The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Robin Lamgaday

Cheng-Hsiung Lin

Thulasiram Gobinath

Robert Leon Benedict

Robert Allen Losey

Arun Kumar Byatarayanapura Gopala

Dinesh Chandra

Sagar Dilip Bafana

Marcus Boertje

Christos Tsionidis

Frank Herrigel

George Jim Papakonstantopoulos

Carolin Anna Welter

Patrick David Marks

Jean-Claude Patrice Philippe Griffoin

Brian Richard Morris

Michael Lawrence Gersman

Jungmee Kang

Frank George Licari

Christopher Paul Hunt

George John Karikas, Ii

Charles Edgar Stephens

Samuel Patrick Landers

The pneumatic tires of this invention are of the tubeless type, are capable of self-sealing punctures made therein, and generate a low level of noise during use on a vehicle. These tires have a sealant/noise reduction layer which is disposed inwardly from the supporting carcass and which is typically the innermost layer of the tire. The sealant/noise reduction layer is comprised of a dispersed phase and a continuous phase, wherein the dispersed phase is comprised of a sealant material, and wherein the continuous phase is comprised of a foamed polymeric material.

Self-sealing pneumatic tire with noise suppression characteristics

A control valve suitable for use with a tire and pump assembly is described that controls the flow of air from the pump into the tire. The control valve includes an optional bi-directional feature. The pathways alternatively operate to deliver ambient non-pressurized air to the air pumping tube in response to directional tire rotation against a ground surface.

Control valve for an air maintenance tire

A connecting member and method of forming the connecting member in an air maintenance tire is provided. The method includes providing a tire having a sidewall formed with an annular groove. The groove receives an annular air tube having a first end with a first fitting and a second end with a second fitting. A recess is formed in the tire sidewall along the annular groove at a location where the first end of the annular air tube is adjacent the second end of the annular air tube. A mold formed with a cavity is provided and the fittings are removably secured in the cavity. The mold is positioned on a surface of the tire sidewall and an elastomer or a polymer is introduced into the mold cavity. The mold is heated to form the connecting member on the tire sidewall.

Connecting member for an air maintenance tire and method of forming the same

An inlet control valve suitable for use with a tire and pump assembly is described that controls the flow of air from the pump into the tire. The inlet control valve includes an optional bi-directional feature. The pathways alternatively operate to deliver ambient non-pressurized air to the air pumping tube in response to directional tire rotation against a ground surface.

Inlet control valve for an air maintenance tire

A connection assembly for an air maintenance tire system is provided. The air maintenance tire system includes an annular air tube, a valve housing and at least one connecting tube that is in fluid communication with the annular air tube and the valve housing. The connection assembly includes a connection housing that in turn includes a first port, a second port and a fluid passageway extending between the first port and the second port. A first compression fitting fluidly connects the annular air tube to the connection housing first port and a second compression fitting fluidly connects the connecting tube to the connection housing second port. The connection assembly enables a secure connection and fluid communication between the annular air tube and the connecting tube.

Connection assembly for an air maintenance tire

An air maintenance tire assembly includes a tire having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region, a pressure control assembly attached to an elongate valve stem projecting from a rim, the pressure control assembly being external to the tire cavity, the elongate valve stem projecting outward from the tire cavity and operative to admit pressurized air into the tire cavity through the pressure control assembly, the first sidewall having an annular sidewall air passageway therein operatively located to compress segment by segment responsive to a bending strain introduced into the first sidewall from a rolling tire footprint thereby forcing air, segment by segment, along the annular air passageway, a tube housing joining both ends of the annular air passageway, and a connecting tube extending from the tube housing to the pressure control assembly, the connecting tube operative to sequentially direct air forced along the air passageway, first, into the tube housing, the pressure control assembly and, then, into the elongate valve stem as the tire rolls over a ground surface.

Air maintenance tire and valve assembly and method

An air maintenance tire assembly includes a tire having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region, air pumping means for generating pressurized air for maintaining air pressure within the tire cavity at a preset pressure level, the air pumping means including a soft tubing and compression fittings for mitigating dynamic loading on the compression fittings, and a valve housing disposed adjacent an outward end of the valve stem and operative to selectively open and close pressurized air flow from the valve stem internal passageway into the tire cavity. The valve housing is connected to the air pumping means by the soft tubing and compression fittings for mitigating dynamic loading on the compression fittings.

Valve stem-based air maintenance tire and method

An air maintenance tire system component protector is provided. An air maintenance tire system includes at least one connecting tube extending between and being in fluid communication with an annular air tube and a valve housing. The protector includes a first end disposed proximate the connection of the at least one connecting tube to the annular tube, and a second end disposed proximate the valve housing. A mid-portion of the protector is disposed between the first and second ends. The protector covers an outboard surface of the at least one connecting tube and the valve housing, and includes means for engaging the at least one connecting tube to secure the position of the tube.

Air maintenance tire system component protector

An air maintenance tire assembly is provided in which an elongate groove is located within a first sidewall of a tire. The groove forms an elongate channel within the first sidewall and an elongate groove access passage extends from the elongate channel to an access opening located at an outward surface of the first sidewall. An air pumping tube inserts through the groove access passage and is positioned within the groove channel. A cover strip attaches to the first sidewall to enclose the access opening of the groove access passage. The cover strip is positioned along the first sidewall at a higher distance from the bead region of the first sidewall than the groove channel to avoid contact with a wheel rim flange when the tire is mounted to a wheel rim.

Air maintenance tire pumping tube cover strip

An air maintenance tire pump simulator that simulates the environment of an air maintenance tire system is provided. The simulator includes at least one pneumatic cylinder, a structure that forms a closed cavity, and a pneumatic conduit extending between and fluidly connecting the pneumatic cylinder and the closed cavity. A cam is operably connected to a motor, and is also operably connected to the pneumatic cylinder. Engagement of the motor actuates rotation of the cam, which in turn actuates operation of the pneumatic cylinder to increase a pressure in the closed cavity. A method of simulating an air maintenance tire system is also provided.

Air maintenance tire pump simulator

An air maintenance tire assembly includes a tire having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region, an air pump for generating pressurized air for maintaining air pressure within the tire cavity at a preset pressure level, and a faceted valve housing disposed adjacent an outward end of the valve stem and operative to selectively open and close pressurized air flow from the valve stem internal passageway into the tire cavity. The first sidewall has at least one bending region operatively bending 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 deforms segment by segment between a non-deformed state and a deformed, constricted state in response to the bending of the first sidewall bending region within the rolling tire footprint.

An air maintenance tire assembly includes a tire having a tire cavity bounded by first and second sidewalls extending to a tire tread region, an air pump for generating pressurized air for maintaining air pressure within the tire cavity at a preset pressure level, and a valve housing disposed adjacent an outward end of the valve stem and operative to selectively open and close pressurized air flow from the valve stem internal passageway into the tire cavity. The first sidewall has at least one bending region operatively bending 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 deforms segment by segment between a non-deformed state and a deformed, constricted state in response to the bending of the first sidewall bending region within the rolling tire footprint.

An air maintenance tire system and method in accordance with the present invention includes an air pumping mechanism configured to maintain air pressure within a first tire and a second tire in a dual tire arrangement. The system includes a control valve assembly attached to an elongate valve stem projecting from a rim of a first tandem tire, and a one-way valve carrying connecting tube from a sidewall air pumping passageway within a sidewall of the first tire. The control valve assembly further includes first and second outlet tubes connected to the elongate valve stem to selectively pass pressurized air into the tire cavities of both tandem mounted tires on an as-needed basis.

Dual tire air maintenance system and method

An air maintenance tire and air pump assembly is provided including a tire and an elongate tubular air passageway enclosed within a flexing region of a tire sidewall. A plurality of check valve devices are spaced apart and positioned along the air passageway into multiple air passageway segments. A check valve membrane opens to allow pressurized air to directionally pass through the check valve device from an upstream passageway segment to a downstream passageway segment and closes to prevent air from passing in an opposite direction through the check valve from the downstream segment to the upstream segment.

Vein pump assembly for air maintenance tire

A tire assembly includes: 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 circumferentially adjacent a rolling tire footprint; 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 circumferentially adjacent the rolling tire footprint; an 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 sidewall groove when circumferentially adjacent the rolling tire footprint; and an assembly mounted to the first sidewall the tire, the assembly including a pressure regulator with an elongate cylindrical housing and a rectangular mounting plate, the mounting plate having an inlet port and two outlet ports for controlling air flow from outside of the tire to and from the pneumatic cavity.

Growing community of inventors

Wadsworth, OH, United States of America

Robin Lamgaday