Patent ID: 8726958

Claim:
A tire inflation system comprising: a pressure source; a pressure controller in communication with the pressure source; a rotational fluid passage arranged between a tire and a vehicle axle and in fluid communication with the pressure source, the rotational fluid passage configured to rotate about a rotational axis of a tire and including an inertia valve configured to operate between a normally closed valve arrangement and an open valve arrangement, the valve including a first compressible biasing member and a second compressible biasing member each arranged in communication with a mass displaceable in a radial direction relative to the rotational axis, each first and second compressible biasing member being configured to operate between an expanded arrangement and a compressed arrangement and the mass being configured to translate in the radial direction between a valve closed position and a valve open position, where in the closed valve arrangement each first and second compressible biasing member is in the expanded arrangement and the mass in the valve closed position and where in the open valve arrangement each first and second compressible biasing member is in the compressed arrangement and the mass in the valve open position, the valve open position of the mass being located a greater distance from the rotational axis than the valve closed position and the mass being configured to translate from the valve closed position to the valve open position when centrifugal forces acting on the mass are sufficient to overcome a combined spring force of the first and second compressible biasing members, the centrifugal forces arising as the valve rotates about the rotational axis at a desired rotational speed during tire rotation, where: the valve further comprises: a first end having a first end aperture in communication with the tire, a second end having a second end aperture in communication with the pressure source, and a fluid passage extending between the first and second end apertures, the first end being spaced apart from the second end in a radial direction relative the rotational axis of the tire; a first sealing member configured to translate in cooperation with the mass, and to close the first end aperture when the mass is in the valve closed position and to open the first end aperture when the mass translates from the valve closed position and to the valve open position, where the first compressible biasing member maintains the first sealing member in a first end aperture-closed arrangement; and, a second sealing member configured to translate in cooperation with the mass, and to close the second end aperture when the mass is in the valve closed position and to open the second end aperture when the mass translates from the valve closed position and to the valve open position, where the second compressible biasing member maintains the second sealing member in a first end aperture-closed arrangement.