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.

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.

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.

Aspects of the invention relate to a tire that includes a shoulder wedge arranged in a shoulder portion of the tire between the sidewall and the belt package, the shoulder wedge being at least partially inserted between the belt package and the carcass ply. The tread includes a tread chimney component extending from the shoulder wedge to the rolling surface. The overlay coat of the tire's belt package, the tread band except for the tread chimney component, the tread base and the tire sidewall are made from non-conductive rubber. A conductive path between the rolling surface and the rim is provided across the tread chimney component, the shoulder wedge, the carcass ply and the chafer portion.

A tire includes a circumferential tread disposed in a crown region of the tire and an undertread disposed below the circumferential tread. The tire also has a pair of bead regions, including a first bead region and a second bead region, and a body ply extending from the first bead region to the second bead region. The tire further has a pair of sidewalls, including a first sidewall extending between the first bead region and the circumferential tread and a second sidewall extending between the second bead region and the circumferential tread. The tire also has a sidewall antenna adjacent to the first sidewall. The sidewall antenna has a first end contacting the undertread and a second end contacting the body ply.

A tire includes a pair of beads and a crown region including a circumferential tread disposed radially above a circumferential belt. The tire further includes a pair sidewalls extending from the pair of beads to the crown region. A body ply wraps around the pair of beads and terminates in a pair of turn up ends in the crown region, below the middle 30% of the circumferential belt. A conductive substance is disposed along a strip of the body ply.

A tire includes a body ply sheet having a rubber core defined by a top surface having a length and a width, a bottom surface having substantially the same length and width, and side surfaces having a common height. The body ply sheet includes reinforcement cords spaced 0.1-4.0 mm apart from each other and spanning the width of the body ply sheet. Bleeder cords are disposed on the body ply sheet and spaced are 8-12 cm apart from each other. Conductive cords are also disposed on the body ply and are spaced 20-80 cm apart from each other. At least one of the conductive cords has a first end and a second end, the first end being located in a region within a middle 80% of a width of the circumferential tread.

A tire includes a body ply sheet having a rubber core defined by a top surface having a length and a width, a bottom surface having substantially the same length and width, and side surfaces having a common height. The rubber core is further defined by a top rubber layer and a bottom rubber layer. The body ply sheet includes reinforcement cords disposed between the top rubber layer and the bottom rubber layer. The reinforcement cords are spaced 0.1-4.0 mm apart from each other and span the width of the body ply sheet. Bleeder cords are disposed on the body ply sheet and spaced 8-12 cm apart from each other. Conductive cords are also disposed on the body ply and spaced 20-80 cm apart from each other.

A pneumatic tire includes: a rim cushion rubber disposed in a bead portion where the bead portion and a rim are in contact with each other; an electrically conductive rubber disposed in the rim cushion rubber, the electrically conductive rubber having an electrical resistance value lower than that of the rim cushion rubber, and including a first end exposed on an outer surface of the rim cushion rubber in contact with the rim, and a second end disposed in contact with a tire component adjacent to the rim cushion rubber; and an ground tread rubber disposed in a tread portion passing through a cap tread rubber and an undertread rubber of the tread portion, the ground tread rubber having an electrical resistance value lower than that of the cap tread rubber.

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.