Air maintenance tire and elbow connector system

The invention relates to an air maintenance tire and an elbow connector system, comprising: a tire carcass; an elongate integral air passageway contained within a flexible tire component, the air passageway extending between an air inlet and an air outlet cavity in the flexible tire component, the air passageway extending at least a partial circumferential path around the tire carcass; and a connector assembly inserted in an outlet cavity of the cavities is disclosed. The connector assembly includes a hollow elbow body assembled in the outlet cavity, the elbow body having first and second housing segments intersecting at substantially a right angle and a protruding funnel housing portion extending from the first housing segment, and a through-channel extending through the funnel housing portion to the central chamber, the through-channel having a sectional profile accommodating receipt of a free end of the strip core therein. The second housing segment of the elbow body is provided with an axial length long e