| 摘要 |
A reservoir is formed in a wheel of a vehicle for storing high pressure air for inflating a tire mounted on the wheel. A regulating valve communicates the reservoir with the tire when the air pressure in the tire drops below a predetermined value to maintain the tire fully inflated. A mechanism for automatically replenishing the high pressure air in the reservoir includes a radially extending bore formed in the wheel, and a piston which is sealingly movable in the bore. A variable volume compression chamber is defined in the bore between the radially outer ends of the bore and the piston. When the vehicle is stopped, a relatively weak spring urges the piston to a radially innermost position in which an inlet check valve opens to allow communication of the chamber with the atmosphere so that the chamber can be filled with fresh air. When the vehicle accelerates above a predetermined speed, the piston is moved radially outward against the spring by centrifugal force to compress the air in the chamber, and an outlet check valve opens to allow communication of the chamber with the reservoir so that compressed air can be pumped into the reservoir.
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