non-class 8 vehicle, the trailer comprising an axle and a first pneumatic tire mounted at a first end of the axle and a second pneumatic tire mounted at a second end of the axle, but without air brakes, the system comprising:
- a first rotary fluid connection mounted at the first end of the axle and in sealed fluid communication with the first pneumatic tire;
- a second rotary fluid connection mounted at the second end of the axle and in sealed fluid communication with the second pneumatic tire;
- a first fluid connector configured for sealed connection to a fluid pressure source mounted to the vehicle, the first rotary fluid connection and the second rotary fluid connection being in sealed fluid communication with the first fluid connector such that fluid flowing into the first fluid connector from the fluid pressure source may flow substantially simultaneously into the first and second pneumatic tires;
- a first one-way valve in sealed fluid communication with the first fluid connector and the first pneumatic tire, the first one-way valve disposed so as to allow pressurized fluid to flow from the first fluid connector to the first pneumatic tire but not from the first pneumatic tire to atmosphere when the first fluid connector is not connected to the fluid pressure source, the first one-way valve being further disposed so as to allow fluid to flow to the first pneumatic tire and not from the first pneumatic tire to the second pneumatic tire;
- a second one-way valve in sealed fluid communication with the first fluid connector and the second pneumatic tire, the second one-way valve disposed so as to allow pressurized fluid to flow from the first fluid connector to the second pneumatic tire but not from the second pneumatic tire to atmosphere when the first fluid connector is not connected to the fluid pressure source, the second one-way valve being further disposed so as to allow fluid to flow to the second pneumatic tire and not from the second pneumatic tire to the first pneumatic tire;
- and
- a third one-way valve in sealed fluid communication with the first and second one-way valves and the first fluid connector so as to prevent pressurized fluid from flowing from the first and second one-way valves to atmosphere.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.