Bi-directional air delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12054014-B2
Application number	US-202117184806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2021
Priority date	Feb 25, 2021
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

An air delivery system is operable to on-board compressed air to an associated work vehicle from an associated or auxiliary source such as for example an external large compressor or air storage tank for assisting a tire inflation system (TIS) of the associated work vehicle to expedite tire inflation particularly when transitioning to a desired raised tire pressure, and is further operable to off-board compressed air from a compressor of the TIS system on-board the associated work vehicle for delivery from the TIS to an associated or external compressed air consuming device such as an implement attached with the associated work vehicle or the like. A bi-directional air delivery retrofit kit provides on-boarding and off-boarding of an extra-vehicular compressed air product relative to an associated work vehicle. A dual source air delivery system provides pressurized air to an air storage device from on-board and off-board pressurized air sources.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bi-directional air delivery system for on-boarding and off-boarding an extra-vehicular compressed air product relative to a work vehicle, the system comprising:
a work vehicle compressor configured to generate a local compressed air supply;
a tire inflation system configured to receive a tire inflation input air supply and to distribute the received tire inflation input air supply to a plurality of tires of the work vehicle;
an auxiliary air communication port connection device configured to provide a fluid coupling to the bi-directional air delivery system; and
a bi-directional valve system configured to communicate:
an extra-vehicular off-boarding air supply from the local compressed air supply to the auxiliary air communication port connection device; and
an extra-vehicular on-boarding air supply from the auxiliary air communication port connection device to the tire inflation input air supply.

2. The bi-directional air delivery system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an on-board compressed air source connection line, wherein the work vehicle compressor is configured to compress a first supply of air and to output the local compressed air supply to the on-board compressed air source connection line;
a tire inflation connection line, wherein the tire inflation system is configured to regulate an air pressure within the plurality of tires of the work vehicle by selectively increasing and decreasing the air pressure within the plurality of tires of the work vehicle, wherein the tire inflation system is configured to distribute the tire inflation input air supply received by the tire inflation system to the plurality of tires using the tire inflation connection line;
an inner air communication connection line fluidly coupling a first end of the bi-directional valve system with the on-board compressed air source connection line and with the tire inflation connection line; and
an outer air communication connection line fluidly coupling a first end of the bi-directional valve system with the auxiliary air communication port connection device,
wherein the auxiliary air communication port connection device is configured to selectively couple the bi-directional air delivery system with one or more compressed air processing apparatus for communicating the extra-vehicular compressed air product between the bi-directional air delivery system and the one or more compressed air processing apparatus,
wherein the bi-directional valve system is operable to selectively fluid couple the inner air communication connection line with the outer air communication connection line responsive to:
a bi-directional valve system control signal to permit the local compressed air supply to be delivered to the auxiliary air communication port connection device as the extra-vehicular off-boarding air supply; and
the auxiliary air communication port connection device being supplied the extra-vehicular on-boarding air supply from the compressed air processing apparatus for delivery to the tire inflation system.

3. The bi-directional air delivery system according to claim 2 , wherein:
the bi-directional valve system comprises:
a selector valve device responsive to the bi-directional valve system control signal to transition between a first configuration closing a flow between the inner air communication connection line and the outer air communication connection line and a second configuration opening the flow between the inner air communication connection line and the outer air communication connection line to permit the local compressed air supply to be delivered by the auxiliary air communication port connection device to a compressed air consuming apparatus as the extra-vehicular off-boarding air supply; and

a check valve permitting a unidirectional on-boarding air flow from the outer air communication connection line to the inner air communication connection line for delivery of the extra-vehicular on-boarding air supply from a compressed air producing apparatus to the tire inflation system.

4. The bi-directional air delivery system according to claim 3 , wherein the selector valve device comprises one or more of:
a manual selector valve device operable in response to a position of a manual actuator device to transition the manual selector valve device between the first and second configurations; and/or
an electric selector valve device operable in response to an electric control signal to transition the electric selector valve device between the first and second configurations.

5. The bi-directional air delivery system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an air conditioning system operable to condition the extra-vehicular on-boarding air supply flowing through one or more of the tire inflation connection line, the inner air communication connection line, and/or the outer air communication connection line by one or more of:
filtering the extra-vehicular on-boarding air supply to impede ingress of an undesirable material into the tire inflation system; and/or
adding a supplemental material into the extra-vehicular on-boarding air supply.

6. The bi-directional air delivery system according to claim 5 , wherein the air conditioning system comprises:
an air dryer operable to remove moisture from the extra-vehicular on-boarding air supply flowing through one or more of the tire inflation connection line, the inner air communication connection line, and/or the outer air communication connection line, wherein the air dryer comprises one or more of:
a liquid separator device; and/or
a coalescing filter device.

7. The bi-directional air delivery system according to claim 2 , wherein:
the bi-directional valve system comprises:
an on-boarded air pressure relief valve in fluid communication with one or more of the tire inflation connection line, the inner air communication connection line, and/or the outer air communication connection line,
wherein the on-boarded air pressure relief valve is operable to limit pressure within the one or more of the tire inflation connection line, the inner air communication connection line, and/or the outer air communication connection line to less than a predetermined on-boarded air pressure limit.

8. The bi-directional air delivery system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a junction connection device fluid coupling the on-board compressed air source connection line with the tire inflation and inner air communication connection lines.

9. The bi-directional air delivery system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an on-boarded air pressure relief valve in fluid communication with one or more of the tire inflation connection line, the inner air communication connection line, and/or the outer air communication connection line,
wherein the on-boarded air pressure relief valve is operable to limit pressure within the one or more of the tire inflation connection line, the inner air communication connection line, and/or the outer air communication connection line to less than a predetermined on-boarded air pressure limit.

10. The bi-directional air delivery system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a charging valve device disposed in the on-board compressed air source connection line between the junction connection device and the work vehicle compressor, the charging valve device comprising:
a forward pressure relief portion operable to prevent a flow of air having a pressure less than a predetermined pressure level through the charging valve device towards the tire inflation junction connection device; and
a reverse flow check valve portion operable to prevent a flow of air through the charging valve device towards

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Borgmann Benjamin L
• Schweigel Patrick A
• Muilenburg Marta A

Classifications

• B60C23/00354

  Details of valves · CPC title

• B60C23/001

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

• B60T13/268

  using accumulators or reservoirs · CPC title

• B60T17/002

  Air treatment devices · CPC title

• B60T17/004

  Draining and drying devices · CPC title