Sealant bottle and tire repair method

Abstract

This application discloses a sealant bottle and a tire repair method. The sealant bottle includes a bottle body for containing a sealant, a gas inlet conduit through which gas can enter the bottle body through the gas inlet conduit, a gas inlet for the gas to enter and a liquid inlet for the sealant to enter, the size ratio of the gas inlet to the liquid inlet being 2 to 27, a gas-liquid mixer that can mix the gas and sealant to form an atomized mixture using the gas-liquid mixer and further has an outlet for the atomized mixture to leave, and a mixture leaving conduit through which the atomized mixture mixed by the gas-liquid mixer can leave the bottle body through the mixture leaving conduit. The sealant bottle according to this application can improve tire repair efficiency.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application relates to automotive maintenance, and more particularly to a sealant bottle and a tire repair method using such a sealant bottle. [Background technology]

[0002] During the driving of a vehicle, a tire may experience abnormalities, such as insufficient inflation, damage, etc. In such cases, the tire with insufficient inflation or damage is generally replaced with a spare tire, or the tire is quickly repaired and inflated.

[0003] When a tire gets punctured, there is a quick tire repair method that involves injecting sealant into the tire to repair the punctured area of ​​the tire.

[0004] A sealant is a polymer compound, usually in liquid form, stored in a sealant bottle. To carry out the above-described tire repair method, air is first pumped into the sealant bottle, and then the sealant in the bottle is pumped out and then pumped into the tire. Once the sealant enters the tire, it collides with the surrounding air and mixes, expanding in volume and transforming into a foam. Once inside the tire, the foamed sealant reaches the puncture site and coats the inner wall of the tire, forming a sealing film.

[0005] WO2022006805A1 discloses a sealant bottle that can ensure that the sealant is already in a foamed state and in a considerable amount when it reaches the main inlet of the tire. It is necessary to repair the tire while it is rolling.

[0006] US20190275756A1 discloses a method and equipment for sealing and filling gas-fillable articles with gas, in which the sealant is passively pumped. During the process of filling a tire with gas, the pressure in the air duct is higher than the sealant, causing the sealant in the sealant bottle to flow out slowly or even fail to flow out. This solution requires the use of a special air compressor and specialized accessories. Moreover, the bottle is filled with hot air (approximately 80 o C or above), which is likely to cause the adhesive to deteriorate or solidify. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present application proposes a sealant bottle that can improve tire repair efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The sealant bottle proposed in one aspect of the present application comprises: a bottle body for containing a sealant; a gas entry conduit through which gas can enter the bottle body; a gas-liquid mixer having a gas inlet for gas to enter and a liquid inlet for sealant to enter, the size ratio of the gas inlet to the liquid inlet being 2 to 27, the gas and the sealant being mixed by the gas-liquid mixer to form an atomized mixture, and the gas-liquid mixer further having an outlet for the atomized mixture to leave; The atomized mixture mixed by the gas-liquid mixer can pass through a mixture leaving pipe and leave the bottle body.

[0009] A sealant bottle proposed in accordance with one aspect of the present application includes a cap for sealing the bottle body.

[0010] In a sealant bottle proposed in one aspect of the present application, the gas-liquid mixer is provided in a storage space partitioned by the bottle body and the cap.

[0011] In a sealant bottle proposed in one aspect of the present application, one end of the gas-liquid mixer is fixed to the cap by ultrasonic welding, and the other end of the gas-liquid mixer is connected to a sealant tube, and the sealant contained in the bottle body can be communicated with the liquid inlet of the gas-liquid mixer via the sealant tube.

[0012] In a sealant bottle proposed in one aspect of the present application, a sealant tube is provided in the bottle body, the sealant contained in the bottle body can be communicated with the liquid inlet of the gas-liquid mixer via the sealant tube, and the gas-liquid mixer is provided in the sealant tube.

[0013] In a sealant bottle proposed in one aspect of the present application, the bottle body is provided with a mixture pipe that communicates with the outlet of the gas-liquid mixer, and the gas-liquid mixer is provided at one end of the mixture pipe that is far from the cap.

[0014] In a sealant bottle proposed in one aspect of the present application, the density of the gas-liquid mixer is smaller than the density of the sealant, and the mixture tube is configured to be at least partially flexible so as not to prevent the gas-liquid mixer from floating on the sealant.

[0015] In a sealant bottle proposed in one aspect of the present application, the gas-liquid mixer is designed so that, when the bottle is floating on the sealant, the liquid inlet is located below the sealant level and the gas inlet is located above the sealant level.

[0016] In the sealant bottle proposed in one aspect of the present application, the density of the mixture tube is lower than the density of the sealant.

[0017] In a sealant bottle proposed in one aspect of the present application, the cap has a first conduit that is part of the gas inlet conduit or configured to communicate with the gas inlet conduit, and the cap also has a second conduit that is part of the mixture outlet conduit or configured to communicate with the mixture outlet conduit.

[0018] The present application further proposes a tire repair method for repairing a tire without rolling, using the sealant bottle and compressed gas.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present application include that by setting the dimensional ratio of the gas inlet and liquid inlet of the gas-liquid mixer to 2 to 27 using the installed gas-liquid mixer, the gas that enters the bottle body can be mixed with the sealant in the bottle body to form an atomized mixture, thereby reducing the amount of sealant used and improving the sealing effect.

[0020] The disclosure of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. In the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements unless otherwise specified. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a sealant bottle proposed according to one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a sealant bottle proposed according to another embodiment of the present application. [Figure 3] 10 is a schematic diagram of a sealant bottle proposed according to another embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a sealant bottle proposed according to yet another embodiment of the present application. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a gas-liquid mixer in a sealant bottle proposed according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] It is readily understood that, according to the technical solution of the present application, those skilled in the art can propose various mutually replaceable configurations and implementations without changing the substantial spirit of the present application. Therefore, the following detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the technical solution of the present application, and should not be considered as limitations or restrictions on the entire present application or the technical solution of the present application.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present application, the sealant bottle includes a bottle body made of, for example, glass or metal, for containing a sealant; a gas inlet conduit through which gas can enter the bottle body; and a gas-liquid mixer 3 having a gas inlet 31 for the gas to enter and a liquid inlet 32 ​​for the sealant to enter, as shown in FIG. 5, where the dimensional ratio between the gas inlet and the liquid inlet is 2 to 27. For example, the dimensional ratio between the gas inlet and the liquid inlet may be 2, 8, 8.1, 10, 25, 25.6, 26, 26.8, 27, etc. The gas-liquid mixer can mix the gas and the sealant to form an atomized mixture. The gas-liquid mixer further includes an outlet 33 through which the atomized mixture leaves. The sealant bottle further includes a mixture leaving conduit, and the atomized mixture mixed by the gas-liquid mixer can leave the bottle body through the mixture leaving conduit.

[0024] In this embodiment, the sealant bottle includes a gas-liquid mixer, and the size ratio of the gas inlet to the liquid inlet of the gas-liquid mixer is set to 2 to 27. This allows the gas entering the bottle body to mix with the sealant in the bottle body to form an atomized mixture, which is then sent to the tire to be repaired, thereby improving the sealing effect while reducing the amount of sealant used. The amount of sealant used during a single repair can be reduced to, for example, 5 to 10 g.

[0025] Conventionally, commercially available tire repair kits require first pumping sealant into the tire, then starting the vehicle, which causes the tire to roll, and then flowing the liquid sealant into the damaged area to seal it.

[0026] By employing the sealant bottle according to this embodiment, the tire can be repaired without the need for rolling, for example, if the tire is mounted on a vehicle, the tire can be repaired without the need to start the vehicle and roll the tire, especially on the road surface.

[0027] The sealant is pumped as an aerosol (a mist-like mixture) and flows with the compressed air. It reaches the damaged area of ​​the tire as air leaks from the damaged area, where it quickly condenses to form a sealing gel, significantly reducing the risk of driving with a damaged tire.

[0028] In a gas-liquid mixer, the liquid inlet may be composed of one or more sub-liquid inlets, and the gas inlet may be composed of one or more sub-gas inlets. Dimensions refer to, for example, cross-sectional areas. When a liquid inlet is composed of multiple sub-liquid inlets, the dimension of the liquid inlet refers to the sum of the dimensions of all the sub-liquid inlets, and when a gas inlet is composed of multiple sub-gas inlets, the dimension of the gas inlet refers to the sum of the dimensions of all the sub-gas inlets. The cross-sectional shapes of the liquid inlet / sub-liquid inlet / gas inlet / sub-gas inlet may be circular, rectangular, triangular, or the like.

[0029] The gas-liquid mixer may be configured in a spherical, cubic, conical, or cylindrical shape. Illustratively, the gas-liquid mixer is configured in a cylindrical shape, the gas inlet is made up of multiple sub-gas inlets that are configured symmetrically in the radial direction of the cylinder, and the liquid inlet is made up of one sub-liquid inlet that is located at the center of symmetry of the cylindrical gas-liquid mixer.

[0030] The gas inlet, liquid inlet and outlet of the gas-liquid mixer are not limited to the arrangement shown in FIG. 5, and may be interchanged or placed at other positions as needed.

[0031] The sealant bottle further includes a cap for sealing the bottle body, which can have a first conduit that can be part of or in communication with the gas inlet conduit to allow gas to enter the bottle body, and which can also have a second conduit that can be part of or in communication with the mixture outlet conduit to allow the atomized mixture to leave the bottle body before being delivered to the tire to be repaired.

[0032] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the gas-liquid mixer 3 is provided in a storage space defined by the bottle body 1 and the cap 5. One end of the gas-liquid mixer 3 is fixed to the cap 5 by ultrasonic welding, for example, by fixing to the bottom of the cap 5. This establishes a high-quality connection between the gas-liquid mixer 3 and the cap 5 simply, efficiently, and at low cost, and provides a reliable seal. An outlet 33 of the gas-liquid mixer 3 communicates with a second pipe 52 in the cap 5, and a sealant tube 6 is connected to the other end of the gas-liquid mixer 3. The sealant 11 (shown by the dark-colored area in the drawing) contained in the bottle body 1 can communicate with a liquid inlet 32 ​​of the gas-liquid mixer 3 via the sealant tube 6. The end of the sealant tube 6 remote from the gas-liquid mixer 3 (i.e., the free end) extends to the bottom of the bottle body 1.

[0033] The ratio of the inner diameter of the sealant tube 6 to the inner diameter of the liquid inlet 32 ​​is 1 to 5.7, for example, 1, 4.4, and 5.7. The sealant tube 6 may be a capillary tube with an inner diameter of more than 0.5 mm.

[0034] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , an exemplary operation process of the sealant bottle is as follows: Gas (e.g., high-pressure gas) from gas inlet line 2 flows through first line 51 in cap 5 and then enters the storage space defined by bottle body 1 and cap 5. Gas enters gas-liquid mixer 3 through gas inlet 31 of gas-liquid mixer 3, while sealant (e.g., in liquid form) passes through sealant tube 6 under the pressure of the gas and enters liquid inlet 32 ​​of gas-liquid mixer 3. The gas and sealant are mixed in mixing region 34 of gas-liquid mixer 3 (as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 5 ) to form an atomized mixture, which is discharged through outlet 33 of gas-liquid mixer 3. The atomized mixture discharged from gas-liquid mixer 3 enters mixture discharge line 4 via second line 52 in cap 5 and is then sent to the tire to be repaired. After the mist mixture containing the sealant enters the damaged tire, it automatically flows to the damaged area of ​​the tire as the tire leaks air, where it accumulates and solidifies, and the sealant continues to accumulate until it completely seals the damaged area of ​​the tire.

[0035] Table 1 shows data from several sets of control tests. Tests 1 to 11 were performed using the sealant bottle according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 to repair tires, while test 0 was performed using a conventional tire repair method. "Undetectable" refers to a leak rate of less than 0.001 bar / min, a low temperature of -30°C, and a high temperature of 70°C. As can be seen from the comparison in Table 1, repairing tires using the sealant bottle according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 can achieve a better tire sealing effect with a smaller amount of sealant.

[0036] [Table 1]

[0037] 2, a sealant tube 6 is provided on the bottle body 1, and the sealant contained in the bottle body 1 can be communicated with the liquid inlet 32 ​​of the gas-liquid mixer 3 via the sealant tube 6, and the gas-liquid mixer 3 is provided on the sealant tube 6. One end of the sealant tube 6 communicates with the second conduit 52 in the cap 5, and the other end of the sealant tube 6 extends to the bottom of the bottle body 1.

[0038] The gas-liquid mixer 3 may be configured integrally with the sealant tube 6, or may be configured separately from the sealant tube 6. In the latter case, the sealant tube 6 has a hole in the gas-liquid mixer 3 so that the gas inlet 31 of the gas-liquid mixer 3 can communicate with the outside. The sealant tube 6 may be configured as a plurality of tubes, that is, the sealant tube is configured from a plurality of sub-tubes.

[0039] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, a mixture pipe 7 is provided in the bottle body 1, and the mixture pipe 7 communicates with the outlet 33 of the gas-liquid mixer 3, and the gas-liquid mixer 3 is provided at one end (i.e., free end) of the mixture pipe 7 remote from the cap 5. The one end (i.e., fixed end) of the mixture pipe 7 remote from the gas-liquid mixer 3 communicates with a second pipe line 52 in the cap 5. The mixture pipe 7 may be configured to be rigid or flexible.

[0040] In the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 3, the sealant can be supplied to the tire to be repaired in the form of a liquid and atomized mixture, thereby allowing the tire to be repaired with multiple forms of sealant and meeting various application scenarios. For example, by tilting or inverting the bottle body and / or sealant tube, the ratio of liquid sealant to atomized sealant can be controlled, and the sealant can be supplied to the tire to be repaired in the form of a completely atomized mixture. This allows for optimal sealing in an optimal manner.

[0041] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, similarly to the embodiment in FIG. 3, the bottle body 1 is provided with a mixture pipe 7 communicating with the outlet 33 of the gas-liquid mixer 3, and the gas-liquid mixer 3 is provided at one end of the mixture pipe 7 remote from the cap 5. The one end of the mixture pipe 7 remote from the gas-liquid mixer 3 communicates with a second pipe line 52 in the cap 5. The gas-liquid mixer 3 floats on the sealant. The density of the gas-liquid mixer 3 is smaller than the density of the sealant (for example, 1 g / cm 3 The mixture pipe 7 is configured to be at least partially flexible so as not to hinder the floating of the gas-liquid mixer 3 on the sealant. In this way, no matter what angle the bottle body 1 is at (the bottle body 1 standing upright on the ground is considered to be 0 degrees, and the bottle body 1 can be inverted at any angle, for example, 90 degrees, 135 degrees, or 180 degrees), the gas-liquid mixer 3 always floats on the sealant, and gas can enter the gas-liquid mixer 3 from the gas inlet 31 of the gas-liquid mixer 3 without hindrance, thereby stably generating an atomized mixture.

[0042] Furthermore, the gas-liquid mixer 3 is designed so that when floating on the sealant, the liquid inlet 32 ​​is located below the liquid level of the sealant and the gas inlet 31 is located above the liquid level of the sealant. This can be achieved, for example, by adjusting the weight distribution of the gas-liquid mixer 3. In this way, the ratio of gas to sealant in the atomized mixture mixed by the gas-liquid mixer 3 is always kept stable.

[0043] Illustratively, the density of the mixture tube 7 is less than the density of the sealant (e.g., 1 g / cm 3 The mixture pipe 7 is made of, for example, a lightweight material so as not to prevent the gas-liquid mixer 3 from floating on the sealant, and also provides additional buoyancy to help the gas-liquid mixer 3 float.

[0044] The gas-liquid mixer 3 can be made of metal, plastic, or a combination thereof. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the gas-liquid mixer 3 can be made of metal, which is advantageous for sinking, and in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the gas-liquid mixer 3 can be made of plastic, which is advantageous for floating.

[0045] According to one aspect of the present application, there is no need to use a special compressor or specialized accessories, and the location of the gas-liquid mixer can be changed as needed (close to the cap, connected to the cap, located at the bottom, etc.) Furthermore, the bottle body does not come into direct contact with the hot air at or near the outlet nozzle of the air compressor, which would cause the adhesive to deteriorate or solidify.

[0046] The present invention further includes a tire repair method using the sealant bottle, and the technical features and effects thereof have been described above, so further description will be omitted here.

[0047] The tire repair method repairs the tire without the need for rolling. For example, if the tire is mounted on a vehicle, the tire can be repaired without the need to start the vehicle and roll the tire, especially on the road surface.

[0048] In one exemplary operating process of a tire repair method, compressed gas generated by an air compressor enters a sealant bottle through a gas inlet line, and the compressed gas and the sealant in the sealant bottle mix to form an atomized mixture (which may contain a small amount of foam or liquid), which leaves the sealant bottle through a mixture outlet line and is then sent to a tire to be repaired, where it then forms a sealing gel at the damaged portion of the tire.

[0049] The technical scope of the present application is not limited to the content of the above description, and those skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes to the above embodiments without departing from the technical idea of ​​the present application, and these modifications and changes shall also fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. a bottle body (1) for containing a sealant; a gas inlet conduit (2) through which gas can enter the bottle body (1); a gas-liquid mixer (3) having a gas inlet (31) for gas to enter and a liquid inlet (32) for sealant to enter, the size ratio of the gas inlet (31) to the liquid inlet (32) being 2 to 27, the gas and sealant being mixed by the gas-liquid mixer (3) to form an atomized mixture, and the gas-liquid mixer (3) further having an outlet (33) for the atomized mixture to leave; and a mixture leaving conduit (4) through which the atomized mixture mixed by the gas-liquid mixer (3) can leave the bottle body (1).

2. 2. The sealant bottle according to claim 1, further comprising a cap (5) for sealing the bottle body (1).

3. 2. The sealant bottle according to claim 1, wherein the gas-liquid mixer (3) is provided in a storage space defined by the bottle body (1) and the cap (5).

4. The sealant bottle according to claim 3, characterized in that one end of the gas-liquid mixer (3) is fixed to the cap (5) by ultrasonic welding, a sealant tube (6) is connected to the other end of the gas-liquid mixer (3), and the sealant contained in the bottle body (1) can be communicated with a liquid inlet (32) of the gas-liquid mixer (3) via the sealant tube (6).

5. The sealant bottle according to claim 3, characterized in that a sealant tube (6) is provided in the bottle body (1), the sealant contained in the bottle body (1) can be communicated with a liquid inlet (32) of the gas-liquid mixer (3) via the sealant tube (6), and the gas-liquid mixer (3) is provided in the sealant tube (6).

6. 4. The sealant bottle according to claim 3, wherein the bottle body (1) is provided with a mixture pipe (7) communicating with the outlet (33) of the gas-liquid mixer (3), and the gas-liquid mixer (3) is provided at one end of the mixture pipe (7) remote from the cap (5).

7. 7. The sealant bottle according to claim 6, wherein the density of the gas-liquid mixer (3) is lower than the density of the sealant, and the mixture pipe (7) is at least partially flexible so as not to prevent the gas-liquid mixer (3) from floating on the sealant.

8. 8. The sealant bottle according to claim 7, wherein the gas-liquid mixer (3) is configured so that, when floating on the sealant, the liquid inlet (32) is located below the liquid level of the sealant and the gas inlet (31) is located above the liquid level of the sealant.

9. 8. The sealant bottle according to claim 7, wherein the density of the mixture tube (7) is less than the density of the sealant.

10. 2. The sealant bottle according to claim 1, wherein the gas-liquid mixer (3) is made of metal or plastic.

11. 3. The sealant bottle according to claim 2, wherein the cap (5) has a first conduit (51) that is part of the gas inlet conduit (2) or that is configured to communicate with the gas inlet conduit (2), and the cap (5) also has a second conduit (52) that is part of the mixture leaving conduit (4) or that is configured to communicate with the mixture leaving conduit (4).

12. 5. The sealant bottle according to claim 4, wherein the ratio of the inner diameter of the sealant tube (6) to the inner diameter of the liquid inlet (32) is 1 to 5.

7.

13. A tire repair method comprising repairing a tire without rolling, using the sealant bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 12 and compressed gas.

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