VALVE STEM LOCATED CONTROL REGULATOR FOR AN AIR MAINTENANCE TIRE

摘要

A rim mounted control assembly receives therethrough the tire valve stem from an air maintenance tire. A control assembly regulator controls a flow of air to and from a tire-mounted air pumping tube. The control assembly includes a bi-directional air distribution block having multiple parallel air pathways, each air pathway coupled to a respective conduit connected to an air pumping tube mounted within a tire sidewall. The pathways alternatively operate to deliver ambient non-pressurized air to the air pumping tube in response to directional tire rotation against a ground surface.

主权项

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 tire-mounted air pumping means for pumping pressurized air into the tire cavity to maintain air pressure within the tire cavity at a preferred pressure level; a tire having an elongate valve stem projecting outward from the tire cavity, valve stem having an internal valve stem air passageway in communication with the tire cavity operative to direct pressurized air from the valve stem air passageway into the cavity; a pressure control assembly positioned at a control location in proximal relationship to the valve stem and operative to selectively control a flow of pressurized air from the tire-mounted air pumping means into the tire cavity responsive to a detected air pressure level within the tire cavity; wherein the pressure control assembly comprises a bi-directional air distribution block having a plurality of air pathways, each air pathway coupled to a respective conduit connected to the tire mounted air pumping means, wherein the plurality of conduits alternatively operating to deliver ambient non-pressurized air to the air pumping means in response to directional tire rotation against a ground surface.