SNAP-IN INLET AND CONNECTION METHOD FOR AIR MAINTENANCE TIRE

摘要

An air maintenance tire includes an air inlet housing affixed to the inner liner of a tire. An elongate sidewall air pumping passageway is incorporated within a first tire sidewall. An intake conduit and an elongate tubular inlet conduit are provided having a quick connect/disconnect latching attachment to sockets formed by the air inlet housing.

主权项

1. An air maintenance tire assembly comprising:
a tire having a tire cavity defined by an inner liner, the inner liner bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region; an air inlet housing affixed to the inner liner; 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; whereby forcing air segment by segment along the sidewall air passageway; an elongate tubular inlet conduit extending between the sidewall air passageway and the inlet housing, the inlet conduit post having an internal air passageway operative to route inlet air from within the inlet housing to the sidewall air passageway; an air intake conduit extending through the first sidewall to the inner liner, the air intake conduit being coupled to the air inlet housing and operative to route air from outside the tire through the first sidewall and into the air inlet housing; wherein the inlet conduit and the air intake conduit each engaging into respective first and second elongate sockets formed by the inlet housing, whereby establishing respective air flow communication into the inlet housing; and wherein the inlet conduit and the intake conduit and the first and second sockets, respectively, have mutually engaging latching detent means.