Patent ID: 8627866

Claim:
A tire and wheel rim assembly comprising: a wheel rim having two axially spaced ledge portions and two axially spaced flange portions, wherein each ledge portion is substantially parallel to the axis of the wheel, and has a single circumferentially continuous groove with a circumferentially continuous surface disposed therein; and a tire having two axially spaced bead regions, wherein each bead region includes a bead core, a ledge-engaging portion having a toe, a heel, and a single circumferentially continuous rib with a peak, and wherein each bead region further includes a flange-engaging portion adjacent to the heel of the ledge-engaging portion, wherein the flange-engaging portion of each bead region is in contact with one of the flange portion of the wheel rim and is positioned such that an axially-outermost end of the flange portion of the wheel rim is axially outward of the bead core of the tire, wherein the ledge-engaging portion of each bead region is in contact with one of the ledge portions of the wheel rim, wherein the single circumferentially continuous rib is spaced apart from the toe and the heel and is radially below a bead center of a bead core, and wherein the single circumferentially continuous rib extends radially into the single circumferentially continuous groove without contacting the flange portion of the wheel rim.