Tire inflation apparatus
OwnerKyle David Tauchinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for tire inflation using an apparatus. The apparatus contains a piston in a housing and a bladder attached at an end of the housing. The apparatus is configured to compress air between a cap, the housing, and piston from the bladder compressing. Air enters into the tire through a valve in the piston. When the bladder decompresses, the piston seals air in the tire, thereby enabling air to pass through the valve in the cap. The apparatus involves a method of maintaining air pressure in a tire. The method includes the apparatus for inflating the tire as the tire rotates over a surface.
Claims8
A tire inflation apparatus comprising:
- a housing, wherein the housing comprises a first end and a second end;
- a piston disposed within the housing, the piston comprising a plurality of piston apertures, wherein the plurality of piston apertures are in fluid communication with each other;
- a piston spring disposed within a housing chamber in the housing, wherein a volume between a first end of the piston and the first end of the housing partially defines the housing chamber, and wherein the spring is configured to bias the piston along a length of the housing;
- a housing cap configured for engagement with the first end of the housing, wherein the housing cap comprises a cap body and a valve, the valve comprising at least one air inlet configured to permit fluid communication between the cap and the housing chamber in a first direction, the valve further comprising at least one air outlet configured to permit fluid communication between the cap and the housing chamber in a second direction;
- and
- a bladder coupled to the second end of the housing, the second end opposing the first end, wherein a volume of the bladder is configured to permit fluid communication with the piston.
A method of maintaining air pressure in a tire, the method comprising:
- embedding a tire inflation apparatus inside of the tire, the tire inflation apparatus comprising:
- a housing, wherein the housing comprises a first end and a second end;
- a piston disposed within the housing, the piston comprising a plurality of piston apertures, wherein the plurality of piston apertures are in fluid communication with each other;
- a piston spring disposed within a housing chamber in the housing, wherein a volume between a first end of the piston and the first end of the housing partially defines the housing chamber, and wherein the spring is configured to bias the piston along a length of the housing;
- a housing cap configured for engagement with the first end of the housing, wherein the housing cap comprises a cap body and a valve;
- and
- a bladder coupled to the second end of the housing, the second end opposing the first end, wherein a volume of the bladder is configured to permit fluid communication with the piston;
- sealing air in the bladder when the bladder and the housing chamber have the same air pressure, wherein the air in the bladder urges the piston to a position such that there is no fluid communication between the bladder and the housing chamber;
- forcing air into the tire from the housing chamber when the bladder is compressed, whereby the compressed bladder forces air to urge the piston to a position such that the piston is in fluid communication with the plurality of piston apertures;
- and
- forcing air into the housing chamber through the housing cap, thereby enabling air to be forced into the tire via the piston when the bladder is subsequently compressed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.