Work vehicle with partially rotatable tire inflation pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11179976-B2
Application number	US-201916411240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2019
Priority date	May 14, 2019
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

An axle assembly for a work vehicle includes: a frame housing; a differential housed in the frame housing; an axle carrier coupled to the frame housing; an axle partially disposed in the axle carrier and coupled to the differential; and a tire inflation pack including: a fixed portion coupled to the axle carrier and comprising a pack fluid inlet that is configured to fluidly couple to a pressurized gas source and a fixed opening holding the axle therein, the fixed portion being configured to allow rotation of the axle in the fixed opening without rotating; and a rotatable portion rotatably coupled to the fixed portion and comprising a pack fluid outlet that is fluidly coupled to the pack fluid inlet and a rotatable opening holding the axle therein, the rotatable portion being fluidly sealed with the fixed portion and configured to rotate with the axle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An axle assembly for a work vehicle, comprising:
a frame housing;
a differential housed in the frame housing;
an axle carrier coupled to the frame housing;
an axle partially disposed in the axle carrier and coupled to the differential; and
a tire inflation pack comprising:
a fixed portion coupled to the axle carrier and comprising a pack fluid inlet that is configured to fluidly couple to a pressurized gas source and a fixed opening holding the axle therein, the fixed portion being configured to allow rotation of the axle in the fixed opening without rotating; and
a rotatable portion rotatably coupled to the fixed portion and comprising a pack fluid outlet that is fluidly coupled to the pack fluid inlet and a rotatable opening holding the axle therein, the rotatable portion being fluidly sealed with the fixed portion and configured to rotate with the axle.

2. The axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tire inflation pack comprises a fluid chamber defined between the fixed portion and the rotatable portion and fluidly coupled to the pack fluid inlet and the pack fluid outlet.

3. The axle assembly of claim 2 , wherein the fluid chamber comprises a first channel formed in the fixed portion and fluidly coupled to the pack fluid inlet and a second channel formed in the rotatable portion and fluidly coupled to the first channel and the pack fluid outlet.

4. The axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the axle carrier comprises an end face and the fixed portion is mounted to the end face.

5. The axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable portion at least partially surrounds the fixed portion.

6. The axle assembly of claim 5 , wherein the fixed portion comprises a circumferential periphery that is entirely surrounded by the rotatable portion.

7. The axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pack fluid inlet defines a fluid inlet axis and the pack fluid outlet defines a fluid outlet axis that is non-parallel to the fluid inlet axis.

8. The axle assembly of claim 7 , wherein the fluid outlet axis is perpendicular to the fluid inlet axis.

9. The axle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one seal disposed between the fixed portion and the rotatable portion and configured to form an air-tight seal between the fixed portion and the rotatable portion.

10. A work vehicle, comprising:
a chassis;
a frame housing carried by the chassis;
a differential housed in the frame housing;
an axle carrier coupled to the frame housing;
an axle partially disposed in the axle carrier and coupled to the differential;
a pressurized gas source carried by the chassis and comprising a gas outlet; and
a tire inflation pack comprising:
a fixed portion coupled to the axle carrier and comprising a pack fluid inlet fluidly coupled to the gas outlet and a fixed opening holding the axle therein, the fixed portion being configured to allow rotation of the axle in the fixed opening without rotating; and
a rotatable portion rotatably coupled to the fixed portion and comprising a pack fluid outlet that is fluidly coupled to the pack fluid inlet and a rotatable opening holding the axle therein, the rotatable portion being fluidly sealed with the fixed portion and configured to rotate with the axle.

11. The work vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the tire inflation pack comprises a fluid chamber defined between the fixed portion and the rotatable portion and fluidly coupled to the pack fluid inlet and the pack fluid outlet.

12. The work vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the fluid chamber comprises a first channel formed in the fixed portion and fluidly coupled to the pack fluid inlet and a second channel formed in the rotatable portion and fluidly coupled to the first channel and the pack fluid outlet.

13. The work vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the axle carrier comprises an end face and the fixed portion is mounted to the end face.

14. The work vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the rotatable portion at least partially surrounds the fixed portion.

15. The work vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the fixed portion comprises a circumferential periphery that is entirely surrounded by the rotatable portion.

16. The work vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the pack fluid inlet defines a fluid inlet axis and the pack fluid outlet defines a fluid outlet axis that is non-parallel to the fluid inlet axis.

17. The work vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the fluid outlet axis is perpendicular to the fluid inlet axis.

18. The work vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising at least one seal disposed between the fixed portion and the rotatable portion and configured to form an air-tight seal between the fixed portion and the rotatable portion.

19. The work vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising a tire mounted to the axle and comprising a tire valve that is fluidly coupled to the pack fluid outlet.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Patel Arvind
• Jensen Michael R

Classifications

• B60C23/00336 Primary

  on the axles · CPC title

• B60C23/00345

  Details of the rotational joints · CPC title

• B60C23/001 Primary

  Devices for manually or automatically controlling or distributing tyre pressure whilst the vehicle is moving · CPC title