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US 9,415,628 B2Granted
Light-weight vehicle wheels with carbon fiber inserts
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsHamid G. Kia, Michael J. Irwin
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AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsHamid G. Kia, Michael J. Irwin
Estimating the term…
Application of carbon fiber reinforced polymer structures to metal vehicle wheels is effective in reducing the mass of the wheel while retaining suitable stiffness in the wheel structure. For maximum effect the reinforced polymer structure and the metal wheel must operate cooperatively. Because of the wide range of operating temperatures experienced by wheels and the large difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between metals and carbon fiber reinforced composites attachment of the polymer structure to the wheel by adhesive alone is problematical. However a wheel with an effective and durable reinforcement may be fabricated by confining, through mechanical interference, the reinforced polymer in a cavity in or on the spoke and by preheating the wheel before curing the polymer.
A metal automobile wheel comprising a coaxial hub and a rim, the hub and rim being maintained in radially spaced apart relation by a plurality of elongated spokes, each of the spokes having a common length and an exterior surface, the spokes being angularly offset from one another and being attached at a first end to the wheel hub and at a second end to the wheel rim, each of the spokes comprising one or more fiber reinforced polymer inserts, each of the one or more fiber reinforced polymer inserts being bonded to, and retained in, a cavity with a concave bottom surface extending inwardly from the spoke exterior surface, each of the cavities being bounded by a continuous or interrupted, inclined, inwardly-extending wall overhanging the concave bottom surface of the cavity to mechanically engage and retain the fiber reinforced polymer insert.
A metal automobile wheel comprising a hub and a rim, the hub and rim being connected by a plurality of spokes, each of the spokes being reinforced by a polymer-infiltrated, layered, woven carbon fiber reinforcement to provide additional stiffness, the spoke extending from the hub to connect the hub to the rim and thereby define a spoke length;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.