Vehicle wheel spoke connection

a technology for spokes and vehicles, applied in the direction of spoke wheels, vehicle components, rims, etc., can solve the problems of weakening of the spoke connection, correspondingly larger eyelets and holes in the rim, etc., and achieve the effects of convenient installation, clean appearance, and economic production

US20130043713A1Inactive Publication Date: 2013-02-21SCHLANGER RAPHAEL
14 Cites 1 Cited by

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2013-02-21
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

A vehicle wheel, comprising a rim, a hub, a plurality of spokes extending between the rim and hub, a bracing element including a hole with a central axis, a sidewall, a longitudinally inward entrance, and at least one of an engagement surface and an engagement edge outward of the entrance, a connecting element connected to the bracing element, including an opening extending along an opening axis, and a multiplicity of prongs, with at least one of the prongs including a lateral overhang surface. The connecting element is resilient and may be flexed between collapsed and expanded orientations and is positioned within the hole, with the overhang surface overlying one of the engagement surface and engagement edge in a first overlie engagement. The spoke includes a laterally projecting surface to overlie the connecting element in a second overlie engagement that is preferably located longitudinally outwardly of the first overlie engagement.
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Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority of the following U.S. provisional patent applications:

[0002] 61 / 575,380, filed Aug. 19, 2011, and entitled “VEHICLE WHEEL SPOKE CONNECTION”;

[0003] 61 / 575,381, filed Aug. 19, 2011, and entitled “VEHICLE WHEEL SPOKE CONNECTION”; and

[0004] 61 / 575,374, filed Aug. 19, 2011, and entitled “VEHICLE WHEEL SPOKE CONNECTION”.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] (1) Field of the Invention

[0006] This invention is related to the means of attachment between the spoke and the rim of a vehicle wheel and between the spoke and the hub of a vehicle wheel. This invention is particularly related to the connection of a spoke with a rim structure having a “double-wall” construction with an unpierced tire bed wall for tubeless tire applications.

[0007] (2) Description of the Related Art

[0008] Bicycle wheel rims have historically been constructed to accept pneumatic tires that are designed to work in conjunction with an inner tube. This is the...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0041]FIG. 1 describes the basic configuration of an exemplary prior art vehicle wheel, in particular, a bicycle wheel 1, as well as a description of the direction conventions used throughout this disclosure. For clarity, the frame and the quick release skewer assembly are not shown in this figure. The hub shell 14 is rotatable about the axle 9 and includes at least two axially spaced hub flanges 16, each of which include a means for connecting with the spokes 2. Axle 9 includes end faces 11a and 11b that define the spacing of its mounting with the frame (not shown). The axial axis 28 is the axial centerline of rotation of the bicycle wheel 1. The hub flange 16 may be contiguous with the hub shell 14 or it may be separately formed and assembled to the hub body 12 portion of the hub shell 14. The spokes 2 are affixed to the hub flange 16 at their first end 4 and extend to attach the rim 8 at their second end 6. The tire 10 is fitted to the outer periphery of the rim 8. The wheel of F...