Run flat tire support and reinforcement member therefor

A wheel assembly, comprising:

• a) a tire;
• b) a rim;
• and
• c) a ran flat tire (RFT) support disposed at least partially between an interior surface of the tire and an outer periphery of the rim, comprising:
• i) a molded portion having an outer circumference and an inner circumference and adapted to mount to the rim to support the tire when the tire is at least partially deflated and rolling on a surface;
• and
• ii) at least one RFT reinforcement molded at least partially into the molded portion, comprising a unitary, substantially cylindrical section and having a rigidity sufficient to deform about 20% or less when dropped from about two meters high to a hard surface when an axis of the RFT reinforcement is substantially perpendicular to gravity.

A method of manufacturing a run flat tire (RFT) support, comprising:

• a) placing at least one RFT reinforcement into a portion of an RFT support mold, the reinforcement being unitary and having a rigidity sufficient to deform about 20% or less when dropped from about two meters high to a hard surface when an axis of the RFT reinforcement is substantially perpendicular to gravity;
• c) injecting a moldable elastomer or elastomer-forming material into the mold;
• d) flowing the moldable material through at least a portion of the reinforcement;
• and
• e) allowing the moldable material to at least partially solidify to form the RFT support.

A method of manufacturing an RFT reinforcement, comprising:

• a) forming a reinforcement material around a mandrel;
• b) coupling at least one portion of the reinforcement material to another portion of the reinforcement material to form a tubular member;
• and
• c) optionally cutting the tubular member into cylindrical sections;
• thereby forming at least one unitary RFT reinforcement having one effective layer.

A method of manufacturing an RFT reinforcement, comprising:

• a) providing a mold for an RFT reinforcement;
• b) mixing filaments into a molding material;
• c) tangentially molding by injecting the molding material around a circular mold to circumferentially align the filaments in the molding material;
• and
• d) forming an RFT reinforcement.