Failure tolerant tire inflation system
First Claim
1. A failure tolerant tire inflation system for supplying pressurized air from an onboard source to a plurality of pneumatic tires on a moving vehicle in the event of a drop in pressure in one or more of the tires below a predetermined target level or a failure of the system, the system comprising:
- a tire inflation valve communicable with the onboard source of pressurized air;
a tire selector valve assembly communicating with said tire inflation valve for selectively communicating air from said tire inflation valve with the vehicle tires;
a plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies, each of said assemblies communicating with at least one of the tires and selectively communicating with said tire selector valve assembly;
a controller for selectively activating and deactivating said tire inflation valve to open and close said valve, said tire selector valve assembly and said plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies to sequentially check the air pressure in the tires and direct air from said tire inflation valve to any tire in which the checked air pressure was below said predetermined target level; and
means operatively connected to said controller for detecting the pressure level within one of said vehicle tires upon the opening of one of said pressure difference reduction valve assemblies communicating with said tire and communicating said pressure level to said controller and wherein said tires have predetermined maximum and minimum operating pressures, said pressure difference reduction valve assemblies are configured to open upon sensing a pressure at or above a predetermined minimum tire inflation pressure and to close upon sensing a pressure below said minimum tire inflation pressure, said minimum tire inflation pressure being above said minimum tire operating pressure.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A failure tolerant tire inflation system for supplying pressurized air from an onboard source to the vehicle tires in the event of a pressure drop in one or more of the tires below a predetermined level. The system includes a tire inflation valve communicable with the source of pressurized air, a tire selector valve assembly for selectively communicating air from the tire inflation valve with the vehicle tires, a plurality of valve assemblies each communicating with at least one tire and selectively communicating with the tire selector valve assembly. A controller selectively activates and deactivates the tire inflation valve and valve assemblies to sequentially check the pressure in the tires and direct air to any underinflated tire. A transducer is provided for detecting the tire pressure levels upon the opening of the valve assembly communicating with that tire and communicating the underinflated condition to the controller.
16 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A failure tolerant tire inflation system for supplying pressurized air from an onboard source to a plurality of pneumatic tires on a moving vehicle in the event of a drop in pressure in one or more of the tires below a predetermined target level or a failure of the system, the system comprising:
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a tire inflation valve communicable with the onboard source of pressurized air; a tire selector valve assembly communicating with said tire inflation valve for selectively communicating air from said tire inflation valve with the vehicle tires; a plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies, each of said assemblies communicating with at least one of the tires and selectively communicating with said tire selector valve assembly; a controller for selectively activating and deactivating said tire inflation valve to open and close said valve, said tire selector valve assembly and said plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies to sequentially check the air pressure in the tires and direct air from said tire inflation valve to any tire in which the checked air pressure was below said predetermined target level; and means operatively connected to said controller for detecting the pressure level within one of said vehicle tires upon the opening of one of said pressure difference reduction valve assemblies communicating with said tire and communicating said pressure level to said controller and wherein said tires have predetermined maximum and minimum operating pressures, said pressure difference reduction valve assemblies are configured to open upon sensing a pressure at or above a predetermined minimum tire inflation pressure and to close upon sensing a pressure below said minimum tire inflation pressure, said minimum tire inflation pressure being above said minimum tire operating pressure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A failure tolerant tire inflation system for supplying pressurized air from an onboard source to a plurality of pneumatic tires on a moving vehicle in the event of a drop in pressure in one or more of the tires below a predetermined target level or a failure of the system, the system comprising:
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a tire inflation valve communicable with the onboard source of pressurized air; a tire selector valve assembly communicating with said tire inflation valve for selectively communicating air from said tire inflation valve with the vehicle tires; a plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies, each of said assemblies communicating with at least one of the tires and selectively communicating with said tire selector valve assembly; a controller for selectively activating and deactivating said tire inflation valve to open and close said valve, said tire selector valve assembly and said plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies to sequentially check the air pressure in the tires and direct air from said tire inflation valve to any tire in which the checked air pressure was below said predetermined target level; means operatively connected to said controller for detecting the pressure level within one of said vehicle tires upon the opening of one of said pressure difference reduction valve assemblies communicating with said tire and communicating said pressure level to said controller; and an air storage vessel, a pressure regulator communicating said source with said vessel for delivering air to said vessel at or about a predetermined maximum operating pressure for said tires and wherein said tire inflation valve communicates with said vessel. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A failure tolerant tire inflation system for supplying pressurized air from an onboard source to a plurality of pneumatic tires on a moving vehicle in the event of a drop in pressure in one or more of the tires below a predetermined target level or a failure of the system, the system comprising:
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a tire inflation valve communicable with the onboard source of pressurized air; a tire selector valve assembly communicating with said tire inflation valve for selectively communicating air from said tire inflation valve with the vehicle tires; a plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies, each of said assemblies communicating with at least one of the tires and selectively communicating with said tire selector valve assembly; a controller for selectively activating and deactivating said tire inflation valve to open and close said valve, said tire selector valve assembly and said plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies to sequentially check the air pressure in the tires and direct air from said tire inflation valve to any tire in which the checked air pressure was below said predetermined target level; means operatively connected to said controller for detecting the pressure level within one of said vehicle tires upon the opening of one of said pressure difference reduction valve assemblies communicating with said tire and communicating said pressure level to said controller; and a low pressure sink and a low pressure regulator, said sink communicating said tire deflation valve with said low pressure regulator and said low pressure regulator maintaining a pressure level within said sink below a minimum tire inflation pressure whereby the opening and closing said tire inflation and deflation valves by said controller selectively opens and closes said pressure difference reduction valve assemblies to inflate or deflate a tire to maintain said tire at or about said predetermined target level. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A failure tolerant tire inflation system for supplying pressurized air from an onboard source to a plurality of pneumatic tires on a moving vehicle in the event of a drop in pressure in one or more of the tires below a predetermined target level or a failure of the system and wherein the vehicle tires are comprised of a plurality of pairs of tandem tires, the system comprising:
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a tire inflation valve communicable with the onboard source of pressurized air; a tire selector valve assembly communicating with said tire inflation valve for selectively communicating air from said tire inflation valve with the vehicle tires; a plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies, each of said assemblies communicating with at least one of the tires and selectively communicating with at least one tire selector valve assembly; a plurality of rotary union assemblies, each of said rotary union assembly selectively communicating with a tire selector valve assembly and with a pair of said pressure difference reduction valve assemblies, said pressure difference reduction valve assembly in each of said pairs thereof selectively communicating with one tire in each of said pair of tandem tires; a controller for selectively activating and deactivating said tire inflation valve to open and close said valve, said tire selector valve assembly and said plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies to sequentially check the air pressure in the tires and direct air from said tire inflation valve to any tire in which the checked air pressure was below said predetermined target level; and means operatively connected to said controller for detecting the pressure level within one of said vehicle tires upon the opening of one of said pressure difference reduction valve assembly communicating with said tire and communicating said pressure level to said controller; and wherein said tires have predetermined maximum and minimum operating pressures, said pressure difference reduction valve assemblies are configured to open upon sensing a pressure at or above a predetermined minimum tire inflation pressure and to close upon sensing a pressure below said minimum tire inflation pressure, said minimum tire inflation pressure being above said minimum tire operating pressure. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A failure tolerant tire inflation system for supplying pressurized air from an onboard source to a plurality of pneumatic tires on a moving vehicle in the event of a drop in pressure in one or more of the tires below a predetermined target level or a failure of the system, the system comprising:
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a tire inflation valve communicable with the onboard source of pressurized air; a tire selector valve assembly communicating with said tire inflation valve for selectively communicating air from said tire inflation valve with the vehicle tires; a plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies, each of said assemblies communicating with at least one of the tires and selectively communicating with said tire selector valve assembly; a controller for selectively activating and deactivating said tire inflation valve to open and close said valve, said tire selector valve assembly and said plurality of pressure difference reduction valve assemblies to sequentially check the air pressure in the tires and direct air from said tire inflation valve to any tire in which the checked air pressure was below said predetermined target level; and means operatively connected to said controller for detecting the pressure level within one of said vehicle tires and communicating said pressure level to said controller, said pressure difference reduction valve assemblies being configured to open upon the means for detecting the pressure level detecting a pressure at or above a predetermined tire inflation pressure and to close upon the means for detecting the pressure level detecting a pressure below said predetermined tire inflation pressure. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification