Tire inflation apparatus
View Patent ↗Apparatus and methods for tire inflation using an apparatus. The apparatus contains a piston in a housing and a bladder attached at an end of the housing. The apparatus is configured to compress air between a cap, the housing, and piston from the bladder compressing. Air enters into the tire through a valve in the piston. When the bladder decompresses, the piston seals air in the tire, thereby enabling air to pass through the valve in the cap. The apparatus involves a method of maintaining air pressure in a tire. The method includes the apparatus for inflating the tire as the tire rotates over a surface.
1 . A tire inflation apparatus comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing comprises a first end and a second end;
a piston disposed within the housing, the piston comprising a plurality of piston apertures, wherein the plurality of piston apertures are in fluid communication with each other;
a piston spring disposed within a housing chamber in the housing, wherein a volume between a first end of the piston and the first end of the housing partially defines the housing chamber, and wherein the spring is configured to bias the piston along a length of the housing;
a housing cap configured for engagement with the first end of the housing, wherein the housing cap comprises a cap body and a valve, the valve comprising at least one air inlet configured to permit fluid communication between the cap and the housing chamber in a first direction, the valve further comprising at least one air outlet configured to permit fluid communication between the cap and the housing chamber in a second direction; and
a bladder coupled to the second end of the housing, the second end opposing the first end, wherein a volume of the bladder is configured to permit fluid communication with the piston.
2 . The tire inflation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the cap body comprises a pressure cap and a housing connector, wherein the pressure cap has a cap internal threaded section configured for engagement with a housing connector external threaded section of the housing connector, wherein the housing connector has a housing connector internal threaded section configured for engagement with a housing external threaded section of the first end of the housing, wherein the valve is disposed in the housing connector, wherein the piston spring is disposed between a bottom portion of the housing connector and the housing chamber.
3 . The tire inflation apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the cap body further comprises a pressure spring, wherein the pressure spring is disposed between the pressure cap and the housing connector, wherein the pressure spring is configured to bias the valve.
4 . A method of maintaining air pressure in a tire, the method comprising:
embedding a tire inflation apparatus inside of the tire, the tire inflation apparatus comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing comprises a first end and a second end;
a piston disposed within the housing, the piston comprising a plurality of piston apertures, wherein the plurality of piston apertures are in fluid communication with each other;
a piston spring disposed within a housing chamber in the housing, wherein a volume between a first end of the piston and the first end of the housing partially defines the housing chamber, and wherein the spring is configured to bias the piston along a length of the housing;
a housing cap configured for engagement with the first end of the housing, wherein the housing cap comprises a cap body and a valve; and
a bladder coupled to the second end of the housing, the second end opposing the first end, wherein a volume of the bladder is configured to permit fluid communication with the piston;
sealing air in the bladder when the bladder and the housing chamber have the same air pressure, wherein the air in the bladder urges the piston to a position such that there is no fluid communication between the bladder and the housing chamber;
forcing air into the tire from the housing chamber when the bladder is compressed, whereby the compressed bladder forces air to urge the piston to a position such that the piston is in fluid communication with the plurality of piston apertures; and
forcing air into the housing chamber through the housing cap, thereby enabling air to be forced into the tire via the piston when the bladder is subsequently compressed.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the valve comprises at least one air inlet configured to permit fluid communication between the cap and the housing chamber in a first direction, the valve further comprises at least one air outlet configured to permit fluid communication between the cap and the housing chamber in a second direction.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the plurality of piston apertures comprises a first piston aperture and a second piston aperture, the first piston aperture configured for fluid communication with the housing chamber, and the second piston aperture configured to permit fluid communication with the tire when the piston is disposed at a first position along the length of the housing.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the cap body comprises a pressure cap and a housing connector, wherein the pressure cap has a cap internal threaded section configured for engagement with a housing connector external threaded section of the housing connector, wherein the housing connector has a housing connector internal threaded section configured for engagement with a housing external threaded section of the first end of the housing, wherein the valve is disposed in the housing connector, wherein the piston spring is disposed between a bottom portion of the housing connector and the housing chamber.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the housing cap further comprises a pressure spring, wherein the pressure spring is disposed between the pressure cap and the housing connector, wherein the pressure spring is configured to bias the valve.