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.

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 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 pumping assembly keeps a pneumatic tire from becoming underinflated. The pumping assembly includes an even number of pumps attached to the tire rim, a gravity mass for producing a pumping action, a cam fixed to the gravity mass for maintaining the cam in a fixed position relative to the gravity mass, and rollers for engaging the cam and producing the pumping action as the tire rim rotates and the gravity mass retards rotation of the cam as the tire rim rotates.

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 wheel mounted control assembly receives therethrough the tire valve stem from an air maintenance tire. A control assembly regulator controls a flow of air to and from a tire-mounted air pumping tube. The control assembly includes a bi-directional air distribution flow control system having multiple parallel air pathways, each air pathway coupled to a respective conduit connected to an air pumping tube mounted within a tire sidewall. The pathways alternatively operate to deliver ambient non-pressurized air to the air pumping tube in response to directional tire rotation against a ground surface.

A pump (1) for housing within a tyre, the pump (1) comprising: a fluid chamber comprising an inlet (4) operatively connectable to the environment and an outlet (6) operatively connectable to a tyre cavity; wherein the fluid chamber is compressible and is configurable to expel air into a tyre cavity via the outlet during compression of the fluid chamber and draw air in from the environment via the inlet during expansion of the fluid chamber; an actuation member configurable to extend through the tread of a tyre for contacting a road surface during use; the actuation member comprising a plate (18) configured to compress the fluid chamber; wherein the actuation member is configured to move between a first position, in which the fluid chamber is expanded, and a second position, in which the fluid chamber is compressed by the plate (18); and the pump (1) is configurable such that, in use, a part of the actuation member is in fluid communication with the tyre cavity and fluid pressure contributes to a first force on the actuation member towards the second position; the pump (1) further comprising: a return (12) arranged to urge the actuation member towards the first position; wherein the fluid chamber and/or return (12) are configured to contribute to a second force acting on the actuation member towards the first position.

A self-inflating tire assembly includes an air tube mounted within a tire sidewall groove. The air tube is in contacting engagement with opposite angled groove surfaces surrounding the air tube. A segment of the air tube is flattened from an expanded diameter to a flat diameter by bending and compression of the groove in a rolling tire footprint to force air evacuated from the flattened segment along a tube air passageway. The sidewall groove extends into an annular, axially extending, sidewall surface such as an axially oriented surface of a tire chafer protrusion located in non-contacting relationship with the rim. The air tube is extruded from a rubber composition, the rubber composition comprising: a diene based rubber; from 0.25 to 5 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr), of a self-lubrication agent capable of migrating from the rubber composition to the groove surface and disposing on the groove surface as a liquid; and from 1 to 15 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr), of a vulcanization modifier for use in the second rubber composition include α,ω-bis(N,N′-dihydrocarbylthiocarbamamoyldithio)alkanes, bismaleimides, and biscitraconimides.

A self-inflating tire assembly includes an air tube mounted within a tire sidewall or chafer groove. The air tube is in contacting engagement with opposite angled groove surfaces surrounding the air tube. A segment of the air tube is flattened from an expanded diameter to a flat diameter by bending and compression of the groove in a rolling tire footprint to force air evacuated from the flattened segment along a tube air passageway. A coverstrip overlays and seals the groove and provides an abrasion resistant surface on the exterior of the tire. The coverstrip is made from a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising from 50 to 80 phr of a polybutadiene, from 50 to 20 phr of natural rubber, and from 0.1 to 5 phr of a vulcanization modifier.