Air maintenance tire and valve assembly and method
First Claim
1. An air maintenance tire assembly comprising:
- a tire having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region;
a pressure control assembly attached to an elongate valve stem projecting from a rim, the pressure control assembly being external to the tire cavity, the elongate valve stem projecting outward from the tire cavity and operative to admit pressurized air into the tire cavity through the pressure control assembly, the first sidewall having an elongate sidewall air passageway therein operatively located to compress segment by segment from an expanded diameter to a substantially reduced diameter responsive to a bending strain introduced into the first sidewall from a rolling tire footprint thereby forcing air, segment by segment, along the air passageway; and
a connecting tube connected to the air passageway and the pressure control assembly, the connecting tube operative to sequentially direct air forced along the air passageway, first, into the pressure control assembly and, then, into the elongate valve stem as the tire rolls over a ground surface.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An air maintenance tire assembly includes a tire having a tire cavity to a tire tread region, a pressure control assembly attached to an elongate valve stem projecting from a rim, the pressure control assembly being external to the tire cavity, the elongate valve stem projecting outward from the tire cavity and operative to admit pressurized air into the tire cavity through the pressure control assembly, the first sidewall having an elongate sidewall air passageway therein operatively located to compress segment by segment from an expanded diameter to a substantially reduced diameter responsive to a bending strain introduced into the first sidewall from a rolling tire footprint thereby forcing air, segment by segment, along the air passageway, and a connecting tube connected to the air passageway and the pressure control assembly.
29 Citations
12 Claims
-
1. An air maintenance tire assembly comprising:
-
a tire having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region; a pressure control assembly attached to an elongate valve stem projecting from a rim, the pressure control assembly being external to the tire cavity, the elongate valve stem projecting outward from the tire cavity and operative to admit pressurized air into the tire cavity through the pressure control assembly, the first sidewall having an elongate sidewall air passageway therein operatively located to compress segment by segment from an expanded diameter to a substantially reduced diameter responsive to a bending strain introduced into the first sidewall from a rolling tire footprint thereby forcing air, segment by segment, along the air passageway; and a connecting tube connected to the air passageway and the pressure control assembly, the connecting tube operative to sequentially direct air forced along the air passageway, first, into the pressure control assembly and, then, into the elongate valve stem as the tire rolls over a ground surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method of maintaining air within a tire comprising the steps of:
-
positioning within a sidewall an elongate air passageway, the tire having an elongate valve stem projecting outward from a tire cavity; locating the air passageway operative to compress, segment by segment, from an expanded diameter to a substantially reduced diameter responsive to a bending strain introduced into a sidewall from a rolling tire footprint of the tire thereby forcing air, segment by segment, along the air passageway; and extending a connecting tube between the air passageway and a pressure control assembly threadedly attached to the valve stem, the connecting tube operative to sequentially direct air forced along the air passageway, first, into the pressure control assembly and then the valve stem and tire cavity as the tire rolls over a ground surface. - View Dependent Claims (12)
-
Specification