Cycle Wheel Rim Vent Gallery for Overpressure Relief

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cycle wheels with composite material rims face issues of pressurized gas leakage into the rim's interior space due to sealing defects, leading to potential overpressure and structural degradation, especially when filled with air-impermeable filling materials.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a peripheral vent gallery that is permeable to gases, communicating with the exterior, to alleviate pressure buildup by allowing leaks to escape, thus preventing overpressure and ensuring the rim's structural integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If the rim body is filled with air-impermeable filling material to reduce weight and improve structure, then the rim becomes lighter and structurally stronger, but pressurized gas can leak into the interior space causing overpressure and structural degradation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverim weightVSAvoidsealing reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful element (pressurized gas) from the interior space by providing a dedicated escape path through the vent gallery. This allows the filling material to remain air-impermeable for weight reduction while the vent gallery prevents overpressure by allowing leaked gas to escape, thus resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and sealing reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The vent gallery acts as an intermediary element between the sealed interior space and the exterior environment. It provides a controlled pathway that mediates the pressure buildup issue, allowing the filling material to maintain its air-impermeable properties while the vent gallery manages gas leakage to prevent harmful overpressure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If sealing measures are strengthened to prevent gas leakage into the interior space, then overpressure is prevented, but the complexity of the sealing system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidsealing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of strengthening sealing measures to prevent gas leakage, the patent extracts the harmful effect by providing an escape path through the vent gallery. This approach maintains simple sealing while preventing overpressure, thus resolving the contradiction between sealing reliability and system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of gas leakage into a beneficial outcome by designing the vent gallery to channel leaked gas away from the interior space. Rather than preventing leakage with complex seals, the vent gallery allows controlled leakage that protects the structure, thus resolving the contradiction between sealing reliability and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Reliability

If the interior space is completely sealed to prevent gas leakage, then overpressure is avoided, but the rim structure becomes more complex and heavier

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure containmentVSAvoidrim weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful element (excess pressure) by providing a vent gallery that allows gas to escape from the interior space. This maintains a simple, lightweight structure without complete sealing, resolving the contradiction between pressure containment and weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The vent gallery functions as a controlled porous pathway within the rim structure, allowing selective passage of gas while maintaining overall structural integrity. This approach provides pressure relief without requiring complex sealing systems, thus resolving the contradiction between pressure containment and weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The vent gallery effectively manages pressure leaks, preventing overpressure and maintaining the rim's structural integrity while maintaining a lightweight and dynamically balanced design.

Implementation Method 1

at least one peripheral vent gallery (54) which is permeable to gases, which communicates fluidly with the main compartment (33), and which communicates fluidly by at least one vent (56) with the outside of the rim body (30)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGas permeability: Permeation

Data Source

PatentEP3882044B1Rim for cycle wheel with venting, wheel and run assembly with such a rim
Publication Date: 2022.12.14 LOOK CYCLE INT SA
  • EP3882044B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3882044B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3882044B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a rim (12) for a cycle wheel having an axis of revolution (A1), in which the rim comprises a rim body (30) having an internal space (31) closed by two lateral walls (32) and by an external transverse bridge (34), the internal space (31) comprising at least one main compartment (33) filled with a core (50) of filling material; characterized in that the rim (12) comprises at least one peripheral venting gallery (54) which is permeable to gases, which communicates fluidly with the main compartment (33) and which communicates fluidly through at least one venting opening (56) with the outside of the rim body.