Patent ID: 8826955

Claim:
A tire assembly comprising: a tire having a pneumatic cavity; first and second sidewalls extending respectively from first and second tire bead regions to a tire tread region, the first sidewall having at least one bending region operatively bending when radially within a rolling tire footprint; and a sidewall groove defined by groove sidewalls positioned within the bending region of the first tire sidewall, the groove deforming segment by segment between a non-deformed state and a deformed, constricted state in response to the bending of the first sidewall bending region being radially within the rolling tire footprint, an air passageway defined by the sidewall groove and a tube assembly, the air passageway resiliently deforming segment by segment between an expanded condition and an at least partially collapsed condition in response to respective segment by segment deformation of the groove when radially within the rolling tire footprint, the tube assembly comprising a first tube and a second tube, the first tube secured within the sidewall groove, the second tube secured within the first tube, the second tube defining the air passageway resiliently deforming segment by segment between an expanded condition and an at least partially collapsed condition in response to respective segment by segment deformation of the tube assembly when radially within the rolling tire footprint, the first tube comprising relief cuts at axially inner corners of a U-shaped opening for facilitating pinching of the tube assembly.