US 7,125,029 B2Granted

Wheel assembly

OwnerJohnny Michael Knox, Ronald Joseph Knox +1inventors

InventorsJohnny Michael Knox, Ronald Joseph Knox, David Donald Honig

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Abstract

A wheel assembly is provided, particularly for use with a vehicle, for example a scooter or a bicycle and the like, for operation in both eccentric and concentric modes. The wheel rim of the assembly rotatably and concentrically supports a wheel hub thereon. An offset axle is supported on the wheel hub radially spaced from the central axis of the wheel for rotation with the wheel hub relative to the wheel rim about the central axis. The offset axle rotatably connects to the frame of the vehicle. A locking mechanism selectively engages the wheel hub for rotation with the wheel rim in the eccentric mode, while the rim rotates freely about the central axis relative to the rim in the concentric mode. In this arrangement, any variety of simple clutch mechanism between the hub and the rim is effective for converting between the eccentric and concentric modes of operation.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A wheel assembly for supporting a frame thereon for rolling movement along the ground, the wheel assembly comprising:

a wheel rim for carrying a tire thereon;
a wheel hub supported concentrically on the wheel rim for rotation relative to the wheel rim about a central axis of the wheel rim;
an offset axle supported on the wheel hub radially spaced from the central axis for rotation with the wheel hub relative to the wheel rim about the central axis;
a frame mount for coupling to the frame, the frame mount being rotatably coupled to the offset axle for relative rotation therebetween about an eccentric axis of the offset axle lying parallel to and spaced from the central axis;
and
a locking mechanism movable between a concentric mode in which the wheel hub is rotatable relative to the wheel rim about the central axis and an eccentric mode in which the wheel hub and the wheel rim are locked together for rotation together about the eccentric axis;
the locking mechanism including a first mating portion rotatable with the wheel rim and a second mating portion rotatable with the wheel hub, the first and second mating portions being movable relative to one another in an axial direction of the wheel rim between the concentric and eccentric modes of the locking mechanism.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.