Tire having a conductive path in a sidewall

A tire comprising:

• a first annular bead and a second annular bead;
• a first abrasion area disposed about the first annular bead, wherein the first abrasion area has a resistivity of at least 105 ohm-cm;
• a body ply extending between the first annular bead and the second annular bead;
• a circumferential belt disposed radially upward of the body ply and extending axially across a portion of the body ply, wherein the circumferential belt includes a first belt and a second belt above the first belt;
• at least one cap ply disposed radially upward of the circumferential belt and extending axially across a portion of the body ply, wherein the at least one cap ply has a resistivity of at least 1×106 ohm-cm;
• a circumferential tread disposed radially upward of the circumferential belt and extending axially across a portion of the body ply, wherein the circumferential tread has a resistivity of at least 108 ohm-cm;
• a circumferential undertread disposed radially upward of the circumferential belt and radially below the circumferential tread, which extends axially across a portion of the body ply, wherein the circumferential undertread has a resistivity between 105 ohm-cm and 109 ohm-cm;
• a first sidewall extending between the first annular bead and a first shoulder, the first shoulder being associated with the circumferential tread, wherein the first sidewall has a resistivity of at least 106 ohm-cm;
• a second sidewall extending between the second annular bead and a second shoulder, the second shoulder being associated with the circumferential tread;
• a lower belt edge insert disposed at an axially outer edge of the circumferential belt, and being associated with the body ply and the first shoulder;
• a continuous tread antenna disposed in the circumferential tread, which extends from a radially upper surface of the circumferential tread to the circumferential undertread and has a resistivity of at least 105 ohm-cm;
• a continuous sidewall antenna disposed between the lower belt edge insert and the first sidewall, which extends from the circumferential undertread to the body ply and has a resistivity of at least 105 ohm-cm,
• wherein the continuous sidewall antenna is a strip having a first end contacting the circumferential undertread and a second end contacting the body ply, and
• wherein, in a cross-section of the tire, the continuous sidewall antenna has a thickness being between the lower belt edge insert and the first sidewall, and being substantially constant from the first end to the second end.

A method of making a tire, the method comprising:

• providing a pair of bead regions including a first bead region and a second bead region;
• extending a body ply from the first bead region to the second bead region;
• providing a first and second sidewall compound;
• providing a sidewall antenna compound,
• wherein the sidewall antenna compound is in the form of a strip, and
• wherein, in a cross-section of the tire, the sidewall antenna compound has a thickness that is substantially constant from a first end to a second end;
• providing a first and second lower belt edge insert compound;
• assembling a first sidewall assembly by placing the sidewall antenna compound between the first sidewall compound and the first lower belt edge insert compound;
• extending the first sidewall assembly from the first bead region to a crown region, such that the second end of the sidewall antenna compound contacts the body ply;
• assembling a second sidewall assembly of the second sidewall compound and the second lower belt edge insert compound;
• extending the second sidewall assembly from the second bead region to the crown region;
• placing a first belt above the body ply, such that a first end of the first belt is above the first lower belt edge insert compound of the first sidewall assembly and a second end of the first belt is above the second lower belt edge insert compound of the second sidewall assembly;
• placing a first upper belt edge insert on the first end of the first belt;
• placing a second upper belt edge insert on the second end of the first belt;
• placing a second belt on the first belt, such that a first end of the second belt is directly above the first upper belt edge insert and such that a second end of the second belt is directly above the second upper belt edge insert;
• placing an undertread above the second belt, such that the undertread contacts the first end of the sidewall antenna compound of the first sidewall assembly;
• and
• placing a tread above the undertread.