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Central tire inflation system

  • US 4,640,331 A
  • Filed: 06/04/1984
  • Issued: 02/03/1987
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1984
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A vehicle onboard tire inflation system comprising:

  • control means for selectively pressurizing and exhausting a first conduit;

    a pressure relief valve having a first port for fluid connection to said first conduit, a second port for fluid connection to atmosphere and a third port connected to a second conduit;

    said pressure relief valve automatically responsive to fluid pressure in said first and second conduits and effective to establish fluid flow between said first and second conduits and to block said second port if the pressurization in said first conduit is equal to or greater than the pressurization in said second conduit, and to establish fluid flow between said second conduit and said second port and to block said first port if the pressurization in said second conduit is greater than the pressurization in said first conduit;

    tire valve means rotatably mounted to an inflatable tire and having a fourth port for fluid connection to said second conduit and a fifth port fluidly connected with the interior pressurized chamber of said tire, said tire valve means automatically responsive to pressurization of said second conduit and of said interior pressurized chamber to establish and block fluid communication between said fourth port and said fifth port;

    said tire valve means effective to establish fluid communication between said fourth port and said fifth port when said second conduit is pressurized to a pressure greater than a predetermined first reference pressure and said interior pressurized chamber is pressurized to a pressure equal to or greater than a minimum tire reference pressure;

    said tire valve effective to establish fluid communication between said fourth and fifth ports, when the pressure in said interior tire chamber exceeds a maximum tire pressure reference value;

    said tire valve effective to block communication between said fourth and fifth ports when the pressure in said second conduit does not exceed said first reference pressure and the pressure in said interior tire chamber does not exceed a predetermined maximum tire reference pressure; and

    said tire valve effective to block fluid communication between said fourth and fifth ports if said interior chamber of said tire is pressurized to a pressure less than said minimum tire reference pressure value regardless of the magnitude of pressure in said second conduit.

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