Self-inflating tire assembly

A self-inflating tire assembly comprising:

• a tire having a tire cavity between first and second sidewalls that extend respectively from first and second tire core beads to a tire tread region;
• at least a first sidewall having at least one bending region operatively bending within a rolling tire footprint responsive to a bending strain;
• a sidewall groove positioned within the bending region of the tire first sidewall;
• an air tube having an internal tube air passageway, the air tube positioned within the sidewall groove in contacting engagement with opposite groove surfaces at least partially surrounding the air tube, the sidewall groove operatively bending within the bend region within a rolling tire footprint to compress the air tube from an expanded diameter to a flat diameter adjacent the rolling tire footprint, whereby operatively forcing air from a flattened air tube segment along the tube air passageway;
• a core bead passageway extending within at least a first core bead for operatively storing air evacuated from the air tube passageway;
• a core bead conduit extending from the air tube to the core bead passageway for operatively conveying air from the air tube passageway into the core bead passageway;
• and
• a tire cavity conduit extending from the core bead passageway to the tire cavity for operatively conveying air from the core bead passageway to the tire cavity.