Self-inflating tire and pressure regulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539869-B2
Application number	US-201414546490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A self-inflating tire assembly includes an air tube connected to a tire and defining an air passageway, the air tube being composed of a flexible material operative to allow an air tube segment opposite a tire footprint to flatten, closing the passageway, and resiliently unflatten into an original configuration. The air tube is sequentially flattened by the tire footprint in a direction opposite to a tire direction of rotation to pump air along the passageway to a inlet control valve. The inlet control valve regulates the inlet air flow to the air tube and the outlet air flow to the tire cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-inflating tire assembly comprising:
a tire mounted to a rim, the tire having a tire cavity, first and second sidewalls extending respectively from first and second tire bead regions to a tire tread region;
an air passageway having an inlet end and an outlet end, the air passageway being composed of a flexible material operative to open and close when the tire rotates, wherein the outlet end is in fluid communication with the tire cavity;
an inlet control valve having a regulator body having an interior chamber; a pressure membrane being mounted in the inlet control valve to enclose the interior chamber, wherein the pressure membrane has a lower surface that is positioned to open and close an outlet port mounted in the interior chamber, wherein the pressure membrane is in fluid communication with a tire cavity pressure;
wherein the body of the inlet control valve has a first and second flexible duct, wherein said first and second flexible ducts each have an internal passageway; wherein the first flexible duct has a first end connected to an inlet filter assembly and a second end is connected to the interior chamber of the inlet control valve, wherein the second flexible duct has a first end connected to the outlet port of the inlet control valve, and a second end in fluid communication with the inlet end of the air passageway.

2. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 1 wherein the air passageway is integrally formed in the sidewall of the tire.

3. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 1 wherein a spring biases the pressure membrane in an open position.

4. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 3 wherein the spring is a leaf spring.

5. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 1 , wherein the length of the air passageway is greater than 10 degrees.

6. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 1 , wherein the length of the air passageway is about the same as the length of a tire footprint.

7. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 1 , wherein the length of the air passageway is in the range of about 10 to about 30 degrees.

8. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 1 , wherein the air passageway is substantially elliptical in cross-section.

9. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 1 , wherein the air passageway is positioned in a chafer.

10. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first check valve is located between the outlet end of the air passageway and a tire cavity.

11. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 10 wherein the first check valve has an insert sleeve affixed to one of the first and second sidewalls, wherein the insert sleeve has an internally threaded bore that extends completely therethrough, wherein the internal bore has a first end open to the tire cavity, and a second end connected to the air passageway outlet end, wherein a flexible stopper is received in the internal bore.

12. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 11 wherein the flexible stopper has a disk shaped lower end that is positioned to open and close the air passageway outlet end.

13. The self-inflating tire assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter assembly has an insert sleeve affixed to one of said first and second sidewalls, wherein the insert sleeve has an internally threaded bore that extends completely therethrough, wherein the internal bore has a first end in the tire cavity and a second end open to the ambient air outside the tire, an air passage screw having an internal passageway is received in the first end of the insert sleeve, a filter is received within the internal passageway of the air passage screw.

Assignees

• Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Inventors

• Hinque Daniel Paul Luc Marie
• Frieden Jeannot
• Peronnet-Paquin Anne Therese

Classifications

• Y10T152/10495

  Pneumatic tire or inner tube · CPC title

• B60C23/12 Primary

  operated by a running wheel · CPC title

• B60C23/123 Primary

  Elongate peristaltic pumps · CPC title

• B60C23/135

  activated due to tyre deformation · CPC title