Patent classifications
B60C23/00
System and method for tire repair
A repair system for a vehicle includes a base and a lift component movably secured to the base for lifting a portion of a frame of the vehicle. An air compressor unit is disposed on the base and has a discharge hose configured to be selectively connected to the tire for delivering compressed. A sealant reservoir is disposed on the base and filled with a flat tire sealant. The discharge hose is optionally configured to deliver the flat tire sealant to the tire. A controller is disposed on the base and receives tire data from the vehicle and controls discharge of the compressed air from the air compressor unit to the tire and optionally controls discharge of the flat tire sealant to the tire based on the tire data. The tire data includes a tire pressure reading associated with the tire.
Tire electronics securing structures
A tire and securing element assembly includes a tire inflated at a first pressure and a securing element. The securing element is an inflatable hoop inflated at a second pressure at least 10% greater than the first pressure. The securing element abuts an inner surface of the tire across 30-90% of a tread width. The securing element has a cross sectional area between about 0.4 and 47.0 cm.sup.2.
Pressure balance valve
An assembly for an ATIS that includes a tire inflation valve and a tire deflation valve, and further includes a safety valve that is configured to receive the tire pressure, deflate a tire when tire pressure is too high such as due to braking heat, road friction, ambient temperature, or other reasons. The safety valve prevents deflation of the tire through the deflation valve in the case of low source pressure, such as the pressure source fails or a leak in the source pressure system lines. The assembly is designed to be quickly serviced in the field, where the serviceable parts are very inexpensive. Multiple devices can be installed in parallel with the others, with one device per tire or tire set. The assembly can be a block configured to be attached to a hub cap of a vehicle. It also enables a sensor placement on the hub cap for hub temperature sensing as well as tire pressures sensing and reporting.
METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING ELECTRONIC WHEEL UNITS ON VEHICLE WHEELS OF A VEHICLE, AND USE THEREFOR
The invention relates to a method for identifying electronic wheel units (12-1 to 12-6b) arranged on vehicle wheels (W1-W6b) of a vehicle (1), by means of which method those electronic wheel units (12-3a, 12-3b; 12-4a, 12-4b; 12-5a, 12-5b; 12-6a, 12-6b) which are arranged on vehicle wheels (W3a, W3b; W4a, W4b; W5a, W5b; W6a, W6b) connected to one another for conjoint rotation are identified, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring a respective cumulative number (Ni) of revolutions of each of the vehicle wheels (W1-W6b) using the electronic wheel units (12-1 to 12-6b); comparing with one another the cumulative numbers (Ni) of revolutions of the vehicle wheels (W1-W6b), identifying those electronic wheel units (12-3a, 12-3b; 12-4a, 12-4b; 12-5a, 12-5b, 12-6a, 12-6b) for which the cumulative numbers (Ni) of revolutions at least approximately coincide as being arranged connected to one another for conjoint rotation.
MULTI-BODY HUBCAP FOR TIRE INFLATION SYSTEMS
A hubcap comprising a base and a cap rotatably coupled to the base.
AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM
An air supply system includes: a telescopic pump attached to a wheel and discharging compressed air into a tire by extending and contracting; a cam member rotatably supported on the wheel and having a center of gravity eccentric to the wheel and an annular cam surface eccentric to the wheel, wherein the cam member rotating relative to the wheel as the wheel rotates, with one end part of the pump following the cam surface, causing the pump to extend and contract to supply air into the tire by a rotary power of the wheel; and a pump on/off mechanism that is activated upon receiving a pressure inside the tire, allowing the pump to operate when the pressure is at or below a reference lower limit, and stopping the pump when the pressure is at or above a reference upper limit that is larger than the reference lower limit.
Steering pivot pin forming an internal pneumatic passage
The invention relates to an assembly including a hydraulic apparatus having a rotor and a stator. The rotor is mounted so as to turn about a second rotation axis with respect to the stator and is secured to a device suitable for mounting a vehicle wheel. A pivot-pin element is intended to be mounted on an axle and is mounted so as to rotate about a first rotation axis with respect to the hydraulic apparatus. The stator is mounted so as to turn about the first rotation axis with respect to the axle. An air chamber is formed between the pivot-pin element and the hydraulic apparatus, the air chamber is connected to a distribution passage formed in the hydraulic apparatus. An axle passage is formed in the pivot-pin element so as to form a pneumatic passage between the pivot-pin element and the hydraulic apparatus.
Road surface state determination device
A road surface state determination device includes a tire-side device and a vehicle-body-side system. The tire-side device is attached to each of a plurality of tires included in a vehicle. The vehicle-body-side system is included in a body of the vehicle. The tire-side device may output a detection signal corresponding to a magnitude of vibration applied to the tire. The tire-side device may extract data items of a road surface state indicative of the vibration of the tire during one rotation of the tire from the detection signal. The tire-side device may generate road surface data. The tire-side device may transmit the road surface data. The vehicle-body-side system may receive the road surface data. The vehicle-body-side system may determine the road surface state based on the road surface data.
Wheel-mounted air compression apparatus
A wheel-mounted air compression apparatus for maintaining a predetermined inflation pressure of a tire mounted on a wheel of a vehicle and the tire having an inflation port includes a housing defining an air compression chamber and has an air compressor device positioned therein. The apparatus includes a plurality of support legs spaced apart from one another. Each support leg is attached to the housing and extends away therefrom and may include a pair of sleeves that are length-adjustable for mounting to wheels of various sizes. A pressure sensor is situated in the housing and operably connected to the air compressor and to a nozzle for determining a current pressure of air within the tire. A controller or other electronics cause the air compressor to pump air into a tire if the air pressure therein is detected as declining below a predetermined amount.
Wheel end assembly having a vent passage
A wheel end assembly having a spindle, a hub, and a rotary seal assembly. The spindle defines a spindle air passage, a vent passage, and a spindle hole. The hub defines a hub air passage. The rotary seal assembly fluidly connects the spindle air passage to the hub air passage. The vent passage fluidly connects an inboard cavity to the spindle hole.