Magnetic/osmotic inner tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279182-B2
Application number	US-202017035286-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to a magnetic and osmotic inner tube for insertion in vehicle tires. The magnetic and osmotic inner tube may include a nonpermeable membrane ring coupled to a semipermeable membrane ring, an O-ring, and a group of polar magnets. The nonpermeable membrane ring may be coated with a sealant and store hypertonic fluid and plugging materials. The semipermeable membrane ring may store hypotonic fluid and plugging materials. When a vehicle tire is punctured by an object, the hypotonic fluid and the plugging materials are drawn by osmosis through the semipermeable membrane ring into the hypertonic fluid of the nonpermeable membrane ring to create an osmotic pressure on the nonpermeable membrane ring that causes the O-ring to seal the puncture. The polar magnets may be arranged, in parallel, to generate opposing magnetic forces that create a magnetic field that supports a vehicle weight.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic and osmotic inner tube for installation in a vehicle tire, comprising:
a nonpermeable membrane ring formed by an elastic material, the nonpermeable membrane ring comprising an exterior surface and an interior housing, wherein the exterior surface is coated with a sealant, and wherein the interior housing stores a volume of a hypertonic fluid and a first plurality of plugging materials suspended in the hypertonic fluid;
a semipermeable membrane ring coupled to the nonpermeable membrane ring, the semipermeable membrane ring comprising an interior housing storing a volume of a hypotonic fluid and a second plurality of the plugging materials suspended in the hypotonic fluid, wherein a puncture is created by an object that penetrates the semipermeable membrane ring and the nonpermeable membrane ring, wherein the hypotonic fluid is drawn by osmosis through the semipermeable membrane ring into the hypertonic fluid stored in the interior housing of the nonpermeable membrane ring to create an osmotic pressure on the nonpermeable membrane ring, wherein the osmotic pressure is created by fresh water molecules in the hypotonic fluid passing through the semipermeable membrane ring into the hypertonic fluid, and wherein the second plurality of the plugging materials are drawn, via rotational forces generated by the vehicle tire, to the puncture created by the object;
an O-ring comprising an adhesive, coupled to the exterior surface of the nonpermeable membrane ring, wherein the osmotic pressure on the nonpermeable membrane ring causes the O-ring to seal the exterior surface of the nonpermeable membrane ring to a wall of the vehicle tire; and
a plurality of polar magnets arranged in a ring formation on a wall coupling the nonpermeable membrane ring to the semipermeable membrane ring, wherein each one of a set of the polar magnets has a same polarity with respect to another one of the set of polar magnets to generate opposing magnetic forces along the ring formation, wherein the opposing magnetic forces generate a magnetic field that supports a vehicle weight.

2. The magnetic and osmotic inner tube of claim 1 , wherein the nonpermeable membrane ring further comprises a first fluid inlet valve that receives the volume of the hypotonic fluid and the first plurality of plugging materials suspended in the hypotonic fluid from an external source into the interior housing.

3. The magnetic and osmotic inner tube of claim 1 , wherein the semipermeable membrane ring further comprises a second fluid inlet valve that receives the volume of the hypertonic fluid and the second plurality of the plugging materials suspended in the hypertonic fluid from an external source into the interior housing.

4. The magnetic and osmotic inner tube of claim 1 , wherein:
the interior housing of the nonpermeable membrane ring comprises a first colored dye injected into the volume of the hypotonic fluid and the first plurality of plugging materials suspended in the hypotonic fluid; and
the interior housing of the semipermeable membrane ring comprises a second colored dye injected into the volume of the hypotonic fluid and the second plurality of the plugging materials suspended in the hypotonic fluid.

5. The magnetic and osmotic inner tube of claim 4 , wherein the first colored dye identifies a location of the vehicle tire puncture when a portion of the volume the hypotonic fluid escapes from the vehicle tire.

6. The magnetic and osmotic inner tube of claim 4 , wherein the second colored dye identifies a location of the vehicle tire puncture when a portion of the volume the hypertonic fluid escapes from the vehicle tire.

7. The magnetic and osmotic inner tube of claim 1 , wherein the opposing magnetic forces generated by the polar magnets prevent compression of the ring formation from pressure caused by a vehicle weight on the vehicle tire on a road surface when the vehicle tire is in motion.

8. The magnetic and osmotic inner tube of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of plugging materials comprises a collection of non-metallic materials, the collection of non-metallic materials comprising a quantity of at least one of hair, feathers, or fish scales.

9. The magnetic and osmotic inner tube of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of the plugging materials comprises a collection of non-metallic materials, the collection of non-metallic materials comprising a quantity of at least one of hair, feathers, or fish scales.

10. A system comprising:
a vehicle tire; and
a magnetic and osmotic inner tube coupled to the vehicle tire, comprising:
a nonpermeable membrane ring formed by an elastic material, the nonpermeable membrane ring comprising an exterior surface and an interior housing, wherein the exterior surface is coated with a sealant, and wherein the interior housing stores a volume of a hypertonic fluid and a first plurality of plugging materials suspended in the hypertonic fluid;
a semipermeable membrane ring coupled to the nonpermeable membrane ring, the semipermeable membrane ring comprising an interior housing storing a volume of a hypotonic fluid and a second plurality of the plugging materials suspended in the hypotonic fluid, wherein a puncture is created by an object that penetrates the semipermeable membrane ring and the nonpermeable membrane ring, wherein the hypotonic fluid is drawn by osmosis through the semipermeable membrane ring into the hypertonic fluid stored in the interior housing of the nonpermeable membrane ring to create an osmotic pressure on the nonpermeable membrane ring, wherein the osmotic pressure is created by fresh water molecules in the hypotonic fluid passing through the semipermeable membrane ring into the hypertonic fluid, and wherein the second plurality of the plugging materials are drawn, via rotational forces generated by the vehicle tire, to the puncture created by the object;

an O-ring comprising an adhesive, coupled to the exterior surface of the nonpermeable membrane ring, wherein the osmotic pressure on the nonpermeable membrane ring causes the O-ring to seal the exterior surface of the nonpermeable membrane ring to a wall of the vehicle tire; and
a plurality of polar magnets arranged in a ring formation on a wall coupling the nonpermeable membrane ring to the semipermeable membrane ring, wherein each one of a set of the polar magnets has a same polarity with respect to another one of the set of polar magnets to generate opposing magnetic forces along the ring formation, wherein the opposing magnetic forces generate a magnetic field that supports a vehicle weight.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the nonpermeable membrane ring further comprises a first fluid inlet valve that receives the volume of the hypotonic fluid and the first plurality of plugging materials suspended in the hypotonic fluid from an external source into the interior housing.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the semipermeable membrane ring further comprises a second fluid inlet valve that receives the volume of the hypertonic fluid and the second plurality of the plugging materials suspended in the hypertonic fluid from an external source into the interior housing.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein:
the interior housing of the nonpermeable membrane ring comprises a first colored dye injected into the volume of the hypotonic fluid and the first plurality of plugging materials suspended in the hypotonic fluid; and
the interior housing of the semipermeable membrane ring comprises a second colored dye injected into the volume of the hypotonic fluid and the second plurality of the plugging materials suspended in the hypotonic fluid.

Assignees

• Florida A&M Univ

Inventors

• Magee Charles

Classifications

• B60C5/10 Primary

  formed as a single discontinuous ring with contiguous ends which may be connected together · CPC title

• B60C2019/005

  Magnets integrated within the tyre structure · CPC title

• B60C19/122 Primary

  disposed inside of the inner liner · CPC title