Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. An improved valve system (100) for tubeless tyres, the said valve system (100) comprising of: an inner tube (101) mounted onto the rim (103) of the tubeless tyre, and a single integral valve unit (102) vulcanised onto the body of the said inner tube (101), the said single integral valve unit (102) consisting of a valve core (102a) attached to a base (102b), the said base (102b) having two protuberances (102c, 102d) on either side.

2. The improved valve system (100) for tubeless tyres as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the inner tube (101) is made of a butyl rubber composition.

3. The improved valve system (100) for tubeless tyres as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the base (102b) is made of a butyl rubber composition.

4. The improved valve system (100) for tubeless tyres as claimed in Claim 1, wherein after the inner tube (101) is mounted onto the rim (103) of the tubeless tyre, the said inner tube (101) is inflated.

5. The improved valve system (100) for tubeless tyres as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the inner tube (101) is equal or slightly higher than the inner diameter of the rim (103) of the tubeless tyre.

6. The improved valve system (100) for tubeless tyres as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the valve is notch type.

7. The improved valve system (100) for tubeless tyres as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the valve is without notch type.

Dated this 21st day of June, 2021
, Description:AN IMPROVED VALVE SYSTEM FOR TUBELESS TYRES
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of valves for tyres. More particularly, the present invention discloses an improved valve system for tubeless tyres, mounted on the rim of the said tyre, which allows the tubeless tyre to retain air for a longer period of time in the event of a puncture, and at the same time, enables easier puncture repair and helps in considerably extending the life of the tubeless tyre.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
It is well known in the art that tubeless tyres are considered safer because they do not lose air suddenly in case of a puncture as the air loss is gradual and that the punctures can be repaired without having to remove the tyre from the rim, by simply plugging the leak. This advantage can be attributed to the tubeless valves which are mounted onto the rims of tubeless tyres as these valves maintain an airtight seal between the rim and the tyre. Unlike tube valves used in tube tyres wherein the air pressure is lost quickly during a puncture as the air leaks in the area where the said tube valve is installed in a valve hole on the wheel rim, tubeless valves come without an inner tube and rely on a small rubber base attached at its back, which maintains the air pressure inside the tubeless tyre even after the tyre has suffered a puncture. However, despite the aforementioned advantage offered by the tubeless valve, if the tubeless tyre is punctured multiple times, the tyre needs to be changed and this proves to be a costlier option for the user. This is because punctures on tubeless tyres are generally repaired without demounting the tyre from the rim and such puncture repairs are commonly known in the field. However, it is only a temporary arrangement and has a tendency of slow air loss on service which will eventually weaken the tyre carcass. When there are multiple punctures, the frequency of filling air into the tyre increases due to frequent air loss and that weakens the tyre carcass and consequently, the tyre needs to be replaced within a short period. Also, if any puncture happens in tubeless tyres other than in the contact area i.e. the tyre crown, proper repairing of the puncture is difficult. Therefore there is a need to provide an invention which makes repairing punctures in tubeless tyres easier while at the same time increasing the life of the tubeless tyres.
Patent document US 3,442,316 discloses a valve stem consisting of an enlarged button head at is bottom which is separated from the rest of its body by a narrow circumferential groove. The other end of the valve stem i.e. the top end, is moulded to a pneumatic tyre valve such as a Schrader valve. Within this bottom is moulded a metal insert having a longitudinal bore and within this bore is a thread at its end, which can be mated to a thread in an inner tube. This mated inner tube is then fitted on the rim of the tubeless tyre, improving the safety of the said tyre by clinching the casing to the rim. The inner tube seals in the aperture in tubeless tyre rims to alleviate a source of slow leakage. However, the said invention is complex and involves complex modifications of the valve stem and the rim.
Patent document PCT/ES2002/000052 discloses a conventional inner tube adaptor that is arranged on the valve of an inner tube, wherein said valve is vulcanized to the inner tube. The invention can be used in tubeless tyres. The said inner tube adaptor has a tubular shape, wherein the inner surface of the tubular section has a thread and the outer section has a series of projecting elements ensuring that the assembly adjusts to the tyre once the assembly is mounted on a tubeless tyre thereby ensuring its immobilization. The said patent document discloses the modification of the conventional tubeless valve by modifying its rubber body by providing it with an internal thread by which it will be attached to the valve that is normally fitted to tubed tyres. However, the said invention employs a separate adaptor fixed in the regular tube valve and the interface of the tube valve and the adaptor (joint) is glued with adhesive to ensure that there is no air escape. Also, the said adaptors are prone to pilferage as they do not form an integral part of the tube and can be easily removed.
Also, in both the inventions disclosed by the above cited documents, additional work is required either on the rim or on the tube, which involves a significant rework cost.
Therefore there is a need in the art to provide an improved valve system for tubeless tyres which is capable of retaining air inside the tyre for a longer period of time when punctured as well as enabling easier puncture repair thereby extending the life of the tyre considerably, while simultaneously being economical (not requiring additional costs such as cost of additional component(s)/ rework/ adhesives etc.) and also not being prone to pilferage.
The information disclosed in this background of disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
One or more problems of the conventional prior art may be overcome by various embodiments of the present invention.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved valve system for tubeless tyres capable of retaining air for a longer period of time in the event of a puncture, and at the same time, helping in considerably extending the life of the tubeless tyre.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved valve system for tubeless tyres which is economical and does involve additional costs.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved valve system for tubeless tyres which makes repairing punctures on the said tyres easier.
These and other objects and advantages of the present subject matter will be apparent to a person skilled in the art after consideration of the following detailed description taken into consideration with accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment of the present subject matter is illustrated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Figure 1(a) illustrates an embodiment of the improved valve system for tubeless tyres (100) disclosed by the present invention wherein the valve is without notch type.
Figure 1(b) illustrates an embodiment of the improved valve system for tubeless tyres (100) disclosed by the present invention wherein the valve is notch type.
Figure 2(a) illustrates a tubeless tyre comprising of the embodiment of the improved valve system (100) as illustrated by Figure 1(a).
Figure 2(b) illustrates a tubeless tyre comprising of the embodiment of the improved valve system (100) as illustrated by Figure 1(b).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention as embodied by "An improved valve system for tubeless tyres" succinctly fulfils the above-mentioned need[s] in the art. The present invention has objective[s] arising as a result of the above-mentioned need[s], said objective[s] being enumerated hereinabove. In as much as the objective[s] of the present invention are enumerated, it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that, the enumerated objective[s] are not exhaustive of the present invention in its entirety, and are enclosed solely for the purpose of illustration. Further, the present invention encloses within its scope and purview, any structural alternative[s] and/or any functional equivalent[s] even though, such structural alternative[s] and/or any functional equivalent[s] are not mentioned explicitly herein or elsewhere, in the present disclosure. The present invention therefore encompasses also, any improvisation[s]/modification[s] applied to the structural alternative[s]/functional alternative[s] within its scope and purview. The present invention may be embodied in other specific form[s] without departing from the essential attributes thereof.
Throughout this specification, the use of the word "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising" may imply the inclusion of an element or elements not specifically recited.
The subject matter of the present invention relates to an improved valve system for tubeless tyres. The present invention provides an improved valve system (100) for tubeless tyres, the said valve system (100) comprising of: an inner tube (101) mounted onto the rim (103) of the tubeless tyre, and a single integral valve unit (102) vulcanised onto the body of the said inner tube (101), the said single integral valve unit (102) consisting of a valve core (102a) attached to a base (102b), the said base (102b) having two protuberances (102c, 102d) on either side.
The valve employed by the improved valve system (100) of the present invention can be notch type or without notch type. The embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 2 (a) is the improved valve system (100) wherein the valve is without notch and the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 (b) is the improved valve system (100) wherein the valve is notch type. The improved valve system (100) disclosed by the present invention would perform the same function regardless of the embodiment i.e. with or without notch.
In the preferable embodiment of the present invention, the inner tube (101) and the base (102b) are made of a butyl rubber composition.
The inner tube (101) is mounted onto the rim (103) of the tubeless tyre in the regular way known to a person skilled in the art. After the inner tube (101) is mounted onto the rim (103) of the tubeless tyre, the inner tube (101) is inflated.
The diameter of the inner tube (101) changes with respect to the tyre size and rim. However, generally, the inner diameter of the inner tube (101) is equal or slightly higher than the inner diameter of the rim. The length of the inner tube (101) also changes based on the tyre size and generally, the inner tube length (circumference) depends on the inside circumference of the tyre.
The improved valve system (100) for tubeless tyres disclosed by the present invention functions as a tubeless valve on account of the single integral valve unit (102) while simultaneously increasing the tyre life by providing an inner tube (101) without the risk of losing air pressure quickly as in the case of a tube tyre. The technical advancement provided by the improved valve system (100) over conventional tubeless valves is that when the tyre comprising the improved valve system (100) is punctured multiple times, the inner tube (101) can be repaired while in the case of a conventional tubeless valve, the tubeless tyre itself would have to be replaced in case of multiple punctures. Therefore, the tyre life is considerably enhanced by the invention disclosed herein. Another technical advancement provided by the improved valve system (100) disclosed herein is that the said valve system (100) can be mounted onto the rim (103) of the tubeless tyre during the regular production process and the single integral valve unit (102) is vulcanised onto the body of the inner tube (101), thereby not requiring any rework or modification from the user’s end. Additionally, as the single integral valve unit (102) is vulcanised onto the tube body, there is no possibility of pilferage and also, no adhesive is required to bind the valve to the tube or rim as the valve present in the improved valve system (100) is a single piece and an integral part of the inner tube (101). Yet another technical advancement provided by the improved valve system (100) is that since the valve employed by it is a single piece and is an integral part of tube, there is no chance of air escaping once the improved valve system (100) is assembled onto the rim. Also, the inner tube (101) can be fitted directly onto the rim without any additional work required on the rim or the tube. Therefore, the improved valve system (100) is also economical as it does not require any additional components or rework, unlike the prior arts.
It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the above description is for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as limiting. Various modifications, additions, alterations, and improvements without deviating from the scope of the invention may be made by a person skilled in the art.