Tire inflation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9446637-B2
Application number	US-201313261968-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2013
Priority date	Apr 9, 2012
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A tire inflation system including an axle housing and a sealing ring disposed on the axle housing. The sealing ring has a conduit formed therethrough. A hub is rotatably disposed on the axle housing. The hub is disposed adjacent the sealing ring and has a conduit formed therethrough which is in fluid communication with a conduit formed through a fastener engaged with the hub. The tire inflation system also includes an inner rotary seal disposed between the sealing ring and the hub and an outer rotary seal disposed between the sealing ring and the hub. The conduit formed through the hub is in fluid communication with the conduit formed through the sealing ring through an area between the inner rotary seal and the outer rotary seal. A bearing seal is disposed between the hub and the axle housing and outboard of the outer rotary seal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tire inflation system, comprising:
an axle housing;
a sealing ring disposed on the axle housing, the sealing ring having a conduit formed therethrough;
a hub rotatably disposed on the axle housing, the hub disposed adjacent the sealing ring and having a conduit formed therethrough which is in fluid communication with a conduit formed through a fastener engaged with the hub;
an inner rotary seal disposed between the sealing ring and the hub;
an outer rotary seal disposed between the sealing ring and the hub, wherein the conduit formed through the hub is in fluid communication with the conduit formed through the sealing ring through an area between the inner rotary seal and the outer rotary seal; and
a bearing seal disposed between the hub and the axle housing and outboard of the outer rotary seal, wherein the inner rotary seal is disposed in a first recess formed in an inner surface of the hub, the outer rotary seal is disposed in a second recess formed in the inner surface of the hub, and the bearing seal is disposed in a third recess formed in the inner surface of the hub.

2. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , wherein the sealing ring is non-rotatably disposed on the axle housing.

3. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , wherein the inner rotary seal and the outer rotary seal are spaced apart and disposed in separate recesses formed in the inner surface of the hub.

4. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , wherein a space is provided between the bearing seal and the outer rotary seal.

5. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , further comprising a vent formed in the hub, wherein the vent is in fluid communication with a space provided between the bearing seal and the outer rotary seal.

6. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , further comprising a vent formed in the hub, wherein the vent comprises one or more conduits which extend from the inner surface to the outer surface of the hub.

7. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , further comprising a tone ring which abuts the inner rotary seal.

8. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , wherein the inner rotary seal is of a diameter which is greater than a diameter of the outer rotary seal.

9. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , wherein the bearing seal is disposed inboard of bearings.

10. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , wherein the fastener is an axle bolt.

11. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , wherein the fastener is an axle stud.

12. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , wherein the inner rotary seal and outer rotary seal are each disposed on the sealing ring and in separate recesses formed in the hub.

13. The tire inflation system of claim 1 , wherein the sealing ring comprises an outer surface which has a first diameter portion, a second diameter portion and a chamfered portion wherein the inner rotary seal is provided about the first diameter portion, the outer rotary seal is provided about the second diameter portion and the chamfered portion is attached to an end of the sealing ring.

14. The tire inflation system of claim 5 , wherein the vent is circumferentially spaced apart from the conduit formed through the hub.

15. The tire inflation system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more vent conduits are oriented in a perpendicular relationship with the axle housing.

16. The tire inflation system of claim 6 , wherein the vent comprises three conduits.

17. The tire inflation system of claim 7 , wherein the tone ring is press fit to an inboard end of the hub.

18. The tire inflation system of claim 8 , wherein the diameter of the inner rotary seal which is greater than that of the outer rotary seal is an inner diameter.

19. A tire inflation system, comprising:
an axle housing;
a sealing ring disposed on the axle housing, the sealing ring having a conduit formed therethrough;
a hub rotatably disposed on the axle housing, the hub disposed adjacent the sealing ring and having a conduit formed therethrough which is in fluid communication with a conduit formed through a fastener engaged with the hub;
a tone ring attached to an inboard end of the hub;
an inner rotary seal disposed between the sealing ring and the hub which abuts the tone ring;
an outer rotary seal disposed between the sealing ring and the hub and spaced apart from the inner rotary seal, wherein the conduit formed through the hub is in fluid communication with the conduit formed through the sealing ring through an area between the inner rotary seal and the outer rotary seal;
a bearing seal disposed between the hub and the axle housing and outboard of the outer rotary seal; and
a vent formed in the hub, wherein the vent is in fluid communication with a space provided between the bearing seal and the outer rotary seal.

20. The tire inflation system of claim 19 , wherein the vent comprises one or more conduits which are each circumferentially spaced apart from the conduit formed through the hub and oriented in a perpendicular relationship with the axle housing.

21. A tire inflation system, comprising:
a sealing ring non-rotatably disposed on an axle housing, the sealing ring having an inlet and an outlet formed on separate surfaces thereof and in fluid communication via a conduit formed therethrough and an outer surface comprising a first diameter portion and a second diameter portion, wherein the first diameter portion has a diameter which is of a length that is greater than that of the second diameter portion;
an anti-lock brake sensor held by a plate attached to an inboard edge of the sealing ring;
a hub rotatably disposed on the axle housing and adjacent the sealing ring;
an inner rotary seal disposed between the sealing ring and the hub; and an outer rotary seal spaced apart from the inner rotary seal and disposed between the sealing ring and the hub, wherein the outlet is in fluid communication with an area between the inner rotary seal and the outer rotary seal.

22. The tire inflation system of claim 21 , wherein the inner rotary seal is provided about the first diameter portion and the outer rotary seal is provided about the second diameter portion.

23. The tire inflation system of claim 21 , wherein the inner rotary seal and the outer rotary seal are each disposed on the sealing ring and in separate recesses formed in an inner surface of the hub.

24. The tire inflation system of claim 21 , wherein the sealing ring comprises an inner surface which has a first diameter portion and a second diameter portion, the first diameter portion having a diameter which is of a length that is greater than that of the second diameter portion.

25. The tire inflation system of claim 21 , wherein the inlet is formed on an inboard edge and the outlet is formed on the outer surface of the sealing ring.

26. The tire inflation system of claim 21 , wherein the outer surface also comprises a chamfered portion attached to an end of the sealing ring.

27. The tire inflation system of claim 21 , further comprising a pump conduit extending around a portion of the axle housing and in fluid communication with the inlet.

28. The tire inflation system of claim 22 , wherein the inner rotary seal has a diameter which is of a length that is greater than that of the outer rotary seal.

Assignees

• Dana Heavy Vehicle Sys Group

Inventors

• Knapke Brian V
• Racine Lloyd G

Classifications

• B60C23/10 Primary

  Arrangement of tyre-inflating pumps mounted on vehicles · CPC title

• B60C23/003

  comprising rotational joints between vehicle-mounted pressure sources and the tyres · CPC title

• B60C23/0039

  specially adapted for driven wheels · CPC title

• B60C23/00363 Primary

  Details of sealings · CPC title

• B60C23/00318

  on the wheels or the hubs · CPC title