Unitary Side Bicycle Wheel Spoke Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bicycle wheels, particularly those made of metal and carbon fiber, face issues of weight, manufacturing complexity, and ride quality, with carbon-fiber wheels requiring precise alignment and labor-intensive assembly.
Innovation Solution
The design features fiber-based bicycle wheels with unitary side elements having an annular sidewall and flange portion, where spokes are integrally connected and held in tension between the sidewall and flange, eliminating the need for multiple individual components and precise alignment, and allowing for a single curing process of the side elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional carbon-fiber wheels are constructed by individually forming and assembling multiple components, then the wheel achieves lightweight properties, but the manufacturing process becomes time and labor intensive with complex alignment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separately formed carbon-fiber components (rim, spokes, flanges) into a single unitary side element that is formed and cured as one integrated structure. This eliminates the need for separate assembly operations, reduces labor time, and eliminates alignment issues while maintaining the lightweight properties of carbon-fiber construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel is divided into two unitary side elements (left and right sides), each comprising an integrated assembly of rim portion, spokes, and flange. This segmentation allows each side to be manufactured independently as a complete unit, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining the benefits of carbon-fiber construction.
2Weight of moving object
If multiple individual carbon-fiber components are assembled together, then the wheel achieves lightweight properties, but the alignment precision and inspection complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the rim, spokes, and flange into a single unitary side element formed through one curing process, the patent eliminates all joints and interfaces between these components. This removes the need for precise alignment during assembly and eliminates inspection requirements for joint integrity, while preserving the lightweight advantages of carbon-fiber construction.
3Strength
If metal components are used for rim, hub, and spokes, then the wheel achieves high strength, but the wheel becomes heavy and provides a rough ride
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs carbon-fiber composite material for the unitary side elements, which provides high strength-to-weight ratio. This replaces traditional metal components with a composite material that maintains structural integrity while significantly reducing wheel weight and improving ride quality by eliminating metal-on-metal contact and vibration.
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel having a longitudinal plane normal to an axis of rotation. The wheel has a rim with side surfaces on opposite sides of the longitudinal plane. A hub is concentrically disposed relative to the rim. Two unitary side elements are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal plane and are coupled to the rim and to end portions of the hub. Each of the unitary side elements has an annular sidewall, a flange portion, and a plurality of spokes that do not cross the longitudinal plane and that integrally interconnect the annular sidewall and the flange portion. An end portion of each spoke of the one side element is tied to the end portion of an aligned spoke of the other side element adjacent to the sidewall to restrict the tied end portions from moving away from each other.