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A self-inflating tire assembly includes an annular air tube connected to a tire and defining an annular 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 in

A self-inflating tire assembly includes an annular air tube connected to a tire and defining an annular 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 an inlet device for exhaust from the passageway or to an outlet device for direction into the tire cavity. The inlet device is positioned within the annular passageway 180 degrees opposite the outlet device such that sequential flattening of the air tube by the tire footprint effects pumping of air along the air passageway with the tire rotating in either a forward or reverse direction of rotation.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A self-inflating tire assembly comprising: a rim having a tire mounting surface extending between first and second rim flanges;a tire mounted to the rim tire mounting surface, the tire having a tire cavity, first and second sidewalls extending respectively from first and second tire bead regions

1. A self-inflating tire assembly comprising: a rim having a tire mounting surface extending between first and second rim flanges;a tire mounted to the rim tire mounting surface, 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 annular air tube connected to the tire and defining an annular air passageway, the air tube being composed of a flexible material operative to allow an air tube segment radially opposite a tire footprint to flatten and substantially close the annular passageway, the tire footprint in a rotating tire being operative to flatten the annular air tube segment by segment to pump air from the flattened air tube segments along the annular air passageway;an inlet device positioned within the annular passageway operative to pass air into and out of the annular passageway;an outlet device positioned within the annular passageway at a location substantially 180 degrees apart opposite the inlet device, the outlet device operative in an open position to pass pumped air along the annular air passageway into the tire cavity;wherein the inlet device comprises a T-configured inlet mechanism positioned within the annular passageway of the annular air tube, the inlet mechanism having oppositely directed first and second inlet sleeves connected to the annular air tube and in communication with the annular air passageway; the inlet device further having an inlet portal disposed between the first and second inlet sleeve passageways operatively positioned to pass air in and out of the inlet device first and second inlet sleeve passageways; the outlet device comprising a T-configured outlet mechanism positioned within the annular passageway, the outlet mechanism having oppositely directed first and second outlet sleeves connected to the annular air tube and in communication with the annular air passageway; the outlet mechanism further having one-way valve means within the first and second outlet sleeve passageways operative in an open condition to pass air from an outlet sleeve passageway out of the outlet device and into the tire cavity. 2. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein the air tube is sequentially flattened by the tire footprint to pump air along the air passageway in either a forward tire direction of rotation or a reverse tire direction of rotation. 3. The tire assembly of claim 2, wherein the air tube sequentially flattens to pump air along the air passageway to the inlet and outlet devices in either the forward or reverse tire directions of rotation. 4. The tire assembly of claim 3, wherein a flattened tube segment resiliently returns to an un-flat condition when repositioned by tire rotation outside the tire tread footprint. 5. The tire assembly of claim 4, wherein the outlet device and the inlet device are mounted to the annular air tube substantially 180 degrees apart. 6. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein the annular air tube is substantially of circular configuration. 7. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein the annular air tube is positioned between a tire bead region and a rim flange radially inward of the tire tread region. 8. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein the annular air tube is positioned between a tire bead region and the rim tire mounting surface radially inward of the tire tread region. 9. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein the outlet device comprises an outlet portal tube extending from the outlet device to the tire cavity. 10. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein the air tube comprises a substantially circular array of air tube segments that sequentially flatten segment by segment radially opposite a tire footprint as the tire assembly rotates against a ground surface. 11. The tire assembly of claim 10, wherein the array of air tube segments flatten segment by segment and pump displaced air from the flattened tube segments to the outlet device and the inlet device. 12. The tire assembly of claim 1, wherein further comprising a porous filter member positioned within an air portal of the inlet device. 13. A self-inflating tire assembly comprising: a rim having a tire mounting surface extending between first and second rim flanges;a tire mounted to the rim tire mounting surface, 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 annular air tube connected to the tire and defining an annular air passageway, the air tube being composed of a flexible material operative to allow an air tube segment radially opposite a tire footprint to flatten and substantially close the annular passageway, the tire footprint in a rotating tire being operative to flatten the annular air tube segment by segment to pump air from the flattened air tube segments along the annular air passageway;an inlet device positioned within the annular passageway operative to pass air into and out of the annular passageway;an outlet device positioned within the annular passageway at a location substantially opposite the inlet device, the outlet device operative in an open position to pass pumped air along the annular air passageway into the tire cavity; andwherein the outlet device and the inlet device are mounted to the annular air tube substantially 180 degrees apart. 14. The tire assembly of claim 13, wherein the air tube sequentially flattens in a direction counter to a tire direction of rotation to operatively pump air along the air passageway to the inlet device and the outlet device in either a forward tire direction of rotation or a reverse tire direction of rotation. 15. The tire assembly of claim 14, wherein pumped air from the sequentially flattened air tube is alternately directed to the inlet device and exhausted from the air passageway or directed to the outlet device and channeled into the tire cavity. 16. A self-inflating tire assembly comprising: a rim having a tire mounting surface extending between first and second rim flanges;a tire mounted to the rim tire mounting surface, 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 annular air tube connected to the tire and defining an annular air passageway, the air tube comprising an air inlet device within the air passageway for admitting air into the passageway and exhausting air from the passageway; and an outlet device within the air passageway positioned substantially 180 degrees opposite to the inlet device, the outlet device operative in an open condition to deliver air to the tire cavity; the air tube being composed of a flexible material operative to allow an air tube segment opposite a tire footprint to flatten and substantially close the annular passageway whereby the air tube is sequentially flattened to pump air from the sequentially flattened air tube along the air passageway in a direction counter to the direction of tire rotation. 17. The tire assembly of claim 16, wherein air is pumped from the sequentially flattened air tube along the annular air passageway in either a forward tire direction rotation or a reverse tire direction of rotation.