Compressor for Self-Inflating Tire
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-inflating tires face efficiency and pressure limitations due to leaks at the interface between the tire cavity and the compressor shaft, leading to elevated production costs and restricted maximum pressure.
Innovation Solution
A compressor design featuring a compression piston and guiding piston in parallel motion within a sealed compression chamber and blind hole, with hydraulic fluid passage and damping plates, to enhance efficiency and pressure capabilities by minimizing leaks and optimizing movement between compression and decompression states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a shaft interface is used between the cavity and the compressor, then the compressor can be actuated by tire deformation, but leaks occur at the interface which reduce pump efficiency and yield
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the shaft interface component entirely from the system. Instead of using a traditional shaft that connects the compression actuator to the compression piston, the patent employs a direct reciprocating motion transfer where the compression actuator's piston rod directly drives the compression piston within the compression chamber, eliminating the leak-prone shaft-cavity interface while maintaining autonomous actuation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of the shaft and the compression piston drive mechanism into a single integrated system. The compression actuator's piston rod is directly coupled to the compression piston, combining the transmission function and the compression function into one unified component arrangement, thereby eliminating the separate shaft interface that caused leakage
2Volume of moving object
If the pump size is reduced for insertion through the tire sidewall, then the tire can be properly equipped, but production costs are elevated due to surface roughness requirements and maximal pressure is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the compressor into distinct functional modules: the compression chamber, the blind hole, the compression actuator, and the guiding piston assembly. This modular segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for manufacturing, reducing the need for expensive precision surface treatments while maintaining compact overall dimensions suitable for sidewall insertion
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of reducing surface roughness requirements to lower manufacturing costs, the invention inverts the approach by using a guiding piston with a guiding surface that actively guides the body's reciprocating movement. This guidance mechanism ensures proper alignment and movement control without requiring extremely smooth surfaces, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining functional performance
3Ease of operation
If a shaft interface is used, then the compressor can be actuated, but leaks reduce the maximal pressure the pump may provide
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the shaft interface that caused pressure limitations. By eliminating the shaft and its cavity interface, the system achieves hermetic sealing within the compression chamber, allowing the compressor to build and maintain higher maximal pressures without leakage losses, while still being actuated by tire deformation through the compression actuator
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The compressor achieves improved efficiency and increased maximum pressure by preventing leaks and optimizing fluid communication, reducing production costs and enhancing tire inflation performance.
Implementation Method 1
a guiding piston or rod configured for reciprocating in the blind hole in sealed contact with the sidewall and for guiding a reciprocating movement of the body relative to the compression piston
Implementation Method 2
a hydraulic fluid passage for providing hydraulic fluid into the blind hole... the body is moved relatively and in parallel to the compression piston and the guiding piston upon actuation by hydraulic fluid pressure provided to the blind hole
Implementation Method 3
a compression piston configured for reciprocating in the compression chamber for providing compressed air to the tire cavity through the air outlet
Implementation Method 4
the compressor comprises two damping plates disposed at opposing faces of the body in relation to the direction of the reciprocating movement to damp the body abutting the support when reciprocating between the compression state and the decompressed state
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an air compressor mountable in an annular tire cavity of a pneumatic tire. The compressor comprises an air inlet, an air outlet, and a body in which are formed a blind hole having a sidewall and a compression chamber in fluid communication with the air inlet and the air outlet. Further, the tire comprises a compression piston configured for reciprocating in the compression chamber for providing compressed air to the tire cavity through the air outlet, and a hydraulic fluid passage for providing hydraulic fluid into the blind hole, as well as a guiding piston configured for reciprocating in the blind hole in sealed contact with the sidewall and for guiding a reciprocating movement of the body relative to the compression piston. The invention further relates to a tire assembly comprising a tire and the compressor.