Rotary union for tire inflation system

A vehicle tire inflation system including:

• a vehicle air brake system air supply mounted to a vehicle, the vehicle including a tire mounted to a rotatable wheel having an axis of rotation, the vehicle further including an aerodynamic vehicle fairing configured to increase aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle, the aerodynamic vehicle fairing covering the outboard side of all or part of the vehicle-wheel, so as to increase aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle;
• and
• a rotary union mounted to the aerodynamic vehicle fairing approximately at the axis of rotation, the rotary union being in sealed fluid communication with the vehicle air brake system air supply and said vehicle tire;
• the rotary union including:
• a housing;
• a shaft rotatably disposed in the housing, the shaft being configured for fluid communication with the pressure source;
• a tee body removably and non-rotatably coupled to the housing, the tee body having a fluid channel formed therein for conveying pressurized fluid to the vehicle tire;
• a tubular member configured to convey pressurized fluid between the shaft and the tee body, the tubular member having a first end sealingly disposed in the shaft and a second end sealingly disposed in the tee body.

A tire inflation system for a vehicle, the system including:

• a fluid pressure source mounted as part of the vehicle,
• the vehicle including an outboard tire mounted to an outboard wheel of the vehicle, the outboard wheel having an axis of rotation and an inboard tire mounted to an inboard wheel of the vehicle, the inboard wheel being mounted adjacent the outboard wheel at one end of an axle, the vehicle further including an aerodynamic vehicle fairing, the aerodynamic vehicle fairing being disposed over the outboard side of said outboard wheel of the vehicle at the axis of rotation to substantially cover the outboard side of the outboard wheel and increase aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle;
• a rotary union including a housing and a tee body, the tee body being removably coupled to the housing, the rotary union being mounted to a wheel-facing side of said aerodynamic vehicle fairing by a bracket affixed thereto and positioned approximately at the axis of rotation, the rotary union being in sealed fluid communication with the fluid pressure source;
• a first air hose coupled between the tee body and the outboard tire so as to permit sealed fluid communication from the fluid pressure source to the outboard tire;
• and
• a second air hose coupled between the tee body and the inboard tire so as to permit sealed fluid communication from the fluid pressure source to the inboard tire.