DISTRIBUTED CAVITY AIR PUMPING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR A TIRE

摘要

A tire assembly and method includes one or more elongate air passageway formed within a tire component, such as a tire sidewall. The air passageway is configured as a series or string of elongate cavities, adjacent cavities connected end to end by an elongate connecting channel. The connecting channel is dimensioned having a channel diametric size smaller than a cavity diametric size. Positioned within the tire component, the air passageway sequentially collapses segment by segment as each of the cavities pass sequentially over a rolling tire footprint. Air is pumped by the sequential air passageway collapse with the smaller dimensioned connecting channel(s) acting as valve components to directionally keep the pumped air moving between an air passageway air inlet and an air passageway air outlet and from there into the tire cavity.

主权项

1. A tire assembly comprising:
a tire having a tire cavity, first and second sidewalls extending respectively from first and second tire bead regions to a tire tread region; at least one elongate air passageway formed within a tire component, the air passageway comprising a series of elongate cavities, adjacent cavities connected end to end by an elongate connecting channel having a channel diametric size smaller than a cavity diametric size; the air passageway being contained within an elastic tire compound material operative to sequentially at least partially collapse each cavity sequentially as the cavities pass sequentially over a rolling tire footprint, whereby air is pumped from cavity to cavity through the connecting channel between an air passageway air inlet and an air passageway air outlet.