Method for producing a bicycle wheel rim
AssigneeCampagnolo S.r.l.
InventorMario Meggiolan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for producing a bicycle wheel rim having an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, two lateral walls joining said peripheral walls, and two circumferential wings, for anchoring a tire, is provided. The method providing a rim made of a single part made of structural fiber based material, preferably carbon fiber material.
Claims74
A method for producing a bicycle wheel rim of the type presenting an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, two lateral walls joining said peripheral walls, and two circumferential wings, for anchoring a tyre, which extend outwards from the two sides of the outer peripheral wall,
- wherein said method comprises the following steps:
- a. applying on an inner part of a mould a predetermined number of layers of structural fibre fabric incorporated in a plastic material matrix sufficient to form an inner wall, an outer wall, two lateral walls and wings;
- b. arranging an inflatable bag on the layers between the lateral walls;
- c. folding a first selected number of the predetermined layers on the inflatable bag, leasing the remaining predetermined number of layers free;
- d. applying a core over the folded layers;
- e. folding the remaining predetermined number of the layers over the core;
- f. applying an outer part of the mould to enclose the layers;
- g. inflating the inflatable bag to press the layers against the mould;
- h. increasing the temperature of the mould to a value sufficient to cause reticulation of the plastic material matrix;
- and
- i. removing the core from the product of step h, to obtain a bicycle wheel rim formed of a single piece of structural fibre material.
Method according to clam 1, wherein said mould and said cores are arrayed to define a rim with a symmetrical cross-section.
Method for producing a bicycle wheel rim of the type presenting an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, two lateral walls joining said peripheral walls, and two circumferential wings, for anchoring a tyre, which extend outwards from the two sides of the outer peripheral wall,
- wherein said method comprises the following steps:
- a. applying on an inner part of a mould a predetermined number of layers of structural fibre fabric incorporated in a plastic material matrix sufficient to form an inner wall, an outer wall, two lateral walls and wings;
- b. arranging an inflatable bag on the layers between the lateral walls;
- c. folding a first selected number of the predetermined layers on the inflatable bag, leaving the remaining predetermined number of layers free;
- d. applying a core over the folded layers;
- e. folding the remaining predetermined number of the layers over the core;
- f. applying an outer part of the mould to enclose the layers;
- g. pressing the layers against the mould with the inflatable bag and the core;
- h. increasing the temperature of the mould to a value sufficient to cause reticulation of the plastic material matrix;
- and
- i. removing the core from the product of step i, to obtain a bicycle wheel rim formed of a single piece of structural fibre material.
Method for producing a bicycle wheel rim of the type presenting an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, two lateral walls joining said peripheral walls, and two circumferential wings, for anchoring a tyre, which extend outwards from the two sides of the outer peripheral wall,
- wherein said method comprises the following steps:
- a. providing a mould having an inner part and an outer part;
- b. applying on the inner part of a mould a predetermined number of layers of structural fibre fabric incorporated in a plastic material matrix sufficient to form an inner wall, an outer wall, two lateral walls and wings;
- c. arranging an inflatable bag on the layers between the lateral walls;
- d. folding a first selected number of the predetermined layers on the inflatable bag, leaving the remaining predetermined number of layers free;
- e. applying a single ring-shaped core of deformable dilating material over the folded layers;
- f. folding the remaining predetermined number of the layers over the core;
- g. applying the outer part of the mould to enclose the layers;
- h. inflating the inflatable bag to press the layers against the mould;
- i. increasing the temperature of the mould to a value sufficient to cause reticulation of the plastic material matrix;
- j. removing the core from the product of step i, to obtain a bicycle wheel rim formed of a single piece of structural fibre material.
Method for producing a bicycle wheel rim of the type presenting an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, two lateral walls joining said peripheral walls, and two circumferential wings, for anchoring a tyre, which extend outwards from the two sides of the outer peripheral wall,
- wherein said method comprises the following steps:
- a. providing a mould having an inner part and an outer part with a centering projection on the outer part;
- b. applying on the inner part of the mould a predetermined number of layers of structural fibre fabric incorporated in a plastic material matrix sufficient to form an inner wall, an outer wall, two lateral walls and wings;
- c. arranging an inflatable bag on the layers between the lateral walls;
- d. folding a first selected number of the predetermined layers on the inflatable bag, leaving the remaining predetermined number of layers free;
- e. applying a core of a deformable dilating material with an outwardly facing recess for engagement of the centering projection of the outer portion of the mould over the folded first predetermined number of layers;
- f. folding the remaining predetermined number of the layers over the core;
- g. applying an outer part of the mould to enclose the layers;
- h. inflating the inflatable bag to press the layers against the mould;
- i. increasing the temperature of the mould to a value sufficient to cause reticulation of the plastic material matrix;
- j. removing the core from the product of step i, to obtain a bicycle wheel rim formed of a single piece of structural fibre material.
Method for producing a bicycle wheel rim of the type presenting an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, two lateral walls joining said peripheral walls, and two circumferential wings, for anchoring a tyre, which extend outwards from the two sides of the outer peripheral wall, wherein said method comprises the following steps:
- a. providing a mould having an inner part and an outer part;
- b. applying on the inner part of the mould a predetermined number of layers of structural fibre fabric incorporated in a plastic material matrix sufficient to form an inner wall, an outer wall, two lateral walls and wings;
- c. arranging an inflatable bag on the layers between the lateral walls;
- d. folding a first selected number of the predetermined layers on the inflatable bag, leaving the remaining predetermined number of layers free;
- e. applying a core over the folded layers;
- f. folding the remaining predetermined number of the layers over the core;
- g. applying the outer part of the mould to enclose the layers;
- h. inflating the inflatable bag to press the layers against the mould;
- i. increasing the temperature of the mould to a value sufficient to cause reticulation of the plastic material matrix;
- j. removing the core from the product of step i, to obtain a bicycle wheel rim formed of a single piece of structural fibre material, and
- wherein said structural fibres are;
- carbon fibres, glass fibres, aramidic fibres, boron fibres, ceramic fibres, or any combinations thereof.
Method for producing a bicycle wheel rim of the type presenting an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, two lateral walls joining said peripheral walls, and two circumferential wings, for anchoring a tyre, which extend outwards from the two sides of the outer peripheral wall, wherein said method comprises the following steps:
- a. providing a mould having an inner part and an outer part;
- b. applying on the inner part of a mould a predetermined number of layers of structural fibre fabric incorporated in a plastic material matrix sufficient to form an inner wall, an outer wall, two lateral walls and wings;
- c. arranging an inflatable bag on the layers between the lateral walls;
- d. folding a first selected number of the predetermined layers on the inflatable bag, leaving the remaining predetermined number of layers free;
- e. applying a core over the layers;
- f. folding the remaining predetermined number of the layers over the core;
- g. applying the outer part of the mould so as to enclose the layers;
- h. inflating the inflatable bag to press the layers against the mould;
- i. increasing the temperature of the mould to a value sufficient to cause reticulation of the plastic material matrix;
- j. removing the core from thee product of step i, to obtain a bicycle wheel rim formed of a single piece of structural fibre material, and
- wherein said tyre anchoring wings are firstly made during said moulding process with a longer length than required and that after opening the mould said wings are reduced to the required length and/or shape by a machining operation.
A bicycle wheel rim produced by the process of:
- a. applying on an inner part of a mould a predetermined number of layers of structural fibre fabric incorporated in a plastic material matrix sufficient to form an inner wall, an outer wall, two lateral walls and wings;
- b. arranging an inflatable bag on the layers between the lateral walls;
- c. folding a first selected number of the predetermined layers on the inflatable bag, leaving the remaining predetermined number of layers free;
- d. applying a core over the folded layers;
- e. folding the remaining predetermined number of the layers over the core;
- f. applying an outer part of the mould to enclose the layers;
- g. inflating the inflatable bag to press the layers against the mould;
- h. increasing the temperature of the mould to a value sufficient to cause reticulation of the plastic material matrix;
- and
- i. removing the core from the product of step h, to obtain a bicycle wheel rim formed of a single piece of structural fibre material.
A method for producing a bicycle wheel rim of the type presenting an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, two lateral walls joining said peripheral walls, and two circumferential wings, for anchoring a tyre, which extend outwards from the two sides of the outer peripheral wall,
- wherein said method comprises the following steps:
- a. applying on an inner part of a mould a predetermined number of layers of structural fibre fabric incorporated in a thermally activated material sufficient to form an inner wall, an outer wall, two lateral walls and wings;
- b. arranging an inflatable bag on the layers between the lateral walls;
- c. folding a first selected number of the predetermined layers on the inflatable bag, leaving the remaining predetermined number of layers free;
- d. applying a core over the folded layers;
- e. folding the remaining predetermined number of the layers over the core;
- f. applying an outer part of the mould to enclose the layers;
- g. inflating the inflatable bag to press the layers against the mould;
- h. increasing the temperature of the mould to a value sufficient to activate the thermally activated material;
- and
- i. removing the core from the product of step h, to obtain a bicycle wheel rim formed of a single piece of structural fibre material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.