Wire Wheel Spoke Bush for Air Seal and Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wire wheels with tubeless tires face challenges in achieving a perfect air seal between spokes and the rim due to radial sliding and machining inaccuracies, leading to interference issues and complex assembly requirements.
Innovation Solution
A spoke design with a bush inserted in a through-hole of the rim, allowing for limited axial sliding and air-tight reception, along with a sealing gasket and snap ring mechanism to ensure a secure and sealed assembly, enabling pre-assembly and simplifying the construction process without complex equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a snap ring is mounted on the end portion of the spoke to limit axial displacements, then the air seal is improved, but interference between the snap ring and rim occurs due to drilling inaccuracies or thickness variations
Solution Approach 1:
A bush is introduced as an intermediary component between the spoke end portion and the rim. The bush is inserted into the through-hole of the rim and receives the spoke end portion, providing a mediating interface that accommodates manufacturing tolerances while maintaining the air seal. This intermediary structure eliminates direct interference between the snap ring and rim, allowing the seal to function reliably despite drilling inaccuracies or thickness variations.
2Reliability
If accurate machining of holes in the rim is required, then the sealing capacity is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bush serves as a mediator that decouples the sealing function from the precision requirements of rim hole machining. By introducing this intermediate component, the system can accommodate less precise rim holes while still achieving reliable sealing through the bush-spoke interface, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system is segmented into multiple components: the rim with through-holes, the bush inserted in the through-holes, and the spoke end portions. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured with relaxed tolerances individually, while the assembled system achieves the required sealing capacity, reducing the need for high-precision machining of the rim holes.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the hole is significantly misaligned with respect to the center of the bulge, then the snap ring cannot be seated properly, but the assembly process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The bush acts as an intermediary that compensates for misalignment between the hole and the bulge center. The bush can be inserted into the through-hole even when misaligned, and its internal geometry provides a guiding interface that facilitates proper seating of the snap ring, thereby maintaining stable assembly despite positioning variations.
Data Source
AI summary
A spoke for a wire wheel of the type including a rim and a hub interconnected with one another by a plurality of spokes, each of which includes an end portion arranged to be retained at least in one direction in a seat associated with the rim. The spoke has a bush associated with the end portion for receiving same to define the seat. The bush is arranged to be inserted in a through-hole of the rim.