Air pressure management device

Abstract

To provide an air pressure management device and a vehicle that can adjust the air pressure of a tire by using a simple constitution.SOLUTION: An air pressure management device is provided between a brake rotor and a wheel. The air pressure management device comprises a first case and a second case. The first case includes a first space which is disposed on a brake rotor side, and performs heating by using heat generated by the brake rotor. The second case includes a second space which is disposed on a wheel side, and is capable of communicating with a space in a tire. The air pressure management device further comprises a nonreturn valve that is capable of discharging a gaseous matter in the first space to the second space when a pressure of the first space is greater than a pressure in the second space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pneumatic pressure management device.

Background Art

[0002] In order to maintain various performances such as the running performance, safety, and fuel efficiency of a vehicle at a desired level, it is necessary to keep the pneumatic pressure of the tire within an appropriate range. Therefore, devices for maintaining the pneumatic pressure of the tire within an appropriate range are disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, since it is necessary to newly provide a pump, a control device, etc., the mechanism for adjusting the pneumatic pressure of the tire has become complicated. It is desirable to provide a pneumatic pressure management device capable of adjusting the pneumatic pressure of the tire with a simple mechanism.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The pneumatic pressure management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided between a brake rotor and a wheel. This pneumatic pressure management device includes a first case and a second case. The first case is disposed on the brake rotor side and has a first space that can be heated by the heat generated by the brake rotor. The second case is disposed on the wheel side and has a second space that can communicate with the space inside the tire. This pneumatic pressure management device further includes a check valve capable of discharging the gas in the first space to the second space when the pressure in the first space becomes greater than the pressure in the second space.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand the present disclosure, incorporated herein and constituting a part of this specification. The drawings show an embodiment and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0009] Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following description shows a specific example of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. For example, each element including numerical values, shapes, materials, components, the positions of each component, and the connection methods of each component is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Further, in the following exemplary embodiments, components not described in the independent claims based on the top-level concept of the present disclosure are optional and may be provided as necessary. The drawings are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to actual size. Throughout this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same function and substantially the same configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Also, components not directly related to an embodiment of the present disclosure are not shown in the drawings.

[0010] <1. Embodiment> [Configuration Example] First, the pneumatic pressure management device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 shows a perspective configuration example of a vehicle 1 equipped with the pneumatic pressure management device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle 1 includes, for example, a wheel 20 and a tire 30 on each of the left and right sides of the front end portion of the vehicle 1, and further includes a wheel 20 and a tire 30 on each of the left and right sides of the rear end portion of the vehicle 1. FIG. 2 shows a planar configuration example of the wheel 20 and the tire 30. The wheel 20 has a rim that constitutes the skeleton of the wheel 20 and a tire support portion that supports the tire 30. The tire 30 has an annular shape and is fixed to the circumferential surface (tire support portion) of the wheel 20. The vehicle 1 includes, for example, four pneumatic pressure management devices 10 provided one by one for each of the wheel 20 and the tire 30.

[0011] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional configuration example taken along line A-A of FIG. 2 in the vehicle 1 of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows an expanded view of each configuration shown in FIG. 3. The vehicle 1 includes, for example, a wheel hub 40, a brake rotor 50, a plurality of studs 60, and a plurality of nuts 70 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0012] The pneumatic pressure management device 10 is a passive device that does not have a pump, a control device, etc., and operates using the heat supplied from the brake rotor 50. The pneumatic pressure management device 10 is provided between the brake rotor 50 and the wheel 20. One main surface of the pneumatic pressure management device 10 is in contact with the hat portion (described later) of the brake rotor 50, and the other main surface of the pneumatic pressure management device 10 is in contact with the rim of the wheel 20. The pneumatic pressure management device 10 is provided with a plurality of hub insertion holes 11 and a plurality of stud insertion holes 12 that penetrate the two main surfaces of the pneumatic pressure management device 10. The fixing portion 41 (described later) of the wheel hub 40 is inserted into the hub insertion hole 11. The stud 60 is inserted into the stud insertion hole 12.

[0013] The rim of the wheel 20 is provided with a plurality of stud insertion holes 24 penetrating the rim of the wheel 20, and a conduction path 21 connected to two openings 22 and 23 provided in the rim of the wheel 20. A stud 60 is inserted into the stud insertion hole 24. The conduction path 21 is provided inside the rim of the wheel 20, one end of the conduction path 21 is connected to the opening 22 of the rim of the wheel 20, and the other end of the conduction path 21 is connected to the opening 23 of the rim of the wheel 20. The opening 22 is provided at a position facing the air pressure management device 10 and is connected to the opening 10A of the air pressure management device 10. The opening 23 is provided at a position facing the tire 30 and is connected to the air injection hole of the tire 30. Therefore, the conduction path 21 can communicate with the space inside the tire 30 through the opening 23 and the air injection hole of the tire 30. The conduction path 21 can further communicate with the space (compressed space s2 described later) of the air pressure management device 10 through the opening 22 and the opening 10A.

[0014] The wheel hub 40 is connected to the end of the drive shaft of the vehicle 1 and is configured to rotate about a common rotation axis with the drive shaft as the drive shaft rotates. The wheel hub 40 has a disc-shaped support body that supports the brake rotor 50. A plurality of fixing portions 41 for fixing the brake rotor 50 are provided on this support body, and further, a plurality of stud insertion holes 42 are provided. A stud 60 is inserted into the stud insertion hole 42.

[0015] The brake rotor 50 has a hat portion attached to the wheel hub 40 and a flat flange portion extending annularly around the hat portion. The hat portion contacts the support of the wheel hub 40. The hat portion is provided with a plurality of hub insertion holes 51 and a plurality of stud insertion holes 52 that penetrate the hat portion. The plurality of hub insertion holes 51 are provided one by one for each fixing portion 41. The fixing portion 41 is inserted into the hub insertion hole 51. The plurality of stud insertion holes 52 are provided one by one for each stud insertion hole 42. The stud 60 is inserted into the stud insertion hole 52. When the hat portion is connected to the wheel hub 40 and the brake pads of the brake caliper provided on the vehicle 1 are pressed against the sliding surface of the flange portion, a frictional force is generated between the brake pads and the sliding surface of the brake rotor 50, and the braking force of the vehicle 1 is obtained.

[0016] The stud 60 is inserted into the stud insertion hole 42, the stud insertion hole stud 52, the stud insertion hole 12, and the stud insertion hole 24. A nut 70 is fixed to the tip of the stud 60 in a state where the stud 60 is inserted into the stud insertion hole 42, the stud insertion hole stud 52, the stud insertion hole 12, and the stud insertion hole 24. That is, the brake rotor 50, the pneumatic management device 10, and the wheel 20 are fixed to the wheel hub 40 by the plurality of studs 60 and the plurality of nuts 70.

[0017] FIG. 5 shows a planar configuration example of the pneumatic management device 10. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional configuration example of the pneumatic management device 10 taken along line A-A in FIG. 5. The pneumatic management device 10 has the same shape as the planar shape of the hat portion of the brake rotor 50 and has, for example, a disc shape as shown in FIG. 5. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of hub insertion holes 11 are provided in the central portion of the main surface of the pneumatic management device 10, and, for example, a plurality of stud insertion holes 12 and an opening 10A are provided in the outer edge portion of the main surface of the pneumatic management device 10.

[0018] The pneumatic pressure management device 10 has, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, a heated case 13 (first case) disposed on the brake rotor 50 side and an air supply case 14 (second case) disposed on the wheel 20 side. The heated case 13 and the air supply case 14 are overlapped with each other, and the laminate formed by the heated case 13 and the air supply case 14 has, for example, a disk shape.

[0019] The heated case 13 has a heated space s1 (first space) that can be heated by the heat generated due to the above-described frictional force in the brake rotor 50. The heated space s1 is filled with a gas. At least the portion of the heated case 13 in contact with the brake rotor 50 is formed of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the air supply case 14, and is formed of, for example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The air supply case 14 has a compressed space s2 (second space) that can communicate with the space inside the tire 30. The compressed space s2 is filled with a gas. The air supply case 14 is formed of, for example, stainless steel. The material of the air supply case 14 is not limited to stainless steel.

[0020] The pneumatic pressure management device 10 has, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, a check valve 16 (first check valve) capable of discharging the gas in the heated space s1 to the compressed space s2 when the pressure in the heated space s1 becomes greater than the pressure in the space of the compressed space s2. The check valve 16 is provided so as to penetrate through a portion of the wall of the heated case 13 in contact with the air supply case 14 and a portion of the wall of the air supply case 14 in contact with the heated case 13. When a portion of the wall of the heated case 13 in contact with the air supply case 14 and a portion of the wall of the air supply case 14 in contact with the heated case 13 are constituted by a common wall, the check valve 16 is provided so as to penetrate through the common wall.

[0021] The pneumatic pressure management device 10 has, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, a check valve 15 (second check valve) capable of allowing outside air to flow into the heated space s1 when the pressure in the heated space s1 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure. The check valve 15 is provided at a location different from the main surface of the pneumatic pressure management device 10 (the side surface of the heated case 13). The pneumatic pressure management device 10 has, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, a pressure control valve 17 capable of discharging the gas in the compressed space s2 to the outside when the pressure in the compressed space s2 becomes higher than a predetermined threshold value. The pressure control valve 17 is provided at a location different from the main surface of the pneumatic pressure management device 10 (the side surface of the air supply case 14).

[0022] [Operation] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the pneumatic pressure management device 10. First, as shown in FIG. 7(A), when frictional heat is generated in the brake rotor 50 due to the above-described frictional force, the frictional heat is propagated to the heated space s1 through the wall of the heated case 13. As a result, the gas in the heated space s1 absorbs the heat from the brake rotor 50 and expands, increasing the pressure in the heated space s1. When the pressure in the heated space s1 becomes higher than the pressure in the compressed space s2, the check valve 16 opens, and the gas in the heated case 13 is discharged to the air supply case 14 through the check valve 16. As a result, when the pressure in the compressed space s2 increases and becomes higher than the pressure of the gas in the tire 30, the gas in the air supply case 14 is injected into the space in the tire 30 through the conduction path 21 and the air injection hole of the tire 30. In this way, gas is supplied to the tire 30 by the pneumatic pressure management device 10, and the air pressure of the tire 30 increases.

[0023] At this time, since the pressure control valve 17 is provided in the air supply case 14, when the pressure in the compressed space s2 becomes higher than a predetermined threshold value, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the pressure control valve 17 opens, and the gas in the air supply case 14 is discharged to the outside through the pressure control valve 17. Therefore, excessive gas is not supplied to the tire 30, and the air pressure of the tire 30 can be maintained at a desired level.

[0024] After that, when the temperature of the brake rotor 50 drops, the expansion of the gas in the heated space s1 subsides, and the pressure in the compressed space s2 becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value. As a result, the pressure control valve 17 closes. Further, when the pressure in the heated space s1 and the pressure in the compressed space s2 become equal to each other, the check valve 16 closes, and the gas in the heated case 13 is no longer discharged to the air supply case 14 through the check valve 16. As a result, the gas release from the air supply case 14 to the tire 30 stops. After that, when the temperature of the brake rotor 50 drops further, the heat accumulated in the gas in the heated space s1 is dissipated to the outside through the wall of the heated case 13, and the gas in the heated space s1 contracts. As a result, when the pressure in the heated space s1 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure, the check valve 15 opens, and outside air flows into the heated case 13 through the check valve 15. When the pressure in the heated space s1 becomes equal to the outside air, the check valve 15 closes. In this way, the air pressure management device 10 returns to the initial state.

[0025] [Effect] Next, the effects of the air pressure management device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0026] In this embodiment, when the gas in the air supply case 14 is heated by the heat generated by the brake rotor 50, and as a result, when the pressure in the air supply case 14 becomes higher than the pressure in the air supply case 14, the gas in the air supply case 14 is discharged to the air supply case 14 through the check valve 16. Thereby, by utilizing the heat generated by the brake rotor 50 without using a pump, a control device, etc., gas can be supplied to the tire 30. Therefore, the air pressure of the tire 30 can be adjusted with a simple mechanism.

[0027] In this embodiment, when the pressure in the heated space s1 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure, outside air flows into the heated space s1 through the check valve 15. Thereby, when the temperature of the brake rotor 50 drops, the pressure in the air supply case 14 can be returned to the atmospheric pressure, and the air pressure management device 10 can be returned to the initial state.

[0028] In this embodiment, when the pressure in the compressed space s2 becomes greater than a predetermined threshold value, the gas in the compressed space s2 is discharged to the outside through the pressure control valve 17. As a result, excessive gas is not supplied to the tire 30, and the air pressure of the tire 30 can be maintained at a desired level.

[0029] In this embodiment, the air supply case 14 is provided with an opening 10A that can communicate the compressed space s2 with the space inside the tire 30. The opening 10A is connected to a conduction path 21 provided inside the rim of the wheel 20 and capable of communicating with the space inside the tire 30. Thus, when the pressure in the air supply case 14 increases and becomes greater than the pressure of the gas inside the tire 30, the gas in the air supply case 14 can be injected into the space inside the tire 30 through the conduction path 21. Therefore, the air pressure of the tire 30 can be effectively adjusted by the air pressure management device 10 without newly providing components such as a connection tube.

[0030] In this embodiment, at least the portion of the heated case 13 that contacts the brake rotor 50 is formed of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the air supply case 14, and is formed of, for example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Thereby, the heat generated in the brake rotor 50 can be efficiently propagated to the heated space s1 inside the heated case 13. As a result, the air pressure of the tire 30 can be effectively adjusted by the air pressure management device 10.

[0031] In this embodiment, the heated case 13 and the air supply case 14 are overlapped with each other, and the laminate formed by the heated case 13 and the air supply case 14 has, for example, a disk shape. Thereby, the air pressure management device 10 can be disposed between the brake rotor 50 and the wheel 20.

[0032] <2. Modification Example> The present disclosure has been described above by way of embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications are possible.

[0033] [Modification Example A] In the above-described embodiment, the pneumatic pressure management device 10 may further include a movable wall 18 that partitions the heated space s1 in the heated case 13 into a heated space s3 (third space) on the side of the brake rotor 50 and a compressed space s4 (fourth space) on the side of the wheel 20, as shown in FIG. 8, for example. The movable wall 18 is constituted by a flexible sheet fixed to the inner surface of the heated case 13. The flexible sheet is, for example, a rubber sheet.

[0034] In this modification example, the pneumatic pressure management device 10 may further include a liquid 19 that fills the heated space s3, as shown in FIG. 8, for example. The liquid 19 is a liquid having a boiling point that can be boiled by the heat generated by the brake rotor 50.

[0035] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the pneumatic pressure management device 10 according to this modification example. First, as shown in FIG. 9(A), when frictional heat is generated in the brake rotor 50 due to the above-described frictional force, the frictional heat propagates to the heated space s3 through the wall of the heated case 13. As a result, the liquid 19 in the heated space s3 absorbs the heat from the brake rotor 50 and is heated, and boils, so that the pressure in the heated space s3 increases. When the pressure in the heated space s3 increases, the movable wall 18 expands toward the compressed space s4 side and compresses the gas in the compressed space s4. When the pressure in the compressed space s4 becomes greater than the pressure in the compressed space s2, the check valve 16 opens, and the gas in the compressed space s4 is discharged to the air supply case 14 through the check valve 16. As a result, when the pressure in the compressed space s2 increases and becomes greater than the pressure of the gas in the tire 30, the gas in the air supply case 14 is injected into the space in the tire 30 through the conduction path 21 and the air injection hole of the tire 30. In this way, gas is supplied to the tire 30 by the pneumatic pressure management device 10, and the air pressure of the tire 30 increases.

[0036] At this time, since the pressure control valve 17 is provided in the air supply case 14, when the pressure in the compressed space s2 becomes greater than a predetermined threshold value, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the pressure control valve 17 opens, and the gas in the air supply case 14 is discharged to the outside through the pressure control valve 17. Therefore, excessive gas is not supplied to the tire 30, and the air pressure of the tire 30 can be maintained at a desired level.

[0037] After that, when the temperature of the brake rotor 50 decreases, the expansion of the liquid 19 in the heated space s3 subsides, and the pressure in the compressed space s2 becomes equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value. As a result, the pressure control valve 17 closes. Further, when the pressure in the compressed space s4 becomes equal to the pressure in the compressed space s2, the check valve 16 closes, and the gas in the heated case 13 is no longer discharged to the air supply case 14 through the check valve 16. As a result, the gas release from the air supply case 14 to the tire 30 stops. After that, when the temperature of the brake rotor 50 further decreases, the heat accumulated in the liquid 19 in the heated space s3 is dissipated to the outside through the wall of the heated case 13, and the liquid 19 in the heated space s3 contracts. As a result, when the pressure in the heated space s3 becomes less than the atmospheric pressure, the check valve 15 opens, and outside air flows into the heated case 13 through the check valve 15. When the pressure in the heated space s3 becomes equal to the outside air, the check valve 15 closes. In this way, the air pressure management device 10 returns to the initial state.

[0038] In this modified example, the heated space s1 in the heated case 13 is partitioned by the movable wall 18 into the heated space s3 and the compressed space s4, and the liquid 19 is filled in the heated space s3. Thereby, gas can be supplied to the tire 30 by utilizing the compression of the compressed space s4 due to the boiling of the liquid 19. As a result, even when the heat supply from the brake rotor 50 is insufficient, the air pressure management device 10 can effectively adjust the air pressure of the tire 30.

[0039] [Modified Example B] In the above-described embodiments and Modification Example A, the pneumatic pressure management device 10 may have a connection tube 81 provided separately from the wheel 20, for example, as shown in FIG. 10. The connection tube 81 is configured to include, for example, a flexible resin tube. One end of the connection tube 81 is connected to the opening 10A, and the other end of the connection tube 81 is connected to the air injection hole of the tire 30. The connection tube 81 can communicate the compressed space s2 and the space inside the tire 30 without passing through the wheel 20. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the openings 22, 23 and the conduction path 21 in the rim of the wheel 20. Therefore, a general-purpose wheel can be used as the wheel 20.

[0040] The effects described in this specification are merely examples, and the effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described in this specification. Therefore, other effects may be obtained with respect to the present disclosure.

[0041] Furthermore, the present disclosure can take the following aspects. (1) A pneumatic pressure management device provided between a brake rotor and a wheel, a first case disposed on the brake rotor side and having a first space that can be heated by the heat generated by the brake rotor; a second case disposed on the wheel side and having a second space that can communicate with the space inside the tire; a first check valve capable of discharging the gas in the first space to the second space when the pressure in the first space becomes greater than the pressure in the second space and a pneumatic pressure management device. (2) The pneumatic pressure management device according to (1), further comprising a second check valve capable of allowing outside air to flow into the first space when the pressure in the first space becomes lower than atmospheric pressure. (1) The pneumatic pressure management device according to (1). (3) Further comprising a pressure control valve capable of discharging the gas in the second space to the outside when the pressure in the second space becomes greater than a predetermined threshold value The pneumatic pressure management device according to (1) or (2). (4) The second case is provided with an opening capable of communicating the second space with the space inside the tire, The opening is connected to a conduction path provided in the rim of the wheel and capable of communicating with the space inside the tire The pneumatic pressure management device according to any one of (1) to (3). (5) The second case is provided with an opening capable of communicating the second space with the space inside the tire, The opening is connected to a tube provided separately from the wheel The pneumatic pressure management device according to any one of (1) to (3). (6) At least the portion of the first case that contacts the brake rotor is formed of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the second case The pneumatic pressure management device according to any one of (1) to (5). (7) At least the portion of the first case that contacts the brake rotor is formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, The second case is formed of stainless steel The pneumatic pressure management device according to (6). (8) The first case and the second case are overlapped with each other, and the laminate formed by the first case and the second case has a disk shape The pneumatic pressure management device according to (6). (9) A movable wall partitioning the first space into a third space on the brake rotor side and a fourth space on the wheel side, A liquid having a boiling point that can be boiled by the heat generated by the brake rotor and filling the third space further comprising the first check valve is capable of discharging the gas in the fourth space to the second space when the pressure in the fourth space becomes greater than the pressure in the second space the pneumatic pressure management device according to (1). (10) comprising a pneumatic pressure management device provided between a brake rotor and a wheel, the pneumatic pressure management device a first case disposed on the brake rotor side and having a first space that can be heated by the heat generated by the brake rotor; a second case disposed on the wheel side and having a second space that can communicate with the space inside the tire; a first check valve capable of discharging the gas in the first space to the second space when the pressure in the first space becomes greater than the pressure in the second space and having a vehicle.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0042] 1... vehicle, 10... pneumatic pressure adjustment device, 10A... opening, 11... hub insertion hole, 12... stud insertion hole, 13... heated case, 14... air supply case, 15, 16... check valve, 17... pressure control valve, 18... movable wall, 19... liquid, 20... wheel, 21... conduction path, 22, 23... opening, 24... stud insertion hole, 30... tire, 40... wheel hub, 41... fixing portion, 42... stud insertion hole, 50... brake rotor, 51... hub insertion hole, 52... stud insertion hole, 60... stud, 70... nut, 81... connection tube, s1... heated space, s2... compressed space, s3... heated space, s4... compressed space.

Claims

1. A pneumatic pressure management device provided between a brake rotor and a wheel, a first case disposed on the brake rotor side and having a first space that can be heated by the heat generated by the brake rotor; a second case disposed on the wheel side and having a second space that can communicate with the space inside the tire; a first check valve capable of discharging the gas in the first space to the second space when the pressure in the first space becomes greater than the pressure in the second space and a pneumatic pressure management device.

2. The pneumatic pressure management device according to claim 1, further comprising a second check valve capable of allowing outside air to flow into the first space when the pressure in the first space becomes lower than atmospheric pressure. The pneumatic pressure management device according to claim 1.

3. The second case is provided with an opening capable of communicating the second space with the space inside the tire, and the opening is connected to a conduction path provided inside the rim of the wheel and capable of communicating with the space inside the tire. The pneumatic pressure management device according to claim 1.

4. The second case is provided with an opening capable of communicating the second space with the space inside the tire, and the opening is connected to a tube provided separately from the wheel. The pneumatic pressure management device according to claim 1.

5. At least the portion of the first case in contact with the brake rotor is formed of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the second case. The pneumatic pressure management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images