JP4239891B2 - Tire pressure adjusting device for vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is a vehicle tire pressure adjusting device, and in particular, can supply air to the tire air chamber of a wheel provided with a wheel that is supported by a hub and is rotatable and mounted on the wheel to form a tire air chamber. The present invention relates to a vehicle tire pressure adjusting device equipped with a simple air pump.

This type of tire air pressure adjusting device is shown, for example, in Patent Document 1 below, and in the tire air pressure adjusting device described in Patent Document 1, an axle is attached to a member that rotates together with an axle that rotationally drives a hub. A pump unit that reciprocates in the axial direction is arranged, and one end of a piston of the pump unit is brought into contact with a slope of a cam member that does not rotate with respect to the rotation of the wheel. For this reason, the pump function is obtained by reciprocating the piston of the pump unit as the wheel rotates.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-139118

  By the way, in the structure described in the above-mentioned patent document 1, since the piston of the pump unit always reciprocates when the wheel is rotating, that is, when the vehicle is traveling, the driving resistance during traveling is large. There is a possibility that loss energy increases. In the configuration described in Patent Document 1 described above, when the vehicle is stopped and the wheels do not rotate, the piston of the pump unit does not reciprocate. Even if the air pressure is lower than the set value, air cannot be supplied from the pump unit to the tire air chamber of the wheel.

  The present invention has been made to cope with the above-described problems, and one of its purposes is to drive an air pump for supplying air to a tire air chamber of a wheel in a specific state during vehicle travel (for example, It is possible to limit the energy loss when the vehicle travels. Another object of the present invention is to enable air to be supplied from the air pump to the tire air chamber of the wheel when the air pressure of the tire air chamber is lower than a set value even when the vehicle is stopped. There is to do.

In order to achieve the above-described object, in the present invention, air can be supplied to the tire air chamber of a wheel provided with a tire that forms a tire air chamber by being mounted on the wheel that is held and rotated by the hub. A vehicle tire air pressure adjusting device including an air pump, wherein the air pump is interposed between the wheel and the hub, and is a first rotating body that is capable of relative rotational displacement by relative rotation between the wheel and the hub. it is characterized in that is configured to pump function is obtained based on the relative rotational displacement of the said first rotary member provided with a second rotating member second rotating body.

In the tire pressure adjusting device, the first rotating body and the second rotating body interposed between the wheel and the hub are relatively rotated by the relative rotation between the wheel and the hub, so that the pump function of the air pump is achieved. can get. By the way, the relative rotational displacement between the first rotating body and the second rotating body can be obtained, for example, when the vehicle is accelerated or decelerated , but cannot be obtained when the vehicle is traveling at a constant speed. The energy loss during vehicle travel can be suppressed as compared with the above.

Also, the hand in the practice of the present invention, those wherein at least the rolling wheels of the vehicle have the air pump is provided on the wheel side of the brake device for braking the wheel, the time of stopping on the vehicle, the rolling wheel is by the braking device Provided on the rolling wheel by setting the driving wheel of the vehicle to be repeatedly driven by the driving device with a driving force smaller than the braking holding force in a state where the braking holding force is held with a predetermined braking holding force. It is also possible to obtain a pump function by an air pump and an air pump provided on the drive wheel.

  In this case, when the vehicle stops, the driving wheel is repeatedly driven with a driving force smaller than the braking holding force by the driving device while the rolling wheel is braked and held by the braking device with a predetermined braking holding force. As the drive wheels are repeatedly driven by the drive device, the rolling wheels are repeatedly driven by the drive wheels. For this reason, the pump function is obtained by the air pump provided on the driving wheel, and the pump function is obtained also by the air pump provided on the rolling wheel. Therefore, in this case, even when the vehicle is stopped, it is possible to adjust the pressure of the tire air chamber with the pressurized air supplied from the air pump.

In carrying out the present invention, all the wheels of the vehicle are drive wheels, and each of the drive wheels is provided with the air pump on the hub side from a brake device that brakes the wheels, and when the vehicle is stopped, In a state where all the wheels are braked and held by a brake holding force by the brake device, the driving device for driving the hub is set to repeatedly drive with a driving force smaller than the braking holding force. It is also possible to obtain a pump function in each air pump.

  In this case, when the vehicle is stopped, all the wheels (driving wheels) are braked and held with a predetermined braking holding force by the brake device, and the driving device has a driving force smaller than the braking holding force. Thus, the pump function is obtained by the air pump provided on each wheel. For this reason, in this case, even when the vehicle is stopped, it is possible to adjust the pressure of the tire air chamber with the pressurized air supplied from the air pump.

It will be described below with reference to an embodiment of the present invention in FIGS. 1-7. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a drive wheel two-wheel FR, the FL front of the vehicle is rotated by a driving device DA consisting of the engine E and the drive shafts DS like, after two-wheel RR, RL is a rolling wheel, and each wheel 10 is held by a hub 20 as shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each wheel 10 includes a metal wheel 11 and a rubber tire 12, and in the wheel 11, a disk rotor 13 that is one component of the air pump 30 and the brake device BA. Is attached to the hub 20 via the hub 20 and is rotatable together with the hub 20. The air pump 30 and the disk rotor 13 are assembled to the hub 20 so as to be detachable, and the wheel 10 is assembled to the air pump 30 so as to be detachable.

  The wheel 11 includes a disk portion 11a and a rim portion 11b. An accumulator 40 is integrally formed on the rim portion 11b and a pressure regulating valve 50 is assembled. In addition, an air passage 11 c for guiding pressurized air from the air pump 30 toward the accumulator 40 is formed in the disk portion 11 a and the rim portion 11 b of the wheel 11.

  The tire 12 is integrally mounted on the outer periphery of the wheel 11 and forms a tire air chamber R1 with the rim portion 11b of the wheel 11. The tire air chamber R1 includes a rim portion 11b of the wheel 11 and the rim portion 11b. Pressurized air can be filled from the outside through the assembled air valve 14, and pressurized air can be filled from the accumulator 40 through the pressure regulating valve 50.

  The air passage 11c opens at one end to the end surface of the disk portion 11a on the air pump 30 side, opens to the outer periphery of the rim portion 11b at the other end, and communicates with the accumulator 40, and has a check valve 15 at one end. Is assembled. The check valve 15 has a function of preventing the pressurized air in the accumulator 40 from flowing to the atmosphere through the air passage 11c when the wheel 10 is not assembled to the air pump 30, and the wheel 10 When assembled in the pump 30, it has a function of allowing the flow of pressurized air from the air pump 30 to the accumulator 40.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the air pump 30 includes an inner panel 31 that is a first rotating body and an outer body 32 that is a second rotating body, as well as a piston 33, a swing arm 34, and a torque transmission unit. There are four 35 each. The air pump 30 includes a suction valve Vi, a discharge valve Vo, and a relief valve Vr corresponding to each piston 33.

  The inner panel 31 is integrally assembled to the hub 20 together with the disk rotor 13, and the boss portion 31 a and each torque transmission portion 35 are integrally provided on the outer side thereof. Further, the inner panel 31 is prevented from being detached from the outer body 32 by an annular clip 39 and is integrated with the outer body 32 in the axle direction. The inner panel 31 is formed with four through holes 31b through which shafts of mounting bolts (not shown) to the hub 20 can be inserted. Note that the shaft portion and the head portion of a mounting bolt (not shown) to the hub 20 can be inserted through four through holes (not shown) provided in the outer body 32.

  The outer body 32 is assembled to the boss portion 31a of the inner panel 31 through a bearing 36 in a central support inner hole 32a so as to be relatively rotatable, and the piston 33 is assembled to be able to reciprocate and swing. An arm 34 is assembled through a support shaft 37 so as to be able to swing a predetermined amount. The amount of relative rotation between the inner panel 31 and the outer body 32 is defined by the swingable amount of the swing arm 34. The support shaft 37 protrudes through the outer body 32, and the protruding portion is an attachment portion of the wheel 10.

  Each piston 33 is assembled with a return spring 38 in a cylinder bore provided in the outer body 32, and the inner panel 31 and the outer body 32 are connected to each other based on the rotational force acting on the tire 12 during acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle. When the relative rotational displacement occurs, the swing arm 34 is pushed by the torque transmission unit 35 and swung, and is moved against the action of the return spring 36, so that the swing arm 34 is pushed by the torque transmission unit 35. When the movement is released and returned by the action of the return spring 36, the valve moves back and exhibits the pump function in cooperation with the intake valve Vi and the discharge valve Vo.

  The accumulator 40 can store the pressurized air supplied from the air pump 30 in the pressure accumulating chamber R2, and the pressurized air is supplied from the supply port 41 (see FIGS. 2 and 5) to the tire air chamber R1 via the pressure regulating valve 50. Can be supplied. The accumulator 40 is capable of storing a predetermined amount of pressurized air that is equal to or higher than the pressure required in the tire air chamber R1 in the pressure accumulating chamber R2, and a relief valve 42 that can discharge excess pressurized air to the atmosphere ( 2).

  The pressure regulating valve 50 is capable of adjusting the air pressure of the tire air chamber R1 to a set value, and as schematically shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the housing 51 having the ports 51a, 51b, 51c, A valve spool 52 that is assembled in the housing 51 and receives the air pressure of the tire air chamber R1 on one side, and is assembled together with the valve spool 52 in the housing 51 to urge the valve spool 52 toward one side. A spring 53 is provided.

  In the pressure regulating valve 50, when the air pressure in the tire air chamber R1 falls below a set value, the valve spool 52 opens to allow the air flow from the pressure accumulation chamber R2 of the accumulator 40 to the tire air chamber R1, When the air pressure in the tire air chamber R1 rises above the set value, the valve spool 52 is closed to block the air flow from the pressure accumulation chamber R2 of the accumulator 40 to the tire air chamber R1.

In the implementation form of this, the vehicle pump drive control so that the pump function is obtained by an air pump 30 provided in each wheel 10 as needed in the state that stop device APC Is provided. The pump drive control device APC can brake the braking device BA provided on each of the rolling wheels of the rear two wheels RR and RL separately from the normal brake operation when the vehicle is stopped, so that a predetermined braking holding force can be obtained. A brake control device BAC capable of braking and holding, and a drive control device DAC capable of repeatedly driving the driving wheels of the front two wheels FR and FL with a driving force smaller than the braking holding force by the driving device DA; The electric control device ECU is provided for controlling the operation of the brake control device BAC and the drive control device DAC.

  The operation of the brake control device BAC is controlled by a signal from the electric control device ECU. When the brake control device BAC receives an ON signal from the electric control device ECU, the brake device BA provided on each rolling wheel of the rear two wheels RR and RL. Is set to the brake ON state (braking operation state), and the brake device BA provided on each rolling wheel of the rear two wheels RR and RL when receiving the OFF signal from the electric control unit ECU is set to the brake OFF state (braking release state).

  The operation of the drive control device DAC is controlled by a signal from the electric control device ECU, and when the ON signal is received from the electric control device ECU, each drive wheel of the front two wheels FR and FL is predetermined by the drive device DA. And repeatedly driving the front two wheels FR and FL by the driving device DA when receiving an OFF signal from the electric control unit ECU.

  The electric control unit ECU is a program corresponding to the flowchart of FIG. 6 based on the signals from the ignition switch (IG switch) S1, the AP switch S2, the vehicle speed sensor S3 and the signals from the pressure sensors S4 to S7 shown in FIG. Is provided, and outputs corresponding to the detection values P of the pressure sensors S4 to S7 are supplied to the brake control device BAC and the drive control device DAC.

  The IG switch S1 and the AP switch S2 shown in FIG. 1 can be operated manually by the driver, and the vehicle speed sensor S3 and the pressure sensors S4 to S7 can be detected when the IG switch S1 is in the ON state. is there. Each pressure sensor S4 to S7 is provided corresponding to the accumulator 40 of each wheel 10 as shown in FIG. 2 by taking the pressure sensor S4 as an example, and can detect the pressure in each pressure accumulation chamber R2. The detected value P is input to the electric control unit ECU via a transmitter and a receiver (both not shown).

In the implementation form of this which has the above structure, together with the air pump 30 comprises an inner panel 31 and outer body 32 which rotates with a wheel 10 provided at each wheel 10, the piston 33, the swing arm 34, the torque transmission A portion 35, a suction valve Vi, a discharge valve Vo, a relief valve Vr, and the like are provided, and the pump function of the air pump 30 is obtained by the relative rotational displacement of the inner panel 31 and the outer body 32.

  By the way, the relative rotational displacement between the inner panel 31 and the outer body 32 that rotate together with the wheel 10 is based on the rotational force acting on the tire 12, and is obtained when the vehicle is accelerated or decelerated, but is obtained when the vehicle is traveling at a constant speed. Therefore, compared with the conventional technology (a pump function that is always obtained when the vehicle is traveling), it is possible to suppress energy loss during vehicle traveling.

In the implementation form of this, the wheel 11 of each wheel 10, and accumulator 40 can be stored in the pressure accumulation chamber R2 the pressurized air supplied from the air pump 30, pressurized which stores the accumulation chamber R2 of the accumulator 40 A pressure regulating valve 50 capable of adjusting the air pressure of the tire air chamber R1 to a set value with compressed air is provided. For this reason, it is possible to adjust the air pressure of the tire air chamber R1 to the set value even when the vehicle is stopped by using the pressurized air stored in the accumulator 40.

In the implementation form of this, AP switch S2 is turned ON in a state where the IG switch S1 shown in FIG. 1 is turned ON, or in a state in which AP switch S2 is turned ON When the IG switch S1 is turned on, the microcomputer of the electric control unit ECU starts executing the program in step 101 of FIG. 6 and executes step 102.

  In step 102 of FIG. 6, the microcomputer determines whether or not the vehicle is stopped based on a signal from the vehicle speed sensor S3, and determines “Yes” when the vehicle is stopped. Step 103 and Step 104 are executed, and when the vehicle is not stopped, “No” is determined and Step 102 is repeatedly executed. In step 103, the minimum value Pmin is calculated from the detected value P of each pressure sensor S4 to S7 and stored.

  Further, in step 104, it is determined whether or not Pmin is less than the reference set value α1, and when Pmin is less than the reference set value α1, it is determined as “Yes” and steps 105 to 107 are sequentially executed. When Pmin is not less than the reference set value α1, it is determined as “No”, step 110 is executed, and the execution of the program is terminated. In step 105, an ON signal is output to the brake control device BAC, and the brake device BA provided on each of the rolling wheels of the rear two wheels RR and RL is set to the brake ON state (braking operation state) (braking at time t1 in FIG. 7). Holding force). In step 106, an ON signal is output to the drive control device DAC, and each drive wheel of the front two wheels FR and FL starts to be repeatedly driven by the drive device DA in a predetermined cycle (see driving force at time t1 in FIG. 7). .

  In step 107, it is determined whether or not Pmin is equal to or greater than the upper limit set value α2 (α2> α1). If Pmin is equal to or greater than the upper limit set value α2, “Yes” is determined and steps 108 to 110 are performed. Are sequentially executed, and “No” is determined until Pmin becomes equal to or higher than the upper limit set value α2, and Steps 105 to 107 are repeatedly executed. In step 108, an OFF signal is output to the drive control device DAC, and each of the front two wheels FR and FL is stopped (see driving force at time t2 in FIG. 7). In step 109, an OFF signal is output to the brake control device BAC, and the brake device BA provided on each of the rear two wheels RR and RL is brought into a brake OFF state (braking release state) (time t2 in FIG. 7). Refer to the braking holding force of). In step 110, execution of the program is terminated.

By executing the program described above, in the implementation form of this, in a state in which the time of stopping on the vehicle, after two-wheel RR, each rolling wheel of RL is braked held at predetermined braking holding force by the brake device BA The driving wheels of the front two wheels FR and FL are repeatedly driven by the driving device DA with a driving force smaller than the braking holding force, and the driving wheels of the front two wheels FR and FL are repeatedly driven by the driving device DA. Accordingly, the rolling wheels of the rear two wheels RR and RL are repeatedly driven by the driving of the driving wheels of the front two wheels FR and FL.

  For this reason, the pump function is obtained by the air pump 30 provided in each driving wheel of the front two wheels FR and FL, and the pump function is also obtained by the air pump 30 provided in each rolling wheel of the rear two wheels RR and RL. . Therefore, in this case, pressurized air can be stored in each accumulator 40 from each air pump 30 even when the vehicle is stopped, and the pressure supplied from each accumulator 40 via each pressure regulating valve 50. It is possible to adjust the air pressure of each tire air chamber R1 with air.

In the implementation form described above, the air pump 30 is provided on the wheel side of the brake device BA for braking the wheels 10, when the stop on the vehicle, after two-wheel RR, the rolling wheel of the RL brake device BA The driving wheels DA and FR are set to be repeatedly driven by the driving device DA with a driving force smaller than the braking holding force in a state where the braking holding force is maintained with a predetermined braking holding force. The air pump 30 provided on each rolling wheel of the rear two wheels RR and RL and the air pump 30 provided on each driving wheel of the front two wheels FR and FL were implemented so as to obtain pump functions. There are all driven wheels, hub side of the braking device for braking the wheels in each of these drive wheels (i.e., the disc between the rotor 13 and the hub 20 shown in FIG. 2) the air pump is provided There are, at the time of stopping the vehicle, in a state in which all of the wheels by the brake device is braked held at predetermined braking retention at small driving force from the drive device the brake holding force for driving the hub It is also possible to set so that the driving operation is repeated so that each air pump can obtain a pump function.

  In this case, when the vehicle is stopped, all the wheels (driving wheels) are braked and held with a predetermined braking holding force by the brake device, and the driving device has a driving force smaller than the braking holding force. Thus, the pump function is obtained by the air pump provided on each wheel. For this reason, also in this case, when the vehicle is stopped, it is possible to adjust the pressure of the tire air chamber with the pressurized air supplied from the air pump.

Further, in the implementation form described above, the air pressure of the pressurized air which is stored in the pressure accumulation chamber R2 of the accumulator 40 detected by the pressure sensors S4 to S7, based on the minimum value Pmin of the detected value P However, the air pressure in each tire air chamber R1 is detected by each pressure sensor, and based on the minimum value of the detected value, each air pump 30 is determined. It is also possible to carry out by determining whether or not driving is necessary.

Further, in the implementation form described above has been carried out adopt a mechanical tire pressure air chamber R1 as an adjustable pressure regulating valve 50 to the set value, the set value the air pressure of the tire air chamber R1 It is also possible to employ an electromagnetic type as the adjustable pressure regulating valve. In this case, it is necessary to provide a pressure sensor capable of detecting the air pressure in the tire air chamber R1, and to open and close the electromagnetic pressure regulating valve based on the detected value of the pressure sensor.

Further, in the implementation form described above, so that the pressurized air supplied from the air pump after being accumulated in the accumulator is adjusted by the compressed air pressure regulating valve is supplied to the tire air chamber from the accumulator However, it is also possible to eliminate the accumulator and implement the configuration so that the pressurized air supplied from the air pump toward the tire air chamber is supplied to the pressure regulating valve and adjusted. .

1 is a plan view schematically showing an embodiment of a vehicle tire pressure adjusting device according to the present invention. It is a principal part expanded sectional view which shows the structure of each wheel shown in FIG. It is a vertical side view which shows roughly the structure of the air pump shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. FIG. 4 is a partially longitudinal front view schematically showing the configuration of the air pump shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view schematically showing the pressure regulating valve shown in FIG. 2. It is a flowchart of the program which the microcomputer of the electric control apparatus shown in FIG. 1 performs. It is the time chart which showed the change of braking retention force and driving force at the time of applying one embodiment of the tire pressure adjusting device for vehicles by the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Wheel, 11 ... Wheel, 11a ... Disc part, 11b ... Rim part, 11c ... Air passage, 12 ... Tire, 20 ... Hub, 30 ... Air pump, 31 ... Inner panel, 32 ... Outer body, 33 ... Piston, 34 ... swing arm, 35 ... torque transmission part, Vi ... suction valve, Vo ... discharge valve, Vr ... relief valve, 40 ... accumulator, 50 ... pressure regulating valve, S1 ... IG switch, S2 ... AP switch, S3 ... vehicle speed sensor , S4 to S7 ... pressure sensor, R1 ... tire air chamber, R2 ... pressure accumulation chamber, BA ... brake device, DA ... drive device, BAC ... brake control device, DAC ... drive control device, ECU ... electric control device, APC ... pump Drive control device

Claims (3)

A vehicle tire air pressure adjusting device including an air pump capable of supplying air to the tire air chamber of a wheel including a wheel that is held by a hub and is mounted on the rotatable wheel and a tire that forms a tire air chamber. The air pump includes a first rotating body and a second rotating body that are interposed between the wheel and the hub and are capable of relative rotational displacement by relative rotation between the wheel and the hub. the vehicle tire air pressure regulating device, characterized in that the said pump function based on the relative rotational displacement of the second rotary member is configured so as to obtain a. 2. The vehicle tire pressure adjusting device according to claim 1 , wherein the air pump is provided on a wheel side of a brake device that brakes the wheel at least on the rolling wheel of the vehicle. In a state where the brake device is braked and held with a predetermined braking holding force, the driving wheel of the vehicle is set to be repeatedly driven by the driving device with a driving force smaller than the braking holding force, A tire pressure adjusting apparatus for a vehicle, wherein a pump function is obtained by an air pump provided on a rolling wheel and an air pump provided on the driving wheel. The vehicle tire air pressure adjusting device according to claim 1 , wherein all wheels of the vehicle are drive wheels, and each of the drive wheels is provided with the air pump on a hub side from a brake device that brakes the wheels. When the vehicle is stopped, the driving device for driving the hub is repeatedly driven with a driving force smaller than the braking holding force in a state where all the wheels are braked and held by the braking device with a predetermined braking holding force. The vehicle tire pressure adjusting device is characterized in that it is set so as to obtain a pump function by each of the air pumps.

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