Abstract:
This CTI Valve manifold of this invention creates a wheel-manifold-CTI Valve combination such that an air passageway coming from the wheel hub through the manifold brings air to the valve, and an airway from the valve through the manifold provides air to the tire cavity, preferably via an air passageway in the wheel. The manifold also allows for the CTI valve to deflate the tire, a typical operational requirement for central tire inflation systems.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
       [0001]    The purpose of this invention is to create a means by which various central tire inflation valve configurations can be connected to a common wheel.  FIG. 1  provides an example of a two-piece wheel assembly  1  with a central tire inflation (CTI) valve  2  connected to the wheel  3  in accordance with the teachings of prior art. The two-piece wheel assembly  1  includes a wheel  3  with tire  4  and CTI valve  2 . Parts of the wheel  3  include a rim portion  5 , disc portion  6 , rim flat area  7 , hub bore area  8 , and CTI airways (both hub side  9  and tire side  10 ). The tire  4  and rim portion  5  form a tire chamber  11  that contains a pressurized fluid (usually air). Two piece wheels are usually used when a beadlock or run flat device (not shown) are utilized in the two piece wheel assembly. Two-piece wheels include two major parts, the outer rim half  12  and the inner rim half  13 . The two rim halves are sealed with an o-ring  14  to prevent air from escaping out of the tire chamber  11 . Studs  15  and nuts  16  secure the two rim halves  12  and  13  together. 
         [0002]    Current CTI valve technology may, however, employ any one of several configurations. First, the CTI valve can be fixed on the face of the wheel such that an airway from the hub provides air through a channel in the wheel to the valve. The valve then channels the air into a separate airway in the wheel that leads to the tire chamber and inflates the tire. (See, e.g.,  FIG. 1 ). U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,578 describes this methodology in detail. Second,  FIG. 2  shows a section of a two-piece wheel assembly  1  configured for an externally mounted CTI valve  17  and a quick release valve  18 , both of which are mounted on the two-piece wheel  3 . The CTI valve  17  and quick release valve  18  are located on the disc  6  of the wheel  3  with a hose  19  coming from the hub and providing air to the valve  17  and quick release  18 . The valve  17  and quick release  18  then channels the air to a second hose  20  that interfaces with a fitting  21  on the wheel. The air then passes through the fitting  21  to the tire chamber  11 . Third, the CTI valve can be located on the hub of the axle (typically placed at the axis of rotation). Air passes through the hub into the valve. The valve then channels the air into a hose that interfaces with a fitting on the wheel. The air then passes through the fitting to the tire chamber. 
         [0003]    However, all of the aforesaid methods and apparatus have disadvantages. For example, with external CTI valve mounting configurations, the disadvantages include: (a) complex assembly requiring a multiplicity of components to function; (b) risk of air leakage due to high number of components; (c) increased cost due to high number of components; (d) increased risk of damage due to valve, hoses, and/or other items protruding from the face of the wheel when the vehicle is in operation; and (e) the excessive time required to assemble and disassemble the high numbers of components inherent in these designs. Likewise, for current internal CTI valve configurations, the disadvantages include: (a) the fact that, because the valve is fixed directly to the wheel, the wheel must be manufactured to specifically accommodate a particular valve or vice versa; (b) increased cost due to the need to provide multiple wheel configurations as required to accommodate various CTI valves; and (c) increased lead time to develop wheels and/or valves to accommodate an existing valve/wheel interface configuration. 
         [0004]    Thus, as previously noted, the purpose of this invention is to avoid the disadvantages of prior art by integrating a CTI Valve manifold into a wheel. In my invention, a wheel/manifold combination is provided such that an air passageway coming from the wheel through the manifold brings air to the valve, and an airway from the valve through the manifold provides air to the tire cavity via a passageway in the wheel. The manifold also allows for the CTI valve to deflate the tire, a typical operational requirement for central tire inflation systems. 
         [0005]    The CTI manifold taught herein allows numerous advantages to be realized. First, the manifold is a method of allowing multiple CTI valve interfaces to work with a single wheel interface. A different manifold configuration can be employed for different CTI valves. Second, by having one common interface on the wheel, the wheel does not need to be redesigned and re-qualified to utilize different CTI valves. Third, by having one common interface on the wheel, retrofit in the field is possible as one type of CTI valve can easily be switched out with another, possibly without even taking the wheel off the vehicle. Fourth, and finally, as a reduced variety of wheels needs to be carried in inventory, cost can be reduced. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  provides a perspective view of a section of a two-piece wheel assembly with a central tire inflation (CTI) valve connected to the wheel in accordance with the teachings of prior art. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  provides a perspective view of a section of a two-piece wheel configured for an externally mounted CTI valve and a quick release valve, both of which are mounted on the two-piece wheel in accordance with the teachings of prior art. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  provides a cross-sectional view of a portion of a two-piece wheel showing a first exemplary preferred configuration for a manifold and a manifold, wheel, CTI Valve combination. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  provides a more detailed perspective view of the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  provides a cross-sectional view of a portion of a two-piece wheel showing a second preferred exemplary configuration for a manifold and a manifold, wheel, CTI Valve combination. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  provides a cross-sectional view of a portion of a two-piece wheel showing a third preferred exemplary configuration for a manifold and a manifold, wheel, CTI Valve combination. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  provides a cross-sectional view of a portion of a two-piece wheel showing a fourth preferred exemplary configuration for a manifold and a manifold, wheel, CTI Valve combination. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    The inventive concept can be actualized in various ways, with illustrative examples being provided in the drawing figures described below. Thus, as a first example,  FIGS. 3 and 4  show a general configuration of a manifold  22  on the wheel face  23  with a “hub-side” port  24 , internal airways to the valve “hub-side” port  25 , the valve  2 , internal airways from the valve “tire-side” port  26 , and a manifold “tire-side” port  27 . A boss  28  protruding from the manifold body  29  pilots into the wheel face  23  (this boss  28  may protrude partially into or completely through the wheel face  23 ). A sealing methodology is used to ensure no air leakage from any of the manifold or valve hub and tire ports. In this figure, two radial o-rings  30  are shown to seal the manifold tire-side port  27 . The manifold hub-side port  25  is sealed using a hub o-ring  31 . The manifold tire side port  27  and hub-side port  24  can be sealed by other means including, but not limited to, gaskets, sealed threads, press fits, etc. As most clearly shown in  FIG. 4 , the manifold  22  can be advantageously secured to the wheel by use of threaded fasteners  32 . However, manifold  22  can also be secured to wheel face  23  by means including, but not limited to, threaded fasteners, snap fits, a threaded body, etc. 
         [0014]    In terms of operation, air passes from the hub into a “hub side” airway of the wheel and/or the CTI manifold assembly (which consists of a CTI valve fixed to the manifold). The manifold channels the air to the CTI valve. The air passes through the CTI valve and back into a second, separate airway in the manifold. The manifold interfaces with a secondary “tire side” port and airway in the wheel, which then channels the air to the tire cavity. It is obvious that this manifold also allows for the CTI valve to deflate the tire, which is a typical function for central tire inflation systems. It is also a simple matter to change the manifold to accommodate CTI valves with various porting and/or mounting configurations to a wheel with fixed porting. 
         [0015]    Another possible configuration is illustrated in  FIG. 5 , which shows an alternative interface between the manifold airways  25  and  26  and the wheel airways  9  and  10 . In this case there is no pilot into the wheel face  23 , and the manifold  22  is seated entirely on the wheel face  23 . A “hub-side” airway  9  from the wheel  3  mates with a “hub-side” port  24  on the manifold  22 . A “tire-side” port  27  on the manifold  22  mates with a “tire-side” airway  10  on the wheel face  23 . Sealing between the mating ports can be achieved by means including, but not limited to, o-rings, gaskets, sealed threads, etc. 
         [0016]      FIG.6  shows still another alternative interface between the manifold  22  and the wheel  3 . In this case the manifold itself  22  is secured entirely within the wheel disc  6 . A “hub-side” airway  9  from the wheel  3  mates with a “hub-side” port  24  on the manifold  22 . A “tire-side” port  27  on the manifold  22  mates with a “tire-side” airway  10  on the wheel face  23 . Sealing between the mating ports can be achieved by means including, but not limited to, o-rings, gaskets, sealed threads, etc. 
         [0017]    Finally,  FIG.7  shows an alternative interface in which an external connection, in this case a hose or tube  33 , is used to connect the air source on the hub  34  to the CTI manifold “hub-side” port  25 . The manifold  22  then channels the air to the CTI valve  2  and to the tire chamber  11  as described in Section  6 . It is obvious that an external connection can be used for either or both the “hub-side” and/or “tire-side” ports on the manifold. 
         [0018]    Further, though the configurations shown herein have displayed the manifold attached to the wheel face, it is obvious that this manifold can be affixed to the wheel in any number of places including, but not limited to, the backside of the wheel face, wheel spokes, the rim portion, etc. Moreover, though the configurations shown herein have been demonstrated using a two-piece, bolt together wheel, it is an obvious extension of this concept to apply it to one-piece and three piece wheels as well. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that numerous variations are possible without exceeding the scope of the inventive concept set forth herein. For example, various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also, various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the claims that follow. 
       PARTS LIST 
       [0019]      1  2 Piece Wheel Assembly 
         [0020]      2  CTI Valve 
         [0021]      3  2 Piece Wheel 
         [0022]      4  Tire 
         [0023]      5  Rim Portion of wheel 
         [0024]      6  Disc Portion of wheel 
         [0025]      7  Rim Flat Area 
         [0026]      8  Hub Bore Area 
         [0027]      9  CTI Airway (Hub) 
         [0028]      10  CTI Airway (Tire) 
         [0029]      11  Tire Chamber 
         [0030]      12  Outer Rim Half 
         [0031]      13  Inner Rim Half 
         [0032]      14  O-Ring 
         [0033]      15  Stud 
         [0034]      16  Nut 
         [0035]      17  External CTI Valve 
         [0036]      18  Quick Release Valve 
         [0037]      19  Hub Side Hose/Tube 
         [0038]      20  Tire Side Hose/Tube 
         [0039]      21  Air Fitting 
         [0040]      22  Manifold 
         [0041]      23  Wheel Face 
         [0042]      24  Hub Side Port (Manifold) 
         [0043]      25  Airway from “Hub Side” Port 
         [0044]      26  Airway from “Tire Side” Port 
         [0045]      27  Tire Side Port (Manifold) 
         [0046]      28  Manifold Boss 
         [0047]      29  Manifold Body 
         [0048]      30  Radial O-Rings (Manifold) 
         [0049]      31  Hub O-Ring 
         [0050]      32  Threaded Fastener 
         [0051]      33  CTI Hose or Tube 
         [0052]      34  Air Port on Hub