Electrical connector assemblies mountable on a tire of a wheel of a vehicle are described. An electrical connector assembly may include one or more electrical conductors, a respective electrical conductor extending from an inside surface of the tire to an outside surface of the tire. Tire assemblies including at least partially embedded electrical connector assemblies and wheel assemblies including such tire assemblies are also described.

A tire includes a cylindrical hub with a central axis, an annular supporting structure disposed radially outward from the hub, an annular shearband disposed radially outward from the supporting structure, an annular tread disposed radially outward from the shear band, and a conductive ink collectively applied to the shearband, supporting structure, and the hub to create a path for the discharge of electricity through the conductive ink. The conductive ink provides a substrate for conducting electricity with up to 50 percent strain applied to the substrate.

A tire includes a cylindrical hub with a central axis, an annular supporting structure disposed radially outward from the hub, an annular shearband disposed radially outward from the supporting structure, an annular tread disposed radially outward from the shear band, and a conductive ink collectively applied to the shearband, supporting structure, and the hub to create a path for the discharge of electricity through the conductive ink. The conductive ink provides a substrate for conducting electricity with up to 50 percent strain applied to the substrate.

Multi-layered structures and methods for producing them are disclosed.

A system for powering an electronic device within a tire is provided, the system comprising: a generator; an electrically conductive wheel coated in a non-conductive coating, the wheel including rim lips, wherein one of the rim lips includes a conductive area; the tire including bead portions, sidewalls, shoulders, a tread oriented in a tread region, and an inner surface; a conductive element extending from a bead portion, and in contact with the inner surface; an electronic device within the vehicle tire; and a ground path extending through a thickness of the vehicle tire from the inner surface to an exterior surface in a contact patch of the tread; wherein the generator is electrically connected to the electrically conductive wheel; wherein the electronic device is electrically connected to the conductive element and the ground path; and wherein the conducive element contacts the conductive area.

Provided is a pneumatic tire including a pair of bead portions; at least one carcass layer extending between the pair of bead portions; a belt layer disposed outward of the carcass layer in a tire radial direction; a tread rubber disposed outward of the belt layer in the tire radial direction; a pair of sidewall rubbers disposed outward of the carcass layer in a tire lateral direction; and an electrically conductive portion extending between the pair of bead portions and having at least one separation portion, the electrically conductive portion having a linear structure, the linear structure including an electrically conductive linear member formed in a linear shape by molding an electrically conductive material with an electrical resistivity of less than 1×10{circumflex over ( )}8 Ω/cm.

Provided is a pneumatic tire including a pair of bead portions; at least one carcass layer extending between the pair of bead portions; a belt layer disposed outward of the carcass layer in a tire radial direction; a tread rubber disposed outward of the belt layer in the tire radial direction; a pair of sidewall rubbers disposed outward of the carcass layer in a tire lateral direction; and an electrically conductive portion extending between the pair of bead portions and having at least one separation portion, the electrically conductive portion having a linear structure, the linear structure including an electrically conductive linear member formed in a linear shape by molding an electrically conductive material with an electrical resistivity of less than 1×10{circumflex over ( )}8 Ω/cm.

One aspect of the tire of the present invention is a tire including a tread portion (11), a sidewall portion (12), a bead portion (13), a bead core (60) provided in the bead portion (13), and a carcass ply (51) covering at least a portion around the bead core (60), in which the carcass ply (51) includes a sewn portion (80) in which a conductive thread (81, 82) is sewn.

With a pneumatic tire mounted on a regular rim, inflated to a regular internal pressure, and in an unloaded state, in a tire meridian cross-sectional view, electrically conductive rubber is formed in a region corresponding to a bulging land portion except for a region with a width of 5% of a width of the bulging land portion and being centered at a bulging apex position bulging most toward an outer side of the bulging land portion in a tire radial direction.

A pneumatic tire is described as having one or more electrical conductive strips for discharging electrical build up in the tire. The electrical conductive strips provide a static electricity conductive path from the tire rim to a ground-contacting surface. The strips are arranged around the outer surface of the tire from a first bead portion to a second bead portion. The strips can lay over the outer surface of the sidewalls and the tire tread. As positioned over the tire tread, a portion of the electrical conductive strip remains in contact with the ground as the tread wears during use to provide continued dissipation of static electricity away from the tire.