Plastic bicycle wheel assembly and mold for making the same

Claim 2

A vehicle wheel comprising, in combination: a. a central hub member having an axis; b. a peripheral rim member centered substantially coaxially with the hub member; c. two axially spaced spoke means having having radially innerrespective peripheral portions fixedly fastened to said rim member and respective central portions, said spoke means essentially consisting of thermoplastic synthetic resin composition; d. two flange means securing said central portions to respective axially terminal portions of said hub member against relative angular movement about said axis; and e. thermal insulating means interposed between said spoke means and said hub member for impeding radial flow of thermal energy from said hub member to said spoke means.

Claim 3

A wheel as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulating means include a body of air radially interposed between respectivE portions of each flange means and said hub member.

Claim 4

A wheel as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulating means are radially interposed between respective portions of each spoke means and the associated flange means.

Claim 5

A wheel as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulating means include a body of air radially interposed between respective portions of said flange means.

Claim 6

A wheel as set forth in claim 4, wherein each flange means includes a flange member having a radially inner portion secured to said hub member and a radially outer portion secured to the associated spoke means, said portions of the flange member radially bounding a recess in said flange member, said body of air being received in said recess.

Claim 7

A wheel as set forth in claim 4, wherein each flange means includes a flange member having a radially inner portion secured to said hub member and a radially outer portion secured to the associated spoke means, said portions of the flange member radially bounding a plurality of recesses in said flange member, said recesses being elongated along a common circle about said axis, said inner and outer portions of the flange member being integrally connected by bridge portions circumferentially interposed between two of said recesses, the combined circumferential dimension of said bridge portions being but a small fraction of the combined circumferential dimension of said recesses.

Claim 8

A wheel as set forth in claim 1, wherein said flange means each include a flange member having a contact face, and said terminal portions of said hub member have respective contact faces abuttingly engaging the contact faces of respective flange members, the engaged portions of said contact faces being dimensioned to constitute portions of said thermal insulating means.

Claim 9

A wheel as set forth in claim 7, further comprising two collars annular about said axis and fixedly fastened on said hub member in axially spaced relationship, and a plurality of projections radially extending from each collar, said projections carrying respective portions of the contact face of said hub member.

Claim 10

A wheel as set forth in claim 8, wherein said flange member is formed with a plurality of recesses bounded by respective portions of the contact face of said flange member, said projections being received in respective recesses of said flange member.

Claim 11

A wheel as set forth in claim 1, wherein each flange means includes a flange member having a radially inner portion extending about said axis in a first arc, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced outer lug portions radially projecting from said inner portion, the combined circumferential dimensions of said outer lug portions defining a second arc about said axis substantially smaller than said first arc, said outer lug portions being each formed with an aperture extending axially therethrough.

Claim 12

A wheel as set forth in claim 10, wherein said spoke means each include a set of spoke members circumferentially spaced from each other so as to define gaps therebetween, one of said outer portions being embedded in each spoke member, the resin composition of each spoke member substantially filling the aperture in the associated outer lug portion, each spoke member being axially aligned with a gap in the other set.

Claim 13

A wheel as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rim member essentially consists of said thermoplastic synthetic resin composition, said rim member and said spoke means jointly constituting a unitary body, said hub member having an exposed surface about said axis axially intermediate said central portions of said spoke means, each spoke means extending in a substantially conical surface about said axis, said surfaces converging axially from said axis toward said rim member, each spoke means including a plurality of spoke members circumferentially spaced to define gaps therebetween, each gap being axially aligned with a spoke member of the other spoke means.

Claim 14

A split mold for molding the unitary body set foRth in claim 12, said mold including two mold members movable toward and away from a position of engagement, respective walls of said mold members in said position bounding a cavity substantially conforming to said unitary body and facing each other in the direction of said axis, each wall having a plurality of sector-shaped face portions angularly distributed about said axis, respective circumferentially alternating face portions of each wall being axially near and axially remote from the wall of the other mold member, said face portions of the walls defining portions of said cavity conforming to said spoke members, positioning means for securing said flange means in said cavity in a position in which respective parts of said flange means are embedded in said spoke members when said cavity is filled with said thermoplastic synthetic resin composition.

Claim 15

A mold as set forth in claim 13, further comprising means defining a portion of said cavity conforming to said rim member and communicating with said portions of the cavity conforming to said spoke members, said positioning means securing said flange means in respective positions offset in opposite axial directions from the portion of said cavity conforming to said rim member.

Claim 16

A mold as set forth in claim 13, further comprising two support members supporting said mold members respectively, one of said support members guiding said mold members toward and away from said position of engagement, said support members having respective terminal portions spaced from each other in the direction of said axis when said mold members are in said position of engagement, said terminal portions including said positioning means.

Claim 17

A mold as set forth in claim 13, further comprising sealing means on each of said face portions for limiting radially inward flow of said thermoplastic synthetic resin composition from the portion of said cavity defining said spoke members.