EP0164916A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Central tire inflation system
Assignee: Eaton Corp
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Filing: 1985-05-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-05-15
Abstract
Abstract 57 A tire valve assembly (56, 58 or 300) for a central tire inflation system (10) effective to automatically isolate a tire (12) pressurized to less than a predetermined minimum pressure from the remainder of the system is provided. The tire valve assembly includes a control valve (58) and a low tire pressure shut-off valve (56) which are connected to a selectively pressurized and vented conduit (52) and to a conduit (68) fluidly communicating with the interior pressurized chamber (74) of the tire. A single selectively pressurized and vented conduit (52) operates the control valve and ; provides the sole connection of the assembly to pressurized . fluid and/or to venting to atmosphere required for system operation other than for initial inflation of the tires to the predetermined minimum pressure thereof. The assembly may comprise a single valve body (302) having only a first , (304) and a second (306) fluid connection from the exterior to the interior thereof. As the valve assembly (300) is provided ¦ in a single valve body and requires no venting to atmosphere other than through the first port (304), the valve assembly may be mounted within the interior pressurized tire chamber (74) such as within a pocket (404) provided in an annular sleeve type bead lock (400).
Inventors
- 👤 Gary Richard Schultz
- 👤 Eugene Ralph Braun
- 👤 David Michael Preston
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 13:52
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60C; B60C23/00; B60C23/001; B60C23/003; B60C23/00372; B60C23/00309; B60C23/00318; B60C23/00354; B60C23/00363
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
154 words
Claim 1. A tire valve assembly (56, 58) for a central tire inflation system (10), said tire valve assembly having first connection means (62) for fluid connection to a selectively pressurized and exhausted first fluid conduit (52) and second connection means for fluid connection to a second fluid conduit (68) communicating with the interior pressurized chamber of an inflatable tire, said tire valve assembly characterized by: said tire valve assembly actuated solely by sensed pressure in said first and second conduits, said valve assembly automatically responsive to fluid pressure in said first conduit exceeding a first reference value and fluid pressure in said second conduit exceeding a minimum tire pressure reference value to establish fluid communication between said first and second conduits and said valve assembly automatically responsive to fluid pressure in said second conduit failing to exceed said minimum tire pressure reference value to block fluid communication between said first and second conduits.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
39 words
Claim 2. The tire valve assembly of claim 1, wherein said assembly is automatically responsive to fluid pressure in said second conduit exceeding a maximum tire pressure reference value to establish fluid communication between said first and second conduits.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
Claim 3. The tire valve assembly of claim 2, wherein said assembly is automatically responsive to fluid pressure in said second conduit failing to exceed said maximum tire pressure reference value and fluid pressure in said first conduit failing to exceed said first reference value to block fluid communication between said first and second conduits.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
234 words
Claim 4. The tire valve assembly of claims 1 or 3, wherein said assembly comprises: a control valve (58) having a first port (66) fluidly connected to said first conduit, a second port (72) fluidly connected to said second conduit, a first valve seat (100) interposed said first and second ports, a first valve member (102) movable into and out of sealing engagement with said first valve seat, and first resilient means (106) constantly urging said first valve member into sealing engagement with said first valve seat, said first valve member defining a first surface constantly in fluid communication with said first conduit, a second valve surface constantly in fluid commuication with said second conduit and a third valve surface (110) having a surface area greater than the surface area of said second valve surface, fluid pressure on said first and second surfaces urging said first valve member out of sealing engagement with said first valve seat and fluid pressure on said third surface urging said first valve member into sealing engagement with said first valve seat, and a low tire pressure shut-off valve (56) responsive to fluid pressure in said second conduit, said low tire pressure shut-off valve effective to establish fluid communication between said first conduit (62) and said third surface (112) if fluid pressure in said second conduit is not equal to or greater than said minimum tire pressure reference value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
150 words
Claim 5. The tire valve assembly of claim 4, wherein said control valve comprises a third port (80) in fluid communication with said third surface and said low tire pressure shut-off valve comprises: a fourth port (64) fluidly connected to said first conduit, a fifth port (78) fluidly connected to said third port and a sixth port (70) fluidly connected to said second conduit (68), a second valve seat (136) fluidly interposed said fourth and fifth ports, a second valve member (138) movable into and out of sealing engagement with said second valve seat, and a second means (134) urging said second valve member into sealing engagement with said second valve seat, said second valve member defining a fourth surface (134) constantly in fluid communication with said second conduit, fluid pressure on said fourth surface effective to urge said second valve member into sealing engagement with said second valve seat.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
Claim 6. The tire valve assembly of claim 5, wherein said second means comprises a fifth surface (140) defined by said second valve member having a surface area smaller than said fourth surface area and constantly fluidly communicating with said first conduit, fluid pressure on said fifth surface effective to urge said second valve member out of sealing engagement with said second valve seat.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
Claim 7. The valve assembly of claim 6, wherein said fourth surface area exceeds said fifth surface area by a ratio substantially equal to the ratio of the minimum tire pressure reference value to the expected maximum pressure in said first conduit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
84 words
Claim 8. The tire valve assembly of claim 5, wherein said first valve member is a plug-type diaphragm having a centrally located plug portion for engagement with said first valve seat and said control valve defines a third valve seat (92) interposed said first and third ports and resiliently sealed by the outer periphery (94) of said diaphragm, said diaphragm permitting fluid flow from said third to said first ports when the pressure in said third port exceeds the pressure in said first conduit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
Claim 9. The tire valve assembly of claim 8, wherein said control and low tire pressure shut-off valves communicate to atmosphere only through said first conduit means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
Claim 10. The tire valve assembly of claim 5, wherein said first conduit means is partially defined by a single rotary seal chamber (32).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
Claim 11. The tire valve assembly of claim 5, wherein said assembly additionally comprises a manually operated tire inflation valve (60) interposed said second and fourth ports and said interior chamber of said tire.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
Claim 12. The tire valve assembly of claim 1, wherein said assembly communicates to atmosphere only through said first conduit means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
255 words
Claim 13. A tire valve assembly for a central tire inflation system, said assembly having fluid connection means for connection with a first remotely pressurized and exhausted fluid conduit and a second fluid conduit constantly communicating with the interior pressurized chamber of an inflatable tire, first valve means for controlling a flow of fluid from said first to said second conduits, said first valve means comprising a valve seat interposed said first and second conduits and sealable by a valve member moveable into and out of sealing engagement therewith, first resilient means biasing said first valve member into sealing engagement with said first valve seat, a first valve surface constantly communicating with said first conduit means and opposed to said first resilient means, and a second valve surface opposed to said first valve surface and having a second surface area greater than said first surface area; second valve means defining a second valve seat interposed said first fluid conduit and said second surface area and sealable by a second valve member moveable into and out of sealing engagement therewith, second means urging said second valve member out of sealing engagement with said second valve seat and a third surface area opposed to said second means and constantly communicating with said second conduit means to urge said second valve member into sealing engagement with said second valve seat, fluid pressure on said third valve surface exceeding said predetermined minimum reference pressure effective to maintain said second valve member in sealing engagement with said second valve seat.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
73 words
Claim 14. The tire valve assembly of claim 13, wherein said second means is effective to overcome the bias of less than predetermined minimum reference pressure acting on said third surface to move said second valve member out of sealing engagement with said second valve seat to communicate said second valve surface with said first conduit whereby pressurization of said first conduit will not establish fluid communication between said first and second conduits.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
Claim 15. The tire valve of claim 14, wherein said second means comprises a fourth surface defined by said second valve member, said fourth surface area smaller than said third surface area and constantly fluidly communicating with said first conduit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
Claim 16. The tire valve assembly of claim 15, wherein said predetermined minimum reference pressure is a fixed percentage of pressurization of said first conduit.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
43 words
Claim 17. The tire valve assembly of claim 16, wherein said first and second valve means include first and second valve bodies, respectively, the interior of said valve bodies communicating to the exterior thereof only by means of said first and second conduits.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
185 words
Claim 18. The tire valve assembly of claim 14 or 17, wheren said first valve means comprises a diaphragm valve defined by a valve body having a central chamber therein divided into a first and a second chamber portion by a plug-type diaphragm, a first port for fluid communication with said first conduit and fluidly communicating with said first chamber portion, a second port for fluid communication with said second conduit and intersecting said first chamber portion at said valve seat, said plug-type diaphragm defining a portion sealingly engageable with said valve seat, a third port for fluid communication with said second valve seat of said second valve means in fluidly communicating with said second chamber, said valve body defining a third valve seat between said first and second chamber portions and sealed by the outer periphery of said diaphragm and resilient means urging said outer periphery of said diaphgram into sealing engagement with said third valve seat, whereby fluid pressure in said second chamber portion will exhaust around the outer periphery of said diaphragm to said first conduit upon exhausting of said first conduit.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
97 words
Claim 19. The tire valve assembly of claim 18, wherein said plug portion of said diaphragm defines a fifth surface area constantly communicating with said second conduit, fluid pressure in said second conduit exceeding said predetermined maximum tire pressure acting on said fourth surface area effective to overcome the bias of said first resilient means to move said plug member out of sealing engagement with said first valve seat to communicate said second conduit with said first conduit to exhaust fluid pressure in said second conduit in excess of said maximum reference pressure to said first conduit.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
58 words
Claim 20. The tire valve assembly (300) of claims 1 or 3 wherein said assembly comprises a single valve body (302) having only a first and a second fluid passage (304, 306) from the exterior to the interior thereof, said first fluid connection defined by said first passage and said second fluid connection defined by said second passage.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
Claim 21. The tire valve assembly of claim 20, wherein said valve body is mounted within said interior pressurized chamber (74).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
48 words
Claim 22. The tire valve assembly of claim 21, wherein said tire (12) is mounted to a tire rim (14) by means of an annular sleeve bead lock (400) received within said interior pressurized chamber, said valve body mounted within a cavity (404) provided in said bead lock.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
44 words
Claim 23. The tire valve assembly of claim 22, wherein said bead lock includes an annular passage (406) communicating at one end thereof with said first passage (304) and at the other end thereof with a fluid fitting (410) extending through said tire rim.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
86 words
Claim 24. The tire valve assembly -(300) of claim 20 or 21, wherein said first valve means comprises a diaphragm (314) having a first surface (326) constantly exposed to fluid pressure at said first passage and an opposed second larger surface (327), and said second valve means comprises a shuttle valve (316) having an open position for establishing fluid communication between said first passage and said second diaphragm surface and a closed position for blocking fluid communication between said first passage and said second diaphragm surface.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
70 words
Claim 25. The tire valve assembly of claim 24, wherein said shuttle valve means includes a shuttle member (328) constantly biased to said open position thereof by a resilient member (330) and having a piston portion (336) constantly exposed to pressure at said second passage (306), fluid pressure on said piston portion acting in opposition to said resilient biasing member to bias said shuttle valve to said closed position thereof.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
Claim 26. The tire valve assembly of claims 20 or 21, wherein said valve body comprises a unitary block.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
32 words
Claim 27. The tire valve assembly of claim 25, wherein said resilient biasing means is effective to overcome fluid pressure less than a predetermined minimum reference pressure acting on said piston portion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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