EP0051996A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Wheel with resilient spokes
Assignee: Wheel Developments Ltd
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Filing: 1981-11-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-11-06
Abstract
Abstract A wheel structure has rim 1 and hub 2 interconnected by spokes 3 with longer arcuate portion 3a and shorter arcuate portion 3b meeting at an angle or direction change region at locations 5 all of which lie on a notional circle closer to the hub than the rim. Preferably locations 5 lie in each case beyond that radius including the spoke hub origin point 6. Spurs can be provided at these locations, generally as extensions of the longer portion, to protrude into the back of the next location 5 around the circle and thereby limit the distortion under load.
Inventors
- 👤 John Dudley Wells Gregg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 02:22
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60B; B60B5/00; B60B5/02; B60B9/00; B60B9/26; C; C10; C10M; C10M2205/00; C10M2207/00; C10M2207/02; C10M2207/023; C10M2207/027; C10M2207/28; C10M2207/282; C10M2207/287; C10M2207/289; C10M2207/34; C10M2209/00; C10M2209/02; C10M2209/08; C10M2209/084; C10M2209/086; C10M2209/10; C10M2209/103; C10M2209/104; C10M2209/105; C10M2209/106; C10M2209/12; C10M2215/00; C10M2215/02; C10M2215/06; C10M2215/064; C10M2215/065; C10M2219/00; C10M2219/04; C10M2219/046; C10M2219/08; C10M2219/082; C10M2219/087; C10M2219/088; C10M2219/089; C10M2219/10; C10M2219/104; C10M2219/108; C10M2223/00; C10M2223/02; C10M2223/04; C10M2223/045; C10N; C10N2010/00; C10N2010/04; C10N2040/00; C10N2040/25; C10N2040/251; C10N2040/255; C10N2040/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
A wheel structure of integral synthetic polymer material having a continuous rim and a hub, interconnected by equispaced identical spokes shaped to provide resilient support, characterised in that each spoke (3, 9) comprises a shorter portion (3b, 9b) towards its hub end and a longer portion (3a, 9a) towards its rim end, the portions extending in generally different directions whereby flexure takes place across the angle or significant change of curvature displayed at the location (5, 10) where the two portions (3a, 9a and 3b, 9b) meet, the said location (5, 10) being radially closer to the hub (2, 8) than to the rim (1, 7).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
106 words
A wheel structure of integral synthetic polymer material having a continuous rim and a hub, interconnected by equispaced identical spokes shaped to provide resilient support, characterised in that each spoke (3, 9) comprises a shorter portion (3b, 9b) towards its hub end and a longer portion (3a, 9a) towards its rim end, the portions extending in generally different directions whereby flexure takes place across the angle or significant change of curvature displayed at the location (5, 10) where the two portions (3a, 9a and 3b, 9b) meet, the said location (5, 10) being radially closer to the hub (2, 8) than to the rim (1, 7).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
A wheel structure as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the shorter portion (3b, 9b) commences at a hub origin point (6) and extends non-radially to one side of the radius including that hub origin point, and the longer portion (3a, 9a) commences at a rim origin point (4) and extends non-radially across that radius including the hub origin point (6) to meet the shorter portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A wheel structure as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that each meeting location (5, 10) lies beyond the radius including the rim origin point of the next spoke.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
A wheel structure as claimed in claim 3 characterised in that each such meeting location (5, 10) lies past the line joining such next rim origin point (4) and the corresponding next hub origin point (6).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A wheel structure as claimed in claim 4 characterised in that each meeting location (5, 10) lies beyond the radius which includes the hub origin point (6) of the next spoke.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A wheel structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 characterised in that the two portions (3a, 9a or 3b, 9b) of the spokes (3) are arcuate in the same sense so as to be convex outwards.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A wheel structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 characterised in that it comprises from 6 to 15 spokes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
A wheel structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 characterised in that it comprises an integral or attached spur or extension (11) originating from the said meeting location (10) and extending towards the inner portion of the meeting location (10) on the next spoke.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A wheel structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 characterised in that the ratio between the hub radius and the rim radius is from 1:20 to 1:2, and preferably from 1:10 to 1:3.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
A wheel structure as claimed in claim 9 characterised in that the location (5, 10) at which the longer and shorter portions of each spoke meet is from one-fifth to one-half of the rim (1, 7) to hub (2, 8) separation distance, measured radially outward from the hub (2, 8), and preferably from one-third to one quarter of that distance.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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