Run-flat pneumatic tire assembly and method

A method of making a run-flat pneumatic tire assembly, said method comprising:

• a) providing a pneumatic tire including an elastomeric casing having a crown and opposing sidewalls, said crown including an outer surface and an inner surface that at least partially defines a tire cavity;
• b) providing a longitudinally-extending and approximately-planar length of strip material having first and second longitudinally-extending sides defining a strip material thickness and opposing longitudinally-extending edges defining a strip material width with a first stress level along said first side, said length of strip material including a plurality of strand elements and a matrix material at least partially encapsulating said plurality of strand elements;
• and,
• c) inserting said length of strip material into said tire cavity in a helical arrangement such that said first longitudinally-extending side is facing outwardly toward said inner surface of said crown portion and thereby at least partially forming a structural insert that is pre-stressed due at least in part to a reactive force applied to said helical arrangement of said approximately planar length of strip material within said tire cavity by said tire with said reactive force maintaining said length of strip material in said helical arrangement resulting in a second stress level along said first side that is greater than said first stress level.

A method of making a run-flat pneumatic tire assembly, said method comprising:

• a) providing a pneumatic tire including an elastomeric casing having a crown and opposing sidewalls, said pneumatic tire including an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface at least partially defining a tire cavity, and said outer surface capable of forming a ground contact patch during use on an associated ground surface;
• b) providing a longitudinally-extending and approximately-planar length of strip material having first and second longitudinally-extending sides defining a strip material thickness and opposing longitudinally-extending edges defining a strip material width, and a first stress level along said first side and a second stress level along said second side;
• and,
• c) inserting said length of strip material into said tire cavity in a helical arrangement such that said first side is facing outwardly toward said inner surface to at least partially form a structural insert that is pre-stressed by a reactive force applied to said helical arrangement within said tire cavity by said tire acting against said structural insert and preventing said structural insert from returning to a longitudinally-extending and approximately planar shape.