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 self-inflating tire assembly includes an air tube connected to a tire and defining an air passageway, the air tube being composed of a flexible material operative to allow an air tube segment opposite a tire footprint to flatten, closing the passageway, and resiliently unflatten into an original configuration. The air tube is sequentially flattened by the tire footprint in a direction opposite to a tire direction of rotation to pump air along the passageway to a regulator device. The regulator device regulates the inlet air flow to the air tube and the outlet air flow to the tire cavity.

A pneumatic tire assembly includes a tire having a pneumatic cavity and a filter disposed between the pneumatic cavity and atmosphere. The filter is constructed of a hydrophobic material for avoiding all liquid adhesion. First and second sidewalls extend respectively from first and second tire bead regions to a tire tread region. The first sidewall has at least one bending region operatively bending when radially within a rolling tire footprint. A sidewall groove is defined by groove walls positioned within the bending region of the first tire sidewall. The sidewall groove deforms segment by segment between a non-deformed state and a deformed, constricted state in response to bending of the bending region of the first sidewall while radially within the rolling tire footprint.

An air maintenance tire system and method in accordance with the present invention includes an air pumping mechanism configured to maintain air pressure within a first tire and a second tire in a dual tire arrangement. The system includes a control valve assembly attached to an elongate valve stem projecting from a rim of a first tandem tire, and a one-way valve carrying connecting tube from a sidewall air pumping passageway within a sidewall of the first tire. The control valve assembly further includes first and second outlet tubes connected to the elongate valve stem to selectively pass pressurized air into the tire cavities of both tandem mounted tires on an as-needed basis.

An air maintenance tire system and method in accordance with the present invention includes an air pumping mechanism configured to maintain air pressure within a first tire and a second tire in a dual tire arrangement. The system includes a control valve assembly attached to an elongate valve stem projecting from a rim of a first tandem tire, and a one-way valve carrying connecting tube from a sidewall air pumping passageway within a sidewall of the first tire. The control valve assembly further includes first and second outlet tubes connected to the elongate valve stem to selectively pass pressurized air into the tire cavities of both tandem mounted tires on an as-needed basis.

An air maintenance tire and air pump assembly is provided including a tire and an elongate tubular air passageway enclosed within a flexing region of a tire sidewall. A plurality of check valve devices are spaced apart and positioned along the air passageway into multiple air passageway segments. A check valve membrane opens to allow pressurized air to directionally pass through the check valve device from an upstream passageway segment to a downstream passageway segment and closes to prevent air from passing in an opposite direction through the check valve from the downstream segment to the upstream segment.

A self-inflating tire assembly includes an air tube connected to a tire and defining an air passageway, the air tube being composed of a flexible material operative to allow an air tube segment opposite a tire footprint to flatten, closing the passageway, and resiliently unflatten into an original configuration. The air tube is sequentially flattened by the tire footprint in a direction opposite to a tire direction of rotation to pump air along the passageway to a regulator device. The regulator device regulates the inlet air flow to the air tube and the outlet air flow to the tire cavity.

An air maintenance tire assembly includes a tire having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region, air pumping means for generating pressurized air for maintaining air pressure within the tire cavity at a preset pressure level, and a faceted valve housing disposed adjacent an outward end of the valve stem and operative to selectively open and close pressurized air flow from the valve stem internal passageway into the tire cavity. The first sidewall has at least one bending region operatively bending within a rolling tire footprint and a sidewall groove defined by groove sidewalls positioned within the bending region of the first tire sidewall. The groove deforms segment by segment between a non-deformed state and a deformed, constricted state in response to the bending of the first sidewall bending region within the rolling tire footprint.

An air maintenance tire assembly includes a tire having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region, air pumping means for generating pressurized air for maintaining air pressure within the tire cavity at a preset pressure level, and a valve housing disposed adjacent an outward end of the valve stem and operative to selectively open and close pressurized air flow from the valve stem internal passageway into the tire cavity. The first sidewall has at least one bending region operatively bending within a rolling tire footprint and a sidewall groove defined by groove sidewalls positioned within the bending region of the first tire sidewall. The groove deforms segment by segment between a non-deformed state and a deformed, constricted state in response to the bending of the first sidewall bending region within the rolling tire footprint.

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.