FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
AND
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10; rule 13)
TITLE OF THE INVENTION SYSTEM, METHOD, AND A VALVE FOR FILLING AIR IN A TYRE
APPLICANT
TATA MOTORS LIMITED
an Indian Company
Bombay House, 24 Homi Mody Street,
Hutatma Chowk, Mumbai 400 001,
Maharashtra, India.
PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] This disclosure relates generally to tyre inflation system, and in
particular to a valve, a vehicle, and a method of filing air in the trye of a vehicle
5 using air stored in air tank onboard the vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] Vehicle tyres are inflated by filling air, or a specific gas such as
10 Nitrogen. For an optimal performance of the vehicle, the air pressure in the
tyres is required to maintained in a specific rated pressure range.
[003] Typically, when the pressure of a tyre is low, the vehicle is to be
taken to a service station or fueling station for filling air in the tyre. However,
15 when the tyre pressure is very low, it may not be possible to drive the vehicle
till the service station or the fueling station. Further, driving the vehicle with low tyre pressure may pose safety hazards.
[004] Therefore, there is a need for effective and efficient solutions for
20 filing air in the trye of the vehicle using an integrated solution using air stored
in air tanks onboard the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
25 [005] In an embodiment, a valve for filling air in a tyre of a vehicle is
disclosed. The valve may include an inlet port configured to fluidically couple with at least one air storage tank and to receive a supply of air from the at least one air storage tank. The supply of air from the at least one air storage tank may be available at an input pressure value. The valve may further include an
30 outlet port configured to fluidically couple with a tyre of the vehicle to direct
2

the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre, and
a plunger configured to move between a first position and a second position.
In the first position, the plunger is to open the inlet port and the outlet port to
allow passage of the supply of air received from the at least one air storage
5 tank to the tyre. In the second position, the plunger is to close the inlet port
and the outlet port to block passage of the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre. The valve may further include an actuator configured to move the plunger between the first position and the second position. The actuator may be configured to move the plunger in the first
10 position to allow passage of the supply of air from the at least one air storage
tank to the tyre till a real-time air pressure value associated with the tyre equals the target air pressure value. The valve may further include a pressure relief assembly configured to be rated at the target air pressure value. The pressure relief assembly may be configured to redirect the supply of air from
15 the at least one air storage tank to atmosphere, when the plunger is configured
in the open position and the real-time air pressure associated with the tyre exceeds the target air pressure value.
[006] In another embodiment, a vehicle is disclosed. the vehicle may
20 include at least one air storage tank and a valve. The valve may include an inlet
port configured to fluidically couple with at least one air storage tank and to
receive a supply of air from the at least one air storage tank. The supply of air
from the at least one air storage tank may be available at an input pressure
value. The valve may further include an outlet port configured to fluidically
25 couple with a tyre of the vehicle to direct the supply of air received from the at
least one air storage tank to the tyre, and a plunger configured to move
between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the plunger
is to open the inlet port and the outlet port to allow passage of the supply of
air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre. In the second
30 position, the plunger is to close the inlet port and the outlet port to block
3

passage of the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to
the tyre. The valve may further include an actuator configured to move the
plunger between the first position and the second position. The vehicle may
further include a controller communicatively coupled with the actuator. The
5 controller may be configured to receive a real-time air pressure value
associated with the tyre, and compare the real-time air pressure value with a
target air pressure value. Based on the comparison, the controller may cause
the actuator to configure the plunger in the second position, to thereby close
the inlet port and the outlet port when the real-time air pressure value equals
10 the target air pressure value.
[007] In yet another embodiment, a method of method of filling air in
a tyre of a vehicle is disclosed. The method may include receiving a real-time air pressure value associated with the tyre, when a valve is fluidically coupled
15 with: at least one air storage tank via an inlet port of valve to receive a supply
of air from the at least one air storage tank. The supply of air from the at least one air storage tank may be available at an input pressure value. The valve is further fluidically coupled with a tyre of the vehicle via an outlet port of the valve to direct the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank
20 to the tyre. The valve may include a plunger configured to move between a first
position and a second position. In the first position, the plunger may open the inlet port and the outlet port to allow passage of the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre. In the second position, the plunger may close the inlet port and the outlet port to block passage of the supply of
25 air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre. The valve may
further include an actuator configured to move the plunger between the first position and the second position. The method may further include comparing the real-time air pressure value with a target air pressure value, and based on the comparison, causing the actuator to configure the plunger in the second
4

position, to thereby close the inlet port and the outlet port when the real-time air pressure value equals the target air pressure value.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
5
[008] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and,
together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles.
[009] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a valve for inflating a
10 tyre of a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present
disclosure.
[010] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle, in accordance with
some embodiments.
[011] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a controller communicatively
15 coupled with various components, in accordance with some embodiments.
[012] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method of filling air in a tyre of a vehicle,
in accordance with some embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
20
[013] Exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the
accompanying drawings. Wherever convenient, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. While examples and features of disclosed principles are described herein,
25 modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible without
departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments. It is intended that the following detailed description be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims. Additional illustrative embodiments are listed below.
30
5

[014] The present disclosure relates to system, method, and a valve
for filling air in a tyre. The techniques of the present subject matter allow for
using the air tank of the vehicle for filling air in the tyres of the vehicle, thereby
obviating the need to visit a service station for filling air in the tyres. For
5 example, air from a brake air tank of the vehicle may be used for pressurizing
the tyres. Accordingly, the techniques of the present subject matter can be used in vehicles having an air tank, for example, for braking purposes. For instance, the techniques of the present subject matter can be used in commercial vehicles, such as trucks.
10
[015] The valve of the present subject matter can be used to fill
regulated air in the tyres of the vehicle. The valve may be mounted on a chassis of the vehicle, and during operation, the valve may be connected between the air tank and the tyre air pipelines. A controller (also referred to as Tyre
15 Pressure Tyre Pressure Monitoring System – Engine Control Unit (TPMS ECU);
terms "controller” and “TPMS ECU” may have been used interchangeably in this disclosure) is electrically connected to the valve, such that based on the controller input, a plunger of the valve is displaced between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the valve may allow air to flow from
20 the air tank to the tyre, while in the second position, the valve may block the
passage of air from the air tank to the tyre. The controller may receive a real¬time air pressure in the tyre, for example, from air pressure sensors associated with the tyres of the vehicle. Based on the real-time air pressure in the tyre, the controller may actuate the plunger of the valve to configure the plunger in
25 the first position so as to start filling air in the tyre.
[016] When there is sufficient amount of air in brake air tank, then
based on the controller input, required air is filled in the tyre via valve.
However, when sufficient amount of air is not available in the brake air tank,
30 then a notification may be generated for the user to first fill the brake air tank,
6

by switching ON the engine of the vehicle and a compressor for the brake air
tank. Once the brake air tank has been filled with a sufficient amount of air, a
notification may be generated to notify the user who may then use the valve to
fill air in the tyre from the brake air tank. Further, the controller may allow the
5 valve to fill the air in the tyre, by configuring the plunger in the first position.
[017] When the pressure in the tyre has reached a maximum
threshold limit, the controller may detect that the same, and then cause to
activate a buzzer, to indicate the user filling air in the tyre that air filling needs
10 to be stopped. This also allows the user to stop operation of the compressor of
the vehicle in the engine idling condition. Further, the controller causes an actuator to configure the plunger in the second position to stop the supply of air from the brake air tank to the tyre.
15 [018] The valve includes a dual pressure relief mechanism. If pressure
in the tyre crosses the threshold value, for example, in case of a failure of the controller, or the actuator, or the plunger to block the supply of air to the tyre, the dual pressure relief mechanism provides air relief provision for the safety of tyres.
20
[019] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, low air
pressure in the tyres may lead to decrease in fuel economy and cause difficulties in cornering of the vehicle with imbalance of air pressure between the tyres. To this end, the above techniques notify (for example, with a
25 notification: “fill the air the tank for fuel efficiency”) the user of the vehicle
about the low pressure, so as to allow the user to fill air the tyres using the above valve. Additionally, in case of low pressure, the controller may cause to apply parking brake automatically and prevent starting of the vehicle, to thereby allow safe operation of filling air in the tyres.
30
7

[020] Further, the controller may detect a partial air filling condition
or complete air filling condition of the tyre. In the partial air filling condition,
the controller may allow to operate the above valve to fill air in the tyre when
the vehicle engine is either switched ON or OFF. However, in the complete air
5 filling condition, the controller may allow to operate the above valve to only
when the vehicle engine is switched ON. This is because for complete filling
condition, the amount of air in the brake air tank may not be sufficient and
therefore the brake air tank may also be filled with air by the compressor. If
the user does not want to fill air in the tyre, the user may override the
10 notification by removing parking brake and starting the vehicle.
[021] Referring now to FIG. 1, a schematic view of a valve 100 for
inflating a tyre of a vehicle is illustrated, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The valve 100 may be used for filling
15 air in the tyres of the vehicle using air stored in at least one air storage tank
(not shown in FIG. 1) of the vehicle. For example, the at least one air storage tank may include a brake air tank. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the brake air tank stores and provides compressed air to operate the vehicle's air brakes. The compressed air is used to transmit force to the brake
20 mechanisms, allowing for effective braking. The compressed air inside the
brake air tank may be generated by an air compressor of the vehicle. The air compressor pressurizes the air, which is then stored in the brake air tank at a predetermined pressure.
25 [022] The valve 100 may include a valve body 102 that may be
manufactured from rigid material, for example, a metal (e.g. Aluminum), an alloy (e.g. brass) or plastic. The valve 100 may include an inlet port 104 that may be configured to fluidically couple with the at least one air storage tank and to receive a supply of air from the at least one air storage tank. The inlet
30 port 104 may include an attaching mechanism that allows the inlet port 104 to
8

be coupled with a nozzle of the tyre, for example, via a hose. The supply of air
from the at least one air storage tank may be available at an input pressure
value. In other words, the at least one air storage tank may store the
compressed air at the input pressure value. The inlet port 104 of the valve 100
5 may be manually coupled to the air storage tank, in order to refill the tyre with
air.
[023] The valve 100 may further include an outlet port 106 that may
be configured to fluidically couple with a tyre (not shown in FIG. 1) of the
10 vehicle to direct the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank
to the tyre. To this end, the valve 100, and in particular, the outlet port 106 of the valve 100 may be manually coupled to the tyre of the vehicle, when the tyre needs to be filled with air. As such, the outlet port 106 may include an attaching mechanism that allows the outlet port 106 to be coupled with a nozzle of the
15 tyre, for example, via a hose. It should be noted that any attaching mechanism
known in the art may be used.
[024] The valve 100 may further include a plunger 108 that may be
configured to move between a first position and a second position. In
20 particular, the plunger 108 may be configured to move linearly, for example,
in a slot, as shown in FIG. 1. In the first position, the plunger 108 may open the inlet port 104 and the outlet port 106 to allow passage of the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre. For example, in the first position, the plunger 108 may be slightly upward or downward of its
25 position illustrated in FIG. 1. In the second position, the plunger 108 may close
the inlet port 104 and the outlet port 106 to block passage of the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre. The second position may be, for example, the position of the plunger 108 as illustrated in FIG. 1.
9

[025] The plunger 108 may be coupled with a first plunger spring
108A and a second plunger spring 108B. For example, the first plunger spring
108A and the second plunger spring 108B may bias the plunger 108 in the
second position (also referred to as “home position”). In the non-operating
5 condition of the valve 100, the plunger 108 may be configured in second
position. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the second position of the plunger 108, the inlet port 104 and the outlet port 106 may be closed. As such, in the second position of the plunger 108, the first plunger spring 108A and the second plunger spring 108B may be in released mode (i.e. no tension).
10
[026] In order to move the plunger 108, the valve 100 may include an
actuator 110. The plunger 108 may be moved from the second position to the first position by applying a force against the biasing force of the first plunger spring 108A and the second plunger spring 108B. In order to configure the
15 plunger 108 in the first position, the actuator 110 may apply force on the
plunger against the spring force of the first plunger spring 108A and the second plunger spring 108B. As a result, the position of the plunger 108 is changed to the first position. Accordingly, the inlet port 104 and the outlet port 106 open, to allow passage of the air to from the at least one tank to the tyre.
20
[027] The actuator 110 may be configured to move the plunger 108
between the first position and the second position. Further, the actuator 110 may move the plunger 108 in the first position to allow passage of the supply of air from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre till a real-time air
25 pressure value associated with the tyre equals the target air pressure value.
By way of an example, the actuator 110 may be a solenoid-based actuator adapted to generate a linear displacement, and therefore cause the linear displacement of the plunger 108. Accordingly, the actuator 110 may be powered by electricity, for example, electricity supplied by a battery of the
30 vehicle. To this end, the actuator 110 may include relay 110A that may be used
10

to electrically connect the actuator 110 (in particular, a coil of the actuator
110) to the battery. Further, the actuator 110 may be connected to a controller
120 via a relay 110A. The actuator 110 may be activated by a signal from the
controller 120 when there is requirement of tyre air filling. The signal to the
5 relay 110A may energize the coil of the actuator 110, thereby causing a linear
displacement of the plunger 108. In other words, when activated, the coil of the actuator 110 may magnetize or demagnetize an iron core of the actuator 110 to thereby operate the plunger 108, based on the signal received from the controller 120.
10
[028] It should be noted that the actuator 110 may configure the
plunger 108 in the second position to thereby close the inlet port 104 and the outlet port 106, when the real-time air pressure value equals the target air pressure value. To this end, the actuator 110 may be provided a signal based
15 on a real-time air pressure value and a target air pressure value. It should be
noted that the real-time air pressure value associated with the tyre may be obtained from air pressure sensors (for example, air pressure sensors 206A, 206B, 206C, 206D; refer FIG. 2). Further, based on the signal, the actuator 110 may configure the plunger 108 in the second position, to thereby close the inlet
20 port 104 and the outlet port 106 when the real-time air pressure value equals
the target air pressure value.
[029] In some embodiments, the signal may be provided by the
controller 120. The controller 120, for example, may be an Tyre Pressure Tyre
25 Pressure Monitoring System – Engine Control Unit (TPMS ECU) installed in the
vehicle. The controller 120 may be configured to obtain a real-time pressure value of the tyre. In some embodiments, the real-time pressure value of the tyre may be obtained from an air pressure sensor associated with the tyre (e.g., air pressure sensors 206A, 206B, 206C, 206D; refer FIG. 2; refer FIG. 2). The
11

air pressure sensors may be installed inside each tyre to directly measure the tyre pressure.
[030] The controller 120, upon receiving the real-time pressure value
5 of the tyre, may compare the real-time air pressure value with a target air
pressure value. Further, based on the comparison, the controller 120 may generate the signal for the actuator 110 to configure the plunger 108 in the second position, to thereby close the inlet port 104 and the outlet port 106 when the real-time air pressure value equals the target air pressure value. For
10 example, the target air pressure value for the tyre is 135 pounds per square
inch (psi). Therefore, when the valve 100 is deployed for filling the tyre with air from the brake air tank (the terms “storage tank” and “brake air tank” may have been used interchangeably in this disclosure), and the real-time air pressure of the tyre reaches 135 psi, the actuator 110 may automatically cut
15 off further supply of air from the brake tank to the tyre, by configuring the
plunger 108 in the second position.
[031] In some embodiments, the valve 100 may further include a
pressure regulating assembly 114 that may be configured to reduce the
20 pressure of the supply of air from the input pressure value to the target air
pressure value. For example, when the target air pressure value for the tyre is 135 psi and the input pressure value is more than 135 psi, then the pressure regulating assembly 114 may reduce the pressure at which the air is supplied from the brake air tank to the tyre. The pressure regulating assembly 114 may
25 include a pressure regulating plunger 114A and an associated biasing member
114B. For example, the biasing member 114B may be a compression spring that may bias the movement of the pressure regulating plunger 114A. The air supplied from the brake air tank may pass through the pressure regulating plunger 114A, and the spring force of the biasing member 114B acting on the
12

pressure regulating plunger 114A may cause the pressure regulation of the air, as will be explained below.
[032] During operation of the valve 100, high pressure air from the
5 brake air tank may enter the valve 100 via the inlet port 104. The high-
pressure air may pass through the pressure regulating assembly 114. The pressure regulating plunger 114A and the associated biasing member 114B may be configured at a desired pressure. The pressure regulating plunger 114A and the associated biasing member 114B may reduce the pressure of the
10 air to a lower pressure and the low pressure air may be supplied to the tyre
via the outlet port 106. The pressure regulating plunger 114A may be assembled in the valve body 102 in a cylindrical slot, as shown in FIG. 1. In particular, the air coming from the inlet port 104 pushes down the pressure regulating plunger 114A against the biasing force of the pressure regulating
15 plunger 114A. As a result, some of the air escapes through the gap created
between the valve body 102 and the pressure regulating plunger 114A, to reach the outlet port 106. As a result of the air overcoming the biasing force of the pressure regulating plunger 114A, and the reduction in the amount of air moving to the outlet port 106, the air pressure at the outlet port 106 may be
20 reduced. Therefore, the pressure regulating plunger 114A and the associated
biasing member 114B may regulate the air pressure of the air supplied to the tyre.
[033] When the real-time pressure of the tyre reaches the target air
25 pressure value, the controller 120 may then activate a buzzer 118 (and
optionally a LED 116), to indicate the user filling air in the tyre that air filling
needs to be stopped. This also allows the user to stop operation of the
compressor of the vehicle in the engine idling condition. The buzzer 118 may
be connected to the controller 120, and may function based on the input from
30 the controller 120. When the real-time pressure of the tyre reaches the target
13

air pressure value, the buzzer 118 may be activated by the controller 120. Until the real-time pressure of the tyre has not reached the target air pressure value, the buzzer 118 may not be activated.
5 [034] However, a failure in cutting off further supply of air from the
brake tank to the tyre (when the real-time air pressure value equals the target air pressure value) may lead to overpressure in the tyre and even bursting of the tyre. To this end, the valve 100 may further include a pressure relief assembly 112 that may be rated at the target air pressure value. The pressure
10 relief assembly 112 may be configured to redirect the supply of air from the at
least one air storage tank to atmosphere, when the plunger 108 is configured in the first position and the real-time air pressure associated with the tyre exceeds the target air pressure value. For example, for the target air pressure value being 135 psi, the pressure relief assembly 112 may also be rated at 135
15 psi. As such, when the real-time air pressure of the tyre exceeds 135 psi, for
example, due to the failure of the actuator 110 in cutting off further supply of air from the brake tank to the tyre, the pressure relief assembly 112 may redirect the supply of air from the brake air tank to atmosphere.
20 [035] As shown in FIG. 1, the pressure relief assembly 112, in some
embodiments, may include a spring-loaded screw 112A operable in a pressure relief port 112B. The pressure relief assembly 112 may be rated at the target air pressure value by rotating the spring-loaded screw 112A. Since the target air pressure value for different tyres may vary, therefore, the spring-loaded
25 screw 112A may be used for rating the pressure relief assembly 112 at the
desired target air pressure value simply by rotating the spring-loaded screw 112A. The pressure relief assembly 112 may further include a relief pressure spring 112B and a ball 112C, both of which may be assembled in a cylindrical bore provided in valve body 102, as shown in FIG. 1. The ball 112C may be
30 provided over the relief pressure spring 112B, to release the air pressure.
14

[036] During operation, some of the air escaping the pressure
regulating plunger 114A reaches the ball 112C. If the pressure of air reaching
the ball 112C is not sufficient to overcome the biasing force of the relief
5 pressure spring 112B, the pressure relief assembly 112 may not work, i.e. no
pressure release takes place via the pressure relief assembly 112. However, when the air pressure increases because of tyre air pressure increasing beyond the target air pressure value, the air reaching the ball 112C may overcome the biasing force of the relief pressure spring 112B. As a result, the
10 air may flow through the bore in which the relief pressure spring 112B is
located, and may be released through a pressure relief port 112D. The relief pressure spring 112B may be further coupled to the spring-loaded screw 112A. By rotating the spring-loaded screw 112A, spring load is applied on the ball 112C to adjust safety relief pressure (for example, corresponding to the
15 target air pressure value).
[037] Referring now to FIG. 2, a schematic diagram of a vehicle 200 is
illustrated in accordance with some embodiments. The vehicle 200, for example, may be any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as a truck, or a
20 trailer, etc. The vehicle 200 may include a primary air tank 202A and a
secondary air tank 202B. For example, as already mentioned above, each of the primary air tank 202A and the secondary air tank 202B may be a brake air tank. Some vehicles, however, may implement only one air tank, i.e. one of the primary air tank 202A and the secondary air tank 202B. The vehicle 200 may
25 further include an instrument cluster 204 which may be configured to display
information related to various operating parameters of the vehicle 200, including real-time pressure of tyres 210A, 210B, 210C, 210D (hereinafter, collectively referred to as tyres 210) of the vehicle 200. To obtain the real-time pressure of the tyres 210, the instrument cluster 204 may be communicatively
30 coupled with a TPMS ECU 206 (for example, the TPMS ECU 206 may be
15

integrated with the ECU of the vehicle; the TPMS ECU 206 is equivalent to the
controller 120 of the FIG. 1). The TPMS ECU 206 may be further coupled with
air pressure sensors 206A, 206B, 206C, 206D (hereinafter, collectively
referred to as air pressure sensors 206) which may obtain the real-time
5 pressure of the tyres 210.
[038] When a low pressure is detected by the TPMS ECU 206 in any of
the tyres 210, the TPMS ECU 206 may cause to generate a notification that may
be displayed on the instrument cluster 204 prompting the user to fill air in that
10 tyre. Further, in some embodiments, the TPMS ECU 206 may cause to apply a
parking brake pedal 212 of the vehicle 200 to prevent starting of the vehicle, and also to allow safe operation of filling air in the tyres.
[039] In order to fill air in the tyre(s) 210, the valve 100 may be used.
15 The valve 100 may be connected to one of the primary air tank 202A and the
secondary air tank 202B, depending on which of the two contains sufficient amount of air. The valve 100 may be further connected to the tyre 210 which requires filling of air using a hose 214. As described in conjunction with FIG. 1, the valve 100 may be manually coupled to one of the primary air tank 202A
20 and the secondary air tank 202B to receive a supply of air. The valve 100 may,
and in particular, the outlet port 106 of the valve 100 may be manually coupled to the tyre 210, when the tyre needs to be filled with air. To start the air filling operation, the user may operate an air filling switch 208 to initiate the valve 100.
25
[040] By default, the plunger 108 of the valve 100 may be configured
in the second position so that the inlet port 104 and the outlet port 106 are closed. When the TPMS ECU 206 detects a low pressure in any of the tyres 210, the TPMS ECU 206 may cause the actuator 110 to move the plunger 108 to the
30 first position, to allow passage of the supply of air from one of the primary air
16

tank 202A and the secondary air tank 202B to the tyre 210 till a real-time air
pressure value associated with the tyre equals the target air pressure value.
Further, when the real-time air pressure value equals the target air pressure
value, the actuator 110 may configure the plunger 108 in the second position
5 to thereby close the inlet port 104 and the outlet port 106. To this end, the
TPMS ECU 206 may obtain the real-time pressure value of the tyres 210 (being filled with air), and compare the real-time air pressure value with a target air pressure value. Based on the comparison, the TPMS ECU 206 may generate the signal for the actuator 110 to configure the plunger 108 in the second position,
10 to thereby close the inlet port 104 and the outlet port 106. Additionally, when
the real-time pressure of the tyre reaches the target air pressure value, the TPMS ECU 206 may detect that the same, and may then activate the buzzer 118 (and optionally the LED 116), to indicate to the user that filling air in the tyre needs to be stopped.
15
[041] The valve 100 may further include the pressure relief assembly
112 that may be rated at the target air pressure value, and configured to redirect the supply of air from the at least one air storage tank to atmosphere, when the plunger 108 is configured in the first position and the real-time air
20 pressure associated with the tyre exceeds the target air pressure value. The
valve 100 may further include the pressure regulating assembly 114 that may reduce the pressure of the supply of air from the input pressure value to the target air pressure value. For example, when the target air pressure value for the tyre is 135 psi and the input pressure value is more than 135 psi, then then
25 the pressure regulating assembly 114 may reduce the pressure at which the
air is supplied from the brake air tank to the tyre.
[042] Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of the controller 120
(for example, the TPMS ECU of the vehicle) communicatively coupled with
30 various components is illustrated, in accordance with some embodiments. As
17

described above, the controller 120 may be coupled with the instrument cluster 204, the air filling switch 208, and the actuator 110.
[043] The controller 120 may obtain a real-time pressure value of the
5 tyre from the air pressure sensors 206A, 206B, 206C, 206D. In some
embodiments, the controller 120 may be additionally or alternatively connected to a wheel speed sensor 302. The wheel speed sensor 302 may be configured to obtain the speed of the rotation of a tyre of the tyres 210. The speed of the rotation of the tyre may be used by the controller to determine
10 the air pressure of the tyre. Additionally, the speed of the rotation of the tyre
210 may be used by the controller 120 to determine whether the vehicle is moving or not. As such, when low pressure is detected in one of the tyres 210 while the vehicle is in motion, the controller may generate a notification for the user indicating to stop the vehicle and fill air in the said tyre.
15
[044] The controller 120 may obtain various operating parameters of
the vehicle 200 from the instrument cluster 204. Further, the controller 120 may cause to display a notification related to the need for filling of air in the tyre(s) 210, via the instrument cluster 204. As described above, to start the air
20 filling operation, the user may operate the air filling switch 208 to initiate the
valve 100. In response to the user operating the air filling switch 208, the controller 120 may receive the instruction from the air filling switch 208, and cause to trigger the actuator 110. The controller 120 may activate the actuator 110 to move the plunger in the first position when there is requirement of tyre
25 air filling. The controller 120 may further cause the actuator 110 to configure
the plunger 108 in the second position (to close the inlet port 104 and the outlet port 106), when the real-time air pressure value equals the target air pressure value.
18

[045] The controller 120 may be further connected to the brake air
tank pressure sensor 306 that may be configured to obtain air pressure inside
the primary air tank 202A and/or the secondary air tank 202B. In case of low
pressure of one of the tyres 210, the controller 120 may determine whether to
5 use the primary air tank 202A or the secondary air tank 202B for receiving air
supply. Also, the controller 120 may determine whether there is sufficient amount of air available in one of the primary air tank 202A and the secondary air tank 202B for filling in the said tyre; when sufficient amount of air is not available in one of the primary air tank 202A and the secondary air tank 202B,
10 then the controller 120 may generate a notification for the user to first fill the
primary air tank 202A and/or the secondary air tank 202B, upon switching ON the engine of the vehicle and the air compressor. Once the primary air tank 202A and/or the secondary air tank 202B, the controller 120 may notify the user who may then use the valve 100 to fill air in the tyre.
15
[046] The controller 120 may be further connected to the parking
brake 308. In case of low pressure in any of the tyres 210, the controller 120 may cause to apply parking brake 308 automatically and prevent starting of the vehicle, to thereby allow safe operation of filling air in the tyres.
20
[047] In some embodiments, the valve 100 may include an electrically
operated pressure relief system 310 (corresponding to the pressure relief system 112). As mentioned above, the valve 100 may further include the pressure relief assembly 112 that may be rated at the target air pressure value.
25 The pressure relief assembly 112 may redirect the supply of air from the at
least one air storage tank to atmosphere, when the plunger 108 is configured in the first position and the real-time air pressure associated with the tyre exceeds the target air pressure value. In some embodiments, the pressure relief system 310 may be electrically controlled by the controller 120. For
19

example, based on the target air pressure value, the pressure relief system 310 may be automatically rated by the controller 120.
[048] The controller 120 may be further connected to a wireless
5 communication module 312, for example, a Bluetooth module. The controller
120 may send notifications on a smartphone of the user of the user through the wireless communication module 312.
[049] Referring now to FIG. 4, a flowchart of a method 400 of filling
10 air in a tyre of a vehicle is illustrated in accordance with some embodiments.
For example, the method 400 may be performed by the controller 120. The controller 120 may be the TPMS ECU 206 or another ECU in the vehicle.
[050] In some embodiments, at step 402, the input pressure value
15 associated with the at least one air storage tank may be compared with the
target air pressure value (or a predefined threshold pressure value) to determine whether the input pressure value is more than the target air pressure value or not. If at step 402 it is determined that the input pressure value is lesser than the target air pressure value, the method may proceed to
20 step 404 (“No Path”), wherein a notification may be triggered for filling the at
least one air storage tank. Once the at least one air storage tank is fille with air, the method 400 may once again proceed to step 402. If at step 402, it is determined that the input pressure value is more than the target air pressure value, the method 400 may proceed to step 406 (“Yes Path”). In other words,
25 when sufficient amount of air is not available in the at least one air storage
tank, then the notification may be generated for the user to first fill the at least one air storage tank, by switching ON the engine of the vehicle and a compressor for the at least one air storage tank. Additionally, once the brake air tank has been filled with the sufficient amount of air, a notification may be
30 generated to notify the user who may then use the valve 100 to fill air in the
20

tyre from the at least one air storage tank. Further, the controller 120 may allow the valve 100 to fill the air in the tyre, by configuring the plunger 108 in the first position.
5 [051] At step 406, the actuator 110 may be caused to configure the
plunger 108 of the valve 100 in the first position, to thereby open the inlet port 104 and the outlet port 106 of the valve 100, when the valve 100 is fluidically coupled with at least one air storage tank via the inlet port 104 to receive a supply of air from the at least one air storage tank. The supply of air from the
10 at least one air storage tank may be available at the input pressure value.
Further, the valve 100 may be fluidically coupled with the tyre of the vehicle via the outlet port of the valve to direct the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre. As described above, the valve 100 may include the plunger 108 configured to move between the first position and the
15 second position. In the first position, the plunger 108 may open the inlet port
104 and the outlet port 106 to allow passage of the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre. Further, in the second position, the plunger may close the inlet port and the outlet port to block passage of the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre. The
20 valve 100 may further include the actuator 110 which may be configured to
move the plunger 108 between the first position and the second position.
[052] At step 408, a real-time air pressure value associated with the
tyre may be received. The real-time pressure value of the tyre may be obtained
25 from an air pressure sensor associated with the tyre. At step 408, the real-time
air pressure value of the tyre may be compared with the target air pressure value. The target air pressure value may be a desired pressure value for the tyre. At step 410, based on the comparison, the actuator 110 may be caused to configure the plunger 108 in the second position, to thereby close the inlet port

104 and the outlet port 106 when the real-time air pressure value equals the target air pressure value.
[053] One or more techniques are described above for filing air in a
5 tyre of a vehicle from an air storage tank onboard the vehicle, using a valve.
The techniques allow for inflation of the tyre of the vehicle in case of low tyre pressure, when the vehicle is away from an external air source. The valve of the above disclosure is aa compact, low cost, and low maintenance solution that can be implemented easily. The valve provides for a ready solution in case
10 of low tyre pressure, thereby avoiding fuel efficiency losses due to insufficient
tyre pressure. The techniques further provide for notifying the user about low pressure, and also about the target air pressure value being achieved in the tyre during air filling operation, via a buzzer, a LED, or notification on a smartphone. Further, the valve requires no electrical power to operate.
15 Furthermore, the valve incorporates a fail-safe mechanism, i.e. the pressure
relief system that avoids over-pressuring of the tyre.
[054] Although the controller implementing the techniques of the
present subject matter is explained as a TPMS ECU, in an implementation, the
20 controller may be another ECU, that is not responsible for monitoring tire
pressure.
[055] It is intended that the disclosure and examples be considered as
exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of disclosed embodiments being
25 indicated by the following claims.

We Claim:
1. A valve (100) for filling air in a tyre of a vehicle, the valve (100) comprising:
an inlet port (104) configured to fluidically couple with at least one air
5 storage tank and to receive a supply of air from the at least one air storage
tank, wherein the supply of air from the at least one air storage tank is
available at an input pressure value;
an outlet port (106) configured to fluidically couple with a tyre of the
vehicle to direct the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank
10 to the tyre;
a plunger (108) configured to move between a first position and a second position,
wherein in the first position, the plunger (108) is to open the inlet port
(104) and the outlet port (106) to allow passage of the supply of air received
15 from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre, and
wherein in the second position, the plunger (108) is to close the inlet port (104) and the outlet port (106) to block passage of the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre;
an actuator (110) configured to move the plunger (108) between the
20 first position and the second position, wherein the actuator (110) is configured
to move the plunger (108) in the first position to allow passage of the supply
of air from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre till a real-time air
pressure value associated with the tyre equals the target air pressure value;
and
25 a pressure relief assembly (112) configured to be rated at the target air
pressure value, wherein the pressure relief assembly (112) is configured to redirect the supply of air from the at least one air storage tank to atmosphere, when the plunger (108) is configured in the first position and the real-time air pressure value associated with the tyre exceeds the target air pressure value. 30
23

2. The valve (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure relief assembly
(112) comprises a spring-loaded screw (112A) operable in a pressure relief
port (112B), wherein the pressure relief assembly (112) is rated at the target
air pressure value by rotating the spring-loaded screw (112A).
5
3. The valve (100) as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:
a pressure regulating assembly (114) comprising: a pressure
regulating plunger (114A) and an associated biasing member (114B), the
pressure regulating plunger (114A) being fluidically coupled with the inlet
10 port (104) and the outlet port (106), wherein the pressure regulating
assembly (114) is configured to reduce the pressure of the supply of air from the input pressure value to the target air pressure value.
4. The valve (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator (110) is a
15 solenoid-based actuator (110) adapted to generate a linear displacement.
5. A vehicle comprising:
at least one air storage tank;
a valve (100) comprising:
20 an inlet port (104) configured to fluidically couple with the at least one
air storage tank and to receive a supply of air from the at least one air storage tank, wherein the supply of air from the at least one air storage tank is available at an input pressure value;
an outlet port (106) configured to fluidically couple with a tyre of the
25 vehicle to direct the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank
to the tyre;
a plunger (108) configured to move between a first position and a second position,

wherein in the first position, the plunger (108) is to open the inlet port (104) and the outlet port (106) to allow passage of the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre, and
wherein in the second position, the plunger (108) is to close the inlet
5 port (104) and the outlet port (106) to block passage of the supply of air
received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre; and
an actuator (110) configured to move the plunger (108) between the first position and the second position; and
a controller communicatively coupled with the actuator (110), wherein
10 the controller is configured to:
cause the actuator (110) to configure the plunger (108) in the first position, to thereby open the inlet port (104) and the outlet port (106);
receive a real-time air pressure value associated with the tyre;
compare the real-time air pressure value with a target air pressure
15 value; and
based on the comparison, cause the actuator (110) to configure the plunger (108) in the second position, to thereby close the inlet port (104) and the outlet port (106) when the real-time air pressure value equals the target air pressure value. 20
6. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the valve (100) further comprises:
a pressure regulating assembly (114) comprising: a pressure
regulating plunger (114A) and an associated biasing member (114B), the
25 pressure regulating plunger (114A) being fluidically coupled with the inlet
port (104) and the outlet port (106), wherein the pressure regulating assembly (114) is configured to reduce the pressure of the supply of air from the at least one air storage tank to the target air pressure value.

7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the valve (100) further
comprises:
a pressure relief assembly (112) configured to be rated at the target air
pressure value, wherein the pressure relief assembly (112) is configured to
5 redirect the supply of air from the at least one air storage tank to atmosphere,
when the plunger (108) is configured in the first position and the real-time air
pressure value associated with the tyre exceeds the target air pressure value.
8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the actuator (110) is a solenoid-
10 based actuator (110) adapted to generate a linear displacement.
9. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller is further
configured to:
compare the input pressure value associated with the at least one air
15 storage tank with the target air pressure value; and
based on the comparison, trigger a notification for filling the at least one air storage tank, when the input pressure value associated with the at least one air storage tank is less than the target air pressure value.
20 10. A method of filling air in a tyre of a vehicle, the method comprising:
causing an actuator (110) to configure a plunger (108) of a valve (100) in a first position, to thereby open an inlet port (104) and an outlet port (106) of the valve (100), when the valve (100) is fluidically coupled with:
at least one air storage tank via the inlet port (104) to receive a supply
25 of air from the at least one air storage tank, wherein the supply of air from the
at least one air storage tank is available at an input pressure value; and
a tyre of the vehicle via the outlet port (106) to direct the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre;
wherein the valve (100) comprises:

a plunger (108) configured to move between a first position and a second position,
wherein in the first position, the plunger (108) is to open the inlet port
(104) and the outlet port (106) to allow passage of the supply of air received
5 from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre, and
wherein in the second position, the plunger (108) is to close the inlet port (104) and the outlet port (106) to block passage of the supply of air received from the at least one air storage tank to the tyre; and
an actuator (110) configured to move the plunger (108) between the
10 first position and the second position;
receiving a real-time air pressure value associated with the tyre,
comparing the real-time air pressure value with a target air pressure value; and
based on the comparison, causing the actuator (110) to configure the
15 plunger (108) in the second position, to thereby close the inlet port (104) and
the outlet port (106) when the real-time air pressure value equals the target air pressure value.
11. The method as claimed in claim 10, comprising:
20 comparing the input pressure value associated with the at least one air
storage tank with the target air pressure value; and
based on the comparison, triggering a notification for filling the at least
one air storage tank, when the input pressure value associated with the at least
one air storage tank is less than the target air pressure value.
25
Dated this 28 day of March 2023
TATA MOTORS LIMITED By their Agent & Attorney
--Digitally Signed--
Raghavan Ravindran Nair
REGN. NO. IN/PA-121
of De Penning & De Penning