CTIS Tire Valve Fitting With Auto-Sealing Decoupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Valve fittings for central tire inflation systems (CTIS) in working vehicles, such as tractors, face challenges in being compact, rugged, easily decoupled, and maintaining tire pressure when detached from the CTIS and vehicle, especially in scenarios like tire service or inventory.
Innovation Solution
A 'T' shaped valve fitting with a swivel connection and piston/spring combination that seals tire volumes when the feed hose is disconnected, allowing for easy decoupling and recoupling, and includes a user service fill valve for manual inflation/deflation, ensuring pressure maintenance even when detached.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the valve fitting is made compact and rugged for limited space and hazard protection, then it can withstand harsh conditions, but it becomes difficult to maintain pressure when decoupled from the CTIS
Solution Approach 1:
The valve fitting is divided into separate functional components: a check valve mechanism for pressure maintenance, a coupler for connection/disconnection, and a body housing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the check valve can be designed specifically for pressure retention while the coupler handles connection mechanics.
Solution Approach 2:
The check valve is pre-configured in the valve fitting body to automatically seal the tire volume when the feed hose is disconnected. This preliminary action ensures pressure maintenance is already in place before any disconnection occurs, eliminating the need for additional steps or complex mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If the valve fitting is designed for easy decoupling and recoupling, then service operations are simplified, but pressure maintenance when detached becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The check valve mechanism is self-activating - it automatically seals the tire volume when the feed hose is disconnected without requiring manual intervention. The valve body and piston are designed so that normal decoupling operations automatically trigger the pressure-sealing function, combining ease of operation with reliable pressure maintenance.
3Reliability
If a piston/spring combination is used to seal tire volumes when feed hose is disconnected, then pressure is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The check valve utilizes pneumatic principles where compressed air pressure from the tire itself acts on the piston to maintain the sealed position. The spring provides only a biasing force, while the actual sealing action is driven by the tire's own pressure, eliminating the need for complex external actuation mechanisms.
4Volume of moving object
If the valve fitting is made small for limited space at tire rims, then it protects against hazards, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve fitting incorporates flexible sealing elements such as O-rings and elastomeric seals that can accommodate minor dimensional variations and manufacturing tolerances. These flexible components deform to create reliable seals even when precise machining is difficult to achieve in the compact valve body, reducing the stringency of manufacturing precision requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The valve fitting effectively maintains tire pressure when decoupled from the CTIS and vehicle, facilitating enhanced assembly and service operations while being compact and rugged, allowing for easy connection and disconnection without losing pressure.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing assembly biasing the supply valve towards the first position
Implementation Method 2
an assembly comprising an abutment member operable to urge the supply valve towards the second position against the bias of the biasing assembly in response to the associated feed port coupler being connected with the supply port coupler
Data Source
AI summary
A valve fitting includes a fitting body defining a fitting passageway, supply and working ports in fluid communication with the fitting passageway, a supply port coupler operable to connect the supply port with an associated feed port coupler providing a pressurized fluid, a working port coupler operable to connect the working port with an associated tire of a tire assembly of an associated work vehicle, a supply valve moveable in the fitting passageway between a first position closing the fitting passageway from the supply port and a second position opening the fitting passageway to the supply port, a biasing assembly biasing the supply valve towards the first position, and an actuator assembly comprising an actuator member operable to urge the supply valve towards the second position against the bias of the biasing assembly in response to the associated feed port coupler being connected with the supply port coupler.