Pressurized-medium supply device, wheel unit having a pressurized-medium supply device, and distributed system for supplying pressurized medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10730355-B2
Application number	US-201515125507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2015
Priority date	Mar 11, 2014
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

A distributed system ( 54 ) for supplying pressurized medium, in particular compressed air, in a vehicle ( 10 ), a wheel unit ( 14 ) for a vehicle ( 10 ), and a decentralized integrated pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) for a wheel unit ( 14 ) with a rotatably supported vehicle tire ( 16 ). The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) has a decentralized compressor unit ( 74 ) and has a pressurized medium path ( 98 ) that extends between the decentralized compressor unit ( 74 ) and a rim body ( 92 ) of the vehicle tire ( 16 ), which rim body is associated with a wheel body side ( 80 ) of the wheel unit ( 14 ). The decentralized compressor unit ( 74 ) has an energy supply connection, which can be connected to an energy supply unit ( 104 ) via an energy supply path ( 106 ). The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) is associated with a support side ( 82 ) and the wheel body side ( 80 ) of the wheel unit ( 14 ). The pressurized medium path ( 98 ) or energy supply path ( 106 ) includes a rotary/stationary transition ( 116, 158 ) between the support side ( 82 ) and the wheel body side ( 80 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A decentralized integrated pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) for supplying compressed air, for a wheel unit ( 14 ) with a rotatably supported vehicle tire ( 16 ), comprising:
a decentralized compressor unit ( 74 ) driven by an electric motor, and having a pressurized medium path ( 98 ) that extends between the decentralized compressor unit ( 74 ) and a rim body ( 92 ) supporting the vehicle tire ( 16 ), and the rim body coupled to a support of the wheel unit ( 14 );
an energy supply connection ( 126 ) of the decentralized compressor unit ( 74 ) connected to an energy supply unit ( 104 ) through an energy supply path ( 106 );
a pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) at least partially associated with the support and with the wheel unit ( 14 ); and
at least one of the pressurized medium path ( 98 ) or energy supply path ( 106 ) includes a rotary/stationary transition ( 116 , 158 ) between the support and the rim body ( 92 ), wherein the rotary/stationary transition ( 158 ) is positioned in the energy supply path ( 106 ), and the compressor unit ( 74 ) is at least partially affixed to the wheel unit.

2. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the compressor unit ( 74 ) includes a compressor and a motor ( 118 ) integrated into a common housing.

3. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary/stationary transition ( 158 ) in the energy supply path ( 106 ) includes at least one slip ring contact.

4. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary/stationary transition ( 158 ) for the energy supply path ( 106 ) comprises a selectively activatable contacting unit ( 340 ), adapted to be moved between a contact position and a non-contact position in order, in the contact position, to contact at least one annular or a disc-shaped contact section ( 344 , 346 ); and the at least one contacting unit ( 340 ) in combination with the support while the at least one contact section ( 344 , 346 ) in combination with the wheel unit.

5. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one contacting unit ( 340 ) includes an actuator ( 350 ), adapted to be activated when the contacting unit ( 340 ) is supplied with power, wherein the activation of the actuator ( 350 ) occurs through the supply of power to the energy supply path ( 106 ).

6. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 4 , wherein two contact sections ( 344 , 346 ) are provided on the wheel unit, which are spaced axially apart from each other and constitute opposing poles and the contacting unit ( 340 ) includes a contact body ( 352 ) that has a corresponding opposing poles and can be radially inserted into an intermediate space between and in contact with the contact sections ( 344 , 346 ).

7. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 4 , wherein a contact section ( 344 ) is provided on the wheel unit and is provided with contact surfaces ( 360 , 362 ) that are spaced apart from each other and that constitute opposite poles; and the contacting unit ( 340 ) includes two contact bodies ( 352 , 354 ) that are spaced apart from each other and that constitute the poles in combination with the contact surfaces ( 360 , 362 ); and the contact bodies ( 352 , 354 ) are adapted to be moved radially or axially toward the contact section ( 344 , 346 ) on opposing sides to contact the contact surfaces ( 360 , 362 ).

8. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary/stationary transition ( 158 ) in the energy supply path ( 106 ) comprises a crossover for contactless energy transmission.

9. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the rotary/stationary transition ( 158 ) in the energy supply path ( 106 ) is adapted to transmit electrical energy.

10. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the rotary/stationary transition ( 158 ) in the energy supply path ( 106 ) converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.

11. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the rotary/stationary transition ( 158 ) in the energy supply path ( 106 ) converts mechanical energy into fluidic energy.

12. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the compressor unit ( 74 ) is positioned coaxially relative to an axle ( 78 ) of the wheel unit ( 14 ).

13. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the compressor unit ( 74 ) is positioned off-center relative to an axle ( 78 ) of the wheel unit ( 14 ).

14. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the compressor unit ( 74 ) includes an additional interface ( 164 ) for supplying energy for an emergency supply connected to an external energy supply.

15. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 1 , wherein a coupling valve ( 124 ) is provided in the pressurized medium path ( 98 ), which permits a disconnect of the pressurized medium path ( 98 ) between the hub body ( 88 ) and the rim body ( 92 ).

16. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 1 , wherein an annular conduit ( 380 ) or an annular segment conduit constituting a section of the pressurized medium path ( 98 ) is embodied on the hub body ( 88 ) or on the rim body ( 92 ) and permits the rim body ( 92 ) to be mounted on the hub body ( 88 ) in a plurality of relative positions.

17. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 16 , wherein the annular conduit ( 380 ) has a plurality of connections ( 384 ) that are adapted to a wheel lug arrangement in such a way that in a plurality of relative positions, a contact element ( 390 ) of the rim body ( 92 ) produces a contact with a respective one of the connections ( 384 ) and permits pressurized medium to be conveyed from the hub body ( 88 ) to the rim body ( 92 ).

18. The pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 17 , wherein the annular conduit ( 380 ) has a plurality of reflux blocking elements ( 386 ), which close the pressurized medium path in a closed position and open the pressurized medium path in an open position, and in the mounted state, the contact element ( 390 ) of the rim body ( 92 ) acts on one of the connections ( 384 ) to switch its reflux blocking element ( 386 ) into the open position.

19. A compressor unit ( 72 ) for a pressurized medium supply device ( 70 ) according to claim 1 , having a compressor ( 200 ) that has at least one piston ( 242 ), and a sliding surface of the piston ( 242 ) is provided with a recess ( 250 ) extending circumferentially and accommodating a lubricant cavity.

20. The compressor unit ( 72 ) according to claim 19 , wherein in the installed state, the lubricant cavity directly contacts a wall of a cylinder ( 204 ).

21. The compressor unit ( 72 ) according to claim 19 , wherein the recess ( 250 ) is positioned between a first groove ( 244 ) and a second groove ( 246 ) for piston rings and the grooves ( 244 , 246 ) are spaced apart from each other by a distance ( 248 ) that constitutes at least 25% of an overall length ( 240 ) of the sliding surface of the piston ( 242 ).

22. The compressor unit ( 72 ) according to claim 19 , wherein the recess ( 250 ) in the sliding surface of the piston ( 242 ) has a length ( 284 ) that constitutes at least 30% of an ove

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Grosse-Vehne Klemens
• Tsiberidis Konstantin

Classifications

• B29L2030/00

  Pneumatic or solid tyres or parts thereof {(conveyor belts B29L2031/7092; drive belts B29L2031/7094; fourdrinier belts B29L2031/733)} · CPC title

• B60C23/00318

  on the wheels or the hubs · CPC title

• B60C23/00372 Primary

  characterised by fluid diagrams · CPC title

• B60C23/00363

  Details of sealings · CPC title

• B60C23/00354

  Details of valves · CPC title