Automated tire inflation apparatus

An apparatus for inflating a tire comprising:

• a base configured to support a tire and wheel assembly;
• a tire inflation line;
• a pressure sensor coupled to the tire inflation line;
• an air blast assembly comprising a blast line fluidly coupled to a blast nozzle, wherein the blast nozzle is located on the base and configured to receive pressurized gas from the blast line and to direct pressurized gas when the blast nozzle is in an air blast position relative to a tire and wheel assembly supported on the base;
• a device controller functionally coupled to the pressure sensor, the device controller configured to
• monitor a pressure of a tire to sense whether an effective tire bead seal has been formed in a tire and wheel assembly supported on the base, and
• generate an air blast control signal when an effective tire bead seal has not been formed in a tire and wheel assembly supported on the base;
• and
• a gas flow controller functionally coupled to the air blast assembly and to the device controller, wherein the gas flow controller is responsive to the air blast control signal to cause an air blast of pressurized gas to be released from the blast nozzle from the air blast position toward the tire and wheel assembly to create an effective tire bead seal.