Pressure and temperature compensated control valve assembly
First Claim
1. A method of adjusting tire pressure of a tire, the method comprising the steps of:
- controlling inflation and deflation flow between a source and the tire via a flow valve;
restricting deflation flow between the source and the tire via a throttle valve; and
moving air about opposite sides of a throttle diaphragm of the throttle valve to throttle the throttle valve, wherein the throttle diaphragm is separated from contact with any biasing member.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pressure and temperature compensated valve assembly includes a flow valve allowing inflation flow from a control port to a tire port and controlling deflation flow from the tire port to the control port. A throttle valve restricts deflation flow between the tire port and the control port when deflating the tire at high flow rates or when tire pressure is high, thus enabling the flow valve to be closed. The throttle valve includes a throttle diaphragm that throttles in response to flow from the tire port and which does not restrict inflation flow from the control port. The valve assembly further includes a temperature responsive member engaging the flow valve, and which deforms in response to a change in temperature in the valve assembly, thus negating temperature effects on the flow valve, allowing the flow valve to close at a consistent force across a range of operating temperatures.
12 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of adjusting tire pressure of a tire, the method comprising the steps of:
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controlling inflation and deflation flow between a source and the tire via a flow valve; restricting deflation flow between the source and the tire via a throttle valve; and moving air about opposite sides of a throttle diaphragm of the throttle valve to throttle the throttle valve, wherein the throttle diaphragm is separated from contact with any biasing member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A control valve assembly comprising:
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a valve body having a control port and a tire port, the valve body defining a flow chamber and a regulation chamber disposed between the control port and the tire port; a flow valve disposed in the flow chamber to control flow between the flow chamber and the regulation chamber, the flow valve being biased in a flow closed position and movable between the flow closed position and a flow open position in response to pressure in the flow chamber; and a throttle valve disposed in the regulation chamber to restrict flow from the regulation chamber to the flow chamber, the throttle valve including a throttle valve seat and a throttle diaphragm for moving with respect to the throttle valve seat; wherein the throttle valve is movable between a throttle open position of the throttle valve, where the throttle diaphragm is spaced a distance from the throttle valve seat, and a throttle throttling position of the throttle valve, where the throttle diaphragm is spaced nearer the throttle valve seat than in the throttle open position, wherein the throttle diaphragm has opposite sides each in communication with pressure in the regulation chamber (94), and wherein flow through the regulation chamber effects a pressure differential across the throttle diaphragm causing the throttle diaphragm to move between the throttle open and throttle throttling positions. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A control valve assembly comprising:
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a valve body including a control port and a tire port; a flow valve disposed in the valve body for controlling flow between the control port and the tire port, the flow valve including a valve member and a biasing member for biasing the valve member in a closed position; a throttle valve disposed in the valve body for restricting flow through the flow valve; a transition orifice disposed in the valve body between the flow valve and the throttle valve, a first side of the transition orifice engageable by the flow valve, and a second side of the orifice disposed adjacent the throttle valve; and a temperature responsive member disposed in the valve body and engaging the biasing member, the temperature responsive member being deformable in response to change in temperature to vary a pressure acting on the flow valve, the pressure being caused by the change in temperature. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification