Patent ID: 7472914

Claim:
A vehicle for use by an operator comprising: a sprung portion; and an unsprung portion, the unsprung portion including: a first wheel on a first side of the sprung portion; a second wheel on a second side of the sprung portion, the second side being opposite the first side of the sprung portion; a first hydraulic cylinder coupled between the first wheel and the sprung portion, the first hydraulic cylinder having an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the upper chamber and the lower chamber each having a volume configured to change as the first wheel and sprung portion move relative to one another; a second hydraulic cylinder coupled between the second wheel and the sprung portion, the second hydraulic cylinder having an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the upper chamber and the lower chamber each having a volume configured to change as the second wheel and sprung portion move relative to one another; and a fluid circuit hydraulically coupled to the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder and including a valve movable between a first position and a second position, wherein when the valve is in the first position the upper chamber of the first hydraulic cylinder is hydraulically coupled to the lower chamber of the second hydraulic cylinder and the lower chamber of the first hydraulic cylinder is hydraulically coupled to the upper chamber of the second cylinder, and wherein when the valve is in the second position the upper chamber of the first hydraulic cylinder is hydraulically coupled to the lower chamber of the first hydraulic cylinder and the upper chamber of the second hydraulic cylinder is hydraulically coupled to the lower chamber of the second hydraulic cylinder; a central tire inflation system operably coupled to the first wheel and the second wheel, and having a switch movable between a first setting representative of a highway operation mode and a second setting representative of one or more non-highway operation modes; a control unit operable to monitor the position of the switch and move the valve to the first position when the switch is moved to the first setting and to move the valve to the second position when the switch is moved to the second setting.