Central tire inflation system
First Claim
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.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A central tire inflation system (10) comprising a pressure relief valve (180) fluidly interposed control means (142, 156, 164, 154, 172) and a tire valve assembly (56, 58) is provided. The control valve assembly is effective to selectively pressurize or exhaust a first conduit (170) connected to a first port (178) of the pressure relief valve, a second conduit (50, 52) extends from a third port (184) of the pressure relief valve to the tire valve assembly and a second port (182) is connected to atmosphere. The pressure relief valve is effective to establish fluid communication between said first and second ports thereof when the pressure in said first conduit exceeds the pressure in said second conduit and to establish fluid communication between the second conduit and the exhaust port (182) if the pressure in said second conduit exceeds the pressure in said first conduit. The tire valve assembly is fluidly connected to a third conduit (68) fluidly connected to the interior pressurized chamber (74) of an inflatable tire (12). The tire valve assembly is effective in response to pressurization of the second conduit above a first reference pressure and pressurization of said interior chamber above a minimum tire pressure reference value to establish fluid flow between said second and third conduits.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A vehicle onboard tire inflation system comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A central tire inflation system for pressurizing a first and a second tire to substantially equal pressure, said system comprising;
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control means for selectively pressurizing and exhausting a first conduit; a first 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,first tire valve means rotatably mounted to said first 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 first tire, said first tire valve means automatically responsive to pressurization of said second conduit and said pressurized chamber of said first tire to establish and block fluid communication between said fourth port and said fifth port, a second pressure relief valve having a sixth port for fluid connection to said first conduit, a seventh port for fluid connection to atmosphere and an eighth port connected to a third conduit;
said pressure relief valve automatically responsive to fluid pressure in said first and third conduits and effective to establish fluid flow between said sixth and third conduits and to block said eighth port if the pressurization in said first conduit is equal to or greater than the pressurization in said third conduit and to establish fluid flow between said third conduit and said eighth port and to block said sixth port if the pressurization in said third conduit is greater than the pressurization in said first conduit,second tire valve means rotatably mounted to said second inflatable tire and having a ninth port for fluid connection to said third conduit and a tenth port fluidly connected with the interior pressurized chamber of said second tire, said second tire valve means automatically responsive to pressurization of said third conduit and said pressurized chamber of said second tire to establish and block fluid communication between said ninth port and said fourth port; and
,a fourth conduit fluidly connecting said third and said eighth ports. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification