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US 11,938,764 B2Granted
Tire inflation device
AssigneeSram, LLC
InventorsMichael Hall, David Morse, Louis Brown, Miguel Navarro Baeza
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air deflector that is at least partially disposable within a tubeless tire of a bicycle wheel includes a body. The body includes at least one wall defining an air input end and an air output end of the body. The body is attachable to a valve of the tubeless tire at the air input end, such that when air is introduced into the body via the valve, at least some of the air is deflectable by one or more walls of the at least one wall out of the body at the air output end.
Claims14
An air deflector disposable at least partially within a tubeless tire of a bicycle wheel, the air deflector comprising:
- a body including at least one wall defining an air input end and an air output end of the body;
- and
- a support structure disposed in, on, or in and on the body, wherein the body is made of a first material, and the support structure is made of a second material, the second material having a greater rigidity than the first material,
- wherein the body is attachable to a valve of the tubeless tire at the air input end, such that when air is introduced into the body via the valve, at least some of the air is deflectable by one or more walls of the at least one wall out of the body at the air output end,
- wherein the air output end is a first air output end, and an output opening is a first output opening,
- wherein the body further has a second air output end, and
- wherein the body further includes a second output opening at the second air output end of the body.
4 more elements
A wheel for a bicycle, the wheel comprising:
- a central hub configured for rotational attachment to the bicycle;
- a plurality of spokes attached to the central hub and extending radially outward from the hub;
- a rim comprising:
- a radially inner portion disposed along an inner circumference of the rim, the plurality of spokes being attached to the radially inner portion of the rim;
- a first sidewall;
- a second sidewall spaced apart from the first sidewall, wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall extend radially outward from the radially inner portion;
- a radially outer tire engaging portion disposed along an outer circumference of the rim, the radially outer tire engaging portion extending from the first sidewall and the second sidewall, respectively;
- a rim bed opposite the radially inner portion, the rim bed being between the first sidewall and the second sidewall and defining a well;
- and
- an opening extending from the radially inner portion of the rim, through the rim to the rim bed;
- a tire attached to the rim at the radially outer tire engaging portion of the rim;
- and
- an air deflection assembly comprising:
- a hollow body positioned within a volume between the rim bed and the tire, the hollow body having an air input opening and an air output opening, wherein an air input axis is a central axis that extends through the air input opening of the hollow body, the air input axis being in a direction towards an inner surface of the tire;
- and
- a valve extending through the opening through the rim, the valve being aligned with the air input opening of the hollow body, such that air that is introduced into the volume via the valve flows through the hollow body,
- wherein the hollow body is shaped, such that when the air is introduced into the volume via the valve, the hollow body deflects the air away from the air input axis and at least some of the air out of the hollow body at an air output end,
- wherein the hollow body of the air deflection assembly is attached to the rim, and
- wherein the hollow body is made of a same material as the rim,
- wherein the hollow body has an input portion and an output portion, the input portion including an air input end and the output portion including the air output end,
- wherein the output portion is curved, such that a curve of the output portion corresponds to a circumference of the rim bed, and
- wherein when the air is introduced into the hollow body via the valve, the output portion of the hollow body deflects at least some of the air out of the hollow body at the air output end in a circumferential direction defined by the rim.
19 more elements
An air deflector disposable at least partially within a tubeless tire of a bicycle wheel, the air deflector comprising:
- a body including at least one wall defining an air input end and an air output end of the body,
- wherein the body is attachable to a valve of the tubeless tire at the air input end, such that when air is introduced into the body via the valve, at least some of the air is deflectable by one or more walls of the at least one wall out of the body at the air output end, wherein an output portion is curved along an arc that corresponds to a circumference of a rim of the bicycle wheel on which the air deflector is installable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.