Dual tire air maintenance system and method
First Claim
1. An air maintenance assembly for dual-mounted tires comprising:
- a first tire and second tire mounted in a side-by-side dual relationship mounted to an axle, the first and the second tires each mounted respectively to a first rim and a second rim and each of the first and the second tires having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region;
a control valve assembly including a control valve housing having an internal air passageway, the control valve housing being coupled to a valve stem and being external to the tire cavity of each of the first and second tires, the first sidewall of the first tire 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;
a connecting tube connected to the elongate sidewall air passageway and to the control valve housing, the connecting tube operative to direct pressurized air into the control valve housing internal air passageway as the tire rolls over a ground surface; and
wherein the control valve housing is in fluid communication with first and second outlet tubes having internal air passageways operable to conduct pressurized air into the first tire cavity and the second tire cavity on an as-needed basis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An air maintenance tire system and method in accordance with the present invention includes an air pumping mechanism configured to maintain air pressure within a first tire and a second tire in a dual tire arrangement. The system includes a control valve assembly attached to an elongate valve stem projecting from a rim of a first tandem tire, and a one-way valve carrying connecting tube from a sidewall air pumping passageway within a sidewall of the first tire. The control valve assembly further includes first and second outlet tubes connected to the elongate valve stem to selectively pass pressurized air into the tire cavities of both tandem mounted tires on an as-needed basis.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An air maintenance assembly for dual-mounted tires comprising:
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a first tire and second tire mounted in a side-by-side dual relationship mounted to an axle, the first and the second tires each mounted respectively to a first rim and a second rim and each of the first and the second tires having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region; a control valve assembly including a control valve housing having an internal air passageway, the control valve housing being coupled to a valve stem and being external to the tire cavity of each of the first and second tires, the first sidewall of the first tire 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; a connecting tube connected to the elongate sidewall air passageway and to the control valve housing, the connecting tube operative to direct pressurized air into the control valve housing internal air passageway as the tire rolls over a ground surface; and wherein the control valve housing is in fluid communication with first and second outlet tubes having internal air passageways operable to conduct pressurized air into the first tire cavity and the second tire cavity on an as-needed basis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for maintaining air pressure within tandem mounted tires comprising:
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mounting a first tire and second tire mounted in a dual side-by-side relationship to an axle, the first and the second tires each mounted respectively to a first rim and a second rim and each of the first and the second tires having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region; providing a control valve housing that is coupled to a valve stem, the control valve housing being external to the tire cavity of each of the first and second tires; attaching within the first sidewall of the first tire an elongate sidewall air passageway 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; connecting a connecting tube from the first sidewall air passageway to the control valve housing, the connecting tube operative to sequentially direct air forced from the sidewall air passageway into an internal air passageway of the control valve housing; and placing first and second outlet tubes in fluid communication with the internal air passageway of the control valve housing and with the tire cavities of the first tire and the second tire, respectively, operable to pass pressurized air into the first tire cavity and the second tire cavity on an as-needed basis. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification