An air maintenance tire system component protector is provided. An air maintenance tire system includes at least one connecting tube extending between and being in fluid communication with an annular air tube and a valve housing. The protector includes a first end disposed proximate the connection of the at least one connecting tube to the annular tube, and a second end disposed proximate the valve housing. A mid-portion of the protector is disposed between the first and second ends. The protector covers an outboard surface of the at least one connecting tube and the valve housing, and includes means for engaging the at least one connecting tube to secure the position of the tube.

A peristaltic pump chamber with shape memory for pressure adjustment in tires is provided and which is part of the tire or is adjacent to the tire wall or is a part of a vehicle wheel, in particular for tires with an inner tube, e.g. bicycle tires.

A device (10) for providing air under pressure to a rotating pneumatic tire is disclosed. The device comprises a pump (48, 50, 58) which in use rotates with the tire and which provides air under pressure to the tire when the pump is activated. There is a pump drive system for activating the pump upon a loss of pressure in the tire. The pump drive system includes a connecting rod (52) which is rotationally connected to the tire and an eccentric body (32) which rotates with the rod when the pump is inactive. The eccentric body is inhibited from rotating with the rod to activate the pump. Relative rotation between the rod and the eccentric body drives the pump to provide air under pressure to the tire. An electromagnetic clutch is provided which has a first plate (26) which is non-rotatable and a second plate (36) which rotates with the body. The first plate is connected to the second plate electromagnetically when the clutch is engaged to prevent rotation of the second plate and hence of the connecting rod.

The vehicle tire inflation system comprises an air jacket and an air hose. The air jacket may reside within a wheel of a vehicle and may be mounted to the inside of a rim of the wheel. The air jacket may determine that a tire of the wheel has at least partially deflated by sensing that tire pressure within the wheel has dropped below a first pressure threshold. The air jacket may release compressed air within the wheel until the air jacket senses that the tire pressure has reached a second pressure threshold such that the tire may be reinflated. The air hose may be configured to couple the air jacket to a tire pressure monitoring system such that the air jacket has access to an external air supply located outside of the wheel via the tire pressure monitoring system.

A device for maintaining and changing the pressure in a is provided whereby the inner pressure space of the tire is connected through a pump to a pressure accumulator which, at its input and/or output into the inner pressure space of the tire, is fitted with at least one pressure control element. The pump can be a peristaltic pump in the shape of a deformable hose placed on the perimeter of the tire, fitted with an air inlet and an air outlet, while the air inlet and the air outlet are positioned on the perimeter of the tire distant from each other by a preset length, dependent on the deformation of the tire.

A system for tire inflation including a drive mechanism defining a rotational axis, including an eccentric mass that offsets a center of mass of the drive mechanism from the rotational axis along a radial vector; a pump arranged radially distal the rotational axis of the drive mechanism, including a chamber defining a chamber lumen, and a reciprocating element arranged at least partially within the chamber lumen and translatable along a pump axis; a drive coupler coupled between the drive mechanism at a first position and the reciprocating element at a second position fixed to the reciprocating element; a torque regulation mechanism; and a controller, communicatively coupled to the torque regulation mechanism; wherein the system is operable between at least a first mode and a second mode by the torque regulation mechanism in cooperation with the controller.

A system for tire inflation including a drive mechanism defining a rotational axis, including an eccentric mass that offsets a center of mass of the drive mechanism from the rotational axis along a radial vector; a pump arranged radially distal the rotational axis of the drive mechanism, including a chamber defining a chamber lumen, and a reciprocating element arranged at least partially within the chamber lumen and translatable along a pump axis; a drive coupler coupled between the drive mechanism at a first position and the reciprocating element at a second position fixed to the reciprocating element; a torque regulation mechanism; and a controller, communicatively coupled to the torque regulation mechanism; wherein the system is operable between at least a first mode and a second mode by the torque regulation mechanism in cooperation with the controller.

An inflator disposed within a tubeless tire for inflating the tubeless tire. A rechargeable electric storage disposed within a tubeless for providing electricity. An electric air compressor is mounted on an inside surface of the rim of the tubeless tire within the pressure cavity of the tubeless tire. The electric air compressor and an air pressure sensor disposed within the tubeless tire runs by a controller. The electric air compressor has a compressed air inlet vented to atmosphere in a custom valve stem through a conventional hole of a valve stem in the rim of the tubeless tire. A motion activated power generator recharges the rechargeable electric storage. A short-range radio transmits measured pressure data for each tire to a central OBD module plugged into in the vehicle. The central OBD module connects through a smartphone indirectly or directly to a central server via a networked cellular radio tower.

A pressure control assembly for an air maintenance tire includes a control valve assembly. The pressure control assembly mounts in proximal relationship to a tire valve stem and operably controls a flow of pressurized air through the tire valve stem from an ancillary tire-mounted pressurized air source. The ancillary tire-mounted pressurized air source and an external pressurized air source share the valve stem for delivery of pressurized air to the tire cavity. The pressure control assembly mounts to a surface of a wheel supporting the tire at a control location in proximal relationship with the valve stem.

A device for maintaining and changing the pressure in a is provided whereby the inner pressure space of the tire is connected through a pump to a pressure accumulator which, at its input and/or output into the inner pressure space of the tire, is fitted with at least one pressure control element. The pump can be a peristaltic pump in the shape of a deformable hose placed on the perimeter of the tire, fitted with an air inlet and an air outlet, while the air inlet and the air outlet are positioned on the perimeter of the tire distant from each other by a preset length, dependent on the deformation of the tire.