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US 10,052,911 B2Granted
Rim strip for bicycle rim
AssigneeENVE Composites, LLC
InventorBrett Satterthwaite
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bicycle rim has rim a pair of rim flanges that defines a tire channel. A rim strip extends across the tire channel. The rim strip includes a pair of flange bumpers configured to cover the rim flanges. The flange bumpers each define a flange channel in which one of the rim flanges is received. A pair of safety humps define corresponding tire seating sections where a tire is seated when inflated. The rim strip further includes a drop seal that seals with the beads of the tire to facilitate seating of the tire during inflation.
Claims26
An apparatus, comprising:
- a bicycle rim having a pair of rim flanges that define a tire channel, wherein the rim includes a rim drop inside the tire channel, wherein the pair of rim flanges are made of composite material, wherein each of the rim flanges have a leading edge located at an outer periphery of the rim;
- a rim strip extending across the tire channel, the rim strip including
- a pair of rim flange bumpers configured to cover the rim flanges, wherein the rim flange bumpers each define a flange channel in which one of the rim flanges is received, wherein each of the rim flange bumpers has an outer buffer with a hooked end that wraps around the leading edge of the one of the rim flanges to encapsulate the leading edge inside one of the rim flange bumpers of the rim strip;
- wherein the rim strip includes a drop section covering the rim drop;
- wherein the drop section includes at least one drop seal;
- wherein the drop seal has a biased position where the drop seal bows away from the rim drop to form a gap between the drop seal and the rim to seal the drop seal with beads of a tire at a position at least over the rim drop during mounting of the tire;
- and
- wherein the drop seal is configured to move from the biased position to a collapsed position where the drop seal collapses inside the rim drop during inflation of the tire.
5 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a bicycle rim defining a rim channel and a rim drop, wherein the rim channel has a channel surface;
- a rim strip having a drop seal disposed at the rim drop, the drop seal being configured to seal with a bead of a tire when the bead is positioned at the rim drop;
- wherein the drop seal has a biased position where the drop seal is biased away from the rim drop with a bowed shape to seal with the bead of the tire and a collapsed position where the drop seal presses against the rim drop;
- wherein the bowed shape of the drop seal extends above the channel surface when at the biased position;
- and
- wherein the drop seal is configured to move from the biased position to the collapsed position at a pressure where at least the tire is expanded to where the bead of the tire is moved outside of the rim drop during inflation.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- pressing a bead of a tire against a drop seal that is biased at a biased position to seal against the bead over a drop channel of a bicycle rim, wherein the drop seal at the biased position forms a gap with the drop channel of the bicycle rim;
- inflating the tire to cause the bead of the tire to slide along the drop seal in a direction away from the drop channel;
- collapsing the drop seal from the biased position to a collapsed position where the drop seal presses against the drop channel at a pressure where at least the tire is expanded to where the bead of the tire clears the drop channel during said inflating;
- and
- seating the bead of the tire in a seating section of the rim as a result of said inflating.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.