Patent ID: 9302556
Filing Date: 2016-04-05
CPC Classification: B60C,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. An air maintenance tire and air pump assembly comprising: a tire having a tread region and first and second sidewalls extending from the tread region and a tire cavity for maintaining pressure; an elongate tubular air passageway enclosed within a flexing region of a tire wall, the air passageway having an air inlet portal operable to admit air into the air passageway and an outlet portal spaced apart from the inlet portal operable to withdraw pressurized air from the air passageway, the air passageway operably closing segment by segment in reaction to induced forces from the tire flexing region as the flexing region of the tire wall rotates adjacent a rolling tire footprint; the elongate air passageway having at least one check valve device seated within the air passageway; and a relief valve assembly comprising a chamber body, a valve, a piston, and a silicone ring, the valve having a valve body and a valve head, the valve head deforming to release over-pressurized air from the tire cavity to atmosphere, pressure within the chamber body and the valve body being equalized by radial clearance between the sleeve and the piston.