Bi-directional air delivery system

A bi-directional air delivery retrofit apparatus for providing on-boarding and off-boarding of an extra-vehicular compressed air product relative to a work vehicle including a work vehicle compressor configured to compress a first supply of air and to output a local compressed air supply to an on-board compressed air source connection line, and a tire inflation system configured to regulate an air pressure within a plurality of tires of the work vehicle by selectively increasing and decreasing the air pressure within the plurality of tires of the work vehicle and to distribute to the plurality of tires of the work vehicle a tire inflation input air supply received by the tire inflation system at a tire inflation connection line in fluid communication with the tire inflation system, the retrofit apparatus comprising:

• a junction connection device configured to be selectively coupled with the on-board compressed air source connection line and the tire inflation connection line;
• an auxiliary air communication port connection device configured to be mounted on the work vehicle and to selectively couple the retrofit apparatus with one or more compressed air processing apparatus for communicating an extra-vehicular compressed air product between the retrofit apparatus and the one or more compressed air processing apparatus;
• and
• a bi-directional valve system fluidly coupled on a first end thereof with the junction connection device by an inner air communication connection, and fluidly coupled on a second end thereof with the auxiliary air communication port connection device by an outer air communication connection, wherein the bi-directional valve system is operable to selectively fluid couple the inner air communication connection line with the outer air communication connection line responsive to:
• a bi-directional valve system control signal to permit the local compressed air supply to be delivered by the auxiliary air communication port connection device to the compressed air processing apparatus as an extra-vehicular off-boarding air supply;
• and
• the auxiliary air communication port connection device being supplied an extra-vehicular on-boarding air supply from the compressed air processing apparatus for delivery to the tire inflation system.

A dual source air delivery system for use with a work vehicle, comprising:

• a work vehicle compressor configured to be mounted on the work vehicle and to compress a first supply of air and to output a local compressed air supply to an on-board compressed air source connection line;
• a tire inflation system configured to be mounted on the work vehicle and to regulate an air pressure within one or more tires of the work vehicle by selectively increasing and decreasing the air pressure within the one or more tires of the work vehicle, wherein the tire inflation system is configured to distribute to the one or more tires of the work vehicle a tire inflation input air supply received by the tire inflation system by a tire inflation connection line;
• an auxiliary air communication port connection device configured to be mounted on the work vehicle and to selectively couple the dual source air delivery system with a compressed air producing apparatus for communicating an extra-vehicular compressed air product from the compressed air producing apparatus to the dual source air delivery system;
• a pressurized air storage device fluidly coupled with the tire inflation connection line, the pressurized air storage device being operable to store compressed air received by the pressurized air storage device, and to pay out the stored compressed air to the tire inflation system for selective distribution to the one or more tires of the work vehicle as the tire inflation input air supply;
• a fluid junction operatively fluidly coupled with the on-board compressed air source connection line with the tire inflation connection line;
• and
• a rapid on-boarding control valve system fluidly coupled on a first end thereof with the fluid junction by an inner air communication connection line, and fluidly coupled on a second end thereof with the auxiliary air communication port connection device by an outer air communication connection line, wherein the rapid on-boarding control valve system is operable to selectively fluid couple the inner air communication connection line with the outer air communication connection line responsive to the auxiliary air communication port connection device being supplied an extra-vehicular on-boarding air supply from the compressed air processing apparatus for delivery to the tire inflation system, wherein the rapid on-boarding control valve system comprises:
• a check valve permitting a unidirectional on-boarding air flow from the outer air communication connection line to the inner air communication connection line for delivery of the extra-vehicular on-boarding air supply from the compressed air producing apparatus to the tire inflation system;
• and
• an on-boarded air pressure relief valve in operative fluid communication with one or more of the tire inflation connection line, the inner air communication connection line, and/or the outer air communication connection line, wherein the on-boarded air pressure relief valve is operable to limit pressure within the one or more of the tire inflation connection line, the inner air communication connection line, and/or the outer air communication connection line to less than a predetermined on-boarded air pressure limit.