• Law Office of Gerald R Prettyman

US Patent 8757232 Monitoring and Changing Air Pressure in a Rotating Wheel

For most people around the world, a bicycle is a mode of transportation often used on a paved or an otherwise mostly smooth surface. For these people, a thought about tire pressure occurs only when a lack of tire pressure interferes with easy and comfortable use of the bicycle. There are many people, though, for whom biking is an off-road lifestyle. If you have never biked off-road, it is often an enjoyable nature experience and absent of exhaust smells and heat, and void of reflected noise. Even so, dirt paths with uneven surfaces or protruding patches can remind you of driving a car on a pot-hole infested road - and how much you disliked the bumpy-bouncing, and if your vehicle seat lacks thick foam - OW! You might think cushy springs with shock absorbers or thick-cushioned seats might be best. Springs and shock absorbers, however, work best only within a limited range of uneven paths. For example, just as springs and shock absorbers designed for smooth surfaces do not absorb the bump and bounce of rough surfaces, springs and shock absorbers designed for very rough surfaces barely absorb any of the unevenness on smooth surfaces. Similarly, cushioned seats can be too soft for smooth surfaces, or not soft enough for very rough surfaces. There is though a remarkable engineering answer from Devise Solutions Inc, which realized that a third solution - adjustable tire pressure - could work for all conditions. For smooth surfaces, the rider raises the tire pressure so the tire rides evenly over the smooth surface. For rough surfaces, the rider lowers the tire pressure so the tire flexes as it rides up and down over the rough surface. This solution does not work for paths with varying surfaces unless the rider stops and dismounts to adjust the tire pressure at each surface change - talk about a no-fun ride! To make this work, the tire pressure would have to be adjustable as the rider rode along. After designing various prototypes, Devise Solutions Inc, developed the Adaptrac device system. The bright idea behind the Adaptrac device is sets of specially designed concentric axles that support the bicycle on its tires and controllably allow airflow into, and out of the tires. Reduced pressure for rough trails lets the tires absorb some of the bumps and bounce while adding pressure for smoother trails reduces friction on tires for higher speeds. Devise Solutions then hired Patent Attorney Gerald R. Prettyman to secure a patent. If you've Got A Bright Idea, Call 925-600-7342 or visit GotABrightIdea.com

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