Self-regulating tire pressure system and method

Abstract

A self-regulating tire pressure system and method employs a bistable valve (10) that allows air from a high pressure reservoir (6) to replenish the pressure within a tire (4) when it has fallen below an actuating pressure, and discontinues its operation only after the tire pressure has increased to a closing pressure that is greater than the actuating pressure. The system is capable of sensing the valve's (10) frequency of operation as an indication of a slow tire leak when the frequency exceeds a predetermined threshold, of sensing the number of valve (10) operations and the duration of each operation as an indication of a flat tire condition when the number of operations for a predetermined duration exceeds a second threshold, and of sensing the duration of the valve's (10) operation as an indication of a low reservoir (6) pressure condition when that duration exceeds a third threshold. The valve (10) includes a bistable diaphragm (94, 120) that receives a reference pressure on one side and the tire pressure on its opposite side, and snaps between two stable positions respectively opening and closing the valve (10) in response to the tire pressure falling below the actuating pressure and then increasing to the closing pressure.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.