Central Tire Inflation Wheel Assembly and Valve

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 a number of wheel valves each disposed on a wheel forming part of a number of groups of wheels on the vehicle, the 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 pair of manifolds secured to the vehicle and each operably connected to a portion of the valves corresponding to different groups of wheels, the manifolds each 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 manifolds to supply the pressurized fluid to the manifold, and at least one controller operably each connected to each of the pair of manifolds and to the pressurized fluid supply to selectively control the operation of the manifolds and the pressurized air supply;
• b) operating the at least one controller to direct a flow of pressurized fluid from the fluid supply through the manifolds to the number of valves on the groups of wheels sufficient to move the valve member with respect to the main body in conjunction with the biasing member and open the valve.