Self-inflating tire assembly

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.

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 air passageway positioned within the compression side of the neutral axis of the one said bending region of the first tire sidewall and defined by passageway sidewalls;   the sidewall air passageway operatively bending within the bending region responsive to the bending strain within the rolling tire footprint to compress the air passageway from an expanded diameter to a flat diameter adjacent the rolling tire footprint, whereby forcing evacuated air from a flattened air passageway segment along the air passageway.   
     
     
         2 . The tire assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the air passageway is located within a sidewall region of the first tire sidewall above an upper boundary of the rim. 
     
     
         3 . The tire assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the passageway sidewalls bend within a footprint of a rotating tire to operatively close an air passageway segment within the tire footprint. 
     
     
         4 . The tire assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the air passageway extends in a circumferential direction about a tire first sidewall. 
     
     
         5 . The tire assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the sidewall air passageway is annular and located proximally above the upper boundary of the rim. 
     
     
         6 . The tire assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the air passageway extends into a substantially axially extending, sidewall surface. 
     
     
         7 . The tire assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the sidewall surface comprises a substantially axially oriented surface of a tire chafer protrusion located in non-contacting relationship with the rim, the air passageway residing into the annular sidewall surface in substantially a radial direction. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The tire assembly of  claim 7 , wherein substantially the entirety of the air passageway resides within the sidewall groove. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The tire assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall air passageway is positioned within the compression side of the neutral axis of the one said bending region of the first tire sidewall at a substantially maximum distance from the neutral axis. 
     
     
         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;   an enclosed air passageway positioned within the sidewall defined by air passageway sidewalls, the air passageway sidewalls operatively bending within the bending region responsive to the bending strain within the rolling tire footprint to compress the air passageway between the air passageway sidewalls from an expanded diameter to a flatter diameter adjacent the rolling tire footprint, whereby forcing evacuated air from a flattened air passageway segment along the air passageway.   
     
     
         19 . The tire assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the air passageway resides within the first tire sidewall outward facing side.