Air maintenance tire and pumping tube assembly and method
US9073395B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 15, 2014 |
| Grant date | Jul 7, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 15, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T152/10495
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A tire has an elongate profiled sidewall groove extending into a first tire sidewall from an outward first sidewall surface. An elongate air tube is positioned within the elongate sidewall groove in contact with the groove sidewalls, the air tube having an external surface configuration corresponding with and seating within the internal sidewall configuration defining the sidewall groove. The air tube when subject to outward originating impinging force collapses from an expanded unstressed configuration into a collapsed configuration to allow the tube to insert through the groove entry opening and expand outwardly once within the sidewall groove to its unstressed configuration. The configuration of the groove sidewalls capture the air tube within the groove in its expanded unstressed configuration to prevent separation of the tube from the tire during use.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.