Intelligent tire inflation and deflation system apparatus

A rotary union and wheel valve apparatus to be utilized in a tire inflation and deflation system on a vehicle with dual tires, comprising:

• [A] rotary union means having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
• [B] two wheel valves, each comprising:
• [I] a valve body having a fluid inlet passageway and a fluid outlet passageway;
• [II] a bottom chamber in said valve body connecting to said fluid inlet passageway;
• [III] a middle chamber in said valve body separating from said bottom chamber by a flexible diaphragm, connecting to said fluid inlet passageway through an orifice, having:
• (a) a piston movable within said middle chamber, said piston engaging to said diaphragm for movement with said diaphragm;
• (b) a valve seat;
• [IV] a top chamber disposed proximate to said middle chamber, having:
• (a) fluid passageway means connecting to said fluid outlet;
• (b) a poppet sitting on said valve seat and separating the top chamber and the middle chamber, said poppet engaging said piston and movable relative to said piston;
• (c) spring means compressively urging said poppet toward seating disposition;
• [C] installation means mounting said rotary union on end of a vehicle axle, mounting said wheel valves on wheel, connecting a fluid source to said rotary union fluid inlet, connecting rotary union fluid inlet to fluid inlets of said wheel valves, and connecting wheel valve fluid outlets to respective tire.

An apparatus for adjusting the air pressure in a dual tire mounted on the wheels of a vehicle, comprising:

• [A] a source of pressurized air;
• [B] a hubcap mounting electronic rotary wheel valve assembly disposed on the axle end of said dual tire for placing each of said dual tire in fluid communication with said assembly, comprising:
• [I] a rotary wheel valve assembly having a rotary union and two wheel valves, each of said wheel valves being pneumatically controllable to open and remaining open for fluid communication, and pneumatically controllable to close for shutting off fluid communication, said wheel valve having electronic circuitry monitoring tire pressure in real time and communicating with an external device;
• [II] hubcap means for having said assembly mounting on the exterior of said hubcap;
• [III] installation means for mounting said hubcap with said assembly on end of a vehicle axle, connecting said air source to said rotary wheel valve air inlet, and connecting said rotary wheel valve air outlets to respective tire;
• [C] an electronic control manifold assembly, including:
• [I] a manifold assembly including:
• (a) a housing with an air tight manifold chamber;
• (b) fluid communication means including tubing means for connecting said manifold chamber to said rotary wheel valve assembly;
• (c) valve means, comprising:
• (i) inflation solenoid valve connecting to said manifold chamber and to said air source;
• (ii) deflation solenoid valve connecting to said manifold chamber and to atmosphere through a deflation orifice;
• (iii) quick exhaust valve connecting to said manifold chamber and to atmosphere through a noise reduction muffler;
• (d) priority pressure sensor means monitoring said air source pressure level;
• (e) transducer means monitoring said manifold chamber air pressure level;
• (f) air spring pressure sensor means monitoring air spring pressure level for calculating vehicle load;
• [II] control means receiving pressure data from said priority sensor, wheel valve sensors and manifold chamber transducer, and in response controlling the opening and closing of different valves in said apparatus for adjusting pressure level in said tires.