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US 10,710,401 B2Granted
Wheel apparatus for use with vehicles
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorRyan Buttimer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Wheel apparatus for use with vehicles are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a wheel for a vehicle. The wheel has a groove disposed on an annular wall adjacent a drop well and extending away from the drop well. The example apparatus also includes a ring positioned in the groove.
Claims15
An apparatus comprising:
- a wheel for a vehicle, the wheel having a groove disposed on an annular wall adjacent a drop well, the groove extending radially away from the drop well;
- and
- a rigid ring positioned in the groove, the ring to bear stress imparted by a tire coupled to the wheel, the ring defining a first surface to receive a portion of the tire, the ring further defining a curved surface extending from the first surface toward a second surface of the drop well to engage a tire bead of the tire.
An apparatus comprising:
- a vehicle having a wheel rotatably coupled thereto, wherein the wheel includes an annular groove facing a drop well of the wheel;
- and
- a rigid ring extending through the annular groove, the ring to bear stress imparted by a tire coupled to the wheel, the ring defining a first surface to receive a portion of the tire, the ring further defining a curved surface extending from the first surface toward a second surface of the drop well to engage a tire bead of the tire.
An apparatus comprising:
- a wheel to rotatably couple to a vehicle, the wheel having an annular groove to receive an annular body, wherein the annular groove defines a lip to retain the annular body, the lip having a mating surface oriented in a first direction, the first direction having a first component oriented radially relative to the wheel and a second component oriented axially relative to the wheel;
- and
- the annular body, the annular body defining a first surface to receive a portion of a tire, the annular body further defining a curved surface extending from the first surface toward a second surface of a drop well of the wheel to engage a tire bead of the tire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.