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US 7,114,785 B2Granted
Aerodynamic surfaced bicycle wheel
AssigneeCompositech, Inc.
InventorsAndrew Ording, Joshua R. Poertner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bicycle wheel includes a tire engaging portion located at the outward perimeter of the wheel, an inner portion located radially inward from the tire engaging portion A pair of air engaging side surfaces extend radially between the inner portion and the tire engaging portion forming the sides of the wheel. The air engaging side surfaces contain a plurality of surface features designed to create a turbulent boundary layer when the wheel travels through air to reduce aerodynamic drag on the wheel.
Claims23
A human powered vehicle wheel comprising:
- a tire engaging portion located at the outward perimeter of the wheel;
- an inner portion located radially inward from said tire engaging portion;
- a first air engaging side surface extending radially between said inner portion and said tire engaging portion forming a first side of the wheel;
- and
- a second air engaging side surface extending radially between said inner portion and said tire engaging portion forming a second side of the wheel which is axially opposed to said first side of the wheel;
- wherein said first and second air engaging side surfaces contain a plurality of surface features designed to create a turbulent boundary layer when the wheel travels through air to reduce aerodynamic drag.
3 more elements
A human powered vehicle wheel comprising:
- a tire engaging portion located at the outward perimeter of the wheel;
- an inner portion located radially inward from said tire engaging portion;
- a first air engaging side surface extending radially between said inner portion and said tire engaging portion forming a first side of the wheel;
- and
- a second air engaging side surface extending radially between said inner portion and said tire engaging portion forming a second side of the wheel which is axially opposed to said first side of the wheel;
- wherein said first and second air engaging side surfaces contain a plurality of surface features designed to create a turbulent boundary layer when the wheel travels through air to reduce aerodynamic drag and a washer shaped brake engaging portion adjacent to said tire engaging portion.
3 more elements
A human powered vehicle wheel comprising:
- a hub located at the center of the wheel;
- a tire engaging portion located at the outward perimeter of the wheel;
- a first air engaging side surface extending radially between said hub and said tire engaging portion forming a first side of the wheel having a brake engaging portion adjacent to the tire engaging portion;
- and
- a second air engaging side surface extending radially between said hub and said tire engaging portion forming a second side of the wheel which is axially opposed to said first side of the wheel having a brake engaging portion adjacent to the tire engaging portion;
- wherein said first and second air engaging side surfaces contain a plurality of surface features designed such that when said wheel moves through body of air, the boundary layer separates from said first and second air engaging side surfaces closer to the trailing edge of the wheel than the boundary layer would separate from a wheel without surface features.
3 more elements
A human powered vehicle wheel comprising:
- a tire engaging portion located at the outward perimeter of the wheel;
- an inner portion located radially inward from said tire engaging portion;
- a first air engaging side surface extending radially between said inner portion and said tire engaging portion forming a first side of the wheel;
- and
- a second air engaging side surface extending radially between said inner portion and said tire engaging portion forming a second side of the wheel which is axially opposed to said first side of the wheel;
- wherein said first and second air engaging side surfaces contain a plurality of surface features having closed plane figure profiles designed to create a turbulent boundary layer when the wheel travels through air to reduce aerodynamic drag.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.