Patent ID: 8763661

Claim:
A tire inflation system that couples to a wheel of a vehicle, the tire inflation system comprising: a pumping ring that rotates with the wheel; a positioning system with a center of rotation, rotatably coupled to the wheel, the pumping ring and positioning system defining an annular channel therebetween, the positioning system comprising: a positioning mechanism with a first bearing surface, wherein the center of rotation of the positioning system is the center of rotation of the positioning mechanism; and, an eccentric mass, coupled to the positioning mechanism, that offsets the center of mass of the positioning system from the center of rotation of the positioning system; a planetary roller disposed within the annular channel in non-slip contact with the first bearing surface and a second bearing surface, the second bearing surface being a radial surface of the pumping ring proximal the positioning mechanism; a flexible diaphragm disposed along a radial surface of the pumping ring and defining a pump cavity, wherein successive sections of the pump cavity are occluded by deformation of the diaphragm by the pumping ring.