AIR MAINTENANCE TIRE PUMPING TUBE COVER STRIP

• Main Authors: MARKS PATRICK DAVID, THULASIRAM GOBINATH, ARUN KUMAR BYATARAYANAPURA GOPALA, ROBIN LAMGADAY, KANG JUNGMEE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 18.05.2017
• Subjects: DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; REPAIRING, OR CONNECTING VALVES TO, INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIESIN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; TYRE CHANGING OR REPAIRING; TYRE INFLATION; VEHICLE TYRES; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To incorporate an air maintenance feature within a tire that will self-maintain the tire air pressure in order to compensate for any reduction in tire pressure over time.SOLUTION: An air maintenance tire assembly comprises: a tire having a tire cavity, and first and second sidewalls 18; an elongate groove 32 located within the first sidewall 18, the groove comprising an elongate channel 34 and an elongate groove access passage 40 extending at an incline from the channel 34 to an access opening 42 located at an outward surface 58 of the first sidewall 18; a tube 56 positioned within the groove channel 34; and a cover strip 46 attached to the first sidewall 18 and enclosing the access opening 42. The cover strip 46 and the access opening 42 are positioned at the outward surface 58 of the first sidewall 18 at a higher radial location on the first sidewall 18 than the channel 34 location within the first sidewall 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A 【課題】時間経過に伴うタイヤ圧の低下を補償するためにタイヤ空気圧を自動的に維持する空気維持機構をタイヤ内に組み込む。【解決手段】空気維持タイヤ組立体が、タイヤキャビティと第１および第２のサイドウォール１８とを有するタイヤと、第１のサイドウォール１８内の、細長い流路３４と流路３４から第１のサイドウォール１８の外表面５８のアクセス開口部４２まで傾斜して延びる細長い溝アクセス通路４０とを含む細長い溝３２と、溝の流路３４内のチューブ５６と、第１のサイドウォール１８でアクセス開口部４２に封入しているカバーストリップ４６と、を含む。カバーストリップ４６とアクセス開口部４２は、第１のサイドウォール１８の外表面５８の、第１のサイドウォール１８内の流路３４よりも第１のサイドウォール１８の半径方向において高い位置に配置されている。【選択図】図２Ａ