A connecting member and method of forming the connecting member in an air maintenance tire is provided. The method includes providing a tire having a sidewall formed with an annular groove. The groove receives an annular air tube having a first end with a first fitting and a second end with a second fitting. A recess is formed in the tire sidewall along the annular groove at a location where the first end of the annular air tube is adjacent the second end of the annular air tube. A mold formed with a cavity is provided and the fittings are removably secured in the cavity. The mold is positioned on a surface of the tire sidewall and an elastomer or a polymer is introduced into the mold cavity. The mold is heated to form the connecting member on the tire sidewall.

A tire including a contact charging type self-power generation module, and more particularly, a tire including a contact charging type self-power generation module that can generate electricity by charging static electricity occurring within a tire and a sound-absorbing material of the tire and that can operate a sensor using the generated electricity is provided. The tire including a contact charging type self-power generation module includes a sound-absorbing material provided within an inner liner of the tire; an internal electrode portion provided within the sound-absorbing material and extended in a length direction of the sound-absorbing material; and an external electrode portion having a first external electrode provided separately from the sound-absorbing material and provided parallel to the internal electrode portion, wherein when the tire moves, as the sound-absorbing material moves, the internal electrode portion and the external electrode portion are charged with electricity to generate electricity.

Apparatus and method for manufacturing an air maintenance tire includes an air pumping tube assembly station constructing an air pumping tube sub-assembly, a tire preparation station for forming passageways in the tire to accept an outlet device of the air pumping tube sub-assembly, an air pumping tube sub-assembly installation station and a pressure regulator installation station. The air pumping tube sub-assembly inserts into an elongate tire groove opening, facilitated by groove-spreading apparatus.

A gravitational energy conversion device for a vehicle has a rotating part and multiple energy converters. The rotating part is rotatably mounted between a vehicle main body and the ground; the energy converters are mounted on an outer annular surface of the rotating part and are disposed apart from each other around the rotating part. Each energy converter has a moving part and a resilient part. The moving part protrudes from the outer annular surface of the rotating part, and is movable toward or away from the rotating part. The resilient part is mounted between the moving part and the rotating part, and drives the moving part to move away from the rotating part. When the rotating part rotates to a specific angle, weight of the vehicle main body presses down the energy converter to move the moving part toward the rotating part, thereby increasing elastic energy stored in the resilient part; when the rotating part rotates away from the specific angle, the resilient part drives the moving part away from the rotating part, thereby converting the elastic energy stored in the resilient part to kinetic energy of the vehicle main body.

A tire including a contact charging type self-power generation module, and more particularly, a tire including a contact charging type self-power generation module that can generate electricity by charging static electricity occurring within a tire and a sound-absorbing material of the tire and that can operate a sensor using the generated electricity is provided. The tire including a contact charging type self-power generation module includes a sound-absorbing material provided within an inner liner of the tire; an internal electrode portion provided within the sound-absorbing material and extended in a length direction of the sound-absorbing material; and an external electrode portion having a first external electrode provided separately from the sound-absorbing material and provided parallel to the internal electrode portion, wherein when the tire moves, as the sound-absorbing material moves, the internal electrode portion and the external electrode portion are charged with electricity to generate electricity.

Apparatus and method for manufacturing an air maintenance tire includes an air pumping tube assembly station constructing an air pumping tube sub-assembly, a tire preparation station for forming passageways in the tire to accept an outlet device of the air pumping tube sub-assembly, an air pumping tube sub-assembly installation station and a pressure regulator installation station. The air pumping tube sub-assembly inserts into an elongate tire groove opening, facilitated by groove-spreading apparatus.

A connecting member and method of forming the connecting member in an air maintenance tire is provided. The method includes providing a tire having a sidewall formed with an annular groove. The groove receives an annular air tube having a first end with a first fitting and a second end with a second fitting. A recess is formed in the tire sidewall along the annular groove at a location where the first end of the annular air tube is adjacent the second end of the annular air tube. A mold formed with a cavity is provided and the fittings are removably secured in the cavity. The mold is positioned on a surface of the tire sidewall and an elastomer or a polymer is introduced into the mold cavity. The mold is heated to form the connecting member on the tire sidewall.

Electrical system may be configured to operate inside a tire mounted to a wheel. Electrical system may include a plurality of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices including a gas flow energy receiver mechanically coupled to at least one base. Each gas flow energy receiver may be operatively coupled to at least one generator. Generator may be configured to convert gas flow energy to electrical energy. Generator may be configured to direct the electrical energy to an electrical output. The electrical system may include a support feature. The support feature may be configured to mount the at least one base of the plurality of MEMS devices to one or more of an inner surface of the tire or an inner surface of the wheel. The plurality of MEMS devices may be mounted effective to place the gas flow energy receivers in a gas flow space of the tire mounted to the wheel.

A tire structure includes a tire; an attachment layer positioned between an inner surface of the tire and a spike supporting layer, and allowing the spike supporting layer to be coupled to the inside of the tire; and a spike supporting layer coupled to the inside of the tire by the attachment layer and supporting the spikes operated in conjunction with deformation of the tire, thereby enabling an existing tire to be used for the power generation system using tire deformation.

A method for manufacturing a tire structure includes an adhesive composition attaching step of attaching to an inner surface of a tire an adhesive composition used for forming an attachment layer; a supporting layer attaching step of attaching a spike supporting layer to the adhesive composition, the spike supporting layer supporting the spikes operated in conjunction with deformation of the tire; and a curing step of applying pressure and heat to the adhesive composition for a predetermine time such that physical properties of the adhesive composition are changed through a chemical reaction, thereby enabling an existing tire to be used for a power generation system using tire deformation.