Patent ID: 8550137
Filing Date: 2013-10-08
Classification: B60C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A tire for a self-inflating tire system comprising: (A) a tire carcass having a tire cavity defined by a tire inner liner, first and second sidewalls extending respectively from first and second tire bead regions to a tire tread region; (B) an annular air tube-receiving groove formed within a tire carcass wall at a prescribed radial location, the groove having an access opening, primary internal groove chamber configured to closely house an annular air-pump tube in a non-flattened tube state; and a secondary expansion groove chamber adjacent to and communicating with the internal groove chamber: the secondary expansion groove chamber operationally remaining unoccupied by the air pump tube adjacent the primary groove chamber until receiving segment-by-segment a flattened extended portion of the air-pump tube; (C) partial passageway means located at a prescribed outlet location along the annular air tube-receiving groove, the passageway means extending from the secondary expansion groove chamber partially through the tire carcass wall toward the tire cavity and having an axially inward terminal end separated from the tire inner liner by a removable tire carcass barrier of reduced sectional thickness relative to the tire carcass wall.