Continuous-strand, fiber reinforced plastic wheel

Claim 2

A wheel for pneumatic tires and the like, comprising: a. a fiber reinforced plastic central hub portion adapted to be rotatably mounted; b. and a rim formed to the hub portion for receiving a tire, the rim having first and second circumferential, tire engaging bead regions on opposite sides of the rim, the rim comprising a plurality of resin encased filament lengths extending continuously from one bead region over the hub portion to the opposite bead region, whereby torsional forces exerted on the rim are resisted in tension by the filament lengths.

Claim 3

The wheel defined by claim 1, wherein the resin encased filament lengths are disposed in a plurality of layers.

Claim 4

The wheel defined by claim 2, wherein the filament lengths of one layer are angularly disposed with respect to filament lengths of the other layers.

Claim 5

The wheel defined by claim 1, wherein the rim further comprises resin encased filament circumferentially wound in alternate layers over said filament lengths in each of the bead regions.

Claim 6

The wheel defined by claim 4, wherein said circumferentially wound filament comprises unidirectional filament tape.

Claim 7

The wheel defined in claim 1, wherein the filament lengths extend diagonally between opposite side bead regions.

Claim 8

The wheel defined in claim 1, wherein said filament lengths form a radially extending bead flange at the outer edge of each rim, said bead portions comprising an axially extending area adjacent each bead flange.

Claim 9

The wheel defined by claim 7, wherein the rim further comprises resin encased filament circumferentially wound over the filaments in a region intermediate the bead regions.

Claim 10

The wheel defined by claim 8, wherein the circumferentially wound filament and the filament lengths extending between bead regions are arranged in alternate layers.

Claim 11

The wheel defined by claim 8, wherein the circumferentially would filament comprises unidirectional filament tape.

Claim 12

The wheel defined in claim 1, wherein said hub portion includes an axial mounting opening and comprises a matrix of overlapping, resin encased continuous film lengths extending around said axial opening.

Claim 13

A wheel for pneumatic tires and the like, comprising: a. a fiber reinforced plastic central hub portion adapted to be rotatably mounted; b. and a rim formed to the hub portion for receiving a tire, the rim having a circumferential central region and circumferential tire engaging bead regions on each side thereof, the rim comprising a plurality of resin encased continuous filament lengths extending from the cenral region to opposite side bead regions, said filaments overlapping in crisscross fashion, whereby torsional forces exerted on the rim are resisted in tension by the filament lengths.

Claim 14

A wheel for pneumatic tires and the like, comprising: a. a fiber reinforced plastic central hub portion adapted to be rotatably mounted; b. and a rim formed to the hub portion for receiving a tire, the rim having a circumferential central region and circumferential tire engaging bead regions on each side thereof, the rim comprising a plurality of resin encased continuous filament lengths extending from the cenral region to opposite side bead regions, said filaments overlapping in crisscross fashion, whereby torsional forces exerted on the rim are resisted in tension by the filament lengths.

Claim 15

A wheel for pneumatic tires and the like, comprising: a. a fiber reinforced plastic rim portion constructed to receive and carry a tire; b. a central hub portion formed to the rim portion and including an axial mounting opening, the hub portion comprising a matrix of overlapping, resin encased continuous filament lengths extending around said axial opening and outward to said rim portion in essentially straight lines, whereby torsional forces exerted on the wheel are resisted in tension by the filaments.

Claim 16

A wheel for pneumatic tires and the like, comprising: a. a fiber reinforced plastic rim portion constructed to receive and carry a tire; b. a central hub portion formed to the rim portion and including an axial mounting opening, the hub portion comprising a matrix of overlapping, resin encased continuous filament lengths extending around said axial opening and outward to said rim portion in essentially straight lines, whereby torsional forces exerted on the wheel are resisted in tension by the filaments.

Claim 17

The wheel defined by claim 13, wherein the resin encased filament lengths extend tangentially outward from the axial opening.

Claim 18

The wheel defined by claim 13, wherein the hub portion includes a plurality of equiangularly spaced openings for receiving bolts or the like, said resin encased filament lengths extending around each bolt opening.

Claim 19

The wheel defined by claim 15, wherein the hub portiOn further comprises lengths of resin encased filament each of which encircles one of said mounting openings and extends tangentially to another mounting opening.

Claim 20

The wheel defined by claim 15, wherein at least some of said resin encased filament lengths encircle the mounting openings and extend tangentially therefrom to the rim portion.

Claim 21

The wheel defined by claim 13, wherein the hub portion includes a plurality of equiangularly spaced mounting openings constructed to receive mounting bolts or the like, said resin encased filament lengths extending outward from the axial hub opening and the bolt mounting openings to the rim portion in essentially straight lines.

Claim 22

The wheel defined by claim 13, wherein said overlapping, resin encased filament lengths extend in an essentially straight line from one side of the rim portion to the other side of the rim portion.

Claim 23

The wheel defined by claim 19, wherein at least some of said plurality of resin encased filament lengths are angularly disposed to others of said plurality of resin encased filament lengths.

Claim 24

The wheel defined by claim 19, further including circumferentially wound resin encased filament lengths on the rim portion.

Claim 25

The wheel defined by claim 13, and further comprising a plurality of strengthening flanges each of which extends longitudinally from a central region of the hub portion to the rim portion and projects laterally from the hub portion, the strengthening flanges comprising a plurality of overlapping, resin encased filament lengths.

Claim 26

The wheel defined by claim 22, wherein the strengthening flanges extend longitudinally from said central region to the rim portion in essentially straight lines.

Claim 27

The wheel defined by claim 22, including two pair of parallel strengthening flanges, the pairs being mutually perpendicular.