SIT- the Self-Inflating Tire for autonomous driving future
SIT technology is available for investment / licensing.
CODA Development, Czech inventor of Self Inflating Tire Technology offers licenses to tire manufacturers worldwide
SIT is an original technology invented and widely patented by CODA Development.
SIT is a versatile technology offering numerouous applications. While INTEGRATED SIT will be made an integral part of tire during manufacturing, RETROFIT SIT is a stand-alone aftermarket product retrofittable to regular tires, and delivering the same inflation and pressure maintenance functionality.
Benefits to drivers
Safety
Properly inflated tires increase car stability and reduce the danger of blowouts.
They also ensure a car’s proper braking distance and overall vehicle handling and manoeuvrability.
Fuel efficiency
Correct tire pressure leads to lower rolling resistance, significantly improving fuel efficiency.
Tire longevity
Proper inflation considerably improves a tire's lifespan.
Environmental friendliness
Less carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
Less tire debris litters the roadways.
Fewer scrap tires are generated.
Convenience
Drivers have confidence in knowing that their tires always operate at optimal air pressure.
Elimination of tires inflating at gas stations, for an obviously easier and cleaner solution.
Benefits to manufacturers
Differentiation
SIT offers a significant added value to end consumers.
Its benefits are easy to communicate and relevant to today’s market
Competitive advantage
Being among the first manufacturers offering self-inflating tires will be important for the new market dynamics.
Low production costs
The SIT system is very simple and easy to integrate into the current tire manufacturing process. It consists only of two new tire components:
- Peristaltic tube chamber integrated into the tire wall.
- Automatic pressure regulator with interface connecting the tire interior with outside environment.
Production of SIT tires will be only marginally more expensive than the production of today’s regular tires.
Higher profit margins
Low costs and a high added value create room for increase of profit margins.
Regulatory compliance
Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) notify the driver when a tire is under-inflated. TPMS are already mandatory in the USA and EU.
SIT addresses the core problem of tire under-inflation directly. It works independently, but also in combination with TPMS.
Patent portfolio
SIT is an original technology, invented and patented by CODA Development Czech Republic.
The technology is protected in the USA and Czech and Slovak Republics by 8 granted patents since 2009. The patent process for the Self Inflating Tire further continues with international applications submitted in the EU and 12 more countries including Japan, South Korea, India and China.
Our continuously growing patent portfolio consists of more than 30 patent related documents (issued patents, pending patents and patent applications) covering 50 countries of the world.
Independent patent analysis conducted in 2013 confirms that our patent portfolio is strong and enables unconstrained implementation of CODA's intellectual property.
Detailed information is available upon request. For license information, please make an enquiry at license@selfinflatingtire.com
How does it inflate the tire?
SIT uses the energy of the wheel to self-inflate the tire as needed, keeping the tire always at its optimum pressure level.
The system integrates a peristaltic tube chamber into the tire wall. The chamber is kept closed at its lowest point by normal tire deformation caused by the vehicles weight. As the tire rolls against the road, the closure moves along the peristaltic tube chamber forcing more air into the tire with each wheel revolution.
When a vehicle equipped with SIT tires is put in motion, under-inflated tires will automatically re-inflate to their optimal operation pressure, which the system constantly maintains while the tires are in use.
The clever SIT design is extremely simple, consisting only of two new tire components - the peristaltic tube chamber and an automatic pressure regulator with interface connecting the tire interior with outside environment.
Inflation is activated only when the tire pressure falls below its optimal level.
When the optimal tire pressure is reached, the automatic pressure regulator disables the intake of atmospheric air and activates continuous internal air circulation between the tire and the peristaltic chamber. This is important as it takes the load of the system while it is not required to pump the tire, i.e. when the tire is properly inflated, which is almost in 100% of the time.
As a result, SIT tires will always operate at optimal pressure. Driving for 1 km will compensate for typical monthly leakage of 2-3%.
Our awards
SIT – the Self Inflating Tire won the prestigious Tire Technology of the Year award at the Tire Technology Awards for Innovation and Excellence 2009, which were presented at the Tire Technology Expo in Hamburg, Germany.
Coverage of the event
During its first public presentation the SIT technology won the AEI Technology Award at the 2008 SAE World Congress in Detroit, USA.
Media
Coda Development,s.r.o. vs Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Trade secret and patent claims charges over Self-Inflating Tires revived by the Federal Circuit.
On 22 February 2019, the District of Columbia US Federal Court of Appeal reversed a trial court’s decision to dismiss Coda’s claims against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company for misappropriation of trade secrets and failure to identify the true inventors on Goodyear patents. The appellate court remanded the case to the trial court for consideration on the merits.
The relevant trade secrets and patents concern Coda’s technology for a self-inflating tire, which autonomously maintains correct air pressure using the power of the rolling tire, and which is self-contained within the tire. Proper tire inflation reduces fuel consumption and emissions, extends tire life, and, most importantly, improves vehicle safety. As Goodyear’s Chief Technology Officer has stated, “A tire that can maintain its own inflation is something drivers have wanted for many years. This is the kind of technological breakthrough that people will recognize.” https://www.goodyear.eu/corporate_emea/our-responsibilities/innovation/through-technologies.jsp
Coda welcomes the court decision and looks forward to an eventual decision on the merits of its claims. Coda also will continue its efforts to bring this game-changing technology to the market.
Resources:
The decision of the Appeal court - PDF
Coda technology described at: www.selfinflatingtire.com
Bloomberg: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/goodyear-must-face-patent-claims-over-self-inflating-tires
Case description by University of Missouri Law School professor: https://patentlyo.com/patent/2019/02/invention-charges-goodyear.html
Source of quote from Goodyear Chief Technology Officer Jean-Claude Kihn: https://corporate.goodyear.com/en-US/media/news/Goodyear-s-Air-Maintenance-Technology-Named-One-of-2012-s-Best-Inventions-by-Time-magazine-1426100346178.html
Links and downloads
SIT on Youtube
Downloads
- SIT 1.0 & SIT 2.0 video download - MP4, 220 MB
- SIT 2.0 RETROFIT video download - MP4, 152 MB
- SIT 2013 presentation download - PDF, 1.1 MB
- SIT 2013 visual download - JPG, 4.9 MB
- CODA logo download - ZIP, 581kB
- SIT logo download - PDF, 215kB
Links
- Bridgestone: 78% of motorists drive on underinflated tyres
- Self-inflating tire technology captures innovation award
- SIT, the Perfect Combination of Safe Driving and Energy Efficiency
- License for the First Self-Inflating Tire sold
- 87% of all flat tires have a history of under-inflation
- Under inflated tires are attributed to crashes that result in 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries each year
- 85% of drivers in the USA are concerned about maintaining proper tire pressure
- SIT in Polymers and Tyre Asia, Feb/March 2012 pg 72
- SIT in Polymers and Tyre Asia, Oct/Nov 2012 pg 64
- SIT in „Get smart/Intelligent tires“ article
Prototype testing
What have our tests proven?
Regular tire deformation enables implementation of a peristaltic pump into the tire sidewall. The inflation capability doesn't depend on the speed of the vehicle.
The peristaltic tube integrated with the tire sidewall and the regulator is easy to produce with marginal extra production costs.
Contact us
For license information, please make an enquiry at license@selfinflatingtire.com
For press information, please contact press@selfinflatingtire.com, +420 725 814 821
CODA DEVELOPMENT s.r.o.
Taborska 438/51, 140 00 Prague 4
Czech Republic