US 5,316,377 A · Composite injection-blow molded wheel and method of fabrication

Abstract

A composite molded wheel assembly and method of construction wherein a separately formed injection molded tread is flow melt bonded to a blow molded rim. The tread may comprise multiple tread pieces which are spaced over a tread surface. Bond enhancing grooves and/or projections may be provided on inner surfaces of the tread pieces and/or rim. The tread pieces flow melt bond to the rim during the molding of the rim. The rim includes an axle bore containing hub, a tread support wheel box and a plurality of connecting spokes and intervening web pieces. The method includes the steps of preparing and retaining the tread within the rim forming mold, introducing a parison of rim material having a melt temperature greater than the tread material, injecting pressurized air or gas to conform the rim material to the mold and tread pieces and controlling the molding cycle temperature, pressure and time parameters to promote bonding.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A wheel comprising:

a) a molded plastic rim including an annular hub having a bore, an annular tread support having a bonding surface, and a plurality of spokes, which spokes couple said tread support to said hub, and further including a plurality of hollow cavities;
and
b) first and second annular tread pieces bonded to said tread support and spaced apart from one another to provide an annular gap at said boning surface and wherein a wear surface of each of said tread pieces tapers in a range of 2 to 10 degrees of declination toward the gap.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Composite injection-blow molded wheel and method of fabrication

Life of this patent

Composite injection-blow molded wheel and method of fabrication

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13