GB2385031A

GB2385031A - Extension device for remote inspection and inflation of pneumatic tyre

Info

Publication number: GB2385031A
Application number: GB0202987A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Sheridan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-02-08
Filing date: 2002-02-08
Publication date: 2003-08-13
Also published as: GB0202987D0

Abstract

The device is for a vehicle tyre (16) when stored in an inaccessible location, the tyre (16) being of the type having a normally closed tyre valve (20). The device comprises a pressure hose (22), a releasable connector (28) located at a first end (24) of the pressure hose (22) for connecting to the tyre valve (20), and a normally closed inflation valve (32) located at a second end (26) of the pressure hose (22). The tyre (16) can be located in a well (14) under a vehicle boot floor (18) and the hose (22) can be supported by a retainer (36) fixed on a boot wall (40). Two adjacent tyres can be provided by respective devices.

Description

AN EXTENSION DEVICE Field of the invention This invention relates to an extension device for enabling the convenient inflation of a pneumatic tyre when stored in an inaccessible location.

Backaround of the invention Spare tyres of vehicles are often stored in a relatively inaccessible location, for example in a chamber under the floor of the vehicle boot. To check the pneumatic pressure in the spare tyre, and to inflate it if necessary, it is necessary to gain access to the tyre valve. At a minimum this will require raising the floor of the boot. This is inconvenient when the boot is being used to carry other items. Even then, it may be necessary to remove the spare tyre from its chamber to gain access to the tyre valve, especially if the tyre is stored upside down. This may be wasted effort if, having checked the inflation condition of the tyre, it is found to be in satisfactory condition, requiring no further inflation.

As a result, motorists are discouraged from checking the inflation condition of the spare tyre as often as they might. In extreme conditions this could mean that a wrongly inflated tyre is used in an emergency to replace a faulty road tyre. This may be dangerous and/or contrary to regulations.

There is therefore a need for a simple device to enable convenient access to the valve of a spare tyre stored in an inaccessible location.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, there is provided an extension device for enabling the convenient inspection of the

inflation condition of, and the inflation if necessary of, a pneumatic vehicle tyre when stored in an inaccessible location, the tyre being of the type having a normally closed inflation valve. The device comprises a pressure hose, a releasable connector located at a first end of the pressure hose for connecting to the tyre valve, and a normally closed inflation valve located at a second end of the pressure hose.

For the sake of brevity, the pneumatic vehicle tyre stored in an inaccessible location, being of the type having the tyre having a normally closed inflation valve, is referred to in the following description as a"spare tyre".

By locating the inflation valve in an accessible position, the present invention enables the inflation condition of the spare tyre to be checked and adjusted if necessary, in a convenient manner, without for example having to raise the floor of the boot of the vehicle, and to unclamp the spare tyre from its storage position. Thus, it is a simple matter for the driver to check the condition of the spare tyre at the same time as checking the condition of the road tyres.

The invention also provides a method for inspecting the inflation condition of, and/or inflating, a spare tyre when stored in an inaccessible location, the method including (i) providing an extension device comprising a pressure hose, releasably connected at a first end thereof to the tyre valve, the device having a normally closed inflation valve located at a second end of the pressure hose, and (ii) temporarily connecting a pressure gauge to the inflation valve, and/or temporarily connecting a source of pressurised tyre inflation gas to the inflation valve, until the desired tyre pressure is achieved.

The tyre valve will typically be of the type located at the

end of a valve tube and having an axial spring-loaded valve pin, depression of which causes the valve to open.

The releasable connector may be such that, when connected to the spare tyre valve, that valve is opened exposing the pressure hose to the pneumatic pressure within the spare tyre. For use with a tyre valve of the typical type, the connector will include an axial operating pin to abut and depress the valve pin when forced onto the tyre valve. The connector may also include a gripping collar for retaining the connector on the tyre valve tube and a device for releasing the gripping collar when it is desired to release the connector from the tyre valve tube.

The inflation valve located at the second end of the pressure hose is preferably provided with a removable protection cover, commonly known as a"dust cap". The inflation valve may have a construction similar or identical to that of the tyre valve.

The optimum length of the pressure hose will depend upon the size of the tyre and its location. Typically, the hose should have a length at least equal to the diameter of the tyre. For example, for use with the spare tyre of a typical European-style family car, a pressure hose length of at least 60 cm is suitable. To achieve the desired overall length, two or more extension devices may be joined together in line, with the releasable connector of one device being connected to the inflation valve of an adjacent device, and so on.

The extension device may be associated with a retaining device for retaining the pressure hose with its second end in an accessible position in a vehicle, the retaining device including means for securing the retaining device to a wall of the vehicle, such as adhesives, a clip to engage with an

edge of the wall of the vehicle, screws and/or bolts.

The invention also includes a vehicle having a chamber for the storage of a spare tyre and including an extension device as defined above, having the connector positioned in the chamber and the inflation valve located outside the chamber. The vehicle may be of the type having a boot, the chamber being located under a floor of the boot and the second end of the pressure hose being located within the boot, above the floor.

Alternatively, the second end of the pressure hose is located outside the vehicle, or is otherwise accessible from outside the vehicle.

The invention is also applicable to vehicles of the type having two or more spare tyres, together with a corresponding number of associated extension devices as defined above. In this embodiment it is convenient for the second ends of the respective pressure hoses to be located adjacent each other. In a further development of this embodiment, the pressure hose is branched, having two or more branch portions providing the respective first ends of the hose and a common portion providing a single second end of the hose, thereby enabling the simultaneous inflation of all the spare tyres.

The invention will now be further described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows in cross-section part of a vehicle incorporating an extension device according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows the extension device in more detail; and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown part of a vehicle 10 having a boot 12. A chamber 14 for the storage of a spare pneumatic tyre 16 is defined under a floor 18 of the boot 12. The spare tyre 16 is of the type having a standard normally closed tyre valve 20. The tyre rests on the bottom wall 21 of the chamber 14 and is retained in position by a clamp (not shown).

An extension device is provided for enabling the convenient inflation of a spare tyre 16.

As also shown in Figure 2, the device includes a pressure hose 22, having a first end 24 positioned in the chamber 14 and a second end 26 located outside the chamber 14, specifically within the boot 12, above the floor 18. A releasable connector 28 is located at the first end 24 of the pressure hose 22 for connecting to the tyre valve 20.

The releasable connector 28 is of the type designed to fit a standard tyre valve, typically found on commercially available foot pumps sold for the purpose of inflating vehicle tyres. The connector 28 is thus such that, when connected to the tyre valve 20, the tyre valve 20 is opened exposing the pressure hose 22 to the pneumatic pressure within the tyre 16.

A normally closed inflation valve 32 is located at the second end 26 of the pressure hose 22 and is provided with a removable dust cap 34. The inflation valve 32 is identical in construction to the tyre valve 20.

Both the connector 28 and the inflation valve 32 are clamped or sealed to the pressure hose 22 in a leak-free manner.

A retaining device 36 is provided for retaining the pressure hose 22 with its second end 26 in an accessible position in a vehicle 10. The retaining device includes screws 38 for securing the retaining device to a wall 40 of the boot 12.

The inflation condition of the spare tyre 16 can be inspected by temporarily connecting a pressure gauge (not shown) to the inflation valve 32. Similarly, the spare tyre 16 can be inflated by temporarily connecting a source of pressurised tyre inflation gas (such as a foot pump or motorised compressed air source) to the inflation valve 32, until the desired tyre pressure is achieved.

Should it become necessary to use the spare tyre 16, for example in an emergency, it is a simple matter to disconnect the connector 28 from the tyre valve 20.

In the alternative embodiment shown in Figure 3, the vehicle has two spare tyres 42,44, having respective tyre valves 50, 52.

Two associated extension devices according to the invention are provided. The connector 46 of the first of these devices is connected to the tyre valve 50 and the inflation valve 54 of the pressure hose 62 is located in an accessible position. Similarly, the connector 48 of the second extension device is connected to the tyre valve 52, and the inflation valve 56 of the pressure hose 64 is located in an accessible position, adjacent the other inflation valve 54.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An extension device for enabling the convenient inspection and inflation of a pneumatic vehicle tyre (16) when stored in an inaccessible location, the tyre (16) being of the type having a normally closed tyre valve (20), the device comprising a pressure hose (22), a releasable connector (28) located at a first end (24) of the pressure hose (22) for connecting to the tyre valve (20), and a normally closed inflation valve (32) located at a second end (26) of the pressure hose (22).
2. An extension device according to claim 1, wherein the releasable connector (28) is such that, when connected to the tyre valve (20), that valve (20) is opened exposing the pressure hose (22) to the pneumatic pressure within the tyre (16).
3. An extension device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inflation valve (32) is provided with a removable protection cover (34).
4. An extension device according to any preceding claim, in combination with a retaining device (36) for retaining the pressure hose (22) with its second end (26) in an accessible position in a vehicle (10), the retaining device including means (38) for securing the retaining device to a wall (40) of the vehicle (10).
5. An extension device according to claim 4, wherein the means for securing the retaining device (36) to a wall (40) of the vehicle (10) is selected from adhesives, a clip to engage with an edge of the wall (40) of the vehicle (10), screws and bolts.

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6. An extension device according to any preceding claim, in combination with a pneumatic tyre (16) of the type having a normally closed tyre valve (20).
7. An extension device according to any preceding claim, incorporated in a vehicle having a chamber (14) for the storage of a spare pneumatic tyre (16), the connector (28) being positioned in the chamber (14) and the inflation valve (32) located outside the chamber (14).
8. An extension device according claim 7, the vehicle having a boot (12), the chamber (14) being located under a floor (18) of the boot (12) and the second end (26) of the pressure hose (22) being located within the boot (12), above the floor (18).
9. An extension device according to claim 7, wherein the second end (26) of the pressure hose (22) is accessible from outside the vehicle (10).
10. A vehicle having a two or more pneumatic tyres (42, 44) stored in inaccessible locations, each tyre (42,44) being of the type having a normally closed inflation valve (50,52), and respectively two or more associated extension devices each being according to any preceding claim.
11. A vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the second ends (58,60) of the respective pressure hoses (62,64) are located adjacent each other.

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12. A method for inspecting the inflation condition of a pneumatic vehicle tyre (16) when stored in an inaccessible location, the tyre (16) being of the type having a normally closed tyre valve (20), the method including (i) providing an extension device comprising a pressure hose (22), releasably connected at a first end (24) thereof to the tyre valve (20), the device having a normally closed inflation valve (32) located at a second end (26) of the pressure hose (22), and (ii) temporarily connecting a pressure gauge to the inflation valve (32).
13. A method for inflating a pneumatic vehicle tyre (16) when stored in an inaccessible location, the tyre (16) being of the type having a normally closed tyre valve (20), the method including (i) providing an extension device comprising a pressure hose (22), releasably connected at a first end (24) thereof to the tyre valve (20), the device having a normally closed inflation valve (32) located at a second end (26) of the pressure hose (22), and (ii) temporarily connecting a source of pressurised tyre inflation gas to the inflation valve (32), until the desired tyre pressure is achieved.