Self-inflating tire assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A self-inflating tire assembly comprising:
- a rim having a tire mounting surface extending between first and second rim flanges;
a tire mounted to the rim tire mounting surface, the tire having a tire cavity, first and second sidewalls extending respectively from first and second tire bead regions to a tire tread region;
the first sidewall having at least one bending region operatively bending within a rolling tire footprint responsive to a bending strain, whereby the bending region in a bending condition within said rolling tire footprint having a bending strain neutral axis, a compression side of the neutral zone, and an elongation side of the neutral zone;
a sidewall groove positioned within the compression side of the neutral axis of the one said bending region of the first tire sidewall;
an air tube positioned within the sidewall groove in contacting engagement with opposite groove surfaces at least partially surrounding the air tube, the sidewall groove operatively bending within the bending region responsive to the bending strain within the rolling tire footprint to compress the air tube from an expanded diameter to a flat diameter adjacent the rolling tire footprint, whereby forcing evacuated air from a flattened air tube segment along the air passageway.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A self-inflating tire assembly includes an air tube mounted within a tire sidewall groove. The air tube is in contacting engagement with opposite angled groove surfaces surrounding the air tube. A segment of the air tube is flattened from an expanded diameter to a flat diameter by bending and compression of the groove in a rolling tire footprint to force air evacuated from the flattened segment along a tube air passageway. The sidewall groove extends into an annular, axially extending, sidewall surface such as an axially oriented surface of a tire chafer protrusion located in non-contacting relationship with the rim.
117 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A self-inflating tire assembly comprising:
-
a rim having a tire mounting surface extending between first and second rim flanges; a tire mounted to the rim tire mounting surface, the tire having a tire cavity, first and second sidewalls extending respectively from first and second tire bead regions to a tire tread region; the first sidewall having at least one bending region operatively bending within a rolling tire footprint responsive to a bending strain, whereby the bending region in a bending condition within said rolling tire footprint having a bending strain neutral axis, a compression side of the neutral zone, and an elongation side of the neutral zone; a sidewall groove positioned within the compression side of the neutral axis of the one said bending region of the first tire sidewall; an air tube positioned within the sidewall groove in contacting engagement with opposite groove surfaces at least partially surrounding the air tube, the sidewall groove operatively bending within the bending region responsive to the bending strain within the rolling tire footprint to compress the air tube from an expanded diameter to a flat diameter adjacent the rolling tire footprint, whereby forcing evacuated air from a flattened air tube segment along the air passageway. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A self-inflating tire assembly comprising:
-
a rim having a tire mounting surface extending between first and second rim flanges; a tire mounted to the rim tire mounting surface, the tire having a tire cavity, first and second sidewalls extending respectively from first and second tire bead regions to a tire tread region; the first sidewall having at least one bending region operatively bending within a rolling tire footprint responsive to a bending strain, whereby the bending region in a bending condition within said rolling tire footprint having a bending strain neutral axis, a compression side of the neutral zone, and an elongation side of the neutral zone; a sidewall groove extending into an outward facing side of the sidewall and positioned within the compression side of the neutral axis of the one said bending region of the first tire sidewall, the sidewall groove being at least partially open to the outward facing side of the sidewall; an enclosed air conducting air tube positioned within the sidewall groove in contacting engagement with opposite groove surfaces at least partially surrounding the air tube, the sidewall groove operatively bending within the bending region responsive to the bending strain within the rolling tire footprint to compress the air tube between the opposite groove surfaces from an expanded diameter to a flat diameter adjacent the rolling tire footprint, whereby forcing evacuated air from a flattened air tube segment along the air passageway. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
Specification