Wheel assembly including inner and outer rim coupled rings defining a mechanical stop and related methods
AssigneeGacw Incorporated
InventorsZoltan Kemeny, Tom Neppl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wheel assembly to be coupled to a hub of a vehicle may include an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle and an outer rim surrounding the hub. The wheel assembly may also include gas springs operatively coupled between the inner rim and the outer rim to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between the inner rim and the outer rim. The wheel assembly may also include an outer ring coupled to the outer rim and an inner ring coupled to the inner rim and defining a closeable gap with adjacent portions of the outer ring to define a mechanical stop to limit relative movement of the inner rim and outer rim.
Claims24
A wheel assembly to be coupled to a hub of a vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising:
- an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle;
- an outer rim surrounding the hub;
- a plurality of gas springs operatively coupled between said inner rim and said outer rim to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between said inner rim and said outer rim;
- an outer ring coupled to said outer rim;
- and
- an inner ring coupled to said inner rim and defining a closeable gap with adjacent portions of said outer ring to define a mechanical stop to limit relative movement between said inner rim and outer rim.
A wheel assembly to be coupled to a hub of a vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising:
- an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle;
- an outer rim surrounding the hub;
- a plurality of gas springs operatively coupled between said inner rim and said outer rim to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between said inner rim and said outer rim;
- an outer ring coupled to said outer rim;
- and
- an inner ring coupled to said inner rim and defining a closeable gap with adjacent portions of said outer ring to define a mechanical stop to limit relative movement between said inner rim and outer rim;
- said plurality of gas springs being arranged in pairs on opposite sides of said outer ring, and each of said plurality of gas springs having an operating stroke permitting said outer ring and inner ring to define the mechanical stop.
A method of making a wheel assembly to be coupled to a hub of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- operatively coupling a plurality of gas springs between an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle and an outer rim surrounding the hub to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between the inner rim and the outer rim;
- coupling an outer ring to the outer rim;
- and
- coupling an inner ring to the inner rim that defines a closeable gap with adjacent interior portions of the outer ring to define a mechanical stop to limit relative movement between the inner rim and outer rim.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.