CENTRAL TIRE INFLATION SYSTEM

摘要

A tire valve assembly (300) for a central tire inflation system (10) comprising a single valve body (302) having only a first (304) and a second (306) fluid connection from the exterior to the interior thereof is provided. The first fluid connection comprises a first port (304) connected to a selectively pressurized and exhausted conduit (52) and the second fluid connection comprises a second port (306) connected to the interior pressurized chamber (74) of an inflatable tire (12). The assembly includes first valve means (314) responsive to pressurization and exhausting of said selectively pressurized and exhausted conduit to establish or block, respectively, fluid communication between said first and second ports and second valve means (316) responsive to pressurization in said interior tire chamber to maintain said first valve means in the closed position thereof if said interior tire chamber is pressurized below a predetermined reference pressure. As the valve assembly is provided in a single valve body and requires no venting to atmosphere other than through the first port (304), the valve assembly may be mounted within the interior pressurized tire chamber (74) such as within a pocket (404) provided in an annular sleeve type bead lock (400).