BYPASS AIR MAINTENANCE TIRE AND PUMP ASSEMBLY

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To incorporate an air maintenance feature within a tire that will maintain correct air pressure within the tire without a need for driver intervention to compensate for any reduction in tire pressure over time.SOLUTION: A bypass air maintenance tire and pump assembly comprises: an air passageway 20, enclosed within a bending region of the tire, operatively closing and opening segment by segment to pump air along the air passageway as the tire rotates; an air inlet port assembly operable to channel inlet air from outside into the air passageway 20; a pair of inline valves 108, 110 operative to selectively open in respective opposite directions and pass a flow of the inlet air from an upstream to a downstream and into the air passageway 20; a pair of outlet valves 106, 112 operative to conduct a flow of the inlet air from the downstream of the respective inline valves 108, 110 to a cavity 26; a bypass valve 120, extending between the downstream sides of the inline valves 108, 110, operative to open and bypass the flow of inlet air through the outlet valves 106, 112 to the tire cavity 26 in the event that a tire cavity pressure is high and close when a tire cavity pressure is low.