Support device within a tire cavity to provide runflat capability

Abstract

A tire assembly (200) having runflat capability comprises a tire (202) mounted to a rim (203) to provide a tire cavity (204) defined by a carcass circumferential inner surface (246), two sidewall inner surfaces (248A,248B) and the rim. The tire assembly (200) is characterized by having a platform (206) disposed circumferentially around the rim within the tire cavity and one or more hoops (208A-208C) disposed within the tire cavity (204) between the platform (206) and the carcass circumferential inner surface (246) so that under normal inflation the one or more hoops do not contact either the carcass circumferential inner surface (246) or the sidewall inner surfaces (248A,248B), but below a first runflat inflation pressure, the one or more hoops (208A-208C) contact and support the carcass circumferential inner surface (246).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.