Safety liner for a vehicle tire and method of use
OwnerDonald Albrechtinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A safety liner (20) for a vehicle tire (500) includes a toroidal tube (22) having at least one hole (24). At least one plug (26) is selectively insertable into the at least one hole (24). Toroidal tube (22) is compressible into a flattened circular shape by a compressive force, and when the compressive force is removed, the toroidal tube (22) resiliently assumes its original toroidal shape. Safety liner (20) is installed in the cavity (503) of vehicle tire (500) as the vehicle tire (500) is being installed on the tire rim (502). If a blowout or other leak occurs, safety liner (20) will cause the shape and pressure of vehicle tire (500) to be retained for a period of time.
Claims7
A safety liner for a vehicle tire, comprising:
- a hollow tubular body having at least one hole;
- when subjected to a compressive force, air being forced out of said tubular body so that said tubular body assumes a flattened circular shape;
- at least one plug selectively insertable into said at least one hole, so that when said tubular body is in said flattened circular shape, said at least one plug may be inserted into said at least one hole thereby preventing air from entering said tubular body and retaining said tubular body in said flattened circular shape;
- when said tubular body is in said flattened circular shape and when said at least one plug is removed from said at least one hole, air entering said tubular body through said at least one hole, thereby causing said tubular body to assume said torodial shape;
- and,
- said safety liner insertable into the vehicle tire in said flattened circular shape, and thence expanding to said torodial shape upon removal of said at least one plug, so that when the vehicle tire experiences a blow out, said safety liner slowly deflates.
A method for mitigating the effects of a leak in a vehicle tire, comprising:
- providing a hollow tubular body having at least one hole, said body compressible into a flattened circular shape by a compressive force, and when said compressive force is removed, said body resiliently assuming a toroidal shape;
- providing at least one plug;
- providing a vehicle tire having an internal cavity;
- providing a tire rim;
- compressing said body into a flattened circular shape;
- inserting said at least one plug into said at least one hole;
- inserting said compressed body into said internal cavity of said vehicle tire;
- removing said at least one plug;
- and,
- installing said vehicle tire on said tire rim.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.