Integrated Tire Pressure Sensor and Safety Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tire inflation systems face challenges in reliably managing both underinflated and overinflated tires, particularly in tractor trailers, where maintaining optimal tire pressure while the vehicle is in motion is crucial, and existing systems lack efficiency and ease of maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a tire pressure management system that includes a rotary union assembly with a safety valve and a tire pressure measurement sensor, which uses a check valve and fluid conduit to automatically regulate air pressure and prevent air from reaching un-inflated tires, ensuring consistent pressure levels across all tires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional pressure protection valve is used to direct excess air to the control box, then air pressure in the braking system is protected, but the system cannot simultaneously manage underinflated and overinflated tires effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the safety valve and tire pressure measurement sensor into a single integrated assembly that is directly mounted on the tire valve stem. This merging of functions allows the system to simultaneously perform pressure protection, pressure measurement, and adaptive response to both underinflation and overinflation conditions, resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated safety valve assembly serves multiple functions: it acts as a pressure protection device, a pressure measurement sensor, and a communication interface with the control unit. This multi-functionality enables the system to handle both underinflated and overinflated tires effectively while maintaining braking system protection, thus achieving both reliability and versatility.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate safety valves and pressure sensors are used, then each component can be optimized independently, but the system complexity increases and ease of maintenance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the safety valve, pressure sensor, and mounting assembly into a single unified component that attaches to the tire valve stem, the patent reduces the number of separate parts. This integration maintains the ability to optimize each functional element while significantly reducing overall system complexity and improving ease of maintenance through a modular design.
3Productivity
If manual tire pressure checking is required, then system cost is reduced, but productivity and ease of operation decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated pressure measurement sensor provides continuous feedback to the control unit about actual tire pressure conditions. This automatic feedback mechanism enables real-time monitoring and adaptive pressure management without requiring manual checking, significantly improving productivity while the modular integrated design keeps system complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs automatic tire pressure monitoring and management without requiring manual intervention. The integrated sensor continuously measures pressure and the control unit automatically adjusts inflation accordingly, enabling the system to serve itself and eliminating the need for manual pressure checking.
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
This system effectively maintains optimal tire pressure by automatically detecting pressure loss and adjusting air distribution, preventing underinflation and overinflation, thereby enhancing the reliability and ease of maintenance of tire inflation systems in moving vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a tire pressure management safety valve... a check valve disposed within the valve activation chamber, the check valve responsive to pressurized fluid within the air line, at a predetermined pressure the check valve automatically precludes air transfer through the fluid conduit
Implementation Method 2
a tire pressure measurement sensor interacting with the check valve activation chamber and the inflated tire
Data Source
AI summary
A combination includes at least: an air line disposed between a rotary union and a tire; and a tire pressure management safety valve disposed within the air line. The air line facilitates pressurized fluid transferred between the rotary union and a valve stem of the tire, to inflate the tire, and the tire pressure management safety valve includes: a valve housing providing a valve activation chamber; a fluid conduit having a downstream end and an upstream end; a check valve disposed within the valve activation chamber, the check valve responsive to pressurized fluid within the air line, at a predetermined pressure the check valve automatically precludes air transfer through the fluid conduit; and a fitting communicating with the check valve activation chamber and the valve stem of the tire. The combination further includes a tire pressure measurement sensor interacting with the check valve activation chamber and the inflated tire.