US 5,313,996 AGranted

Wheel having spoke-integrated tire inflation passageway

OwnerPaul Bragginventor

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Abstract

The problem of a visible, rim-mounted valve stem for inflating a customized wheel-mounted tire is obviated by a wheel configuration that translates the tire inflation location from a valve stem mounted on the wheel rim to a hub location where a readily accessible tire inflation port can be effectively hidden beneath a locking center cap, making the access port tamperproof. A tire inflation passageway is integral with a spoke that connects the wheel hub to the wheel rim. In a preferred embodiment the wheel is a unitary cast structure, with the tire inflation passageway integrally cast as part of one of the spokes. The hub portion of the wheel has an inflation access port in fluid communication with the tire inflation fluid passageway, thereby providing for the application of pressurized air to the fluid passageway, so that inflation air flowing therethrough may be supplied to the interior of a tire mounted on the wheel rim and thereby control the tire pressure of the tire.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A wheel supporting a tubeless tire on a vehicle, said tubeless tire having an exterior tread surface for contact with a road surface and an opposite, interior wall surface which is bounded by rim-engageable edge portions of said tubeless tire, said rim-engageable edge portions having diameters sized to enable said tubeless tire to fit upon a rim of said wheel, said wheel comprising:

a hub mountable upon a wheel support axle and having an air supply port with which an air supply valve may be coupled for supplying air through said air supply port;
a rim configured to engage said respective rim-engageable edge portions of said tubeless tire, so that said rim and said interior wall surface of said tubeless tire define an interior tubeless tire cavity that is inflated by air supplied thereto, said rim having an air inflation port which, with said tubeless tire being mounted on said rim, opens into said interior tubeless tire cavity;
and
a plurality of spokes which join said hub with said rim and locate said rim radially of said hub, and wherein one of said spokes includes an inflation passageway in the form of a hollow bore therethrough, said hollow bore extending from said air supply port of said hub to said air inflation port of said rim, said hollow bore having its dimensions bounded by surrounding material of said one of said spokes through which said hollow bore passes, such that interior dimensions of said inflation passageway from said air supply port of said hub to said air inflation port of said rim are interior dimensions of said hollow bore, and wherein said one of said spokes is integrally joined with said rim so that an air-tight seal is established between said hollow bore and said air inflation port of said rim.

1 more element

A wheel supporting a tubeless tire on a vehicle, said tubeless tire having an exterior tread surface for contact with a road surface and an opposite, interior wall surface which extends between and terminates at wheel rim-engageable edge portions of said tubeless tire, said wheel rim-engageable edge portions having diameters sized to fit said tubeless tire upon a rim of said wheel, said wheel comprising:

a hub mountable upon a wheel support axle of said vehicle and having an air supply port configured to be fitted with an inflation air supply valve for supplying air through said air supply port;
a wheel rim configured to engage said respective wheel rim-engageable edge portions of said tubeless tire, so that said wheel rim and said interior wall surface of said tubeless tire define a bounding perimeter of an interior tubeless tire inflation cavity that is inflated by air supplied thereto, said wheel rim having an air inflation port passing therethrough which, with said tubeless tire being mounted on said wheel rim, opens into said interior tubeless tire cavity;
and
a plurality of spokes which join said hub with said wheel rim and locate said wheel rim radially of said hub, and wherein one of said spokes includes an inflation passageway in the form of a hollow bore therethrough, said hollow bore extending from said air supply port of said hub to said air inflation port of said wheel rim, said hollow bore having its dimensions bounded by surrounding material of said one of said spokes through which said bore passes, such that interior dimensions of said inflation passageway from said air supply port of said hub to said air inflation port of said wheel rim are interior dimensions of said hollow bore, and wherein said one of said spokes is integrally joined with said wheel rim, so that an air-tight seal is established between said hollow bore and said air inflation port of said wheel rim.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.