Tire pressure maintenance device
OwnerRichard Loeweinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for maintaining a desired inflation pressure within a tire mounted on a wheel of a vehicle which includes a flexible compression chamber and a magnetic element not on the wheel. As the compressor passes the magnet each wheel revolution, a small amount of atmospheric air is pumped into the tire, if needed. The magnet and the compressor need no other contact with the vehicle or the wheel and require no energy source on the wheel.
Claims37
A device for maintaining a desired inflation pressure of an interior of a tire mounted on a wheel of a vehicle, the wheel being rotatably connected to a stationary member of a vehicle wheel assembly and defining an axis of rotation, the device comprising:
- a housing;
- at least one magnetic element being mounted on a stationary member at a radial distance from the axis of rotation, the magnetic element producing a magnetic field wherein the magnetic field produces at least one of two opposing forces;
- a magnetically driven air compressor being mounted on the wheel and being radially disposed from the axis of rotation relative to the magnetic element to transit the magnetic field during each revolution of the wheel, the compressor being in fluid communication with the atmosphere and the interior of the tire, the compressor being operative to intake air from the atmosphere or to output compressed air to the interior of the tire in response to transiting the magnetic field wherein the compressor includes a flexible compression chamber defining a variable chamber volume;
- and
- means for limiting output pressure of the compressor to the desired inflation pressure;
- an actuator rotatable with respect to the housing, the actuator being operative to increase and decrease the chamber volume, the actuator being operative to effect an intake stroke to increase chamber volume and thereby intake air from the environment through an intake filter, the actuator further being operative to effect an output stroke to decrease chamber volume and thereby expel air through an output port;
- and
- means for applying first and second opposing forces alternately to the actuator, one of the first and second opposing forces increasing the volume of the flexible chamber and the other of the first and second opposing forces decreasing the volume of the flexible chamber, at least one of the first and second opposing forces being produced upon transit of the actuator through the magnetic field.
A device for maintaining a desired inflation pressure of an interior of a tire mounted on a wheel of a vehicle, the wheel being rotatably connected to a stationary member of a vehicle wheel assembly and defining an axis of rotation and producing a centrifugal force, the device comprising:
- at least one magnetic element being mounted on the stationary member at a radial distance from the axis of rotation, the magnetic element producing a magnetic field;
- an air compressor being mounted on the wheel and being radially disposed from the axis of rotation relative to the magnetic element to transit the magnetic field during each revolution of the wheel, the compressor being in fluid communication with the atmosphere and the interior of the tire, the compressor being operative to intake air from the atmosphere and to output compressed air to the interior of the tire in response to transiting the magnetic field, the compressor comprising:
- a housing;
- a compression chamber defining a variable chamber volume;
- an actuator rotatable with respect to the housing, the actuator being operative to cause an increase and decrease in the chamber volume, the actuator effecting an intake stroke to increase chamber volume and thereby intake air from the environment through an intake filter, the actuator effecting an output stroke to decrease chamber volume and thereby expel air through an output port;
- and
- means for applying first and second opposing forces to the actuator, one of the first and second opposing forces increasing the chamber volume and the other of the first and second opposing forces decreasing the chamber volume, at least one of the first and second opposing forces being cyclically produced upon cyclical transit of the actuator through the magnetic field;
- and
- a pressure limit valve which is opened to release air out of the output port when the pressure in the output port is above the desired tire pressure.
A device for maintaining a desired inflation pressure of an interior of a tire mounted on a wheel of a vehicle, the wheel being rotatably connected to a stationary member of a vehicle wheel assembly and defining an axis of rotation and producing a centrifugal force, the device comprising:
- at least one magnetic element being mounted on the stationary member at a radial distance from the axis of rotation, the magnetic element producing a magnetic field;
- an air compressor being mounted on the wheel and being radially disposed from the axis of rotation relative to the magnetic element to transit the magnetic field during each revolution of the wheel, the compressor being in fluid communication with the atmosphere and the interior of the tire, the compressor being operative to intake air from the atmosphere and to output compressed air to the interior of the tire in response to transiting the magnetic field;
- and
- means for limiting output pressure of the compressor to the desired tire inflation pressure.
A device to maintain a desired air pressure within a tire mounted on a wheel of a vehicle, the wheel being rotatably connected to a stationary member of a vehicle wheel assembly, the device comprising:
- at least one magnetic element mounted on a stationary member of the vehicle wheel assembly at a radial distance from the axis of wheel rotation, the magnetic element producing a magnetic field;
- at least one magnetically driven air compressor mounted on the wheel at a radial distance from the axis of wheel rotation where the compressor transits the magnetic field during each wheel revolution, the compressor having a compression chamber of variable volume connected to an actuator on which the magnetic field exerts a force as the actuator transits the magnetic field that drives at least a first one of two opposing forces that cause alternating increases and decreases in compression chamber volume, the compressor being in fluid communication with the atmosphere and the tire interior, air being drawn into the chamber from the atmosphere through an intake valve and air being expelled from the chamber through an output valve into the tire when pressure in the compression chamber exceeds the pressure in the tire;
- wherein the device produces an output pressure that does not exceed a desired tire pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.