The tire inflation manifold would consist of a small hollow metal component, a Schrader valve, and 4 air hoses. At the end of each air hose would be a special clamp/valve combo, which would only allow air to pass through when the clamp is attached to a tire.

To use it, one simply clamps all of the hoses onto the all of the tires. This automatically equalizes the pressures of the tires.

Then, one measures air pressure at the device's valve, and similarly adds air if necessary.

Then one unclamps the hoses from the tires and stores the device for future use.

The benefits are: (1) You can be absolutely sure that all of the tires have the same pressure. (2) You only need to measure pressure and fill once, not four times. This is especially important if your gas station charges money for the use of their air inflator -- in many setups, the machine's only on for about 2-3 minutes from the time you put in your money, which often not enough to put air in all four car tires. (3) You can hold the manifold at a comfortable height, while standing upright, while measuring pressure and filling the tires. Thus, fewer back or knee pains.
-- goldbb, Apr 30 2009

Good idea, but might need to be for 2 tyres only since most cars have different pressure front/rear. Also you'll need check valves, or manual valves at each tyre for the disconnection process.

This would also be very good to help with a flat tyre that needs temporary inflation to get somewhere safe (or would you end up with 4 flat tyres?).
-- Ling, Apr 30 2009


I can't think of any vehicle I've owned which uses the same pressures all round, as mentioned by Ling.

Perhaps a useful variation would have an appropriate pressure limiting valve at each corner, so you don't have to set pressure at the input, just squirt air in until all four valves close.

The next logical step is to integrate this into the vehicle and add a small electric pump. This is already available.

I'd suggest this is in fact half of a baked idea.
-- Twizz, May 01 2009


Actually, the next logical step would be to integrate four short pull-out air hoses behind small doors (similar to the door over the car's gas cap), one just above each tire. An integrated air pump would send it's compressed air through internal pipes to these hoses. Each hose would end with a special valve which would let air through only when the valve is clamped onto the tire, and only when the pressure in the tire is below the target. If the tire pressure is above the target by a certain number of psi, then that excess tire air would be vented.

But this would be much more expensive than my original idea, since it needs to be built into the car.
-- goldbb, May 04 2009



random, halfbakery