Patent ID: 8820369

Claim:
A self-inflating tire assembly comprising: a tire mounted to a rim, the tire having a tire cavity, first and second sidewalls extending respectively from first and second tire bead regions to a tire tread region; an air tube connected to the tire and being composed of a flexible material operative to allow a portion of the air tube segment near a tire footprint to substantially open and close the air tube, a regulator device connected to an end of the air tube, the regulator device includes an elbow fitting mounted in the tire sidewall, the elbow fitting having a first end for connecting to an end of the air tube and a second end for connecting to a first end of an adjustable housing, said adjustable housing having a buffer volume therein defined by a movable wall, said movable wall being connected to a valve body, wherein the valve body has an outer threaded surface that is received within the adjustable housing.