US 11,904,644 B2
Inflation system for tubeless tires
Brett Robert Courtney, Menlo Park, CA (US); and James Mathew Amaral, Morgan Hill, CA (US)
Assigned to Santa Cruz Bicycles, LLC, Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed by Santa Cruz Bicycles, LLC, Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed on May 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/752,383.
Application 17/752,383 is a continuation of application No. 17/182,926, filed on Feb. 23, 2021, granted, now 11,338,632.
Application 17/182,926 is a continuation of application No. 16/852,292, filed on Apr. 17, 2020, granted, now 10,926,591, issued on Feb. 23, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/914,041, filed on Oct. 11, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/835,206, filed on Apr. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0013940 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. B60C 29/00 (2006.01); F16K 15/20 (2006.01); B60C 29/06 (2006.01); B60C 5/16 (2006.01); B60C 23/04 (2006.01)
CPC B60C 29/005 (2013.01) [B60C 5/16 (2013.01); B60C 29/062 (2013.01); B60C 23/0496 (2013.01); F16K 15/20 (2013.01); Y10T 137/0491 (2015.04); Y10T 137/374 (2015.04)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An inflation valve for a tubeless tire, the valve comprising:
a valve body having a proximal end and an open distal end, and defining an internal cavity;
a valve stem extending continuously through the internal cavity, such that a threaded end of the valve stem protrudes beyond the open distal end of the valve body; and
a monolithic removable cap having internal threads configured to mate with the threaded end of the valve stem, and a cylindrical body configured to receive an end portion of the valve body when installed;
wherein the proximal end of the valve body comprises a valve seat having an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the valve body, and a corresponding proximal end of the valve stem includes a resilient seating surface;
wherein the removable cap is configured to be transitionable between:
(a) a first position wherein the cap is screwed fully onto the threaded end of the valve stem, such that an interior surface of the cap abuts the distal end of the valve body, preventing both the valve stem and the cap from moving axially toward the proximal end of the valve body;
(b) a second position wherein the cap is partially unscrewed from the threaded end of the valve stem, such that the cap remains coupled to the threaded end, but the interior surface of the cap does not abut the distal end of the valve body; and
(c) an open position, wherein the cap is axially transitioned toward the proximal end of the valve, and wherein the resilient seating surface is unseated and spaced apart from the valve seat;
wherein the removable cap further comprises a channel extending along an inner surface of the cylindrical body and terminating in an open end of the cap, such that the channel is configured to direct a flow of air to exit the valve when the removable cap is in the open position.