System and method for harvesting electric power from a rotating tire's static electricity

A tire assembly configured to store electric charge accumulated during rotation of a pneumatic tire structure, said tire assembly comprising:

• a pneumatic tire structure characterized by a crown having an exterior tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said pneumatic tire structure to a wheel rim, sidewall portions extending between each bead portion and the crown, and an inner liner;
• a portion of conductive material extending between said inner liner and said exterior tread portion for at least partially forming a conductivity path through which electric charge accumulated in said pneumatic tire structure can flow to a ground surface in contact with said exterior tread portion;
• an energy storage device and a diode coupled to said portion of conductive material for further forming said conductivity path through which electric charge accumulated in said tire structure can flow, wherein said energy storage device is configured to store therein selected of said electric charge flowing through said conductivity path;
• and
• a lining of insulative material provided adjacent to selected portions of said strip of conductive material and said energy storage device to further restrict the flow of electric charge within said conductivity path.

A method for harvesting power from a rotating tire's static electricity, said method comprising the following steps:

• providing a tire structure characterized by a crown having a tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said tire structure to a wheel rim, sidewall portions extending between each bead portion and the crown, and an inner liner, wherein said tire structure further includes at least one portion of conductive material interposed between said interior crown surface and said tread portion for forming a conductivity path through which electric charge accumulated in said tire structure can flow to a ground surface in contact with said tread portion;
• rotating said tire structure whereby the tread portion of said tire structure is in contact with a ground surface, wherein said rotating step generates static charge within said tire structure that subsequently flows through said at least one portion of conductive material;
• and
• storing some of the static charge generated via said rotating step in an energy storage device.

A tire assembly with self-powered electronic components, said tire assembly comprising:

• a pneumatic tire structure characterized by a crown having an exterior tread portion for making contact with a ground surface, bead portions for seating said pneumatic tire structure to a wheel rim, sidewall portions extending between each bead portion and the crown, and interior crown and sidewall surfaces;
• at least one portion of conductive material interposed in the space between an interior surface and said exterior tread portion for at least partially forming a conductivity path through which electric charge accumulated in said pneumatic tire structure can flow to a ground surface in contact with said exterior tread portion;
• and
• at least one electronic component coupled to said conductivity path, wherein said at least one electronic component is powered by the electric charge that flows through said conductivity path.