Air maintenance tire and elbow connector system

US8875762B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company · US

Inventors

• Daniel Paul Luc Marie Hinque · Arlon, BE
• Yannick Raymond Georges Haegel · Villeneuve-d'Ascq, FR
• Olivier Di Prizio · Yutz, FR
• Gilles Bonnet · Diekirch, LU
• Andreas Frantzen · Trier, DE
• Raphael Beck · Reichlange, LU
• Patrice Clausse · Diekirch, LU

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 21, 2011
• Grant date: Nov 4, 2014
• Expiry date: Jan 1, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T152/10855
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

An air maintenance tire and connector system includes a tire carcass having an elongate integral air passageway contained within a flexible tire component of the tire carcass between an air inlet and an air outlet cavity and a connector assembly inserted within an outlet one of the cavities. The connector assembly includes a hollow right angled elbow-shaped body fitting within the outlet cavity. The elbow-shaped body's second housing segment has an axial length sufficient to project axially inward from the first housing segment through a tire wall thickness to a tire central cavity. A valve device attaches to a remote end of the second housing segment within the tire cavity, the valve device operative to regulate air flow between the elbow-shaped body central chamber and the tire cavity.