Method of manufacturing a bicycle component, and bicycle component
AssigneeDt Swiss Inc.
InventorsOlivier Kiechl, Kevin Steiner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a bicycle component having a component body formed at least partially of a fibrous composite material in a shaping mold. A shaping area of the shaping mold which serves to shape an outer section of the component body is provided with at least one intended surface roughness. At the same time, an intentional surface roughness is provided for the outer section by means of the surface roughness of the shaping area during manufacture of the outer section, to inhibit surface imperfections of the shaped outer section.
Claims16
A method of manufacturing a bicycle component having at least one component body, formed at least partially of at least one fibrous composite material in at least one shaping mold comprising:
- providing at least one shaping area of the shaping mold, which shapes at least one outer section of the component body;
- providing said at least one shaping area with at least one intended surface roughness, and that the surface roughness of the shaping area also provides an intentional surface roughness for the outer section during the generation of the outer section, to inhibit optically visible surface imperfections of the shaped outer section;
- wherein the shaping mold comprises at least two parts, such that the shaping area is provided on at least a portion of each of the at least two parts;
- wherein the shaping area is roughened to said surface roughness uniformly across said shaping area to an average roughness (Ra) of at least 1 micrometer and maximally 4 micrometers;
- and
- wherein the surface imperfections include at least one of:
- air pockets and resin-deficient zones.
A method of manufacturing a bicycle component having at least one component body, said component being a rim for a wheel, and wherein the rim comprises at least one rim body having at least two rim flanks, providing the component, formed at least partially of at least one fibrous composite material in at least one shaping mold comprising:
- providing at least one shaping area of the shaping mold, which shapes at least one outer section of the component body;
- providing said at least one shaping area with at least one intended surface roughness by shot peening, and that the surface roughness of the shaping area also provides an intentional surface roughness for the outer section during the generation of the outer section, to inhibit optically visible surface imperfections of the shaped outer section;
- wherein the shaping mold comprises at least two parts, such that the shaping area is provided on at least a portion of each of the at least two parts;
- wherein the shaping area is roughened to said surface roughness across said shaping area to an average roughness (Ra) of at least 1 micrometer and maximally 4 micrometers;
- and
- wherein the surface imperfections include at least one of:
- air pockets and resin-deficient zones.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.