Commercial Tire Inflation Control Without a Pressure Control Valve
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire inflation systems for commercial vehicles face difficulties in setting and maintaining target tire pressure due to the pressure control valve, which complicates the inflation process.
Innovation Solution
A tire inflation system comprising a control unit, pressure sensors, and a switchable valve connected to a compressed air system, allowing for precise adjustment of tire pressure by opening or closing the valve based on detected pressure thresholds, independent of tire load, with a pressure increasing unit for efficient pressure regulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pressure control valve is used to prevent excessive tire pressure, then tire safety is improved, but the ability to set and adjust target pressure becomes difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pressure control valve from the system entirely, replacing it with a switchable valve controlled by a control unit that monitors pressure via a pressure sensor. This extraction of the problematic component resolves the contradiction by enabling both safety (through active monitoring and controlled inflation) and adjustability (through electronic control of the switchable valve).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control system where a pressure sensor continuously monitors tire pressure and provides information to a control unit. The control unit adjusts the switchable valve based on this feedback to maintain the desired pressure level, thereby achieving both safety and the ability to set target pressure. The feedback loop enables dynamic pressure regulation without the limitations of a passive pressure control valve.
2Reliability
If a pressure control valve is used to automatically prevent over-inflation, then inflation safety is improved, but the inflation process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical pressure control valve with an electronically controlled system comprising a switchable valve, pressure sensor, and control unit. This substitution reduces complexity by using electronic control logic to manage pressure regulation, allowing for more flexible and programmable safety mechanisms compared to fixed mechanical valve designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit automatically manages the inflation process by monitoring pressure via the sensor and controlling the switchable valve without requiring manual intervention or complex mechanical mechanisms. The system serves itself by autonomously regulating pressure based on pre-programmed parameters, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining safety.
3Adaptability or versatility
If compressed air from the vehicle's air spring system is used for tire inflation, then external equipment is eliminated, but the available air pressure may be insufficient for efficient tire inflation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic pressure increasing unit that activates only when the compressed air from the air spring system is insufficient to achieve the required tire pressure. The control unit monitors the inflation process and dynamically switches between the air spring air supply and the pressure increasing unit, optimizing the use of available resources while ensuring adequate pressure delivery for efficient tire inflation.
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
Enables simple, safe, and efficient tire inflation by allowing variable adjustment of target pressure, independent of tire load, and provides real-time monitoring for operational safety and malfunction detection.
Implementation Method 1
the pressure sensor is capable of detecting a pressure at the flow outlet or at the flow inlet
Implementation Method 2
the switchable valve is also connected to the control unit so that the control unit can influence or switch or control the switching state of the switchable valve
Implementation Method 3
the control unit is designed such that it opens and/or switches the switchable valve as a function of the detected pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A tire inflation system, in particular for use in a commercial vehicle includes a control unit, a flow inlet, a pressure sensor, a switchable valve, in particular an electrically or magnetically switchable valve, and a flow outlet, wherein the flow inlet is configured to be connected to a compressed air system, in particular to a compressed air system of an air spring, wherein the flow outlet is configured be connected to a pressure chamber of a tire, wherein the control unit is connected to the pressure sensor and the switchable valve, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to detect a pressure at the flow outlet or at the flow inlet, wherein the control unit is configured such that the control unit opens and/or switches the switchable valve as a function of the detected pressure, in particular when the detected pressure at the flow outlet falls below a threshold value.