Wheel end valve for central tire inflation system

• US 4,678,017 A
• Filed: 07/01/1985
• Issued: 07/07/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Schultz, Gary R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoch, Ramon R.
• Application Number:
  US06/750,363
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 152/415, 152/416, 152/417, 152/427, 141/95, 141/197, 141/38, 141/46, 137/102, 137/224, 137/226, 137/510, 137/625.18, 137/225, 137/859
• US Class Current: 152/416
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00318 on the wheels or the hubs
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00354 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00363 Details of sealings
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/00372 characterised by fluid diagrams
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/144 the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3631 Diaphragm, bellows or expansible tube

Abstract

A modular tire valve assembly (11) for a central tire inflation system (10) comprising a valve body (212) having only a first (66) and a second (72) fluid connection from the exterior to the interior thereof is provided. The first fluid connection comprises a first port connected to a selectively pressurized and exhausted conduit (52) and the second fluid connection comprises a second port connected to the interior pressurized chamber (74) of an inflatable tire (12). The assembly includes first valve means (220) responsive to pressurization and exhausting of said selectively pressurized and exhausted conduit to establish or block, respectively, fluid communication between said first and second ports and second valve means (280) responsive to pressurization in said interior tire chamber to maintain said first valve means in the closed position thereof if said interior tire chamber is pressurized below a predetermined reference pressure. The diaphragm valve means (220 and 280, respectively) are located at the interfaces of the first (202) and second (204) modules and of the second (204 ) and third (206) modules, respectively.

Claims

1. A modular wheel end valve assembly for a central tire inflation system comprising a valve body having only a first and a second fluid connection from the exterior to the interior thereof, said first fluid connection defined by a first port for connection to a selectively pressurized and exhausted conduit, said second fluid connection defined by a second port for connection to the interior pressurized chamber of an inflatable tire, said valve assembly comprising first valve means responsive to pressurization of said selectively pressurized and exhausted conduit to assume a first position for establishing fluid communication between said first and second ports and responsive to exhausting to atmosphere of said selectively pressurized and exhausted conduit to assume a second position for blocking fluid communication between said first and second ports thereof, said first valve means comprising a first diaphragm having a first surface exposed to fluid pressure at said first port and an opposed second larger surface, said valve assembly comprising second valve means constantly in fluid communication with said second port and responsive to a sensed pressurization of said interior chamber of said tire being less than a predetermined minimum reference pressure to automatically maintain said first valve means in said second position thereof, said assembly characterized by:

said second valve means comprising a second diaphragm having a third suface constantly exposed to fluid pressure at said first port and an opposed fourth surface substantially greater surface constantly exposed to fluid pressure at said second port, said second diaphragm normally biased by fluid pressure in said second port exceeding said minimum reference pressure to block fluid communication between said first port and said second surface and responsive to fluid pressure at said second port not exceeding said minimum reference value to establish fluid/communication between said first port and said second surface.

2. The assembly of claim 1 comprising a first module, a second module and a third module, said first diaphragm located at the interface of said first and second modules and said second diaphragm located at the interface of said second and third modules.

3. The assembly of claim 2, additionally comprising third valve means responsive to opening of said first valve means and pressurization of said second port exceeding pressurization of said first port to establish fluid communication between said second port and an exhaust port, said third valve means comprising a third diaphragm having a fifth surface exposed to pressure at said first port and an opposed larger sixth surface relatively exposed to pressure at said second port, said third module comprising a first and a second submodule, said third diaphragm located at the interface of said first and second submodules.