Patent ID: 8322036

Claim:
A method of constructing a self-inflating tire assembly comprising: (A) building a green 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) molding an air tube-receiving groove within a green tire carcass wall at a prescribed radial location, the groove having an access opening, primary internal groove chamber and a secondary expansion groove chamber adjacent to and communicating with the internal groove chamber for operationally receiving a flattened air-pump tube extended portion; and the groove having a partial passageway located at a prescribed groove outlet location along the air tube-receiving groove, the partial passageway extending from the groove 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; (C) curing the green tire carcass to form a cured tire carcass; and (D) removing the tire carcass barrier in a post-cure operation to create a through-bore from the groove to the tire cavity; (E) constructing a pump assembly comprising an air tube; an inlet device positioned along the air tube having an inlet opening for admitting air into the air tube; and an outlet device positioned along the air tube; and (F) inserting the pump assembly into the tube-receiving groove with the outlet device registered within the groove at the prescribed outlet location of the groove.