Tire Sidewall Peristaltic Pump for Automatic Pressure Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tires naturally lose air pressure over time, leading to reduced fuel economy, tire life, and vehicle performance, and existing solutions require driver intervention for maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A tire with a pneumatic cavity, sidewall grooves, and a pressure regulator that controls air pressure, featuring a peristaltic pump assembly with an air passageway that deforms to maintain pressure without driver intervention, using a cylindrical housing with mounting projections and protective housing to secure the regulator within the tire.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pressure regulator device is mounted to an inner surface of the pneumatic tire cavity, then air pressure control is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure regulator device is nested within a recess formed in the inner surface of the pneumatic tire cavity. This recess integration allows the regulator to be housed within the tire structure itself, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effective air pressure control functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a peristaltic pump assembly that automatically maintains tire pressure without requiring driver intervention. The pump uses the natural rotation of the tire to pump air into the cavity when pressure drops, making the system self-regulating and eliminating the need for manual monitoring or operation.
2Measurement precision
If TPMS is used to warn drivers of low tire pressure, then pressure monitoring is improved, but driver intervention is still required
Solution Approach 1:
The peristaltic pump assembly automatically detects and responds to low pressure conditions by pumping air into the tire cavity based on pressure regulator signals, eliminating the need for driver intervention entirely. The system self-regulates pressure maintenance without requiring driver action.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure regulator continuously monitors air pressure within the cavity and provides feedback control to the peristaltic pump assembly. When pressure drops below the predetermined threshold, the regulator triggers the pump to operate, creating a closed-loop feedback system that automatically maintains pressure within acceptable ranges.
3Extent of automation
If the air passageway is positioned within the bending region of the sidewall, then automatic pressure maintenance is improved, but the passageway structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The air passageway is constructed as a flexible tube that can accommodate the bending and deformation that occurs in the sidewall bending region during tire operation. This flexible construction maintains structural integrity while allowing the passageway to function within the dynamically deforming sidewall area.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to accommodate the dynamic deformation of the sidewall bending region. The peristaltic pump mechanism utilizes the natural expansion and contraction of the flexible passageway during tire rotation to pump air, transforming the dynamic mechanical environment into a functional advantage rather than a structural weakness.
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 solution effectively maintains tire pressure, enhancing fuel efficiency, tire longevity, and vehicle handling by automatically compensating for pressure loss without requiring driver action.
Implementation Method 1
The groove deforms segment by segment between a non-deformed state and a deformed, constricted state in response to the bending of the first sidewall bending region circumferentially within the rolling tire footprint. The air passageway resiliently deforms segment by segment between an expanded condition and an at least partially collapsed condition in response to respective segment by segment deformation of the sidewall groove
Implementation Method 2
The air passageway resiliently deforms segment by segment between an expanded condition and an at least partially collapsed condition in response to respective segment by segment deformation of the sidewall groove
Data Source
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AI summary
A tire having a pneumatic cavity and first and second sidewalls extending respectively from first and second tire bead regions to a tire tread region is disclosed. The first sidewall has at least one bending region operatively bending when circumferentially within a rolling tire footprint. A sidewall groove defined by groove sidewalls is positioned within the bending region of the first tire sidewall, the groove deforming segment by segment between a non-deformed state and a deformed, constricted state in response to the bending of the first sidewall bending region circumferentially within the rolling tire footprint. The tire further comprises an air passageway resiliently deforming segment by segment between an expanded condition and an at least partially collapsed condition in response to respective segment by segment deformation of the sidewall groove when circumferentially within the rolling tire footprint; and a pressure regulator mounted to an inner surface of the pneumatic tire cavity for controlling air pressure with the pneumatic tire cavity.