Tire inflating and deflating system
AssigneeTire Inflation Systems Corp.
InventorJosef A. Bartos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A normally closed wheel valve for maintaining an existing air pressure in a tire of a vehicle having a system for inflating and deflating the tire is mounted on the outer end of the wheel hub for rotation therewith and is connected in communication with a source of air under pressure on the vehicle through a coupling on the outer end of the valve which is rotatable relative thereto. The valve comprises axially opposed pneumatically actuated diaphragm elements for controlling the flow of air to and from a pair of tires rotatably mounted on a common axle of the vehicle.
Claims31
A tire isolating valve for use in a vehicle tire pressure control system for inflating and deflating a tire on rotatable wheel means of said vehicle, said system having a source of air under pressure and control means for communicating said source with said tire during inflation and deflation of said tire, said valve comprising a valve housing mountable on said wheel means for rotation therewith about a wheel axis, an annular chamber in said housing coaxial with said wheel axis and having a bottom wall and an axially outer end spaced from said bottom wall, a tubular air port coaxial with said chamber and extending axially outwardly from said bottom wall, said air port having an inner end adjacent said bottom wall and an outer end spaced from said bottom wall, means for closing said outer end of said air port including a diaphragm transverse to said axis, said diaphragm covering said outer end of said chamber and said outer end of said air port, means for biasing said diaphragm against said outer end of said air port, first passageway means in said housing for connecting said inner end of said air port to said tire, second passageway means in said housing opening into said chamber and having an outer end for connecting said second passageway means to said source of air under pressure, and means rotatable relative to said housing for coupling said outer end of said second passageway means with said source of air under pressure.
A valve according to claim 19, wherein said conduit means is a single compression spring in said spring bore
In a system for inflating and deflating a pneumatic tire of a vehicle having tire support means supporting said tire for rotation about an axis, said system comprising a source of air under pressure, flow line means between said source and said tire, normally closed tire isolating valve means in said flow line means for maintaining an existing air pressure in said tire, and control means for inflating and deflating said tire across said isolating valve means, said isolating valve means including a first housing mounted on said tire support means for rotation therewith about said axis, a second housing mounted on said first housing for rotation relative thereto about said axis, an air passageway through said housings having upstream and downstream ends with respect to the direction of flow from said source to said tire, said upstream end being in said second housing, said downstream end being in said first housing, and flow control means in said passageway for controlling the flow of air between said upstream and downstream ends thereof, the improvement comprising:
- said first housing including an annular diaphragm chamber coaxial with said axis and in flow communication with said upstream end of said passageway, an air port coaxial with and loading centrally to said chamber and having an upstream end and a downstream end, said downstream end being in flow communication with said downstream end of said passageway, and means for closing said air port including a diaphragm of elastomeric material covering said annular chamber and engaging said upstream end of said air port to close said passageway against the flow of air between said upstream and downstream ends thereof and means for biasing said diaphragm against said upstream end of said air port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.