JP2008044549A - Wheel with gas separation function - Google Patents

Abstract

A wheel with a gas separation function having a function of separating and filling nitrogen-rich gas from the air.
A wheel 1 with a gas separation function is connected to a tire chamber 5 defined between the wheel 1 and a tire 2, an oxygen permeable gas separation tube 20 attached to the wheel 1, and the gas separation tube 20. First and second plugs 21, 22, and oxygen-rich gas of air filled in the gas separation tube 20 is discharged from the first plug 21 to the outside of the gas separation tube 20 and is guided by the gas separation tube 20. The nitrogen rich gas to be discharged is filled into the tire chamber 5 from the second plug 22.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a wheel with a gas separation function for separating and filling nitrogen-rich gas from the air.

  In automobile tires and the like, filling with nitrogen-rich gas instead of air can suppress a decrease in tire internal pressure and prevent oxidation of the tire and the wheel.

Conventionally, a method has been proposed in which a nitrogen rich gas production apparatus is installed in a gas station or the like and the tire is directly filled with the nitrogen rich gas produced there (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-054918 A

  However, such a method has a problem that it is necessary to install a production apparatus for nitrogen-rich gas, and capital investment is required.

  This invention is made | formed in view of said problem, and it aims at providing the wheel with a gas separation function which has a function which isolate | separates and fills nitrogen rich gas from the air.

  The present invention includes a tire chamber defined between a wheel and a tire, an oxygen permeable gas separation tube attached to the wheel, and first and second plugs connected to the gas separation tube. A feature is that oxygen rich gas of air filled in the gas separation tube from one plug is discharged to the outside of the gas separation tube, and nitrogen rich gas guided by the gas separation tube is filled into the tire chamber from the second plug. It was supposed to be.

  According to the present invention, the tire chamber can be easily filled with nitrogen-rich gas by an ordinary air pump, and there is no need to use, for example, a nitrogen-rich gas production apparatus or a nitrogen gas cylinder.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the wheel 1 with a gas separation function has a disk-like disk 4 connected to an axle (not shown) and an annular rim 3 on which a tire 2 is mounted. A tire chamber 5 is formed between the tire 2 and the rim 3.

  An annular partition wall 6 is attached to the rim 3, and a gas separation tube storage chamber 7 is defined between the rim 3 and the partition wall 6. The partition wall 6 divides the tire chamber 5 and the gas separation tube storage chamber 7 and is joined to the rim 3 by welding or the like, so that the tire chamber 5 is defined as a sealed space.

  A tire tube may be interposed between the tire 2 and the rim 3, and a tire chamber may be defined by the tire tube.

  A plurality of air vent holes 8 are formed in the rim 3 side by side in the circumferential direction, and the gas separation tube housing chamber 7 and the outside of the wheel 1 communicate with each other through the air vent holes 8.

  A cylindrical gas separation tube 20 is interposed in the gas separation tube storage chamber 7, and a first plug 21 and a second plug 22 connected to both ends of the gas separation tube 20 are attached to the rim 3.

  FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. The gas separation tube 20 extends in a C shape in the gas separation tube storage chamber 7, and the first plug 21 and the second plug 22 are disposed close to each other.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the gas separation unit 19, a first plug 21 is connected to one end of a gas separation tube 20 via a throttle 23, and a second plug 22 is connected to the other end of the gas separation tube 20 via a throttle 24. Is connected.

  A check valve (not shown) is interposed in the first plug 21, and high-pressure air introduced from an air filling port such as an air pump (not shown) is filled into one end of the gas separation tube 20 through the check valve.

  The gas separation tube 20 is formed of a gas separation membrane that allows oxygen-rich gas in the air (gas whose oxygen concentration is higher than the atmosphere) to pass through, as indicated by arrows in the figure. In the process in which the air filled in the gas separation tube 20 from the first plug 21 flows toward the second plug 22, the oxygen-rich gas permeates the gas separation membrane as shown by the arrow in FIG. Is issued. The oxygen-rich gas discharged out of the gas separation tube 20 is discharged from the gas separation tube housing chamber 7 through the air vent holes 8 to the outside of the wheel 1.

  A check valve (not shown) is interposed in the second plug 22, and nitrogen-rich gas (gas whose nitrogen concentration is higher than the atmosphere) guided by the gas separation tube 20 is filled into the tire chamber 5 through the check valve. The

  The wheel 1 with a gas separation function is configured as described above, and the operation and effect will be described next.

  When filling the tire chamber 5 with nitrogen-rich gas, a filling port such as an air pump (not shown) is attached to the first plug 21, and high-pressure air supplied to the filling port is filled into the gas separation tube 20 from the first plug 21. As the air flows from one end of the gas separation tube 20 to the other end, the oxygen-rich gas permeates the gas separation membrane and exits the gas separation tube 20, and the nitrogen concentration in the air gradually increases to become nitrogen-rich gas. The nitrogen rich gas is filled into the tire chamber 5 from the second plug 22.

  The oxygen-rich gas discharged out of the gas separation tube 20 is discharged to the outside of the wheel 1 through each air vent hole 8.

  In the present embodiment, the wheel 1 with a gas separation function is connected to a tire chamber 5 defined between the wheel 1 and the tire 2, an oxygen permeable gas separation tube 20 attached to the wheel 1, and the gas separation tube 20. The first and second plugs 21 and 22 are provided, and the oxygen rich gas of the air filled in the gas separation tube 20 is discharged from the first plug 21 to the outside of the gas separation tube 20. Since the introduced nitrogen rich gas is filled into the tire chamber 5 from the second plug 22, the tire chamber 5 can be easily filled with a normal air pump. Etc. need not be used.

  In this embodiment, the wheel 1 with a gas separation function is formed between the wheel 1 and the tire chamber 5 and has an annular gas separation tube housing chamber 7 in which a gas separation tube 20 is interposed, and the gas separation tube housing chamber 7. And the air vent hole 8 communicating with the outside of the wheel 1, the oxygen-rich gas discharged from the gas separation tube 20 is discharged from the air vent hole 8 to the outside of the wheel 1. Further, the gas separation tube 20 is securely attached.

  In this embodiment, since the wheel 1 with a gas separation function has the first and second plugs 21 and 22 connected to both ends of the gas separation tube 20, the air filled in the gas separation tube 20 from the first plug 21 is second. The nitrogen concentration of the gas filled in the tire chamber 5 from the second plug 22 is increased by permeating in the process of flowing toward the plug 22 and exiting the gas separation tube 20.

  In the present embodiment, the wheel 1 with a gas separation function can maintain the pressure in the tire chamber 5 because the second plug 22 is provided with a check valve that stops the flow of gas from the tire chamber 5 to the gas separation tube 20.

  Next, another embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B includes a gas separation tube housing tube 30 attached to an existing wheel (not shown), and this gas separation tube housing tube 30 is shown in FIG. A gas separation unit 19 is interposed.

  The gas separation tube housing tube 30 is formed of a rubber material and can be expanded and contracted, a first adapter 32 connected to one end of the bellows tube portion 31, and a first adapter connected to the other end of the bellows tube portion 31. Two adapters 33 are provided. The bellows cylinder portion 31 is not limited to a rubber material, and may be formed of metal, resin, or the like.

  The gas separation tube housing tube 30 is provided in the tire chamber and is fixed to the rim with a tape or an adhesive (not shown).

  The first adapter 32 is attached to a hole formed in the rim of the wheel, and the first plug 21 of the gas separation unit 19 is interposed in the first adapter 32.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, a plurality of air vent holes 34 are formed in the first adapter 32, and the inside of the gas separation tube housing tube 30 and the outside of the wheel communicate with each other through the air vent holes 34.

  The second plug 22 of the gas separation unit 19 is interposed in the second adapter 33.

  When the tire chamber is filled with nitrogen-rich gas configured as described above, a filling port such as an air pump (not shown) is attached to the first plug 21, and high-pressure air supplied to the filling port is gas from the first plug 21. In the process of filling the separation tube 20 and this air flows from one end of the gas separation tube 20 to the other end, the oxygen-rich gas passes through the gas separation membrane and is discharged out of the gas separation tube 20 so that the nitrogen concentration in the air is increased. The gas gradually increases to become a nitrogen-rich gas, and the nitrogen-rich gas is filled into the tire chamber from the second plug 22.

  The oxygen-rich gas discharged out of the gas separation tube 20 is discharged from the gas separation tube housing tube 30 through the air vent holes 34 to the outside of the wheel.

  In the present embodiment, the wheel with a gas separation function includes a gas separation tube housing tube 30 attached to the outer periphery of the wheel, and the gas separation tube 20 is interposed in the gas separation tube housing tube 30, so that gas separation is performed on the existing wheel. This can be easily implemented by attaching the tube housing tube 30.

  In this embodiment, the gas separation tube housing tube 30 is attached to the wheel with a first adapter 32 in which the first plug 21 is interposed, and the inside of the gas separation tube housing tube 30 communicates with the outside of the wheel. Since the air vent hole 34 is formed, the oxygen-rich gas emitted from the gas separation tube 20 is discharged from the air vent hole 34 of the first adapter 32 to the outside of the wheel, and there is no need to form an air vent hole in the wheel.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is obvious that various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea.

The side view and sectional drawing of the wheel with a gas separation function which show embodiment of this invention. The block diagram of a gas separation unit similarly. The block diagram of the gas separation tube accommodation pipe | tube which shows other embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheel 2 Tire 3 Rim 5 Tire chamber 7 Gas separation tube accommodation chamber 8 Air vent hole 19 Gas separation unit 20 Gas separation tube 21 First plug 22 Second plug 30 Gas separation tube accommodation tube

Claims (6)

  A tire chamber defined between the wheel and the tire; a gas separation tube for oxygen permeation attached to the wheel; and first and second plugs connected to the gas separation tube. The oxygen-rich gas of the air filled in the gas separation tube is discharged to the outside of the gas separation tube, and the nitrogen-rich gas guided by the gas separation tube is filled into the tire chamber from the second plug. Characterized wheel with gas separation function.   An annular gas separation tube storage chamber formed between the wheel and the tire chamber and in which the gas separation tube is interposed, and an air vent hole communicating the gas separation tube storage chamber and the outside of the wheel are provided. The wheel with a gas separation function according to claim 1.   The wheel with a gas separation function according to claim 1, further comprising a gas separation tube housing pipe attached to an outer periphery of the wheel, wherein the gas separation tube is interposed in the gas separation tube housing pipe.   The gas separation tube housing pipe has a first adapter in which the first plug is interposed attached to the wheel, and an air vent hole is formed in the first adapter to communicate the inside of the gas separation tube housing pipe with the outside of the wheel. The wheel with a gas separation function according to claim 3.   The wheel with a gas separation function according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first and second plugs are respectively connected to both ends of the gas separation tube.   The wheel with a gas separation function according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a check valve for stopping a gas flow from the tire chamber to the gas separation tube is interposed in the second plug. .