Method and device for sealing and inflating inflatable articles, and sealing agent

Abstract

A method for sealing and inflating inflatable articles, in particular for sealing and inflating motor vehicle tires, wherein, by means of a compressor which is driven preferably by means of an electric motor, a sealing and pumping pressure is generated, wherein, by means of the sealing and pumping pressure, via a valve and distributor device for sealant and compressed gas and via compressed-air and sealant hoses between valve and distributor device and an entry valve or an inlet nozzle of the inflatable article, a sealant situated in a sealant vessel connected to the valve and distributor device is conveyed into the inflatable article and, at the same time, the inflatable article is inflated to a predefined operating pressure, wherein, by configuration of the corresponding parameters, of the sealant and of the device, in or downstream of the entry valve/the inlet nozzle, the sealant is at least partially atomized to form an aerosol by virtue of the sealant or the sealant-air mixture being converted, in the entry valve or in the inlet nozzle, into a turbulent flow with a Reynolds number R.sub.e≥2300.

Claims

1. A method of sealing and inflating an inflatable article, which comprises: driving a compressor with an electric motor to generate compressed gas, wherein the compressor comprises a valve and a distributor connected to a sealant vessel, and a compressed-air hose and a sealant hose connected to the valve and the distributor, and wherein the inflatable article comprises an entry valve or an inlet nozzle; connecting the compressed-air hose and/or the sealant hose to the entry valve or the inlet nozzle; conveying a sealant into the inflatable article by action of the compressed gas through the valve and the distributor via the compressed-air hose and/or the sealant hose into the entry valve or the inlet nozzle; and at least partially atomizing the sealant in or downstream of the entry valve/the inlet nozzle to form an aerosol by virtue of the sealant or the sealant-air mixture being converted into a turbulent flow with a Reynolds number Re≥2300, wherein the Reynolds number satisfies the following equation/inequation: $R_e=\sqrt{2}D\sqrt{p\frac{\rho }{{\eta }_0^2.Math.e^{\frac{2\kappa }{T_0+\Delta T}}}}\ge 2300$ wherein: T.sub.0 is ambient temperature, D is the entry valve or inlet nozzle diameter, ΔT is a difference between temperature in the entry valve or in the inlet nozzle and ambient temperature, p is the sealant or sealant-air mixture conveying pressure, ρ is the sealant or sealant-air mixture density, η.sub.0 is the sealant or sealant-air mixture intrinsic viscosity, and κ the sealant or sealant-air mixture temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inflatable article is a pneumatic vehicle tire.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising warming the entry valve or the inlet nozzle when p of the compressor is 200 to 600 kPa such that the temperature difference ΔT of the entry valve or of the inlet nozzle with respect to the ambient temperature is at least 10° C.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the temperature difference ΔT of the entry valve or of the inlet nozzle with respect to the ambient temperature is at least 40° C.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the warming of the entry valve or of the inlet nozzle is due to an increase of the outlet temperature of the compressor, and wherein the driving of the compressor comprises driving by a piston stroke frequency of at least 2000 strokes per minute.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the warming of the entry valve or of the inlet nozzle is accomplished by an electric heater.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention will now be described with reference to the single FIGURE of the drawing (FIG. 1) which shows a diagram.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(2) FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the method parameters for converting the flow into the turbulent range with a Reynolds number Re≥2300. The illustration shows the Reynolds numbers for a sealant according to the invention versus the conveying pressure P and the temperature increase ΔT at the atomizer nozzle. For typical conveying pressures of 200 to 600 kPa the compressor must in this case thus realize an increase of the nozzle temperature of 40 to 60° C. The region enclosed by the dashed line denotes the parameter range for the method according to the invention; the preferred working range according to the invention is the hatched region situated in the boundary of the dashed line.

(3) The increase of the nozzle temperature is, as presented above, realized by means of an adapted outlet temperature of the air compressor. What is critical for the present application is the cooling of the conveyed air on the path to the tire valve/tire entry valve. The compressed air is conducted via the sealant vessel and through a connecting hose. To ensure effective warming/heating of the nozzle, the stated method embodiments and device configurations are implemented.

(4) It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.