AIR MAINTENANCE PUMP

摘要

An air maintenance tire assembly includes a tire having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region and air pumping means for generating pressurized air for maintaining air pressure within the tire cavity at a preset pressure level. The air pumping means includes an upper mounting plate fixed to a vehicle rim, a lower mounting plate fixed to the rim and diametrically opposed to the upper mounting plate, a dynamic mass pivotally attached to the upper mounting plate at a first end of the dynamic mass, and a pump fixed to the lower mounting plate and pivotally attached to a second end of the dynamic mass.

主权项

1. A method for pressurizing a tire cavity of a pneumatic tire, the method comprising the steps of:
fixing an upper mounting plate to a first location on a vehicle rim; fixing a lower mounting plate to a second location on the vehicle rim, the second location being diametrically opposed to the first location; closing the tire cavity with the vehicle rim and first and second sidewalls extending from a bead region to a tire tread region of the pneumatic tire; pivoting a dynamic mass relative to the vehicle rim thereby generating pressurized air; and pumping the pressurized air to the tire cavity for maintaining pressure in the tire cavity at a preset pressure level.