Bicycle wheel assembly
AssigneeG. P. Plastics, Inc.
InventorOwen A. Pierce
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bicycle wheel assembly prepared by a process comprising the steps of: (a) Inserting a bicycle rim assembly comprising a central hub, a plurality of radially extending spokes joined to said hub at one end and a rim having a channular cross section joined to the opposed ends of the spokes into a mold cavity configured to form a bicycle tire around the rim; (b) Injecting a foamable polyurethane composition into said mold cavity; (c) Foaming and curing the polyurethane composition in the mold cavity; and (d) Cooling the so-foamed polyurethane composition to cause it to shrink fit around the rim.
Claims2
A process of manufacturing a bicycle wheel and tire assembly comprising the steps of:
- inserting a bicycle wheel assembly comprising a central hub, a plurality of radically extending spokes joined to said hub at one end and a rim having a channular cross-section oriented away from the central hub joined to the outermost ends of said spokes into a mold cavity configured to form a bicycle tire around said rim;
- such that the channular rim defines one wall of the mold cavity;
- injecting a foamable polyurethane composition into said mold cavity;
- foaming and curing said polyurethane composition in said mold cavity causing said polyurethane composition to come into contact with the outer surfaces of said mold cavity thereby forming a dense polymeric structure at the rim and outer edges and a lower density core;
- and
- cooling said polyurethane composition to cause it to shrink fit about said rim to form a unitary tire and wheel assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.