GB2207954A - An automatic air pump for wheel tyres - Google Patents

Description

TITLE : AN AUTOMATIC AIR PUMP FOR WHEEL TIRES Background 0f The Invention It is quite bothersome for drivers that they have to pay attention to the pressure all the time and drive the car to a garage or a gas station to pump a tire when necessary.

In order to get rid of such bothering the inventor has worked hard to provide this automatic air pump for wheel tires.

Summary Of The Invention This invention, an automatic air pump for wheel tires, makes use of an air piston which is to be fixed on the wheel rim and can automatically pump wheel of a drum brake in this invention.

Figure 2 is a magnifie view of the mutual touching of the copper plate and the carbon brush in this invention.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectioned view of air pump A in this invention.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectioned view of A-A line on figure 3.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectioned view of B-B line on figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view of the piston rod pressed by the interior tire surface and the piston plate pressed in case of insufficient air pressure in a tire in this invention.

Figure 7 is a view of air pump B fixed on a wheel in this invention.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectioned view of air pump A in this invention.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectioned view of the valve tube of air pump B in this invention.

Figure 10 is a view of pumping air when the valve tube of air pump B pushed open the inhaling valve in this invention.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectioned view of C-C line on figure 8.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectioned view of the methof of transmitting electricity when the air pump A is installed on a wheel with a disc brake in this invention.

Figure 13 is a diagram of the signal lights of pumping air in the tire in this invention.

Figure 14 is a view of the signal lights of pumping air in this invention.

Detailed Description Of The Invention This invention can be divided into two different structures, one of which, A, is suitable for wheel tires that must be running and the other, B, suitable for wheel tires that are short of air pressure in spite of whether they are running or not.

Air pump A, as shown in figures 1 to 6, comprises air piston A1, inhaling valve A2, exhaling valve A3 and light indicating system A4.

Air piston A1 contains spring A12 in its cylinder A11 and piston plate A13 that is to contact with spring A12 and connect with piston rod A14 extending outward. When the pressure in the tire is insufficient, piston rod A14 will be presed by interior tire surface T1 so that piston plate A13 is to be pushed up to press spring A12, enabling the air in the cylinder to flow through exhaling valve A3 into its chamber T2. Since the wheel tire keeps running, piston rod A14 is successively pressed by interior tire surface T1 to move reciprocatingly, so the air is successively sucked into cylinder A11 via inhaling valve A2 while piston plate A13 moves downward to the bottom of cylinder A11 and transfered into the tire chamber via exhaling valve A3 while piston plate A13 is pushed up, forming a continuous air pumping.

Furthermore, as shown in figure 4, metallic plate A131 set below piston plate A13 is to contact with two metallic projections A111, A112 set under piston rod A13 while the tire pressure is sufficient and air indicating light A41 or A42, A44 will not be lighted. But, when the tire pressure is insufficient, interior tire surface T1 is to press piston rod A14, as shown in figure 6, and metallic plate A131 will leave away from metallic projections A111, A112, so the air indicting light A41 or A42, A43, A44 as shown in figures 13, 14, controlled by metallic projections A111, A112 will be lighted and tell the driver which wheel tire is now short of pressure and being pumped. And conductive lines A1111, A1121 extended respectively from the metallic projections A111, A112 are buried in the wall of the cylinder and connected to copper plate A51 which is linked to the power source and indicating lights via magnetic brush A52, as shown in figures 2,12.

Next, figure 7 to 12 show the B structure of this air pump which consists of air piston B1, compressor B2, inhaling valve B3 and pressure-gauge piston B4. Air piston B1, as shown in figure 8, has spring B12 in its cylinder B11 and piston plate B13 which is set below spring A12 and to be moved by piston rod B14 connected with semi-spherical head B141 at its bottom for interior tire surface T2 to press easily and smoothly while the tire pressure is lower than the normal. Also, a metallic plate B131 set under piston plate B13 is to contact with two metallic projections B111, B112 set at the bottom of the cylinder when the pressure is sufficient, keeping the compressor out of work; when the tire pressure becomes too low to enable interior tire surface T2 to press semi-spherical head B141 of piston rod B14, dotted line as shown in figure 11, so metallic plate B131 is to be moved off metallic projections B111, B112 making compressor B2 to work, pumping up the air into the cylinder of air piston B1 via inhaling valve B3 and then into tire chamber T1 automatically via an exhaling valve.

When the tire pressure has been pumped enough, piston plate B41 of pressure gauge piston B4 is to be pushed by the pressure in the tire to rise up, and metallic plate B411 set above piston plate B41 is to be lighted as well and make compressor B2 stop operating at once because plate B411 contacts with two metallic projections B421,422 set above cylinder B42, and piston rod B14 of air piston B1 recovers its original state. If the tire pressure is not enough and the interior tire surface cannot in time touch piston rod B14, piston plate B41 of pressure gauge piston B4, being of insufficient pressure, is to gradually drop down to the bottom of cylinder B42, enabling metallic plate B412 connected under piston plate B41 to finally contact metallic projections B423, 424 so that compressor B2 gets started and keeps operation until the tire pressure becomes sufficient. Then piston plate B41 rises up making metallic plate B411 contact metallic projections B421, 422 stopping the operation of the compressor, In addition, in order to make the air be easily pumped into the tire chamber via inhaling valve B3 while compressor B2 is operating, valve tube B5 is set between tube P and inhaling valve B3, as shown in figures 7, 8, 9, 10. Valve tube B5 has inside valve plate B51 connected at its inner surface with pushing rod B52 which is to push away ball B31 (or a plate, etc.) of inhaling valve B3 during the operation of the compressor, letting the compressor, letting the compressor to compress more easily because it itself doesn't have to push away ball B31.

This invention can be instaled on any wheels no matter what style of brake, drum or disc, they have.

For the sake of safety, wheels equipped with this invention are prefered to set with a pressure switch and a water sensor. The pressure switch is arranged with a certain maximum amount of pressure according to the kind of car and. can automatically turn off the compress as soon as the tire pressure has reached the maximum allowed by the switch. And the water sensor is to tell the compressor not to work when the wheel is running in water, preventing it from sucking water into the tire chamber.

Moreover, besides the air indicating lights A4 which can tell the driver the air pressure condition of the four wheels, another supervisory lamp A45 and buzzer 46 are additionally instaled. When any of the wheels is being pumped, its indicating light and supervisory lamp will be lighted together and buzzer 46 will give a sourd until the pumping action has been finished, so that the driver can be unerringly warned by the light and the sound to pay attention to the air pressure situation.

Conclusively, this invention really a very practical, safe and brand new invention.

Claims (2)

1. t : hat is Claimed Is: 1. A sort of automatic air pump for wheel tires having two different structures, one of which is used for a car that must be running, the other available for a car whenever any of its wheel tire has insufficient air pressure; the former comprises an air piston, an inhaling valve, an exhaling valve and a light indicating system and has characteristics that when a wheel is running with an air pressure growing lower its interior tire surface can contact and press upward a piston rod, so that a piston plate is pushed up to force the air in the cylinder to flow into the tire chamber via said exhaling valve; by the rotation of the wheel, said d piston rod moves reciprocatingly up and down; as said piston rod moves upward, the air in the cylinder is pressed into the tire chamber and a metallic plate set under said piston plate is to detach from two metallic projections so that said indicating light will be lighted to tell the driver that the tire is being pumped; when said piston rod drops down to its original position, air will be suched into the cylinder via said inhaling valve and this pump becomes ready for next action; the latter comprises an air piston, a compressor, an inhaling valve, pressure-gauge piston, a valve set between an air tube and said inhaling valve, a pressure switch and a water sensor, and has characteristics that when the tire pressure becomes insufficient,-no matter if the wheel is running or not-the interior tire surface is to puh upward a piston rod so as to make a metalic plate below said piston plate detach from two metallic projections at the bottom of the cylinder, enabling said compressor to operate; at first, air is pumped into said valve tube to force a pushing rod on a valve plate to open said inhaling valve so as to let the air flow into the cylinder fluently via said inhaling valve and then flow automatically into the tire chamber via said exhaling opening; as the tire pressure has grown sufficient, a piston plate of said pressure-gauge piston is pressed to rise up until a metallic plate above said piston plate contact two metallic projections of the cylinder, and then said compressor is to be turned off right away and said piston rod of the air piston, being pressed by a spring in the cylinder, is to gradually recover its original state; moreover, if the tire pressure becomes slightly insufficient and said piston rod of said air piston is still unable to touch the interior tire surface, said piston plate of the pressure-gauge piston, because of insufficient pressure, will drop gradually to make said metallic plate contact said two metallic projections finally, starting the operation of said compressor; when a wheel is surrounded by water, said water sensor detects it out and command the compressor to stop operating preventing it from sucking water into the tire.
2. 2. A sort of automatic air pump for wheel tires as claimed in item 1, wherein said light indicating system includes respective indicating light for each wheel of a car, a supervisory lamp and a buzzer ; whenever any of the tires is being pumped, the separate light and said supervisory lamp related with each tire are lighted together and said buzzer gives alarming sounds.