Combination air supply system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10926588-B2
Application number	US-201815946394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2018
Priority date	Apr 5, 2018
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

A combination air supply system for a work vehicle, includes a work vehicle compressor configured to be mounted on the work vehicle, wherein the work vehicle compressor is configured to compress a first supply of ambient air and to output a first compressed air supply via a compressed air line, wherein the compressed air line is configured to receive a second compressed air supply from an implement compressor via a compressed air connection line, wherein the implement compressor is configured to be mounted on an implement towed by the work vehicle, wherein the compressed air connection line is configured to couple the implement compressor to the compressed air line via a coupler, and a tire inflation system fluidly coupled to the compressed air line and configured to selectively increase and decrease an air pressure within a tire of the work vehicle, wherein the tire inflation system is configured to distribute the first compressed air supply, the second compressed air supply, and a combination air supply of the first and second compressed air supplies to the tire.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A combination air supply system for a work vehicle, comprising:
a work vehicle compressor configured to be mounted on the work vehicle, wherein the work vehicle compressor is configured to compress a first supply of ambient air and to output a first compressed air supply via a compressed air line, wherein the compressed air line is configured to receive a second compressed air supply from an implement compressor via a compressed air connection line, wherein the implement compressor is configured to be mounted on an implement towed by the work vehicle, wherein the compressed air connection line is configured to couple the implement compressor to the compressed air line via a coupler;
a priority valve coupled to an output of the compressed air line and to an output of the compressed air connection line, wherein the priority valve is configured to enable flow of only the first compressed air supply, only the second compressed air supply, or a combination air supply of the first and second compressed air supplies to the tire inflation system;
a tire inflation system fluidly coupled to the compressed air line and configured to selectively increase and decrease an air pressure within a tire of the work vehicle, wherein the tire inflation system is configured to distribute the first compressed air supply, the second compressed air supply, and the combination air supply of the first and second compressed air supplies to the tire; and
a controller configured to:
determine whether a demand of pneumatic components mounted on the implement exceed a threshold demand level;
responsive to a determination that the demand of pneumatic components mounted on the implement exceeds the threshold demand level, cause the priority valve to enable flow of only the first compressed air supply to the tire inflation system; and
responsive to a determination that the demand of the pneumatic components mounted on the implement does not exceed the threshold demand level, cause the priority valve to enable flow of only the second compressed air supply to the tire inflation system or flow of the combination air supply of the first and second compressed air supplies to the tire inflation system.

2. The combination air supply system of claim 1 , wherein the tire inflation system comprises a pressure valve and a distribution line extending from an output of the compressed air line and configured to extend to the tire, wherein the pressure valve is disposed along the distribution line and configured to control the increase and decrease of the air pressure within the tire.

3. The combination air supply system of claim 1 , comprising an air cooler fluidly coupled to an output of the compressed air line and configured to lower a temperature of the first compressed air supply, the second compressed air supply, or the combination air supply.

4. The combination air supply system of claim 1 , wherein the tire inflation system is configured to selectively increase or decrease the air pressure within the tire of the work vehicle to correspond to a target tire pressure, wherein the target tire pressure is based at least in part on a current terrain, load being pulled by the work vehicle, or a combination thereof.

5. The combination air supply system of claim 1 , wherein the tire inflation system is configured to selectively increase or decrease an air pressure of another tire of the implement, wherein the tire inflation system is configured to distribute the first compressed air supply, the second compressed air supply, and the combination air supply to the another tire of the implement.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Fiorati Stefano
• Salzman Eran
• Landolt Darían E

Classifications

• B60C23/002 Primary

  by monitoring conditions other than tyre pressure or deformation · CPC title

• B60C23/00372 Primary

  characterised by fluid diagrams · CPC title

• B60C23/00354

  Details of valves · CPC title

• B60C2200/08

  for agricultural vehicles · CPC title

• B62D49/0621

  comprising traction increasing arrangements, e.g. all-wheel traction devices, multiple-axle traction arrangements, auxiliary traction increasing devices (anti-skid or anti-slip devices fitted onto the wheels B60B15/02, B60B39/12; arrangements of transmission for driving both front and rear wheels or tandem wheels of vehicles B60K17/34, B60K17/36) · CPC title