Back to results
US 11,865,872 B2Granted
Interconnects for electrical components positioned adjacent to vehicle tires
AssigneeTDK Corporation
InventorsVibhu Vivek, Rakesh Sethi, Ishita Jain, John Sze
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
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.
Claims21
A tire assembly, comprising:
- a tire having an inside surface, an outside surface opposite to the inside surface, and a tire bead region, wherein the tire has an inner side wall, an outside side wall, and a tread region coupled to the inner side wall and the outside side wall and located between the inner side wall and the outside side wall;
- two or more electrical conductors extending from the inside surface of the tire to at least the tire bead region, including a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor electrically insulated from the first electrical conductor, wherein each electrical conductor of the two or more electrical conductors extends from the outside surface of the tire to the inside surface of the tire on a particular side wall selected between the inner side wall and the outside side wall;
- and
- two or more internal electrical conductors extending circumferentially on the inside surface of the tire, including (i) a first internal electrical conductor that is electrically coupled with a first group of electrical conductors extending from the inside surface of the tire to the outside surface of the tire, including the first electrical conductor, and (ii) a second internal electrical conductor that is electrically coupled with a second group of electrical conductors extending from the inside surface of the tire to the outside surface of the tire, including the second electrical conductor, wherein the first group of electrical conductors is mutually exclusive from the second group of electrical conductors.
1 more element
A method of making a tire assembly, the method comprising:
- providing a tire having an inside surface and an outside surface opposite to the inside surface, wherein the tire has an inner side wall, an outside side wall, and a tread region coupled to the inner side wall and the outside side wall and located between the inner side wall and the outside side wall;
- placing two or more electrical conductors, including a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor electrically insulated from the first electrical conductor, so that the two or more electrical conductors extend from the inside surface of the tire and the outside surface of the tire;
- and
- placing two or more internal electrical conductors extending circumferentially on the inside surface of the tire, including (i) a first internal electrical conductor that is electrically coupled with a first group of electrical conductors extending from the inside surface of the tire to the outside surface of the tire, including the first electrical conductor, and (ii) a second internal electrical conductor that is electrically coupled with a second group of electrical conductors extending from the inside surface of the tire to the outside surface of the tire, including the second electrical conductor, wherein the first group of electrical conductors is mutually exclusive from the second group of electrical conductors.
1 more element
A tire assembly, comprising:
- a tire defining a hollow channel;
- a liquid metal filling at least a portion of the hollow channel defined in the tire;
- one or more external conductive stubs electrically coupled with the liquid metal within the hollow channel and extending to an outside surface of the tire;
- and
- one or more internal conductive stubs electrically coupled with the liquid metal within the hollow channel and extending to an inside surface of the tire.
2 more elements
A tire assembly, comprising:
- a tire having an inside surface, an outside surface opposite to the inside surface, and a tire bead region, wherein the tire has an inner side wall, an outside side wall, and a tread region coupled to the inner side wall and the outside side wall and located between the inner side wall and the outside side wall;
- two or more electrical conductors extending from the inside surface of the tire to at least the tire bead region, including a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor electrically insulated from the first electrical conductor, wherein each electrical conductor of the two or more electrical conductors extends from the outside surface of the tire to the inside surface of the tire on a particular side wall selected between the inner side wall and the outside side wall;
- and
- two or more external electrical conductors extending circumferentially on the outside surface of the tire, including (i) a first external electrical conductor that is electrically coupled with a first group of electrical conductors extending from the inside surface of the tire to the outside surface of the tire, including the first electrical conductor, and (ii) a second external electrical conductor that is electrically coupled with a second group of electrical conductors extending from the inside surface of the tire to the outside surface of the tire, including the second electrical conductor, wherein the first group of electrical conductors is mutually exclusive from the second group of electrical conductors.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.