This invention relates to a tyre inflator for a motor vehicle (provided with a spark plug IC engine or a glow plug diesel engine) such as, a motor cycle, a scooter, a three wheeler or a four wheeler type motor vehicle.

When the pneumatic tyre of the motor vehicle gets a flat or when the pneumatic pressure reduces to an extent that it is not possible to use the vehicle , an emergent situation arises when it become necessary to inflate the tyre to enable the vehicle to be taken to the nearest s service station to attend to the fault. The situation is particularly oppressive when the tyre suffers the flat or deflated condition in areas remote from a town or city where repair or workshop facilities are not readily available.

This invention therefore proposes a tyre inflator which can be used in such difficult situations using the mechanisms provided by the vehicle itself to tide over the emergency until a service station or repair shop is reached.

According to this invention, therefore, the tyre inflator for a motor vehicle provided with a spark plug IC engine, comprises a flexible hose, one end of which is provided with a threaded nipple for being threadedly engaged with the spark plug orifice of the engine cylinder; a one way valve provided in the hose for allowing only unidirectional passage of air pumped out through the said orifice when the piston in the cylinder is repeatedly moved to and fro, either manually or by power, a control valve for controlling the pressure of air emerging from the one way valve; a connector provided at the other end of the hose for connecting the outlet of the control valve to the inlet of the air inflation valve of the tyre to be inflated.

This invention will now be described in further detail by reference to the single Figure in the accompanying drawing which illustrates by way of example, and not by way of limitation, one of possible embodiments of the tyre inflator proposed herein.

The said engine I has a flexible hose, 9, one end of which is provided with a threaded nipple 4 for being threadedly engaged with the spark plug orifice 2 of the engine cylinder.

A one way valve 5 (which will be of the mechanical, electrical (solenoid), read valve type) is provided in the hose for allowing only unidirectional passage of air pumped out through the said orifice when the piston in the cylinder is moved to and for. Either manually or by power. This is done by repeatedly operating the kick starter 8 (in the case of vehicles, such as the motor cycle) or the starter motor in the case of vehicles, such as, the motor car. The valve 5 prevents air from travelling into the orifice when the movement of the piston tends to suck in air into the orifice.

A control valve 6 is provided in the said hose 9 for controlling the pressure of air emerging from the one way valve 5. Thus the valve 6 enables the pressure of air pumped into the tyre (that is , into the pneumatic tube tube of the tyre) being set at a predetermined value depending upon tyre specifications. For instance, a car tyre will require a higher inflation pressure and a scooter type vehicle will require a lower inflation pressure each of which can be set on the control valve 6.

A connector provided at the other end of the hose is for connection the outlet of the control valve 6 to the inlet of the tyre air inflation valve 7.

With the arrangements as described, air is pumped into the tyre by using the kick starter or the starter motor as the case may, whereby the piston is moved up and down to pump out air un-directionally into the tyre. However, no ignition takes place inside the cylinder because the spark plug has been removed. Additionally, the fuel line also can be cut off to avoid waste of fuel.

It will be appreciated that various other embodiments of this invention are possible without departing from its scope and ambit.

We claim:

1. A tyre inflator for a motor vehicle provided with a spark plug IC engine, comprising a flexible hose, one end of which is provided with a threaded nipple for being threadedly engaged with the spark plug orifice of the engine cylinder; a one way valve provided in the hose for allowing only unidirectional passage of air pumped out through the said orifice when the piston in the cylinder is moved to and fro, either manually or by power, a control valve for controlling the pressure of air emerging from the one way valve; a connector provided at the other end of the hose for connecting the outlet of the control valve to the inlet of the tyre air inflation valve.

2. A tyre inflator for a motor vehicle wherein the connector is threadedly engageable with the inlet of the tyre inflation valve.

3. A tyre inflator as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim2 wherein the engine is a two stroke or four stroke engine.

4. A tyre inflator as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the air is pumped out manually by operation of the kick starter of the engine.

5. A tyre inflator as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3 wherein the air is pumped out by power by operation of the starter motor of the engine.

6. A tyre inflator for a motor vehicle wherein the motor vehicle is a motor cycle or scooter type vehicle.

7. A tyre inflator as claimed in any one the preceding claims wherein the engine is of the two stroke or four stroke type.

8. A tyre inflator for a motor vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.