U.S. patent application number 11/459044 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-25 for tire fill nozzle and dryer.
This patent application is currently assigned to Michael J. Arno. Invention is credited to Michael J. Arno, Daniel Blaszkowiak, John A. Carlin, William B. Morrison.
Application Number | 20070017595 11/459044 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37677976 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070017595 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Arno; Michael J. ; et
al. |
January 25, 2007 |
TIRE FILL NOZZLE AND DRYER
Abstract
A tire fill nozzle having an integrated dryer for drying
compressed air or gas delivered to a tire. According to exemplary
disclosed embodiments, the tire fill nozzle comprises a main body,
an inlet connector on the main body adapted to engage an air/gas
line, an outlet connector on the main body adapted to engage a tire
valve stem, and a dryer in the main body adapted to dry air/gas
passing through the nozzle. The dryer may comprise a drying
composition, such as a desiccant, that can be permanently disposed
within the main body or optionally disposed within a replaceable
cartridge. Further optional features of the tire fill nozzle
include (1) an integrated dryness indicator provided by a dryness
indicating material, such as a color-changing desiccant, within a
transparent or translucent portion of the nozzle (or an indicating
cartridge) such that the dryness indicating material is visible
from outside the nozzle, (2) an integrated air/gas filter, (3) a
tire valve fitting at the inlet end, (4) a fitting at the outlet
end adapted to threadably engage a tire valve stem, and (5) an
integrated tire pressure gauge comprising an analog or digital
display.
Inventors: |
Arno; Michael J.; (Clarence,
NY) ; Morrison; William B.; (Salisbury, MD) ;
Blaszkowiak; Daniel; (Cheektowaga, NY) ; Carlin; John
A.; (Buffalo, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WALTER W. DUFT;LAW OFFICES OF WALTER W. DUFT
8616 MAIN ST
SUITE 2
WILLIAMSVILLE
NY
14221
US
|
Assignee: |
Arno; Michael J.
5850 Kraus Road
Clarence
NY
Morrison; William B.
5689 Spinnaker Drive
Salisbury
MD
|
Family ID: |
37677976 |
Appl. No.: |
11/459044 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60701704 |
Jul 23, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
141/38 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01L 17/00 20130101;
B60S 5/043 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
141/038 |
International
Class: |
B65B 31/00 20060101
B65B031/00 |
Claims
1. A tire fill nozzle having an integrated dryer for drying
compressed air or gas delivered to a tire.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dryer comprises
a drying composition.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said drying
composition comprises a desiccant.
4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said drying
composition is disposed within a replaceable cartridge.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further including an
integrated dryness indicator.
6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said dryness
indicator comprises a dryness indicating material within a
transparent or translucent portion of said nozzle such that said
dryness indicating material is visible from outside said
nozzle.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said dryness
indicating material comprises a color-changing desiccant and said
transparent or translucent portion of said nozzle comprises a main
body portion of said nozzle.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said color-changing
desiccant is disposed in an indicating cartridge.
9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said dryer comprises
a drying composition and said dryness indicating material is
co-mingled with said drying composition.
10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said co-mingled
indicating material and drying composition are disposed directly in
a main body portion of said nozzle or in a cartridge in said main
body.
11. An apparatus according to claim 1, further including an
integrated air/gas filter.
12. An apparatus according to claim 9, further including an
integrated tire pressure gauge comprising one of an analog or
digital display.
13. An apparatus according to claim 1, further including an inlet
connector.
14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said inlet
connector comprises one of a quick-disconnect compressed air
fitting or a tire valve fitting.
15. An apparatus according to claim 1, further including an outlet
connector.
16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said outlet
connector comprises one of a Schrader valve actuator or a fitting
adapted to threadably engage a tire valve stem fitting.
17. A method for filling a tire with a low-moisture air or gas,
comprising: selecting a tire fill nozzle having an integrated dryer
for drying compressed air or gas delivered to a tire, an inlet and
an outlet; attaching a source of compressed air or gas to said
inlet; attaching said outlet to a tire valve-stem fitting; and
filling said tire with said compressed air or gas that has been
dried as a result of passing through said tire fill nozzle.
18. A method according to claim 17, further including inserting a
cartridge containing a drying composition into a main body portion
of said tire fill nozzle.
19. A drying cartridge for a tire fill nozzle adapted to delivering
dried compressed air or gas to a tire, comprising: a cartridge body
having an outside diameter of not more than approximately 1/2
inches and a length of not more than approximately 6 inches; an
inlet end on said body; an outlet end on said body; said inlet end
and said outlet end being permeable to compressed air or gas and
configured for filtering said compressed air or gas; and a drying
composition in said body, said drying composition comprising
desiccant beads having a diameter in a range of approximately
0.0625-0.25 inches.
20. A tire fill nozzle, comprising: a main body; an inlet connector
on said main body adapted to engage an air/gas line; an outlet
connector on said main body adapted to engage a tire valve stem; a
dryer in said main body adapted to dry air or gas passing through
said nozzle, said dryer comprising a desiccant drying composition;
an integrated dryness indicator comprising a color-changing
desiccant dryness indicating material within a transparent or
translucent portion of said nozzle such that said dryness
indicating material is visible from outside said nozzle; and an
integrated air/gas filter.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/701,704, filed on Jul. 23, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to the field of compressed air
and gas systems, and more particularly to tire fill nozzles and
tire gauges.
[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0005] Typical compressed air or gas produced by a compressor
apparatus is saturated with 50% to 100% relative humidity, and also
contains contaminants such as dirt, dust, oil, line debris and
other matter. Filters and traps remove liquid water and other
contaminants but do nothing to eliminate the 50% to 100% moisture
vapor still remaining in the compressed air or gas. The removal of
this moisture vapor requires that an air/gas dryer system be used,
such as a refrigerated dryer or an adsorbent type of dryer. Such
systems are generally very effective, the latter being typically
capable of drying compressed air or gas to below-zero dew point
levels. However, even basic dryer systems are relatively expensive,
can be difficult to install due to their large and bulky nature,
and require regular maintenance to ensure proper operation.
Individuals and other entities with limited financial resources, or
who do not use compressed air/gas on a regular basis, may elect not
to install drying equipment in their compressed air/gas systems,
and instead use compressed air or gas that has not been treated to
remove moisture vapor. Even if a dryer system is installed, there
is no guarantee that the compressed air or gas will have the
desired dryness by the time it arrives through an air/gas feed
system to a downstream point of use. Compressed air lines, various
fitting and regulation devices, or improper operation of the dryer
system all represent sources of residual moisture vapor in the
air/gas feed system. This means that compressed air or gas that has
been moisture-treated may not have the desired dryness
characteristics by the time it goes into use as an application.
This can cause problems in applications such as automotive
maintenance where compressed air or gas is used to pressurize tires
to a proper pressure level. If moisture-laden ambient air is
delivered through the air/gas line, it will feed into the tires,
and may cause unwanted pressure variations as the tires heat up
during use.
[0006] It is to solving the foregoing problems that the present
invention is directed. What is particularly needed is an improved
air/gas dryer that is easy to install and use for tire filling and
pressure monitoring, is simple and inexpensive, and requires no
maintenance. The dryer should be suitable for use as the primary or
sole air/gas moisture vapor treatment apparatus in a compressed
air/gas system, but should also be usable with existing dryer
systems. Adding a filtering function to such a dryer would be
further desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The foregoing problems are solved and an advance in the art
is achieved by a tire fill nozzle having an integrated dryer for
drying compressed air or gas delivered to a tire. According to
exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, the tire fill nozzle may
comprise a main body, an inlet connector on the main body adapted
to engage an air/gas line, an outlet connector on the main body
adapted to engage a tire valve stem, and a dryer in the main body
adapted to dry air/gas passing through the nozzle. The dryer can be
provided by a drying composition, such as a desiccant, and can be
permanently disposed within the main body or optionally disposed
within a replaceable cartridge. The tire fill nozzle may optionally
include an integrated dryness indicator. The dryness indicator can
be provided by a dryness indicating material, such as a
color-changing desiccant. If the dryness indicating material is a
color-changing desiccant, it may also serve as the drying
composition. The color-changing desiccant may be viewed by
providing a transparent or translucent window in the nozzle, or by
forming all or a portion of the nozzle with a transparent or
translucent material such that the dryness indicating material is
visible from outside the nozzle. The dryness indicating material
may also be separate from the drying composition, such as by
placing the dryness indicating material in a portion of the nozzle
that is separate from where the drying composition is situated. The
dryness indicating material may also be disposed in a replaceable
cartridge that is removably disposed within the main body. The tire
fill nozzle may further optionally include an integrated air/gas
filter. The inlet connector may optionally comprise a tire valve
fitting. The outlet connector may optionally comprise a fitting
adapted to threadably engage a tire valve stem. The tire fill
nozzle may further optionally include an integrated tire pressure
gauge. The tire gauge may comprise an analog or digital
display.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The foregoing and other features and advantages of the
invention will be apparent from the following more particular
description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a tire fill nozzle
constructed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an exemplary
construction of the tire fill nozzle of FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective showing a tire fill nozzle
constructed in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the
present invention;
[0012] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the dryer of
FIGS. 1-2 with alternative inlet and outlet connector
attachments;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the tire fill nozzle of
FIGS. 1-2 with an integrated analog tire gauge in accordance with
another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 5a is a perspective view showing a digital tire gauge
that may be integrated with the tire fill nozzle of FIGS. 1-2 in
lieu of the analog tire gauge of FIG. 5;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a tire fill nozzle
constructed in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the
present invention;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a tire fill nozzle
constructed in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the
present invention;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a main body
portion of the tire fill nozzle of FIG. 7;
[0018] FIG. 8a is an inlet end view of the tire fill nozzle of FIG.
7;
[0019] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the tire fill
nozzle of FIG. 7;
[0020] FIG. 10a is an exploded perspective view of a first
alternative dryness indicator for use in the tire fill nozzle of
FIG. 7; and
[0021] FIG. 10b is an exploded perspective view of a second
alternative dryness indicator for use in the tire fill nozzle of
FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0022] Turning now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals
indicate like elements in all of the several views, FIGS. 1 and 2
are perspective views showing a tire fill nozzle 2 constructed with
an integrated dryer in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention. The nozzle 2 comprises a main body 4, an
inlet connector 6 on the main body adapted to engage an air/gas
line (not shown), an outlet connector 8 on the main body adapted to
engage a tire valve stem (not shown), and a dryer 10 in the main
body that preferably comprises a drying material 11 adapted to dry
air/gas passing through the nozzle. Also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is
an optional integrated dryness indicator 12 that preferably
comprises a dryness indicating material 14. The dryness indicator
12 provides an indication of the dryness of the air/gas passing
through the nozzle 2. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the
dryness-indicating material 14 is disposed within a transparent or
translucent viewing portion 16 of the main body 4 such that the
material is visible from outside the nozzle 2. Although not shown,
it would also be possible to form a viewing window or site glass
through which the dryness indicating material 14 could be viewed.
The dryness indicator 12 could potentially also be implemented as a
moisture sensor or the like. In that case, a dryness-indicating
gauge or display could be mounted on the nozzle 2 to provide an
analog or digital dryness indication.
[0023] The main body 4 is generally tubular in shape and is sized
so that it can be comfortably grasped with one hand during use. The
dimensions of the main body 4 may correspond to those of
conventional tire fill nozzles. For example, the main body 4 may
have a shaft length of approximately 6 inches, an outside diameter
of approximately 3/4 inches and an inside diameter of approximately
1/2 inches. Other shapes and sizes could also be used. The main
body 4 can be constructed using any suitable material capable of
safely withstanding the operational pressures normally delivered
during tire pressurization, for example, up to approximately 150
psi. Although the main body 4 could be made from brass or other
types of metal, a plastic material, such as polyethylene, is
preferred. Transparent or translucent plastic is preferred because
the transparency or translucency of the material will inherently
provide the viewing portion 16 of the main body 4. The remaining
portion of the main body 4 may then be coated with a pigment to
provide opacity. Alternatively, the entire main body 4 could be
left transparent or translucent. Another way to provide the viewing
portion 16 would be to mount a transparent or translucent tubular
extension onto an opaque member. In that case, the tubular
extension could be formed from transparent or translucent plastic
and the opaque member could be formed from opaque metal or
plastic.
[0024] The inlet connector 6 may be provided by a conventional
compressed air line fitting made from brass or the like. As shown
in FIG. 2, the inlet connector 6 has a base portion 18 that is male
threaded, a terminal portion 20 formed as a conventional
"quick-disconnect" air hose connection fitting, and a medial
portion 22 having conventional wrench receiving surfaces or the
like to facilitate attachment of the inlet connector 6 to the main
body 4. The base portion 18 of the inlet connector 6 is received at
an air inlet end 21 of the main body 2. Although not shown, the air
inlet end 21 has a central air passage that comprises female
threads for engaging the corresponding threads on the base portion
18. All such threads preferably comply with NPT (National Pipe
Thread) standards. It will be appreciated that the thread
configuration could be reversed, such that the base portion 18 of
the inlet connector 6 is female threaded and the air inlet end 21
of the main body 2 is male threaded.
[0025] The outlet connector 8 may be provided by a conventional
Schrader valve actuator fitting made from brass or the like. As
shown in FIG. 2, the outlet connector 8 has a base portion 24 that
is male threaded, a terminal portion 26 formed as a conventional
Schrader valve actuator, and a medial portion 28 that may have
conventional wrench receiving surfaces or the like (not shown). The
base portion 24 of the outlet connector 8 is received at an air
outlet end 30 of the main body 2. The air outlet end 30 has a
central air/gas passage that comprises female threads 32 for
engaging the corresponding threads on the base portion 24. All such
threads preferably comply with NPT (National Pipe Thread)
standards. It will be appreciated that the thread configuration
could be reversed, such that the base portion 24 of the outlet
connector 8 is female threaded and the air outlet end 30 of the
main body 2 is male threaded.
[0026] Within the main body 2, the drying composition 11 occupies a
majority of the internal volume. The drying composition 11 can be
selected from any suitable material having the required drying
characteristics, including but not limited to (1) moisture
adsorbing desiccants such as silica gel beads, activated alumina
beads, clays and molecular sieves, and (2) moisture absorbing
fibers such as cotton, paper, wood particles or the like. Due to
their superior moisture removal properties, silica gel desiccant
beads of the type commonly used in compressed air/gas drying
systems represent the preferred material used for the drying
composition 11. The size of the desiccant beads is selected to
minimize unwanted pressure drop within the nozzle 2. The average
silica gel bead diameter will preferably lie in a range of about
0.0625-0.25 inches, with a diameter of 0.125 being most preferred.
It will be appreciated that increasing the diameter of the silica
gel beads tends to reduce the resistance to air/gas flow through
the nozzle 2, thereby reducing pressure drop, but also reduces the
amount of effective adsorbing surface area. On the other hand,
decreasing the size of the silica gel beads increases the amount of
adsorbing surface area, but also increases the resistance to
air/gas flow, so as to increase the pressure drop through the
nozzle 2. The 0.0625-0.25 inch silica gel desiccant beads, when
carried within the main body 4 configured with a size of 1/2 inches
inside diameter by 6 inches in length, is capable of delivering a
relative humidity of as low as 1/2% (-40 degree F. dew point) at a
flow rate of 20 SCFM, with an inlet pressure of 100 psi and an
outlet pressure of 60 psi. As an alternative to desiccant beads, a
desiccant block made from silica gel or other desiccant material
could also be used. The diameter of the desiccant block may be
sized to substantially match the inside diameter of the main body
4, thereby preventing air from passing around the outside of the
block.
[0027] The drying composition 11 is preferably maintained in a
densely packed condition within the main body 4. Proximate to the
air inlet end 21 of the main body 4, the drying composition is
trapped by an inlet filter 34 that is supported on an internal
shoulder 36. The shoulder 36 is formed at the point where the air
inlet end 21 connects to the remainder of the main body. The
shoulder 36 represents the transition between the smaller diameter
of the air inlet end 21 and the larger diameter of the main body
proper. It will be seen that the air inlet end 21 is immediately
upstream of the inlet filter 34. The central air/gas passage within
the air inlet end 21 will thus act as a plenum that distributes the
incoming air/gas stream across the face of the inlet filter 34 and
the drying composition 11 on the other side thereof, which improves
drying efficiency. The inlet filter 34 may be formed from a metal
screen or the like and may have an exemplary mesh size of
approximately 20 mesh. The opposite end of the drying composition
11 is trapped by an intermediate filter 37. The intermediate filter
37 can be formed by any suitable filtering media, such as a pad
filter made from loosely interwoven fibers.
[0028] The dryness indicating material 14 may be provided by a
suitable color-changing desiccant, including cobalt-based material.
This material will have a deep blue color when the air or gas
nozzle 2 is dry, thus signifying that the dryer 10 is fully
functional. When the dryer 10 is spent and the air or gas loses its
dryness, the color of the desiccant will change. For example, a
cobalt-based color-changing desiccant will change from its initial
deep blue color to light pink or clear, thereby indicating that the
filter/dryer needs to be replaced. Other moisture-sensitive visual
indicating materials, such as moisture-sensitive paper that turns
color according to the surrounding moisture level, could also be
used as the dryness indicating material 14.
[0029] The dryness indicating material 14 is preferably maintained
in a densely packed condition within the viewing portion 16 of the
main body 4. One end of the dryness indicating material 14 is
trapped by the intermediate filter 37. The other end of the dryness
indicating material 14, which is proximate to the air outlet end 30
of the main body 4, is trapped by an outlet filter 38. The outlet
filter 38 may be formed from a metal screen or the like and may
have an exemplary mesh size of approximately 120 mesh.
Alternatively, a double mesh screen having respective mesh sizes of
20 and 120 mesh, could be used. The smaller mesh size of the outlet
filter 38 is designed to trap small particulates, such as desiccant
dust, and prevent such contaminants from exiting the nozzle 2. As
can be seen in FIG. 2, the outlet screen 38 is trapped in position
by the base end 24 of the outlet connector 8.
[0030] During use, the inlet connector 6 is attached to the end of
a compressed air line delivering compressed air or gas. The outlet
connector 8 is attached to a tire valve stem to introduce
compressed air or gas into a tire in the normal manner. As the
compressed air or gas passes through the tire fill nozzle 2, it
will contact the surfaces of the drying composition 11. At least
some of the moisture carried within the air/gas stream will be
adsorbed (or absorbed) by the drying composition 11 and will
thereby be removed from the air/gas stream as it exits the
intermediate filter 37. The air/gas stream will then pass through
the dryness indicating material 14, where its residual moisture
level will cause the dryness indicating material to assume a
characteristic color. In addition to the air/gas stream being
dried, the filters 34, 37 and 38 will serve will provide an
integrated filtering function whereby the air/gas stream is
filtered and unwanted contaminants are removed therefrom. At the
beginning of service of the nozzle 2, the color of the dryness
indicating material 14 should indicate that the air or gas passing
therethrough is relatively dry. As service life advances, the
drying composition 11 will typically tend to lose its drying
capability (e.g., if it is a desiccant) due to moisture being
adsorbed (or absorbed) thereby. This will result in the moisture
level of the air/gas stream gradually increasing, and will cause
the dryness indicating material 14 to change color. The changing
color of the dryness indicating material 14 will visually indicate
the loss of drying capability of the nozzle 2. The tire fill nozzle
2 can be designed to be disposable after the drying composition 11
has been spent, or can be designed so that the dryer 10 can be
readily renewed, as described for example in connection with FIG.
6.
[0031] Turning now to FIG. 3, a tire fill nozzle 102 illustrates an
alternative exemplary embodiment of the invention that does not
include a dryness indicator. The nozzle 102 comprises a main body
104, an inlet connector 106 on the main body adapted to engage an
air/gas line (not shown), an outlet connector 108 on the main body
adapted to engage a tire valve stem (not shown), and a dryer 110 in
the main body that preferably comprises a drying material 111
adapted to dry air/gas passing through the nozzle. The internal
construction of the nozzle 102 is the same as that of the nozzle 2
except that there is no dryness indicating composition and no
intermediate filter. Instead, the drying composition 111 will fill
the area that would have been occupied by the dryness indicating
composition 14 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The remaining illustrated
components of the nozzle 102 are identical to those of the nozzle
2, as shown by the use of corresponding reference numerals
incremented by 100.
[0032] Turning now to FIG. 4, a tire fill nozzle 202 illustrates
another alternative exemplary embodiment of the invention wherein
the inlet connector 206 and the outlet connector 208 are different
than the corresponding components shown in FIGS. 1-2. This design
allows the nozzle 202 to be connected to the end of a conventional
tire fill nozzle rather than a compressed air/gas line fitting. The
terminal portion 220 of the inlet connector 206 is formed as a
Schrader valve instead of a quick-disconnect fitting. The terminal
portion 226 of the outlet connector 208 is formed as a threaded
knurled end connector designed to thread onto a conventional tire
valve stem. The medial portion 228 of the outlet connector 208 is
formed as a short length of compressed air/gas line that results in
the outlet connector 208 being a flexible fitting. The medial
portion 228 is also provided with wrench-receiving surfaces 228a to
facilitate attachment of the outlet connector 208 onto the main
body 204. During use, the terminal portion 226 of the outlet
connector 208 is attached to a tire valve stem. The end of a
conventional tire fill nozzle is pressed onto the terminal portion
220 (the Schrader valve) of the inlet connector 206. The remaining
illustrated components of the nozzle 202 are identical to those of
the nozzle 2, as shown by the use of corresponding reference
numerals incremented by 200.
[0033] Turning now to FIG. 5, a tire fill nozzle 302 illustrates
another alternative exemplary embodiment of the invention wherein
the nozzle is combined with an integrated tire pressure gauge 303.
The gauge 303 in FIG. 5 is implemented with an analog display,
namely, a dial gauge. Other types of analog display could also be
used. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5a, a 303a having a digital
display could be used. The remaining illustrated components of the
nozzle 202 are identical to those of the nozzle 2, as shown by the
use of corresponding reference numerals incremented by 300.
[0034] Turning now to FIG. 6, a tire fill nozzle 402 illustrates
another alternative exemplary embodiment of the invention wherein
the dryer 410 is implemented as a replaceable cartridge 410a with a
drying composition 411 being disposed therein. The dryer 410 is
thus readily renewable to prolong the useful life of the nozzle
402. The cartridge 410a can be constructed as a closed ended
tubular member that contains silica gel desiccant beads (or other
suitable drying material) as the drying composition 411. The
cartridge 410a includes a cartridge body having an outside diameter
of not more than approximately 1/2 inches and a length of not more
than approximately 6 inches. At least the inlet and outlet ends of
the cartridge 410 are permeable to compressed air or gas.
Constructing the cartridge 410 from a screen material having a mesh
size of approximate 20 mesh at the inlet end and 20/120 mesh
(double screen) at the outlet end will provide the required
permeability. Although not shown, an intermediate filter, such as
the filter 37 of FIGS. 1-2, may be disposed between the cartridge
410a and the dryness indicating material 414, although this filter
is optional insofar as it is not required to contain the drying
composition 411. Moreover, the ends of the cartridge 410a will
typically provide a filtering function. The inlet connector 406 is
also modified for this embodiment by providing an air plenum 406a
for distributing incoming compressed air or gas across the face of
the inlet side of the cartridge 410a. The remaining illustrated
components of the nozzle 402 are identical to those of the nozzle
2, as shown by the use of corresponding reference numerals
incremented by 400.
[0035] Turning now to FIGS. 7-10, a tire fill nozzle 502
illustrates another alternative exemplary embodiment of the
invention wherein the dryness indicator 512 may be implemented as
an indicating cartridge 512a with a dryness indicating composition
514 being disposed therein. The dryness indicator 512 is thus easy
to insert during manufacture of the nozzle 502. The cartridge 512a
can be constructed as a closed ended tubular member that contains
color-changing desiccant beads (or other suitable dryness
indicating material) as the dryness indicating material 514. At
least the ends of the cartridge 512a are permeable to compressed
air or gas. For example, as shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b, the
cartridge 512a may be constructed from a tube 540 made from plastic
or the like having an open inlet end 542 and an open outlet end
544. An inlet filter 546 can be mounted to the cartridge 542 so as
to close the inlet end 542. Similarly, an outlet filter 548 can be
mounted to the cartridge 542 so as to close the outlet end 544. The
filters 546 and 548 can be implemented as screens wherein the inlet
filter 546 is a single screen having a mesh size of 20 and the
outlet filter 548 is a double screen having a mesh size of 20/120
in order to trap contaminants such as desiccant dust. In FIG. 10a,
the filters 546 and 548 are mounted to the cartridge 542 using a
suitable bonding technique (e.g., adhesive bonding). FIG. 10b shows
an alternative configuration wherein the filters 546 and 548 are
captured in slots 550 formed in the tube 540. Another alternative
would be to construct the entire cartridge 512a, including the ends
542 and 544, from screen material. As shown in FIG. 8, the main
body 504, which can be constructed from molded plastic, is formed
with a shoulder 552 proximate to the air outlet end 530 that
supports the cartridge 512a. It will also be seen that the air
inlet end 521 of the main body 504 has an enlarged diameter. This
enlargement provides adequate wall thickness in the vicinity of the
female threads that receive the inlet connector (not shown). If
desired, tool-receiving surfaces 521a may be provided to facilitate
connection of the nozzle 502 to a compressed air/gas line
fitting.
[0036] Additional manufacturing efficiency may be obtained by
placing the drying composition 511 of the dryer 512 within its own
cartridge (not shown) which may be constructed in the same fashion
as the cartridge 410a shown in FIG. 6. Alternatively, both the
dryness indicating composition 514 and the drying composition 511
could be placed in a single cartridge. This cartridge could have
dual chambers that respectively carry the two compositions, or the
compositions could simply be packed against each other. The
remaining illustrated components of the nozzle 502 are identical to
those of the nozzle 2, as shown by the use of corresponding
reference numerals incremented by 500.
[0037] Accordingly, a tire fill nozzle having an integrated dryer
has been disclosed for effectively delivering dry and filtered air
or gas to a tire filling application. It should, of course, be
understood that the description and the drawings herein are merely
illustrative, and it will be apparent that various modifications,
combinations and changes can be made in accordance with the
invention. For example, although the drying composition has been
shown in various embodiments to be located separately from the
dryness indicating composition, it would be possible to co-mingle
these materials to produce a composite dryer/dryness indicator. For
example, the dryness indicating composition could be interspersed
with the drying composition at a suitable ratio (e.g., four parts
drying composition to one part dryness indicating composition), and
visa versa. The co-mingled materials could be disposed directly in
the main body or in a cartridge that is insertable in the main
body. All or a portion of the main body that houses the co-mingled
materials could be transparent or translucent to allow observation
of the dryness indicating material. As such, the invention is not
to be in any way limited except in accordance with the spirit of
the appended claims and their equivalents.
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