Vehicle wheel assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9878586-B2
Application number	US-201414909099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2014
Priority date	Jul 30, 2013
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle wheel assembly ( 1 ) for supplying compressed air from a vehicle axle to a tire ( 3 ) comprises a vehicle wheel ( 5 ) and a control valve assembly ( 7 ). The wheel ( 5 ) comprises a wheel hub ( 9 ) for mounting the wheel ( 5 ) to a vehicle (V); and a wheel rim for mounting a tire ( 3 ) on the wheel ( 5 ). A transfer line ( 19 ) is provided in the wheel for transferring compressed air from the wheel hub to the wheel rim ( 11 ) for inflating the tire ( 3 ). The control valve assembly ( 7 ) comprises an inlet, an outlet and a control valve ( 25 ) operably located between the inlet and the outlet for controlling passage of compressed air between the inlet and the outlet. The control valve assembly ( 7 ) is removably disposed in the wheel hub ( 9 ) such that fluid communication is established between the control valve assembly ( 7 ) and the transfer line ( 19 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control valve assembly comprising:
an inlet for receiving compressed air from a supply line;
an outlet for supplying compressed air to a transfer line; and
a control valve for selectively placing the inlet in fluid communication with the outlet;
wherein the control valve assembly is configured to be removably disposed in a wheel hub, and wherein the control valve assembly comprises a housing, the housing defining the inlet and outlet and comprising securing means for releasably securing the housing of the control valve assembly to the wheel hub.

2. A control valve assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the control valve comprises a first valve member movable between an open position and a closed position along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the control valve is configured such that, in use, the longitudinal axis is arranged substantially co-axially with a rotational axis of a wheel.

3. A control valve assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the control valve is a pneumatically actuated control valve.

4. A control valve assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the pneumatically actuated control valve is a latching valve.

5. A vehicle wheel assembly for supplying compressed air to a tire, the vehicle wheel assembly comprising a control valve assembly according to claim 1 , and a wheel, the wheel comprising:
said wheel hub, the wheel hub for mounting the wheel to a vehicle;
a wheel rim for mounting a tire on the wheel; and
a transfer line for supplying compressed air to a tire mounted on the wheel.

6. A vehicle wheel assembly according to claim 5 , the wheel further comprising a wheel valve for controlling the flow of air through said transfer line.

7. A vehicle wheel assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the wheel valve is configured to cooperate with the control valve assembly such that the wheel valve is opened when the control valve assembly is disposed in the wheel hub, and/or the wheel valve is configured to close when the control valve assembly is removed from the wheel hub.

8. A vehicle wheel assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the wheel valve comprises a second valve member which is displaced to an open position when the control valve assembly is disposed in the wheel hub.

9. A vehicle wheel assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the second valve member is movable along a first axis arranged substantially parallel to, or substantially coincident with a rotational axis of the wheel.

10. A vehicle wheel assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the control valve assembly is inserted into the wheel hub from an inner side of the wheel.

11. A vehicle wheel assembly according to claim 10 , wherein, when the vehicle wheel assembly is mounted to a vehicle wheel hub, the control valve assembly is disposed between the wheel hub and the vehicle wheel hub.

12. A vehicle wheel comprising:
a wheel hub for mounting the wheel to a vehicle;
a wheel rim for mounting a tire on the wheel;
a transfer line for supplying compressed air to a tire if the tire is mounted on the wheel; and
a wheel valve for controlling the flow of air through said transfer line, wherein the wheel has lateral inner and outer sides, the wheel hub being configured removably to receive a control valve assembly from the inner side of the wheel,
wherein a cavity is formed in said wheel hub for receiving the control valve assembly, the cavity being open towards an inner side of the wheel, and
wherein the wheel valve is configured to cooperate with a housing of the control valve assembly such that the wheel valve is displaced to an opened position in response to the control valve assembly being received in the wheel hub, and/or the wheel valve is displaced to a closed position when the control valve assembly is removed from the wheel hub.

13. A vehicle wheel according to claim 12 , wherein the wheel valve comprises a first valve member which is displaced to an open position when the control valve assembly is disposed in the wheel hub.

14. A vehicle wheel according to claim 12 , wherein the transfer line is formed in a hollow spoke or in a tube connecting the wheel hub and the rim, wherein the transfer line is in fluid communication at one end thereof with a wheel hub opening and at the other end thereof with a rim opening.

15. A vehicle wheel according to claim 12 , wherein the transfer line is in fluid communication at one end thereof with the cavity and at the other end thereof with a rim opening.

16. A vehicle wheel according to claim 12 , wherein the cavity comprises an annular recess for receiving securing means of the control valve assembly for securing the control valve assembly when inserted thereinto.

17. A vehicle wheel according to claim 12 , wherein the cavity comprises axial retaining means for retaining a control valve assembly inserted into the cavity at a prescribed axial location.

18. A vehicle wheel according to claim 17 , wherein the axial retaining means comprises an annular projection extending from an inner surface of the cavity, optionally wherein the cavity defines a circular aperture in the outer side of the wheel hub and the annular projection is disposed at an end of the cavity adjacent to the outer side.

19. A vehicle wheel according to claim 12 , in combination with a tire mounted on the wheel rim.

20. A control valve assembly comprising:
an inlet for receiving compressed air from a supply line;
an outlet for supplying compressed air to a transfer line; and
a control valve for selectively placing the inlet in fluid communication with the outlet;
wherein the control valve assembly is configured to be removably disposed in a wheel hub, and wherein the control valve assembly comprises a housing which comprises securing means for releasably securing the control valve assembly to the wheel hub; wherein the housing is adapted to displace a wheel valve of a wheel to an open position in response to insertion of the housing into the wheel hub.

21. A control valve assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the housing defines a valve chamber in which the control valve is located.

22. A control valve assembly according to claim 21 , wherein the valve chamber is defined by a base member and closure member of the housing; wherein the inlet is formed within the closure member of the housing and the outlet is formed within the base member of the housing; wherein the valve chamber extends circumferentially around the control valve to maintain fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet irrespective of the angular orientation of the base member relative to the closure member.

23. A control valve assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the housing comprises one or more clips mounted.

24. A control valve assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the control valve comprises a first valve member movable between an open position and a closed position along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the control valve is configured such that, in use, the longitudinal axis is arranged substantially co-axially with a rotational axis of a wheel.

25. A control valve assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the control valve is a pneumatically actuated control valve.

26. A control valve assembly according to claim 25 , wherein the pneumatically actuated control valve is a latching valve.

27. A vehicle wheel assembly for supplying compressed air to a tire, the vehicle wheel as

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Läänemets Laur
• Dunning Emma-Claire
• Jones Kit
• Dodu Maelle
• Ford Mark
• Boyd Michael
• Loftus Daniel

Classifications

• F16K31/1221

  one side of the piston being spring-loaded · CPC title

• B60C23/004 Primary

  the control being done on the wheel, e.g. using a wheel-mounted reservoir · CPC title

• F16K27/00

  Construction of housing (methods for welding housings B23K); Use of materials therefor · CPC title

• B60C23/003

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

• B60B1/12

  with tubular spokes (B60B1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title