JP4054355B2 - Automatic gas filling device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic gas filling device that can be easily attached to an off-the-shelf wheel and can automatically fill a gas such as air or an inert gas into the tire when the internal pressure of the tire decreases. .

  Air (gas) -filled tires provided in automobiles, aircraft, other passenger vehicles, etc. are generally used in a state where the rubber tires are mounted on metal wheels, and are called tubeless tires. Yes. The gas sealed in the tire may leak little by little from, for example, a joint between the wheel and the tire, thereby reducing the tire pressure (hereinafter also referred to as air pressure). In addition, the air pressure may decrease as the environmental temperature decreases.

  As is well known, in the state where the air pressure in the tire is lowered, not only the life of the tire is shortened but also the fuel efficiency is deteriorated, and further problems such as bursts leading to serious accidents are also caused. Therefore, it is regularly checked whether or not the tire air pressure is the specified pressure, and when the air pressure has decreased, an operation of replenishing the tire with compressed air or the like using a pressure pump or the like is performed each time. I need it.

Therefore, the structure of a wheel provided with an air injection valve that can form a compressed air chamber by forming a spoke portion that connects a wheel rim and a hub into a compressed air chamber, and the compressed air chamber can be filled with the compressed air. Is disclosed. In this wheel, it is constituted so that compressed air can be sent into the air chamber of the tire via the one-way valve from the compressed air chamber, and by artificially opening the one-way valve appropriately, The air accumulated in the compressed air chamber can be filled into the tire through an air introduction hole formed in a part of the rim.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-27705

  By the way, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, a compressed air chamber must be formed in the spoke portion of the wheel itself, the processing thereof is not easy, and the wheel design is greatly restricted. There are many problems, and it has not been commercialized yet. Moreover, there also existed a problem that a compressed air chamber could not be provided by retrofitting to a ready-made wheel, and it was lacking in practicality.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides an automatic gas filling device that can be easily attached to a ready-made wheel later without providing a compressed air chamber in the wheel itself by machining. In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic gas filling device capable of automatically adjusting the tire air pressure to a predetermined pressure.

An automatic gas filling device according to the present invention, which has been made to solve the above-described problems, includes a belt body mounted along a wheel rim, and is formed integrally with the belt body or separately. A high-pressure gas storage section for storing high-pressure gas, a gas filling means for filling the high-pressure gas stored in the high-pressure gas storage section into a tire mounted on the wheel so as to have a specified pressure, and the belt body A sealed space portion connected to one end of the convex connector having a neck and a head, and connected to the other end of the belt body so as to hold the head of the convex connector. And the concave connector receives the pressure of the gas filled in the tire and acts so that the concave connector firmly holds the head of the convex connector. It is characterized by being configured to be more rigid.

  Preferably, the high-pressure gas storage chamber is formed along the longitudinal direction of the belt body and has a gas shielding function made of a polymer material or a rubber material.

  In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the gas filling means includes a reference pressure source used for setting a prescribed pressure in the tire, and a valve by comparing the pressure of the reference pressure source with the pressure in the tire. A gas filling valve that is controlled to open and close, and is configured to fill the tire with the high-pressure gas stored in the high-pressure gas storage chamber via the gas filling valve.

  In this case, it is desirable to provide an atmospheric pressure adjusting means capable of adjusting the atmospheric pressure of the reference pressure source constituting the gas filling means.

  According to the automatic gas filling apparatus having the above-described configuration, the high-pressure gas storage unit and the high-pressure gas stored in the high-pressure gas storage unit are set to the prescribed pressure in the tire on the belt body mounted along the rim of the wheel. Thus, the gas filling means for filling can be easily attached to an existing wheel retrofit without providing a compressed air chamber in the wheel itself.

  In addition, the gas filling means automatically performs the operation of filling the tire with compressed air from the high-pressure gas reservoir as the air pressure in the tire decreases, so that maintenance-free operation that does not require air filling for a long period of time is performed. It is possible to provide a pneumatic tire.

  Hereinafter, an automatic gas filling apparatus according to the present invention will be described based on preferred embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of an automatic gas filling device 1 according to the present invention. This device is attached along a belt body 2 and the belt body 2 and can be filled with high-pressure air. The high-pressure gas attached to a part of the gas storage unit 3 and the belt body 2 and stored in the high-pressure gas storage unit 3 is filled in the air chamber of a tire mounted on a wheel to be described later so as to have a specified pressure. The gas filling means 4 is configured.

  In addition, a gas filling port 5 is formed in a part of the gas filling means 4, and a gas from an unshown squeeze pump or the like is filled into the high-pressure gas reservoir 3 through the filling port 5. It is configured to be able to. Connectors 7 and 8 are attached to the end portions of the belt body 2 so that the belt body 2 can be attached to the wheel rim by being connected to each other.

  2 to 4 illustrate examples of the configuration of the connectors 7 and 8 respectively attached to both ends of the belt body 2, and FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the connectors 7 and 8 facing each other. FIG. 3 is also a side view. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state where the connectors 7 and 8 are connected.

  The one connector 7 constitutes a convex connector, and the other connector 8 constitutes a concave connector. As shown in FIG. 3, the convex connector 7 has a head 7b formed through a neck 7a, and the concave connector 8 is connected to the convex connector 7 so as to hold the head 7b. A pair of catchers 8a is provided. In addition, a sealed space 8b is formed at the base of the catcher 8a in the concave connector 8.

  The sealed space portion 8b is filled with 1 atmosphere of air (atmospheric pressure), and as shown in FIG. 4, the tires are in the sealed space portion 8b in a state where the connectors 7 and 8 are connected. When is applied, the air pressure in the sealed space 8b is relatively close to 0 atm. As a result, the pair of catchers 8a acts so as to firmly hold the head 7b of the convex connector 7, and acts so that the connected state of the connectors 7 and 8 becomes stronger.

  5 and 6 show that the belt body 2 is wound around the rim 11 of the wheel 10 by connecting the connectors 7 and 8 described above, and at the same time, the high-pressure gas reservoir 3 and the gas filling. The state where the means 4 is mounted along the peripheral surface of the rim 11 is shown. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part of the state where the tire 12 is mounted on the rim 11, and FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a high pressure formed in a bag shape by a gas shield material 14 is formed in the space formed between the belt body 2 attached along the peripheral surface of the rim 11 and the rim 11. A gas reservoir 3 is arranged. The belt body 2 is made of a non-shrinkable material such as carbon, metal or hard rubber. On the other hand, in the embodiment shown in the figure, the gas shield material 14 constituting the high-pressure gas reservoir 3 is formed in a bag shape from a polymer material or a rubber material, and the space portion shown in FIG. Thus, it is comprised so that a high pressure gas can be inject | poured through the gas filling port 5 protruded by the side part of the rim | limb 10. As shown in FIG.

  Although the high-pressure gas reservoir 3 constituted by the gas shield member 14 is expanded by the gas injection, it cannot expand beyond the volume of the space between the belt body 2 and the rim 11. A high-pressure gas reservoir 3 is formed in the space formed by the rim 11. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, a gas filling port 16 to the tire that can directly fill the air chamber of the tire 12 is attached to a part of the rim 11.

  FIG. 7 shows a first embodiment of the gas filling means 4 mounted near the end of the belt body 2. This gas filling means 4 is accommodated in the case 20, and this is arrange | positioned in the air chamber of the tire 12 shown in FIG. An opening 21 communicating with the air chamber of the tire 12 is formed in the case 20, and the inside of the case 20 constitutes a reference pressure chamber 22. The reference pressure chamber 22 accommodates a bellows cylinder 23 that functions as a reference pressure source used to set a prescribed pressure in the tire. The bellows tube 23 is filled with a gas corresponding to the reference atmospheric pressure of the tire.

  The bellows cylinder 23 is accommodated in a cylindrical container 24, and one end of the bellows cylinder 23 (the left end of the bellows cylinder 23 shown in FIG. 7) abuts the end of the bellows cylinder 23. An arm 25 capable of performing an operation of pushing the end of the tube into the cylindrical container 24 is disposed. The end portion of the arm 25 is disposed so as to contact the cam surface of the cam member 28 attached to the camshaft 27. Therefore, the end portion of the bellows tube 23 is changed according to the rotational position of the cam member 28. The action of pushing into the cylindrical container 24 is adjusted.

  The cam member 28 is rotated according to the temperature in the tire, and as a result, the cam member 28 functions to keep the atmospheric pressure in the tire within an appropriate range, and the cam member 28 is rotated according to the temperature. The mechanism will be described in detail later.

  On the other hand, the other end of the bellows cylinder 23 (the right end of the bellows cylinder 23 shown in FIG. 7) communicates with a vent hole 30 formed in the case 20, and the gas in the bellows cylinder 23 passes through the vent. It is configured to be introduced into the air chamber 31 through the pores 30. In addition, the vent hole 30 is configured to have a narrowed inner diameter at a part thereof, so that the gas flow resistance is increased. This can effectively prevent a malfunction from occurring in the automatic filling operation of the compressed air into the tire, which will be described later, when the air pressure in the tire changes frequently, for example, during traveling. .

  One end of the piston member 32 is slidably disposed in the cylinder 34 via the seal member 33 in the air chamber 31. Accordingly, the piston member 32 is disposed in the cylinder 34 in accordance with the atmospheric pressure in the air chamber 31. The sliding position is determined. The other end of the piston member 32 is connected to a tire pressure adjusting valve 36. The valve 36 is opened according to the position of the piston member 32, and the high-pressure gas accumulated in the high-pressure gas reservoir 3 is stored in the case 20. It acts so as to be introduced into the tire 12 through a vent 37 formed in the tire.

  Reference numeral 40 shown in FIG. 7 indicates an adjustment knob capable of adjusting the set value of the atmospheric pressure in the tire, and reference numeral 41 indicates the cam member 28 described above according to the operation of the adjustment knob 40 and the temperature in the tire. The air pressure adjusting means is configured to perform the action of rotating the wheel to keep the air pressure in the tire within an appropriate range.

  FIG. 8 shows a specific configuration example of the air pressure adjusting means 41, and an outer shell in which the cam shaft 27 is arranged as a central axis is configured in a disc-shaped case 41a. A gas-filled bag 41b and a winding spring 41c are accommodated in the case 41a. FIG. 9 shows a configuration of a gas-filled bag 41b portion in the atmospheric pressure adjusting means 41, and the gas-filled bag 41b is provided in a spiral shape around the shaft 27 in the case 41a.

  FIG. 10 shows the configuration of the winding spring 41c in the atmospheric pressure adjusting means 41. One end of the winding spring 41c is attached to the shaft 27 and the other end is attached to a part of the case 41a. . A spur gear is formed on the outer periphery of the case 41 a where the winding spring 41 c is accommodated, and meshes with a spur gear formed on the outer periphery of the atmospheric pressure adjusting knob 40. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the air pressure adjusting means 41 is set in a state in which the pneumatic bag 41b and the winding spring 41c are combined and the pneumatic bag 41b is squeezed by the repulsive force of the winding spring 41c.

  With the above configuration, the case 41a is rotationally driven by manually adjusting the atmospheric pressure adjustment knob 40. In addition, for example, when the temperature falls, the pneumatic bag 41b contracts, and the pneumatic bag 41b is wound by the action of the winding spring 41c, and the shaft 27 is rotated. Therefore, the shaft 27 acts to rotate the shaft 27 in accordance with the adjustment action of the atmospheric pressure adjustment knob 40 and the change in the air temperature. The cam member 28 shown in FIG. 7 is rotated by the rotation operation of the shaft 27. Therefore, as described above, the pushing action of the end portion of the bellows cylinder 23 is adjusted.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the cam member 28 rotates in accordance with the adjustment action of the atmospheric pressure adjustment knob 40 and the change in temperature, thereby adjusting the pushing action of the end portion of the bellows cylinder 23, and the volume of the bellows cylinder 23. To change. Accordingly, for example, the operation is performed so that the reference pressure reduced in the bellows cylinder 23 due to the temperature drop is kept at a normal pressure.

  When the tire air pressure decreases, a difference occurs between the reference pressure chamber 22 and the pressure in the bellows cylinder 23, and the air in the bellows cylinder 23 passes through the vent hole 30 and the air chamber 31. The tire pressure adjusting valve 36 is opened by sliding of the piston 32. As a result, the high-pressure gas accumulated in the high-pressure gas reservoir 3 is introduced into the tire 12 through the vent 37 formed in the case 20.

  When the air pressure in the tire 12 rises to a specified value, the piston 32 returns to the original state, and the tire air pressure adjusting valve 36 is closed. Therefore, the air pressure in the tire is always in an appropriate state by the repetition described above.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 7, a one-way valve 51 capable of introducing compressed air into the high-pressure gas storage unit 3 is accommodated in the gas filling port 5, and behind this one-way valve 51. Is arranged in a state in which a bellows cylinder 52 filled with a gas corresponding to the upper limit pressure of the gas stored in the high-pressure gas storage unit 3 is accommodated in the case 53. A limiter valve 54 is disposed on the gas filling port 5 side of the bellows cylinder 52.

  According to the configuration described above, when the compressed gas is supplied from the gas filling port 5 to the high-pressure gas storage unit 3 and the gas corresponding to the upper limit pressure is sealed, the bellows cylinder 52 contracts, and the limiter valve 54 Acts to close the valve. Thereby, it is possible to prevent excessive compressed air from being introduced into the high-pressure gas reservoir 3.

  It should be noted that the same structure is adopted for the gas filling port 16 to the tire shown in FIG. 5 to prevent excessive compressed air from being introduced into the air chamber of the tire through the filling port 16. Can do.

  FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment of the gas filling means 4 mounted near the end of the belt body 2. Note that, in FIG. 9, the same reference numerals are given to the portions that perform the same functions as the respective portions of the gas filling means 4 shown in FIG. 7 already described, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, a bellows cylinder 23 that functions as a reference pressure source is accommodated in a container 24, and one end of the container 24 is connected to a tire pressure adjusting valve 36. When the tire pressure decreases, the bellows cylinder 23 extends in the longitudinal direction, so that the tip of the arm 25 comes into contact with the cam member 28, and the container 24 opens the tire pressure adjusting valve 36 by the reaction. The high-pressure gas accumulated in the high-pressure gas reservoir 3 acts so as to be introduced into the tire through the vent 37.

  When the air pressure in the tire 12 rises to a specified value, the container 24 returns to the original state, and the tire pressure adjusting valve 36 is closed. Therefore, the air pressure in the tire is always in an appropriate state by the repetition described above.

  The automatic gas filling apparatus according to the present invention can be suitably used by retrofitting various automobiles, aircrafts, and the like in addition to automobiles using tires that utilize gas pressure. Moreover, it can employ | adopt suitably also for what utilizes inert gas, such as nitrogen gas, as a gas like the tire used for above-mentioned aircraft etc.

It is the side view which showed the whole structure of the automatic gas filling apparatus concerning this invention. It is a front view explaining the structural example of the connector attached to the both ends of the belt body of the apparatus shown in FIG. It is a side view of a connector similarly. It is a side view which similarly shows the state in which the connector was connected. It is a partial expanded sectional view in the state where the device concerning this invention was equipped to the rim of a wheel. It is a perspective view which shows the state which similarly mounted | weared the apparatus with the rim | rim of the wheel in the non-wearing state of a tire. It is sectional drawing which shows 1st Embodiment of the gas filling means attached to the said belt body. It is the schematic diagram which showed the structural example of the atmospheric | air pressure adjustment means accommodated in the gas filling means shown in FIG. It is the model which showed the structure of the bag containing a gas of an atmospheric pressure adjustment means similarly. It is the model which showed the structure of the winding spring part of an atmospheric pressure adjustment means similarly. It is the schematic diagram which showed the state which combined the gas-filled bag of the atmospheric pressure adjustment means, and the winding spring. It is sectional drawing which shows 2nd Embodiment of the gas filling means attached to the said belt body.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Gas automatic filling apparatus 2 Belt body 3 High pressure gas storage part 4 Gas filling means 5 Gas filling port 7 Convex connector 8 Concave connector 10 Wheel 11 Rim 12 Tire 14 Gas shield material 22 Reference | standard pressure chamber 23 Bellows cylinder 27 Cam shaft 28 Cam Member 30 Ventilation hole 31 Air chamber 32 Piston member 34 Cylinder 36 Tire pressure adjustment valve 37 Vent 40 Adjustment knob 41 Pressure adjustment means

Claims (4)

A belt body mounted along the rim of the wheel, a high-pressure gas storage part that is formed integrally or separately with the belt body and stores high-pressure gas therein, and is stored in the high-pressure gas storage part. Gas filling means for filling the tire mounted on the wheel to a specified pressure , a convex connector attached to one end of the belt body and having a neck and a head, A concave connector formed with a sealed space portion, which is attached to the other end of the belt body and connected so as to hold the head of the convex connector;
The sealed space is configured to receive the pressure of the gas filled in the tire, so that the concave connector firmly holds the head of the convex connector, and the connected state becomes stronger. An automatic gas filling device characterized by that. 2. The automatic gas filling according to claim 1, wherein the high-pressure gas storage chamber is formed along a longitudinal direction of the belt body and has a gas shielding function made of a polymer material or a rubber material. apparatus. The gas filling means includes a reference pressure source used to set a prescribed pressure in the tire, and a gas filling valve whose valve is controlled to open and close by comparing the pressure of the reference pressure source with the pressure in the tire : it is provided, the high pressure gas stored in the high pressure gas storage chamber, according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by being configured to fill in the tire via the air filling valve Automatic gas filling device. 4. The automatic gas filling apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising an atmospheric pressure adjusting unit capable of adjusting an atmospheric pressure of the reference pressure source.

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