Bicycle Wheel Spoke Connection via Threaded Orifices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bicycle wheels fail to securely connect the rim with the hub using spokes, leading to deformation due to inadequate contact between connection elements and the rim's inner wall.
Innovation Solution
The design features a rim with through orifices and threaded orifices on the hub, where spokes have first and second screwing sections that mate with nuts and screw bushings, ensuring secure contact between the rim, hub, and spokes via abutting faces, maintaining structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional extrusion-formed aluminum spokes are used with nuts and connecting elements, then the spoke structure is simple to manufacture, but the connection between the rim and hub is insecure causing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The spoke is divided into multiple functional sections: a first screwing section for connecting to the hub, a second screwing section for connecting to the rim, and an intermediate section. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally, ensuring secure connection while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized threading processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Screw bushings are introduced as intermediary components between the spokes and the rim/hub. These bushings provide precise threading interfaces that enable secure mating connections, solving the reliability issue without requiring complex direct threading of the aluminum spokes themselves.
2Manufacturing precision
If spokes are screwed with nuts through through orifices, then the assembly process is simple, but arcuate surfaces are formed preventing mating contact with the rim inner wall
Solution Approach 1:
The spoke design incorporates specific geometric parameters including a 90-degree angle between the abutting face and the spoke axial line, and precise positioning of the first and second screwing sections. These parameter changes ensure that when nuts are screwed on, the abutting faces maintain flat mating contact with the rim and hub surfaces, eliminating arcuate surface formation while keeping the extrusion forming process viable.
3Reliability
If coupling elements are not screwed on the inner wall of the rim, then the assembly is simple, but the rim cannot be connected securely with the hub
Solution Approach 1:
The design merges the coupling function into the spoke structure itself. The first screwing section of each spoke integrates the hub connection function, while the second screwing section integrates the rim connection function. This eliminates separate coupling elements and their associated complexity, achieving secure connection through the unified spoke structure with appropriate threading and abutting faces.
Data Source
AI summary
A bicycle wheel contains a rim, multiple spokes, and multiple abutting faces. The rim includes multiple through orifices, a hub, and multiple threaded orifices. Two intersected spokes are connected with two adjacent through orifices and two threaded orifices corresponding to the two adjacent through orifices respectively. Each spokes includes a first screwing section and a second screwing section. The second screwing section is screwed with each of multiple nuts and each of multiple second screw bushings. The multiple abutting faces are connected with the multiple spokes respectively. Each spoke includes an axial line defined along a center thereof. An angle is defined between each abutting face of the rim and the axial line of each spoke and is 90 degrees. Two connection sections are formed on two ends of each abutting face.