Patent ID: 8852371
Filing Date: 2014-10-07
Classification: B29C,B29D,B60C

Abstract:
1. A method of forming an air passageway in an air maintenance tire carcass comprising: embedding an elongate strip within an uncured flexible tire component of an uncured tire carcass, the elongate strip extending in a longitudinal direction between an air inlet cavity and an air outlet cavity positioned inline with the elongate strip in the uncured flexible tire component, the air inlet cavity and the air outlet cavity being operably sized and configured to respectively receive an inlet cavity assembly and an outlet cavity assembly; curing the uncured tire carcass including the flexible tire component; extracting the elongate strip longitudinally end-to-end alternatively through the air inlet cavity or the air outlet cavity from occupancy within the flexible tire component; defining an enclosed air passageway in the flexible component by the space previously occupied by the withdrawn elongate strip, the air passageway having inlet and outlet ends positioned respectively at the air inlet cavity and the air outlet cavity; inserting an inlet cavity assembly and an outlet cavity assembly respectively into the air inlet cavity and the air outlet cavity; and connecting the inlet cavity assembly and the air outlet cavity assembly respectively to the air passageway inlet end and the air passageway outlet end.