Puncture repair kit, mixing device, puncture repair method, and mixing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a puncture repair kit 1 for repairing a puncture in an object. The puncture repair kit 1 comprises a vessel 5 which contains a puncture repair fluid R, a compressed-air source 3 for supplying compressed air A, a mixing device 4 for producing a mixture of the puncture repair fluid R and the compressed air A, the mixing device being affixed to the vessel 5, a first connector 12 which connects the compressed-air source 3 to the mixing device 4, and a second connector 13 which connects the mixing device to the valve of a punctured object. A discharge angle at which the mixture not in an aerosol state is ejected from the valve to the inside of the object is 20° or greater.

Description

Puncture repair kit, mixing device, puncture repair method and mixing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire repair kit for repairing a puncture on an object, a mixing device for mixing tire repair fluid with compressed air, a tire repair method for repairing a puncture on an object, and a mixing method for mixing tire repair fluid with compressed air.

[0002] Conventionally, puncture repair kits for repairing an object such as a punctured tire have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below proposes a puncture repair kit for repairing a puncture by sequentially injecting a tire repair fluid and compressed air into the punctured object using compressed air from a compressor.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-056662

[0004] However, in the puncture repair kit of Patent Document 1, the puncture repair fluid is pressurized by compressed air and discharged in a straight line into the interior of the punctured object, which can cause the puncture repair fluid to accumulate in a portion of the interior of the object. If the interior surface of the object has an uneven structure, such puncture repair fluid may have difficulty reaching the punctured area, and further improvement is desired.

[0005] The present invention was devised in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and its main object is to provide a puncture repair kit, mixing device, puncture repair method, and mixing method that can efficiently repair punctures even when the inner surface of the object has an uneven structure.

[0006] The present invention is a tire repair kit for repairing a puncture in an object, comprising: a container containing tire repair fluid; a compressed air source for supplying compressed air; a mixing device attached to the container for producing a mixture of the tire repair fluid and the compressed air; a first connector connecting the compressed air source to the mixing device; and a second connector connecting the mixing device to a valve of the punctured object, wherein the spray angle for discharging the non-aerosolized mixture from the valve into the interior of the object is 20° or greater.

[0007] By having the above-described configuration, the puncture repair kit of the present invention can efficiently repair a puncture even when the inner surface of the object has an uneven structure.

[0008] It is a perspective view conceptually showing one embodiment of the puncture repair kit of the present invention. It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a bottle unit. It is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 1. It is a flowchart of a puncture repair method.

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view conceptually illustrating a tire repair kit 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the tire repair kit 1 is preferably used for filling an object T, such as a punctured tire, with tire repair fluid R and compressed air A.

[0010] The puncture repair kit 1 of this embodiment includes a bottle unit 2 for supplying a mixture of puncture repair fluid R and compressed air A, and a compressed air source 3 for supplying the compressed air A. The compressed air source 3 is, for example, a compressor. The compressed air source 3 generates the compressed air A by receiving electricity via a cord 3 a connected to an external power source, for example. Such a compressed air source 3 is small in size but can supply a large amount of compressed air A, and is easy to store when not in use.

[0011] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the bottle unit 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the bottle unit 2 of this embodiment includes a mixing device 4 for mixing the tire repair fluid R and compressed air A, and a container 5 that contains the tire repair fluid R. The mixing device 4 includes, for example, an adapter member 6 that is attached to the container 5, and a cap member 7 that is attached to the adapter member 6.

[0012] Such a bottle unit 2 allows easy attachment of the mixing device 4 and the container 5, which helps to shorten the time required to repair a puncture. Furthermore, the mixing device 4 can pre-mix the tire repair fluid R and compressed air A before filling the object T, thereby shortening the time required to repair a puncture. Note that the mixing device 4 is not limited to this embodiment, and may be, for example, an integrally molded product in which the adapter member 6 and the cap member 7 are integrated.

[0013] The container 5 has, for example, an opening 5a for storing the tire repair fluid R inside the container 5. The container 5 stores the tire repair fluid R inside the container 5 through, for example, the opening 5a. The opening 5a has, for example, a film (not shown) for keeping the stored tire repair fluid R airtight. The mixing device 4 is preferably attached to the opening 5a of the container 5. Such a container 5 does not require a separate outlet for dispensing the tire repair fluid R, which helps reduce manufacturing costs.

[0014] The mixing device 4 of this embodiment includes a mixing chamber 8 having a space for mixing the tire repair fluid R and compressed air A. For example, when the mixing device 4 is attached to the container 5 to repair a tire puncture, the mixing chamber 8 includes a top surface 8a located above, a floor surface 8b located below, and a side surface 8c connecting the top surface 8a and the floor surface 8b. The mixing chamber 8 has, for example, a cylindrical space with the top surface 8a and the floor surface 8b being circular.

[0015] The mixing device 4 of this embodiment includes a first inlet 9 for supplying compressed air A to the mixing chamber 8 and a second inlet 10 for supplying tire repair fluid R to the mixing chamber 8. The first inlet 9 is connected to, for example, a compressor, which is the compressed air source 3. The second inlet 10 is preferably connected directly to the container 5. In this type of mixing device 4, the mixing chamber 8 is repeatedly switched between positive and negative pressure states due to the pulsation of compressed air A supplied from the compressor, which is the compressed air source 3, so that the tire repair fluid R in the container 5 can be dripped from the second inlet 10 into the mixing chamber 8 to produce a mixture.

[0016] It is desirable that the mixture of tire repair fluid R and compressed air A be generated without being aerosolized. Such a mixture is supplied into the target object T as a non-aerosolized mixture in which the particle diameter of the tire repair fluid R exceeds 100 μm, thereby preventing the tire repair fluid R from floating within the target object T. Here, the particle diameter of the tire repair fluid R contained in the mixture is the diameter if the particle shape is spherical, and is the maximum length if the particle shape is other than spherical.

[0017] In the non-aerosolized mixture, the particle diameter of the tire repair fluid R is preferably greater than 500 μm. By having the particle diameter of the tire repair fluid R contained in the mixture exceed 500 μm, it is possible to more reliably prevent the tire repair fluid R from floating within the target object T, and the mixture can be efficiently supplied into the target object T. Therefore, the tire repair kit 1 of the present embodiment can efficiently supply the mixture of the tire repair fluid R and compressed air A.

[0018] A portion of the mixture may be, for example, an aerosol of tire repair fluid R and compressed air A. The mixing chamber 8 may, for example, be configured to aerosolize a portion of the mixture. The amount of mixture to be aerosolized is preferably less than 10% of the total mixture. In this case, the mixture may be supplied with a portion of the tire repair fluid R as aerosol particles with a particle diameter of approximately 1 to 100 μm, suspended within the object. Therefore, the tire repair kit 1 of this embodiment can partially repair the punctured portion with the suspended mixture, even if the object T has a sound-absorbing material Ta (shown in FIG. 3), a sensor, etc., disposed inside and has an uneven structure on its inner surface.

[0019] The mixing device 4 preferably has an outlet 11 for discharging the mixture of the tire repair fluid R and the compressed air A from the mixing chamber 8. Such a mixing device 4 allows the tire repair fluid R and the compressed air A to be smoothly introduced and discharged, which helps to shorten the time required to repair a tire.

[0020] The first inlet 9 and the outlet 11 are provided, for example, in the cap member 7. In this embodiment, the first inlet 9 and the outlet 11 are provided on the floor surface 8b. The second inlet 10 is provided, for example, in the partition wall 6a of the adapter member 6. In this embodiment, the second inlet 10 is provided on the top surface 8a.

[0021] Such a mixing device 4 discharges a mixture of puncture repair fluid R and compressed air A dripped from the second inlet 10 located above through the outlet 11 located below, thereby preventing the dripped puncture repair fluid R from stagnating and enabling the mixture to be produced efficiently.

[0022] Of the mixture discharged from the outlet 11, the volume V1 of the compressed air A is preferably 14 to 700 times the volume V2 of the tire repair fluid R. The volume ratio V1 / V2 of the compressed air A to the tire repair fluid R can be adjusted by, for example, changing the opening area ratio between the first inlet 9 and the second inlet 10, the pressure of the compressed air A, the viscosity of the tire repair fluid R, etc.

[0023] Here, the volume V1 of the compressed air A is calculated based on the amount of air discharged per unit time from the compressed air source 3 in an unloaded state. The volume V2 of the tire repair fluid R is calculated based on the weight of the tire repair fluid R supplied per unit time and the specific gravity of the tire repair fluid R.

[0024] Since the volume ratio V1 / V2 of the compressed air A to the puncture repair fluid R is 14 times or more, the mixture can be ejected over a wide angle inside the object T, and even if the object T has an uneven structure inside, the mixture that has not been aerosolized can be ejected over a wide area around the uneven structure.

[0025] By setting the volume ratio V1 / V2 of the compressed air A to the tire repair fluid R to be 700 times or less, shortages in the supply of the tire repair fluid R are prevented, allowing for efficient tire repair. Furthermore, this type of mixing device 4 can supply a larger amount of tire repair fluid R in a shorter time than when the tire repair fluid R is supplied in the form of an aerosol. Therefore, the mixing device 4 of this embodiment can generate a mixture for efficient tire repair even when the inner surface of the object T has an uneven structure.

[0026] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, in a more preferred embodiment, the object T, such as a punctured tire, has, for example, a sound-absorbing material Ta disposed inside and has an uneven structure on its inner surface. The puncture repair kit 1 of this embodiment is suitable for use in repairing a puncture in an object T, such as a tire, having an uneven structure on its inner surface.

[0027] 1, the puncture repair kit 1 of this embodiment includes a first connector 12 that connects the compressed air source 3 to the first inlet 9 of the mixing device 4, and a second connector 13 that connects the outlet 11 of the mixing device 4 to the valve Tb of the punctured object T. Such a puncture repair kit 1 is easy to connect and can reduce the time required to prepare for puncture repair.

[0028] Although not shown in the drawings, the puncture repair kit 1 may, for example, be an integrated unit of the compressed air source 3 and the mixing device 4. In this case, the first connector 12 is, for example, a connecting pipe that connects the compressed air source 3 and the mixing device 4. Such a puncture repair kit 1 eliminates the need for connecting the first connector 12, thereby further shortening the time required to prepare for puncture repair.

[0029] The tire repair fluid R preferably contains at least rubber solids and water. Examples of the rubber solids include natural rubber. Such tire repair fluid R can efficiently transfer the rubber solids to the punctured portion inside the object T, such as a punctured tire, thereby shortening the time required to repair the puncture.

[0030] The tire repair fluid R may contain, for example, glycol. Examples of glycol include ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, and propylene glycol. When injected into an object T such as a punctured tire, the tire repair fluid R is suitable for efficiently repairing the punctured portion.

[0031] 3, the radiation angle θ at which the mixture of tire sealant R and compressed air A is discharged from the valve Tb of the object T, such as a punctured tire, into the interior of the object T is preferably 20° or greater. Here, the radiation angle θ at which the mixture of tire sealant R and compressed air A is discharged is the maximum radiation angle of the non-aerosolized mixture discharged from the valve Tb into the interior of the object T, and is determined based on the spread of the tire sealant R within the mixture.

[0032] By setting the emission angle θ of the mixture to 20° or more, even if the inner surface of the object T has an uneven structure, the tire repair fluid R can be ejected around the uneven structure, and the tire repair fluid R can be efficiently transferred to the punctured part. Therefore, the tire repair kit 1 of this embodiment can efficiently repair a puncture even if the inner surface of the object T has an uneven structure.

[0033] The radiation angle θ at which the mixture of tire repair fluid R and compressed air A is discharged from the valve Tb of the object T, such as a punctured tire, into the interior of the object T is preferably 75° or less. When the punctured object T is a general tire, a radiation angle θ of the mixture of 75° or less prevents the tire repair fluid R from spreading to the inside of the sidewall portion, allowing the tire repair fluid R to be discharged efficiently.

[0034] 2, the mixing chamber 8 may include, for example, a protrusion 14 that protrudes from the top surface 8a toward the interior of the mixing chamber 8. For example, a conical shape with a most protruding apex is preferably used as the protrusion 14. Such a protrusion 14 can impart directionality to the flow inside the mixing chamber 8, allowing the mixture of tire repair fluid R and compressed air A to be efficiently discharged.

[0035] The mixing chamber 8 may have a plurality of hemispherical recesses 15 formed in at least one of the top surface 8a, the floor surface 8b, and the side surface 8c. Such a plurality of recesses 15 helps to smooth the flow and shorten the residence time of the mixture in the mixing chamber 8.

[0036] The adapter member 6 has, for example, a breaking portion 16 that breaks a film (not shown) on the mouth portion 5a when the adapter member 6 is attached to the mouth portion 5a of the container 5. Such breaking portion 16 can break the film on the mouth portion 5a when the mixing device 4 is attached to the container 5, allowing the tire repair fluid R to be supplied to the mixing chamber 8.

[0037] The cap member 7 may be attached directly to the mouth 5a of the container 5, for example, in an extremely low-temperature environment where it is difficult to produce a mixture using the mixing device 4. In this case, the cap member 7 preferably has a secondary breaking portion 17 that breaks the film on the mouth 5a when the cap member 7 is attached to the mouth 5a of the container 5. The secondary breaking portion 17 is provided, for example, near the opening of the outlet 11.

[0038] Such a secondary breaking portion 17 can break the film at the mouth portion 5a when the cap member 7 is directly attached to the container 5. In addition, this secondary breaking portion 17 helps to reduce the flow resistance within the mixing chamber 8 when the cap member 7 is attached to the adapter member 6 as the mixing device 4.

[0039] The adapter member 6 is, for example, screwed onto both the mouth 5a of the container 5 and the cap member 7. The gap between the adapter member 6 and the mouth 5a is preferably sealed with a seal member 18. The gap between the adapter member 6 and the cap member 7 is sealed with, for example, a sub-seal member 19. Such an adapter member 6 is easy to attach to the container 5 and the cap member 7, and also has excellent airtightness after attachment.

[0040] Next, a puncture repair method using the puncture repair kit 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0041] Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the puncture repair method of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the puncture repair method of this embodiment includes a preparation step S1 of preparing an object T, such as a punctured tire, and a puncture repair kit 1. In the preparation step S1, for example, the compressed air source 3 and the first inlet 9 are connected with a first connector 12. Also, in the preparation step S1, it is preferable to connect the outlet 11 and the valve Tb of the punctured object T with a second connector 13.

[0042] In the preparation step S1, for example, the mixing device 4 is attached to the mouth 5a of the container 5, and the container 5 is positioned so that the mouth 5a faces downward. In the preparation step S1, it is desirable to connect the cord 3a of the compressed air source 3 to an external power source. In this preparation step S1, the connection parts are easy to understand, and even an inexperienced user can complete the preparation in a short time.

[0043] The puncture repair method of this embodiment includes a mixing step S2 in which compressed air A supplied from the first inlet 9 and tire repair fluid R supplied from the second inlet 10 are mixed in the mixing chamber 8. In the mixing step S2, the compressed air A is supplied to the mixing chamber 8, for example, by turning on the power of the compressed air source 3. In the mixing step S2, it is desirable to repeatedly change the mixing chamber 8 between a positive pressure state and a negative pressure state by pulsating the compressed air A supplied from the compressed air source 3, and to drip the tire repair fluid R into the mixing chamber 8 from the second inlet 10, thereby generating a mixture of the tire repair fluid R and the compressed air A.

[0044] In the mixing step S2, it is desirable to mix the compressed air A so that the volume V1 is 14 to 700 times the volume V2 of the tire repair fluid R. This type of mixing step S2 can produce a mixture suitable for efficiently discharging the tire repair fluid R inside the object T, such as a punctured tire, and is useful for shortening the time required to repair the puncture.

[0045] The mixing method of this embodiment for mixing the tire repair fluid R and the compressed air A includes this mixing step S2. Therefore, the mixing method of this embodiment for mixing the tire repair fluid R and the compressed air A can generate a mixture suitable for efficiently discharging the tire repair fluid R inside the object T, such as a punctured tire, and is useful for shortening the time required for puncture repair.

[0046] The puncture repair method of this embodiment includes a discharging step S3 of discharging the mixture produced in the mixing step S2 into the interior of an object T, such as a punctured tire. In the discharging step S3, the non-aerosolized mixture is preferably discharged from the valve Tb of the object T into the interior of the object T at a radiation angle θ of 20° or more. In the discharging step S3, the mixture is desirably discharged at a radiation angle θ of 75° or less. Such a discharging step S3 can efficiently repair a puncture even when the inner surface of the object T has an uneven structure.

[0047] The puncture repair method preferably includes a preliminary rotation step S4 for moving the tire repair fluid R dispensed into the object T to the punctured portion. Such a preliminary rotation step S4 can quickly move the tire repair fluid R to the punctured portion, which is useful for efficiently repairing the puncture.

[0048] Although a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified and practiced in various ways.

[0049] [Additional Note] The present invention is as follows.

[0050] [Invention 1] A tire repair kit for repairing a puncture in an object, comprising: a container containing tire repair fluid; a compressed air source for supplying compressed air; a mixing device attached to the container for producing a mixture of the tire repair fluid and the compressed air; a first connector connecting the compressed air source to the mixing device; and a second connector connecting the mixing device to a valve of the punctured object, wherein the spray angle at which the mixture is discharged from the valve into the object without being aerosolized is 20° or greater.

[0051] [Invention 2] The puncture repair kit according to Invention 1, wherein the radiation angle is 75° or less.

[0052] [Invention 3] The puncture repair kit according to Invention 1 or 2, wherein the puncture repair fluid contains at least rubber solids and water.

[0053] [Invention 4] The puncture repair kit according to any one of Inventions 1 to 3, wherein the particle size of the puncture repair fluid in the mixture that is not in the form of an aerosol exceeds 100 μm.

[0054] [Invention 5] The puncture repair kit according to Invention 4, wherein the particle size of the puncture repair fluid is greater than 500 μm.

[0055] [Invention 6] The puncture repair kit according to any one of Inventions 1 to 5, wherein the container has an opening for storing the puncture repair fluid inside the container, and the mixing device is attached to the opening.

[0056] [Invention 7] The puncture repair kit according to any one of Inventions 1 to 6, wherein the compressed air source is a compressor.

[0057] [Invention 8] A puncture repair kit according to any one of Inventions 1 to 7, wherein the mixing device comprises: a mixing chamber having a space for mixing the tire repair fluid and the compressed air; a first inlet to which the first connector is connected; a second inlet communicating with the container; and an outlet to which the second connector is connected; and the volume of the compressed air in the mixture discharged from the outlet is 14 to 700 times the volume of the tire repair fluid.

[0058] [Invention 9] A mixing device for mixing tire repair fluid and compressed air, comprising: a mixing chamber having a space for mixing the tire repair fluid and the compressed air; a first inlet for supplying the compressed air to the mixing chamber; a second inlet for supplying the tire repair fluid to the mixing chamber; and an outlet for discharging the mixture of the tire repair fluid and the compressed air from the mixing chamber, wherein the volume of the compressed air in the mixture discharged from the outlet is 14 to 700 times the volume of the tire repair fluid.

[0059] [Invention 10] A tire repair method for repairing a puncture in an object, comprising: a mixing step of producing a mixture of tire repair fluid and compressed air; and a discharging step of discharging the mixture into the punctured object, wherein the discharging step discharges the non-aerosolized mixture from a valve of the object into the object at a radiation angle of 20° or more.

[0060] [Invention 11] A mixing method for mixing tire repair fluid and compressed air, comprising a mixing step of mixing the compressed air supplied from a first inlet and the tire repair fluid supplied from a second inlet in a mixing chamber, wherein the mixing step involves mixing the compressed air so that the volume of the tire repair fluid is 14 to 700 times the volume of the tire repair fluid.

[0061] 1 Puncture repair kit 3 Compressed air source 4 Mixing device 5 Container 12 First connector 13 Second connector

Claims

1. A tire repair kit for repairing a puncture on an object, comprising: a container containing tire repair fluid; a compressed air source for supplying compressed air; a mixing device attached to the container for producing a mixture of the tire repair fluid and the compressed air; a first connector connecting the compressed air source to the mixing device; and a second connector connecting the mixing device to a valve of the punctured object, wherein the radiation angle for discharging the non-aerosolized mixture from the valve into the interior of the object is 20° or greater.

2. A puncture repair kit as described in claim 1, wherein the radiation angle is 75° or less.

3. The puncture repair kit according to claim 1, wherein the puncture repair fluid contains at least rubber solids and water.

4. The puncture repair kit according to claim 1, wherein the non-aerosolized mixture has a particle size of the puncture repair fluid of greater than 100 μm.

5. The puncture repair kit according to claim 4, wherein the particle size of the puncture repair fluid is greater than 500 μm.

6. The puncture repair kit according to claim 1, wherein the container has a mouth for receiving the puncture repair fluid inside the container, and the mixing device is attached to the mouth.

7. The puncture repair kit of claim 1, wherein the compressed air source is a compressor.

8. A puncture repair kit as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the mixing device comprises: a mixing chamber having a space for mixing the tire repair fluid and the compressed air; a first inlet to which the first connector is connected; a second inlet communicating with the container; and an outlet to which the second connector is connected, and the volume of the compressed air in the mixture discharged from the outlet is 14 to 700 times the volume of the tire repair fluid.

9. A mixing device for mixing tire repair fluid and compressed air, comprising: a mixing chamber having a space for mixing the tire repair fluid and the compressed air; a first inlet for supplying the compressed air to the mixing chamber; a second inlet for supplying the tire repair fluid to the mixing chamber; and an outlet for discharging the mixture of the tire repair fluid and the compressed air from the mixing chamber, wherein the volume of the compressed air in the mixture discharged from the outlet is 14 to 700 times the volume of the tire repair fluid.

10. A tire repair method for repairing a puncture in an object, comprising: a mixing step of producing a mixture of tire repair fluid and compressed air; and a discharging step of discharging the mixture into the interior of the punctured object, wherein the discharging step discharges the non-aerosolized mixture from a valve of the object into the interior of the object at a radiation angle of 20° or greater.

11. A mixing method for mixing tire repair fluid and compressed air, comprising a mixing step of mixing the compressed air supplied from a first inlet and the tire repair fluid supplied from a second inlet in a mixing chamber, wherein the volume of the compressed air is 14 to 700 times the volume of the tire repair fluid.

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