Bicycle wheel hub with molded spoke holes
AssigneeENVE Composites, LLC
InventorsBrett Satterthwaite, Carl Jacob Turner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hub for a bicycle wheel includes a hub shell that defines one or more spoke holes. The hub shell includes a fiber reinforced material. The fiber reinforced material has one or more reinforcement fibers bending around the spoke holes to remain continuous around the spoke holes. One or more flanges with the spoke holes extend from the hub shell at an outer radial direction. A clutch or freehub adapter is coupled to the hub shell. Depending on the type of clutch mechanism used in the freehub, different clutch adapters can be incorporated into the hub.
Claims35
A method, comprising:
- forming one or more spoke holes by bending one or more reinforcement fibers of a fiber reinforced material around one or more spoke pins where the reinforcement fibers remain continuous around the one or more spoke holes, wherein the one or more reinforcement fibers are oriented in a woven pattern around the one or more spoke holes to remain intact around the one or more spoke holes;
- and
- molding the fiber reinforced material into a shape of a hub shell and one or more flanges extending from the hub shell at an outer radial direction;
- and
- wherein said forming the one or more spoke holes includes forming the one or more spoke holes in the one or more flanges.
A method, comprising:
- forming one or more spoke holes by bending one or more reinforcement fibers of a fiber reinforced material around one or more spoke pins where the reinforcement fibers remain continuous around the one or more spoke holes;
- molding the fiber reinforced material into a shape of a hub shell with the one or more spoke holes;
- and
- applying the fiber reinforced material around a clutch adapter before said molding.
A method, comprising:
- forming one or more spoke holes by bending one or more reinforcement fibers of a fiber reinforced material around one or more spoke pins where the reinforcement fibers remain continuous around the one or more spoke holes;
- molding the fiber reinforced material into a shape of a hub shell with the one or more spoke holes;
- and
- positioning one or more plies of the fiber reinforced material to form a clutch engagement structure that is integrally formed in the hub shell.
A method, comprising:
- forming one or more spoke holes by bending one or more reinforcement fibers of a fiber reinforced material around one or more spoke pins where the reinforcement fibers remain continuous around the one or more spoke holes;
- molding the fiber reinforced material into a shape of a hub shell with the one or more spoke holes;
- and
- forming a clutch engagement structure by molding a series of splines and grooves in the hub shell around an axle cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.