TIRE DEFLATION ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A tire deflation assembly for selectively extending and retracting a deflation apparatus to engage and deflate a motor vehicle tire includes a housing with a base wall and a perimeter wall attached to and extending over the base wall to define an interior bounded by the base and the perimeter walls. The perimeter wall has a plurality of slots extending therethrough. A deflation apparatus is coupled to the housing and is positioned in the interior. The deflation apparatus is retractably extendable through the slots to engage and deflate a motor vehicle tire. An actuator is coupled to the deflation apparatus for selectively moving the deflation apparatus between the retracted position and the deployed position. A controller is in wireless communication with the tire deflation assembly.

Claims

1. A tire deflation assembly comprising: a housing having a base wall and a perimeter wall being attached to and extending over the base wall to define an interior bounded by the base and the perimeter walls, the perimeter wall having a plurality of slots extending therethrough; a deflation apparatus being coupled to the housing and being positioned in the interior, the deflation apparatus being retractably extendable through the slots to engage and deflate a motor vehicle tire; an actuator being coupled to the deflation apparatus for selectively moving the deflation apparatus between the retracted position and the deployed position; and a controller being in wireless communication with the tire deflation assembly.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a module control circuit being operatively coupled to the actuator; a receiver being electrically coupled to the module control circuit for receiving operational signals; and wherein the controller comprises: a casing; a remote control circuit being coupled to and positioned in the casing; a transmitter being positioned in the casing and being electrically coupled to the remote control circuit, the transmitter being in wireless communication with the receiver; and an input being mounted to the casing, the input being electrically coupled to the remote control circuit for selecting operational signals to transmit via the transmitter to the receiver.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the controller further comprises a remote power supply being electrically coupled to the remote control circuit, the remote power supply being positioned in the casing.

4. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising a module power supply being electrically coupled to the module control circuit, the module power supply being positioned within the housing.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the module power supply comprises a battery.

6. The assembly of claim 5, further comprising a charging port being electrically coupled to the battery, the charging port being positioned on the perimeter wall of the housing.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the perimeter wall includes a top wall, front wall, a back wall, a first end wall, and a second end wall wherein the top wall is positioned opposite of the base wall, each of the first end wall and the second end wall being coupled to and extending between the front wall and the back wall, the housing being elongated between the first end wall and the second end wall.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein each slot of the plurality of slots is positioned in the top wall and the front wall.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the front wall is angled toward the back wall from the base wall.

10. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the back wall is angled toward the front wall from the base wall.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the deflation apparatus comprises a rod and a plurality of spikes, each spike of the plurality of spikes being coupled to and being laterally disbursed along the rod, each spike of the plurality of spikes extending from the rod and terminating in a pointed end.

12. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the deflation apparatus comprises a rod and a plurality of spikes, each spike of the plurality of spikes being coupled to and being laterally disbursed along the rod, each spike of the plurality of spikes extending from the rod and terminating in a pointed end, the rod extending longitudinally with respect to the housing.

13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the deflation apparatus is positionable in a retracted position wherein a pointed end of each spike of the plurality of spikes is positioned in the interior, the deflation apparatus being positionable in a deployed position wherein each spike of the plurality of spikes extends outwardly from the rod through one of the slots of the plurality of slots of the housing.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein each spike of the plurality of spikes extends vertically upward from the housing when the deflation apparatus is positioned in the deployed position.

15. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the rod is rotatable with respect to the housing,, the actuator being coupled to an end of the rod.

16. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a first mating member being positioned on the first end of the housing; and a second mating member being positioned on the second end wall and being complementary to the first mating member.

17. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the tire deflation assembly is connectable to other ones of the tire deflation assembly to facilitate an increase in length of a tire deflation area, each tire inflation assembly sharing a same controller.

18. A tire deflation assembly comprising: a housing having a base wall and a perimeter wall being attached to and extending over the base wall to define an interior bounded by the base and the perimeter walls, the perimeter wall including a top wall, front wall, a back wall, a first end wall, and a second end wall wherein the top wall is positioned opposite of the base wall, each of the first end wall and the second end wall being coupled to and extending between the front wall and the back wall, the housing being elongated between the first end wall and the second end wall, the perimeter wall having a plurality of slots extending therethrough, each slot of the plurality of slots being positioned in the top wall and the front wall, the front wall being angled toward the back wall from the base wall, the back wall being angled toward the front wall from the base wall; a deflation apparatus being coupled to the housing and being positioned in the interior, the deflation apparatus being retractably extendable through the slots to engage and deflate a motor vehicle tire, the deflation apparatus comprising a rod and a plurality of spikes, each spike of the plurality of spikes being coupled to and being laterally disbursed along the rod, each spike of the plurality of spikes extending from the rod and terminating in a pointed end, the rod extending longitudinally with respect to the housing, the deflation apparatus being positionable in a retracted position wherein a pointed end of each spike of the plurality of spikes is positioned in the interior, the deflation apparatus being positionable in a deployed position wherein each spike of the plurality of spikes extends outwardly from the rod through one of the slots of the plurality of slots of the housing, each spike of the plurality of spikes extending vertically upward from the housing when the deflation apparatus is positioned in the deployed position, the rod being rotatable with respect to the housing; an actuator being coupled to the deflation apparatus for selectively moving the deflation apparatus between the retracted position and the deployed position, the actuator being coupled to an end of the rod; a module control circuit being operatively coupled to the actuator; a receiver being electrically coupled to the module control circuit for receiving operational signals; a module power supply being electrically coupled to the module control circuit, the module power supply being positioned within the housing, the module power supply comprising a battery; a charging port being electrically coupled to the battery, the charging port being positioned on the perimeter wall of the housing; a first mating member being positioned on the first end of the housing; a second mating member being positioned on the second end wall and being complementary to the first mating member; a controller being in wireless communication with the tire deflation assembly, the controller comprising: a casing; a remote control circuit being coupled to and positioned in the casing; a transmitter being positioned in the casing and being electrically coupled to the remote control circuit, the transmitter being in wireless communication with the receiver; an input being mounted to the casing, the input being electrically coupled to the remote control circuit for selecting operational signals to transmit via the transmitter to the receiver; and a remote power supply being electrically coupled to the remote control circuit, the remote power supply being positioned in the casing; and wherein the tire deflation assembly is connectable to other ones of the tire deflation assembly to facilitate an increase in length of a tire deflation area, each tire deflation assembly sharing a same controller.

Description

(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0011] The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a top front side perspective view of a tire deflation assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a top front side perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a bottom front side perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken from Arrows 5-5 in FIG. 4.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken from Arrows 6-6 in FIG. 4.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a perspective kit view of a plurality of embodiments of the disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 8 is an in-use view of a plurality of embodiments of the disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the disclosure.

(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 9 thereof, a new tire deflation device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

[0022] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9, the tire deflation assembly 10 generally comprises a housing 12 with a base wall 14, and a perimeter wall 16 which is attached to and extends over the base wall 14 to define an interior 18 bounded by the base and the perimeter walls 14, 16. The perimeter wall 16 includes a top wall 20, front wall 22, a back wall 24, a first end wall 26, and a second end wall 28 wherein the top wall 20 is positioned opposite of the base wall 14. Each of the first end wall 26 and the second end wall 28 is coupled to and extends between the front wall 22 and the back wall 24, and the housing 12 is elongated between the first end wall 26 and the second end wall 28. The perimeter wall 16 has a plurality of slots 30 extending therethrough, and each slot 30 of the plurality of slots 30 is positioned in the top wall 20 and the front wall 22. The front wall 22 is angled toward the back wall 24 from the base wall 14, and the back wall 24 is angled toward the front wall 22 from the base wall 14.

[0023] A deflation apparatus 32 is coupled to the housing 12 and is positioned in the interior 18. The deflation apparatus 32 is retractably extendable through the slots 30 to engage and deflate a motor vehicle tire 34. The deflation apparatus 32 comprises a rod 36 and a plurality of spikes 38, in which each spike 38 of the plurality of spikes 38 is coupled to and is laterally disbursed along the rod 36. Each spike 38 of the plurality of spikes 38 extends from the rod 36 and terminates in a pointed end 40. The rod 36 extends longitudinally with respect to the housing 12. The deflation apparatus 32 is positionable in a retracted position 42 in which a pointed end 40 of each spike 38 of the plurality of spikes 38 is positioned in the interior 18 and in a deployed position 44 in which each spike 38 of the plurality of spikes 38 extends outwardly from the rod 36 through one of the slots 30 of the plurality of slots 30 of the housing 12. Each spike 38 of the plurality of spikes 38 extends vertically upward from the housing 12 when the deflation apparatus 32 is positioned in the deployed position 44. The rod 36 is rotatable with respect to the housing 12.

[0024] An actuator 46 is coupled to the deflation apparatus 32 for selectively moving the deflation apparatus 32 between the retracted position 42 and the deployed position 44. The actuator 46 is coupled to an end 48 of the rod 36 and selectively rotates the rod 36 to extend the plurality of spikes 38 through the plurality of slots 30. The actuator 46 may be a solenoid, a servomotor, a pneumatic device, or the like. The actuator 46 and the deflation apparatus 32 may be arranged to extend and retract the deflation apparatus 32 in a linearly, pivotally, or the like.

[0025] A module control circuit 50 is operatively coupled to the actuator 46, and a receiver 52 is electrically coupled to the module control circuit 50 for receiving operational signals. A module power supply 54 is electrically coupled to the module control circuit 50 and is positioned within the housing 12. The module power supply 54 comprises a battery 56, and a charging port 58 is electrically coupled to the battery 56 and is positioned on the perimeter wall 16 of the housing 12.

[0026] A controller 60 is in wireless communication with the tire deflation assembly 10. The controller 60 includes a casing 62 and a remote control circuit 64 that is coupled to and positioned in the casing 62. The controller 60 also includes a transmitter 66, an input 68, and a remote power supply 80. The transmitter 66 is positioned in the casing 62 and is electrically coupled to the remote control circuit 64. The transmitter 66 is in wireless communication with the receiver 52. The input 68 is mounted to the casing 62 and is electrically coupled to the remote control circuit 64 for selecting operational signals to transmit via the transmitter 66 to the receiver 52. The remote power supply 80 is electrically coupled to the remote control circuit 64 is positioned in the casing 62.

[0027] The tire deflation assembly 10 is connectable to other ones of the tire deflation assembly 10 to facilitate an increase in length of a tire deflation area 70. A first mating member 72 is positioned on the first end of the housing 12, and a second mating member 74 complementary to the first mating member 72 is positioned on the second end wall 28. For example, the first mating member 72 may be a tab 76 and the second mating member 74 may be a recess 78 of the housing 12 which receives the tab 76. The first and second mating members 72, 74 may include a latch, threaded fastener, clamp, magnet, or the like. Each tire deflation assembly 10 sharing a same controller 60.

[0028] In use, one or more tire deflation assembly 10 is positioned across a roadway 82. A user 84 actuates the input 68 of the controller 60 to operate the actuator 46, extending the deflation apparatus 32 to deflate the motor vehicle tire 34 of a target vehicle 86 as the target vehicle 86 travels over at least one of the tire deflation assemblies 10. The user 84 actuates the input 68 to retract the deflation apparatus 32 so tires of untargeted vehicles are not deflated by the deflation apparatus 32 as the untargeted vehicles travel over the tire deflation assemblies 10.

[0029] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0030] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word comprising is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article a does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.