Interconnects for Electrical Components Positioned Adjacent to Vehicle Tires

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrical connector assembly mountable on a tire and/or wheel of a vehicle, comprising:
 one or more electrical conductors, each electrical conductor of the one or more electrical conductors configured to extend between an inside surface of the tire and an outside surface of the tire; and   one or more circumferential electrical conductors configured to extend circumferentially about at least one of the inside surface or the outside surface, the one or more circumferential electrical conductors being electrically coupled to the one or more electrical conductors.   
     
     
         2 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more circumferential electrical conductors include:
 a first circumferential electrical conductor that is electrically coupled with a first electrical conductor of the one or more electrical conductors; and   a second circumferential electrical conductor that is electrically coupled with a second electrical conductor of the one or more electrical conductors.   
     
     
         3 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more energy harvesting devices mountable to a tire bead region of the tire such that, while the tire is mounted on the wheel, the one or more energy harvesting devices are located between the tire bead region and a rim of the wheel. 
     
     
         4 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical conductors include:
 two or more electrical conductors electrically insulated from each other, a respective electrical conductor of the two or more electrical conductors extending between the inside surface of the tire and the outside surface of the tire.   
     
     
         5 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a stub mountable on the tire, wherein the one or more electrical conductors are at least partially embedded in the stub along a length of the stub.   
     
     
         6 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the stub includes two or more electrical conductors that are at least partially embedded in the stub coaxially.   
     
     
         7 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the stub includes a hollow channel and a liquid metal configured to fill the hollow channel defined in the stub; and   an electrical conductor of the one or more electrical conductors includes:
 an internal electrode electrically coupled with the liquid metal and extending between the inside surface of the tire and the liquid metal; and 
 an external electrode electrically coupled with the liquid metal and extending between the outside surface of the tire and the liquid metal. 
   
     
     
         8 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the stub includes two or more hollow channels that are isolated from each other and the liquid metal configured to fill the two or more hollow channels.   
     
     
         9 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of the one or more electrical conductors includes at least one of a conductive polymer or rubber.   
     
     
         10 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one electrical connection strip electrically coupled with at least one electrical conductor of the one or more electrical conductors and configured to be positioned circumferentially adjacently to a tire bead of the tire.   
     
     
         11 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the at least one electrical connection strip comprises two or more electrical connection strips that are electrically isolated from each other.   
     
     
         12 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an insulator layer on which the two or more electrical connection strips are located.   
     
     
         13 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the two or more electrical connection strips include a first electrical connection strip electrically coupled with a first electrical conductor and a second electrical connection strip that is distinct from the first electrical connection strip and electrically coupled with a second electrical conductor distinct from the first electrical conductor; and   at least a portion of the first electrical connection strip adjacent to the second electrical conductor is curved to avoid contact between the second electrical conductor and the portion of the first electrical connection strip adjacent to the second electrical conductor, and at least a portion of the second electrical connection strip adjacent to the first electrical conductor is curved to avoid contact between the first electrical conductor and the portion of the second electrical connection strip adjacent to the first electrical conductor.   
     
     
         14 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein an electrical conductor of the one or more electrical conductors includes:
 a conductive portion configured to be embedded within the tire; and   one or more external conductive stubs extending between the embedded conductive portion and the outside surface of the tire and one or more internal conductive stubs extending between the embedded conductive portion and the inside surface of the tire.   
     
     
         15 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 an electrical conductor of the one or more electrical conductors is configured to extend between at least an inner side wall of the tire and at least an outer side wall of the tire when the electrical conductor is embedded at least partially within the tire.   
     
     
         16 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more electrical conductors include a plurality of electrical conductors each configured to extend between at least an inner side wall of the tire and at least an outer side wall of the tire when embedded at least partially within the tire; and   the electrical connector assembly also includes a first elongated electrical conductor electrically coupled with a first set of electrical conductors of the plurality of electrical conductors and a second elongated electrical conductor electrically coupled with a second set of electrical conductors, of the plurality of electrical conductors, that is mutually exclusive to the first set of electrical conductors.   
     
     
         17 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a third elongated electrical conductor that is distinct from the first elongated electrical conductor and electrically coupled with the first set of electrical conductors of the plurality of electrical conductors; and   a fourth elongated electrical conductor that is distinct from the second elongated electrical conductor and electrically coupled with the second set of electrical conductors of the plurality of electrical conductors.   
     
     
         18 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the first elongated electrical conductor is a first bead wire; and   the second elongated electrical conductor is a second bead wire.   
     
     
         19 . The electrical connector assembly of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the first elongated electrical conductor is a first conductive belt; and   the second elongated electrical conductor is a second conductive belt.   
     
     
         20 . A tire assembly, comprising:
 a tire; and   one or more electrical connector assemblies embedded at least partially in the tire, each electrical connector assembly of the one or more electrical connector assemblies corresponding to the electrical connector assembly of  claim 1 .