Cycle wheel rim and method of manufacture
AssigneeMavic S.A.S.
InventorsBérenger ALEXANDRE, Jean-Pierre MERCAT
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention includes a rim for a cycle wheel having a U-shaped radial cross section, with two lateral flanges located on opposite sides of a median plane of the rim and each demarcated by an outer surface facing away from the median plane, on the one hand, and a bridge connecting the flanges and comprising an outer surface facing toward the axis of rotation of the wheel, on the other hand. At least one median zone of the outer surface of the bridge, which has a transverse width measured perpendicular to the median plane and greater than 4 mm, is machined over the entire circumference of the rim.
Claims27
A rim for a cycle wheel, said rim comprising:
- two lateral flanges located on opposite respective sides of a median plane of the rim and each of the two lateral flanges comprising an outer surface facing away from the median plane;
- a bridge connecting the flanges to one another and comprising an outer surface facing an axis of rotation of the wheel;
- the two lateral flanges and the bridge forming a U-shaped radial cross section;
- at least one machined middle zone of the outer surface of the bridge;
- the machined middle zone having a transverse width, measured perpendicular to the median plane, greater than 4 mm;
- the machined middle zone extending over an entirety of a circumference of the rim.
A wheel comprising:
- a rim;
- a hub;
- a plurality of spokes extending between the rim and the hub;
- the rim comprising:
- two lateral flanges located on opposite respective sides of a median plane of the rim and each of the two lateral flanges comprising an outer surface facing away from the median plane;
- a bridge connecting the flanges to one another and comprising an outer surface facing an axis of rotation of the wheel;
- the two lateral flanges and the bridge forming a U-shaped radial cross section;
- at least one machined middle zone of the outer surface of the bridge;
- the machined middle zone having a transverse width, measured perpendicular to the median plane, greater than 4 mm;
- the machined middle zone extending over an entirety of a circumference of the rim.
A method for manufacturing a rim for a cycle wheel, the method comprising:
- extruding a rectilinear section, the section comprising:
- two lateral flanges located on respective opposite sides of a median plane of the rim and each of the two lateral flanges comprising an outer surface facing away from the median plane;
- a bridge connecting the flanges to one another and comprising an outer surface facing an axis of rotation of the wheel;
- bending the section to form at least one hoop having two ends;
- assembling the ends of the hoop of the section to one another to define a circumference;
- drilling holes through the bridge for fastening the spokes of the wheel;
- after the drilling, machining at least one median zone of the outer surface of the bridge over an entirety of the circumference of the rim, the median zone having a transverse width of greater than 4 mm measured perpendicular to the median plane of the rim.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.