Wheels, vehicles and methods of manufacturing same
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsDaisuke Nagao, Kenji Tamura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wheel includes a hub, a rim, and spokes. The hub includes inner attachment portions and is configured to support the wheel about a rotational axis. The spokes are attached to the hub and the rim and are together configured to radially support the rim with respect to the hub. In one embodiment, the spokes are attached to the hub with fasteners extending into threaded apertures in the hub, and the spokes are attached to the rim with fasteners extending in a direction parallel with the rotational axis. In another embodiment, respective ones of the spokes, which are attached to a common inner attachment portion of the hub, are not attached to adjacent outer attachment portions of the rim. Vehicles and methods of manufacturing a wheel are also provided.
Claims22
A wheel comprising:
- a hub comprising a plurality of inner attachment portions, wherein the hub is configured to support the wheel about a rotational axis, and wherein each of the inner attachment portions comprises at least one threaded aperture extending radially inwardly and perpendicular to the rotational axis;
- a rim comprising a plurality of outer attachment portions;
- a plurality of first fasteners each having a threaded end;
- and
- a plurality of spokes together configured to radially support the rim with respect to the hub, each of said spokes is at least substantially identical and comprises a first leg and a second leg, the first leg and the second leg meet at an intersection, the first leg extends from a first end to the intersection, the second leg extends from a second end to the intersection, and the first leg and the second leg extend from the intersection to define a V-shape;
- wherein
- each of said spokes is attached to the hub by respective ones of said first fasteners extending into respective ones of said threaded apertures, with at least one of the first end and the second end of each of said spokes being provided with at least one aperture through which at least one of said first fasteners extends into at least one of said threaded apertures in the hub;
- each of said spokes is attached to one of said outer attachment portions of the rim adjacent to the intersection;
- and
- a first leg of one of said spokes is attached to a first one of said inner attachment portions and comprises a passage through which a second leg of another one of said spokes passes, and wherein the another one of said spokes is attached to a second one of said inner attachment portions which is adjacent to the first one of said inner attachment portions.
A wheel comprising:
- a hub comprising a plurality of inner attachment portions, wherein the hub is configured to support the wheel about a rotational axis;
- a rim comprising a plurality of outer attachment portions;
- and
- a plurality of spokes, each attached to the hub and the rim and together configured to radially support the rim with respect to the hub, each of said spokes is at least substantially identical and comprises a first leg and a second leg, the first leg and the second leg meet at an intersection, the first leg extends from a first end to the intersection, the second leg extends from a second end to the intersection, and the first leg and the second leg extend from the intersection to define a V-shape;
- wherein
- each of the first end and the second end of each of said spokes is attached to respective non-adjacent inner attachment portions of the hub;
- each of said spokes is configured for attachment to one of said outer attachment portions adjacent to the intersection;
- respective ones of said spokes attached to adjacent ones of the inner attachment portions of the hub are not attached to adjacent ones of the outer attachment portions of the rim;
- and
- a first leg of one of said spokes is attached to a first one of said inner attachment portions and comprises a passage through which a second leg of another one of said spokes passes, and wherein the another one of said spokes is attached to a second one of said inner attachment portions which is adjacent to the first one of said inner attachment portions.
A method of manufacturing a wheel, the method comprising:
- interlocking a plurality of identical V-shaped wheel spokes by passing a first leg of each of said wheel spokes through a passage in a second leg of another one of said wheel spokes;
- attaching each of said wheel spokes to a hub;
- and
- attaching each of said wheel spokes to a rim.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.