Drive Axle Hub Assembly for Tire Inflation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tire inflation systems for vehicles are difficult to install on a drive axle due to increased complexities, spacing requirements, and associated costs, making it challenging to provide the benefits of versatile terrain maneuvering and reduced maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A hub assembly with a conduit system that allows pressurized fluid communication to tires, featuring a hub with an inlet, outlet, and vent conduits, along with sealing rings and rotary seals to manage fluid pressure and prevent leakage, facilitating easier installation and operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a tire inflation system is installed on a drive axle, then vehicle versatility and fuel efficiency are improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the tire inflation system components directly into the drive axle hub assembly, merging the conduit system, seals, and inflation mechanism with the existing wheel hub structure. This integration eliminates the need for separate mounting brackets and reduces the number of discrete components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive axle hub is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support for the wheel, houses the tire inflation conduit system, and includes integrated sealing mechanisms. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated components, simplifying the overall system while enabling both terrain maneuvering and fuel efficiency benefits.
2Ease of repair
If a tire inflation system is installed on a drive axle, then maintenance requirements are reduced, but spacing requirements and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit system is pre-integrated into the hub assembly during manufacturing, with inlet and outlet conduits positioned and sealed beforehand. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex field installation of multiple separate components, reducing installation difficulty while maintaining the reduced maintenance benefit of having a pre-assembled, factory-sealed system.
3Productivity
If conduit system with seals and vents is implemented, then fluid communication efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs rotary seals that can accommodate a range of angular positions and thermal expansions, and vents with adjustable opening characteristics. These parameter changes allow the system to maintain efficient fluid communication while tolerating normal variations in manufacturing precision without requiring extremely tight tolerances on conduit alignment and seal positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A hub assembly for a tire inflation system includes a hub configured to hold a wheel assembly. The hub has a hub conduit formed therethrough. The hub conduit has an inlet formed in an inner surface of the hub and an outlet formed adjacent an outboard end of the hub. A vent is formed in the hub. The vent includes one or more vent conduits which extend from the inner surface to an outer surface of the hub.