Tire fill nozzle and dryer

Abstract

A tire fill nozzle having an integrated dryer for drying compressed air or gas delivered to a tire. According to exemplary disclosed embodiments, the tire fill nozzle comprises a main body, an inlet connector on the main body adapted to engage an air/gas line, an outlet connector on the main body adapted to engage a tire valve stem, and a dryer in the main body adapted to dry air/gas passing through the nozzle. The dryer may comprise a drying composition, such as a desiccant, that can be permanently disposed within the main body or optionally disposed within a replaceable cartridge. Further optional features of the tire fill nozzle include (1) an integrated dryness indicator provided by a dryness indicating material, such as a color-changing desiccant, within a transparent or translucent portion of the nozzle (or an indicating cartridge) such that the dryness indicating material is visible from outside the nozzle, (2) an integrated air/gas filter, (3) a tire valve fitting at the inlet end, (4) a fitting at the outlet end adapted to threadably engage a tire valve stem, and (5) an integrated tire pressure gauge comprising an analog or digital display.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A tire fill nozzle having an integrated dryer for drying compressed air or gas delivered to a tire.  
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said dryer comprises a drying composition.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said drying composition comprises a desiccant.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said drying composition is disposed within a replaceable cartridge.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further including an integrated dryness indicator.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said dryness indicator comprises a dryness indicating material within a transparent or translucent portion of said nozzle such that said dryness indicating material is visible from outside said nozzle.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said dryness indicating material comprises a color-changing desiccant and said transparent or translucent portion of said nozzle comprises a main body portion of said nozzle.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said color-changing desiccant is disposed in an indicating cartridge.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said dryer comprises a drying composition and said dryness indicating material is co-mingled with said drying composition.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said co-mingled indicating material and drying composition are disposed directly in a main body portion of said nozzle or in a cartridge in said main body.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further including an integrated air/gas filter.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus according to  claim 9 , further including an integrated tire pressure gauge comprising one of an analog or digital display.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further including an inlet connector.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said inlet connector comprises one of a quick-disconnect compressed air fitting or a tire valve fitting.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further including an outlet connector.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein said outlet connector comprises one of a Schrader valve actuator or a fitting adapted to threadably engage a tire valve stem fitting.  
     
     
         17 . A method for filling a tire with a low-moisture air or gas, comprising: 
 selecting a tire fill nozzle having an integrated dryer for drying compressed air or gas delivered to a tire, an inlet and an outlet;    attaching a source of compressed air or gas to said inlet;    attaching said outlet to a tire valve-stem fitting; and    filling said tire with said compressed air or gas that has been dried as a result of passing through said tire fill nozzle.    
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , further including inserting a cartridge containing a drying composition into a main body portion of said tire fill nozzle.  
     
     
         19 . A drying cartridge for a tire fill nozzle adapted to delivering dried compressed air or gas to a tire, comprising: 
 a cartridge body having an outside diameter of not more than approximately ½ inches and a length of not more than approximately 6 inches;    an inlet end on said body;    an outlet end on said body;    said inlet end and said outlet end being permeable to compressed air or gas and configured for filtering said compressed air or gas; and    a drying composition in said body, said drying composition comprising desiccant beads having a diameter in a range of approximately 0.0625-0.25 inches.    
     
     
         20 . A tire fill nozzle, comprising: 
 a main body;    an inlet connector on said main body adapted to engage an air/gas line;    an outlet connector on said main body adapted to engage a tire valve stem;    a dryer in said main body adapted to dry air or gas passing through said nozzle, said dryer comprising a desiccant drying composition;    an integrated dryness indicator comprising a color-changing desiccant dryness indicating material within a transparent or translucent portion of said nozzle such that said dryness indicating material is visible from outside said nozzle; and    an integrated air/gas filter.