SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GRAVITY-DRIVEN AUTOMATIC TIRE PUMPS

摘要

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for gravity-driven pumps, as well as various supporting concepts, mechanisms, and approaches. As a tire rotates around an axle, the pull of gravity varies for a given point on the tire. While gravity is always pulling ‘down’, the force relative to a fixed point on the tire changes. Gravity-driven pumps exploit these changes in gravitational force to do work. The work can be driving a pump, or generating electrical power to drive a traditional electric pump or other electrical components. A gravity-driven pump is different from an automatic pump that operates using centrifugal force due to rotation of a tire. Automatic, gravity-driven pumps can be used to inflate tires to offset the natural gas leakage of modern tires, and can maintain tire pressure and inflation within a desired or optimal range.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a tire rim; and a pump fixedly attached to the tire rim, wherein rotational motion of the tire rim about an axis allows gravity to move a pump element in a first direction from a first position to a second position to yield a pump stroke, wherein the pump stroke pumps a gas into a volumetric container supported by pressure different from an ambient pressure outside of the volumetric container, the volumetric container mounted to the tire rim.