Methods for fabricating thermoplastic-based composite spokes and spoke assemblies
AssigneeArris Composites Inc.
InventorsErick Davidson, Zachary Aaron August, Eric Forrester
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for fabricating thermoplastic bicycle spokes that securely couple to an end fitting, at one or both ends thereof, via a non-threaded, mechanical interlocking geometry. A spoke body is fabricated from thermoplastic resin, and then thermoplastic material is added, in situ (using the internal geometry of the end fitting as a form). This increases the effective diameter of the spoke at at least one end thereof to create an engagement feature that is adapted to interlock with the internal configuration of the end fitting. Additionally, by virtue of the method, the end of the spoke has a desirable fiber alignment, wherein the fibers substantially align with in-use loads.
Claims30
A method comprising:
- forming a spoke assembly by creating a mechanical interlock between an end fitting and a first end of a bicycle spoke, wherein the end fitting has an internal geometry characterized by a cavity, and the bicycle spoke comprises a first thermoplastic resin and a first plurality of continuous fibers, and wherein the mechanical interlock is created by:
- (i) melting the first thermoplastic resin at the first end of the bicycle spoke and melting an additional material comprising a second thermoplastic resin, the melted first and second thermoplastic resin filling the cavity;
- (ii) cooling the melted first and second to form an engagement feature that conforms to the internal geometry of the end fitting;
- and
- preloading the bicycle spoke by applying a force to at least one of the engagement feature and the end fitting, wherein the force advances the engagement feature in the cavity, thereby generating compressive stress in the engagement feature.
A method comprising:
- forming a spoke assembly by creating a mechanical interlock between an end fitting and a bicycle spoke, wherein the bicycle spoke comprises a first thermoplastic resin and a first plurality of continuous fibers and is characterized by a first diameter, wherein the end fitting receives the bicycle spoke proximate to a first end of the bicycle spoke, the end fitting having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the bicycle spoke is relatively closer to second end of the end fitting than the first end of the end fitting, and wherein the mechanical interlock is created by increasing the first diameter of the bicycle spoke proximate to the first end thereof by:
- (a) melting the first thermoplastic resin at proximate to the first end of the bicycle spoke;
- (b) melting an additional material comprising a second thermoplastic resin, wherein the melted first and second thermoplastic resin fill a cavity within the end fitting, wherein the cavity has an increase in diameter between the first end and second end of the end fitting;
- and
- (c) cooling the melted first and second thermoplastic resin to form an engagement feature that conforms to the geometry of cavity, the engagement feature having a diameter that is larger than the first diameter.
A method comprising:
- creating a mechanical interlock between an end fitting and a first end of a bicycle spoke, the bicycle spoke comprising a first thermoplastic resin and a plurality of fibers, the end fitting having a cavity wherein a first end of the cavity has a relatively smaller diameter and the second end of the cavity has a relatively larger diameter, and wherein the mechanical interlock is created by melting the first end of the bicycle spoke, and melting additional material comprising a second thermoplastic resin, the melted first and second thermoplastic resin filling the cavity in the end fitting and so that a diameter of the first end of the bicycle spoke is greater than the diameter of the first end of the cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.