Centralized Tire Pressure Control via Spindle Air Ducts
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing centralized tire-inflation systems for vehicles require substantial modifications during installation and removal of wheels, and may not guarantee a minimum safety level of tire pressure, especially in case of system failures.
Innovation Solution
An on-board centralized system that minimally modifies the vehicle's components, using a tubular element for air passage through the wheel spindle and one-way valves to maintain a pre-set minimum pressure in tire chambers, ensuring reliable and safe operation with minimal modifications to the wheel structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing centralized tire-inflation systems are installed, then tire pressure regulation capability is improved, but wheel installation and removal processes become complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular components: a control unit, pneumatic actuators integrated into the wheel hub, and a compressor. This segmentation allows the pressure regulation function to be added without fundamentally altering the wheel assembly structure, maintaining ease of wheel installation and removal while achieving reliable pressure control.
Solution Approach 2:
The pneumatic actuators and air passage channels are nested within the existing wheel hub structure. The tubular element passes through the wheel spindle and integrates with the hub components, allowing the inflation system to be contained within the wheel assembly without adding external protrusions or complicating the wheel's external structure.
2Reliability
If existing centralized tire-inflation systems are used, then tire pressure regulation is achieved, but minimum safety pressure cannot be guaranteed in case of system failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates a check valve in the air passage channel that prevents air from the inner chamber from escaping back into the air supply circuit. This one-way flow control acts as a safety mechanism that guarantees a minimum pressure remains in the tire even if the compressor or control system fails, thereby ensuring safety without requiring extremely precise manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The air passage channel with integrated check valve acts as an intermediary between the compressor and the inner chamber. This intermediary component regulates air flow and provides a safety function, ensuring that pressure regulation is achieved reliably while maintaining a minimum safety pressure barrier against system failures.
3Manufacturing precision
If substantial modifications are made to wheel structure, then tire pressure control accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel hub is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support for the wheel, houses the pneumatic actuators for pressure regulation, and contains the air passage channels for air flow. This multi-functionality allows accurate pressure control to be achieved without adding separate dedicated components, thereby avoiding excessive increase in device complexity.
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 system ensures accurate and reliable tire pressure control, maintaining a minimum safety pressure in all operating conditions, including system failures, without complicating wheel installation or removal processes.
Implementation Method 1
a first one-way valve and a second one-way valve interposed, respectively, in said first and second connection lines to allow only a flow of air respectively from and to the inner chamber of the tyre
Implementation Method 2
Associated to the aforesaid first one-way valve is a return spring having a pre-set load in such a way as to guarantee a pre-set minimum value of the pressure in the inner chamber of the tyre
Data Source
AI summary
An on-board centralized system for regulating pressure of tyres of a vehicle includes a pressurized air source, two pneumatic rotary joints each associated to a driving wheel of the vehicle, and a circuit that sets in communication the pressurized air source with each rotary joint. An output member of a constant-velocity joint and a wheel spindle have an internal duct for air passage, connected to the respective rotary joint and to a plenum of the respective driving wheel. Each non-driving wheel has its wheel spindle traversed by an axial bore for air passage, connected to the circuit via a pneumatic rotary joint and a plenum of the non-driving wheel, which is connected to the inner chamber of the tyre. Each driving or non-driving wheel has its plenum connected to the inner chamber via two parallel lines, for deflating and inflating, respectively, the tyre interposed in which are respective one-way valves.