Central Tire Inflation Wheel Assembly and Valve

A central tire inflation system to be utilized on a vehicle, the system comprising:

• a) at least one wheel valve including a casing securable to a rim of a vehicle, the casing having an open end and a closed end defining a cavity therein that is adapted to be in fluid communication with an interior of a vehicle tire, a main valve body engaged with the casing within the cavity, the main body including at least one aperture located at each of a lower and an upper end of an interior thereof, a valve member movably disposed within the interior of the main body and sealingly engageable with the main body, the valve member including a number of openings therein to enable fluid communication between the lower aperture in the main body and the cavity in the casing through the valve member, and a biasing member disposed between the main body and the valve member;
• and
• b) a manifold adapted to be secured to the vehicle and operably connected to lower aperture of the main body of the at least one valve and adapted to be operably connected to a pressurized air supply for the central tire inflation system, wherein the manifold includes a unitary housing including a fluid inlet and a number of fluid outlets interconnected with one another by internal passages within the housing, and at least one control valve operably connected to the internal passages within the housing between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlets.

A method for inflating or deflating a tire on a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of

• a) providing a central tire inflation system having at least one wheel valve including a casing securable to a rim of a vehicle, the casing having an open end and a closed end defining a cavity therein in fluid communication with an interior of a vehicle tire, a main valve body engaged with the casing within the cavity, the main body including at least one aperture located at each of a lower and an upper end of an interior thereof, a valve member movably disposed within the interior of the main body and sealingly engageable with the main body, the valve member including a number of openings therein to enable fluid communication between the lower aperture in the main body and the cavity in the casing through the valve member, and a biasing member disposed between the main body and the valve member, a manifold secured to the vehicle and operably connected to the at least one valve, the manifold having a unitary housing including a fluid inlet and a number of fluid outlets interconnected with one another by internal passages within the housing and at least one control valve operably connected to the internal passages within the housing between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlets, a pressurized fluid supply operably connected to the manifold to supply the pressurized fluid to the manifold, and a controller operably connected to the at least one valve of the manifold and to the pressurized fluid supply to selectively control the operation of the at least one valve and the pressurized air supply;
• b) operating the controller to direct a flow of pressurized fluid from the fluid supply through the manifold to the at least one valve sufficient to move the valve member with respect to the main body in conjunction with the biasing member and open the valve.