All tire systems, including tire systems that include self-inflating devices, need to have the ability to regularly and reliably monitor and report vehicle and tire conditions for safety reasons. For a self-inflating tire, this can be accomplished by monitoring the operation of the self-inflation system, and assessing if it is consistent with a tire in good condition.

An air maintenance tire assembly includes an air pumping passageway located within a tire sidewall to generate compressed air. An outlet screw assembly includes an elongate screw body residing within a profiled sidewall bore. The screw body extends through an axial span of the first sidewall to the tire cavity to conduct air from the sidewall air passageway to the tire cavity. The screw body has enlarged sectional end components to deter radial dislodging of the screw body from the sidewall bore during operation.

Provided is a tire with self-inflation device. The tube is inserted inside the side portion where the extension and contraction movements of the tire are mostly occurring in order to further enhance the efficiency of the air supply to the tire cavity during driving. The air compressed towards the driving direction is injected to the tire cavity, and the air from the outside is charged to the tube due to the negative pressure formed in the tube located in the opposite side of driving. The durability is enhanced by reducing the exposed portion of the regulator.

A compression device for a self-inflating tire is provided that includes a first surface made from a flexible memory material, where the first surface is mechanically connected to a pumping chamber, where the first surface includes a first arm, a second arm and a fulcrum along an X-Y plane, where the fulcrum is disposed between the first arm and the second arm, an arc-shape length along a Y-Z plane that is configured to conform to an inner surface of a tire, a first state, where when in the first state, the first surface conforms to an unloaded, pressurized inner surface of the tire, and a second state, where when in the second state, the first surface collapses radially outward about the fulcrum by the first arm and the second arm, where air is drawn in from the atmosphere and pushed through the pumping chamber into the tire.

An air maintenance tire assembly includes a tire having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region, a pressure control assembly attached to an elongate valve stem projecting from a rim, the pressure control assembly being external to the tire cavity, the elongate valve stem projecting outward from the tire cavity and operative to admit pressurized air into the tire cavity through the pressure control assembly, the first sidewall having an annular sidewall air passageway therein operatively located to compress segment by segment responsive to a bending strain introduced into the first sidewall from a rolling tire footprint thereby forcing air, segment by segment, along the annular air passageway, a tube housing joining both ends of the annular air passageway, and a connecting tube extending from the tube housing to the pressure control assembly, the connecting tube operative to sequentially direct air forced along the air passageway, first, into the tube housing, the pressure control assembly and, then, into the elongate valve stem as the tire rolls over a ground surface.

A mounting member for an air maintenance tire is provided. The tire includes a sidewall that is formed with a groove for receiving an air tube and a recess for receiving at least one pneumatic connector that is in fluid communication with the air tube. The mounting member includes a plurality of layers, in which the layers are in stacked alignment with one another. The plurality of layers includes at least an axially outward layer and an axially inward layer. The mounting member is received in the recess and secured to the tire sidewall, thereby securing the position of the at least one pneumatic connector. A method of forming a mounting member for an air maintenance tire is also provided.

A device for transport of air in the tire P or close to it consisting of a chamber K in the shape of a hollow compressible channel, placed along at least a part of the tire perimeter, characterized by the fact that a ring OK is placed at the inner side of the chamber K with the distance of its outer side from the tire axis of rotation equal to 1 to 1.1 multiple of the distance of the bottom side of the chamber K from the axis of rotation of the tire P.

An apparatus for regulating air pressure level in a tire is provided. The apparatus includes a housing attached to the tire; a piston located inside the housing, coupled to the housing via a spring; a one-way valve; and locking elements located at a specified location along the housing, wherein the piston is configured to move towards a first end of the housing responsive to an imbalance between centrifugal force applied to the piston due to angular speed of the tire and force applied to it by the spring, wherein the locking elements are configured to lock the piston at the specified location whenever the tire reaches a predefined angular speed, and release the piston once the angular speed of the tire crosses a predefined threshold, so that the piston moves towards a second end of the sleeve producing an air pulse, conveyed by the one-way valve into the tire.

Apparatus and methods for tire inflation using an apparatus. The apparatus contains a piston in a housing and a bladder attached at an end of the housing. The apparatus is configured to compress air between a cap, the housing, and piston from the bladder compressing. Air enters into the tire through a valve in the piston. When the bladder decompresses, the piston seals air in the tire, thereby enabling air to pass through the valve in the cap. The apparatus involves a method of maintaining air pressure in a tire. The method includes the apparatus for inflating the tire as the tire rotates over a surface.

Apparatus and methods for tire inflation using an apparatus. The apparatus contains a piston in a housing and a bladder attached at an end of the housing. The apparatus is configured to compress air between a cap, the housing, and piston from the bladder compressing. Air enters into the tire through a valve in the piston. When the bladder decompresses, the piston seals air in the tire, thereby enabling air to pass through the valve in the cap. The apparatus involves a method of maintaining air pressure in a tire. The method includes the apparatus for inflating the tire as the tire rotates over a surface.