Patent Application
20210023895
The present invention relates generally to the field of bicycle wheels and specifically to valve assemblies adapted primarily for use with tubeless tires.
Bicycle wheels commonly include an axle, a hub rotatable on the axle, spokes extending radially from the hub, a rim supported by the spokes, and a tire. Some wheels also include a pneumatic tube positioned inside the tire to facilitate inflation of the tire, while other wheels are “tubeless.”
Tubeless wheels commonly include a hole in the rim and a valve assembly that is inserted through the hole in a radially inward direction from an interior of the rim (where the tire will be mounted) to an exterior of the rim (usually radially inward of the rim). The valve assembly typically includes an enlarged resilient portion on its radially outer end designed to seal against the rim around the hole on the interior of the rim. The radially inner end of the valve assembly is threaded to facilitate threading on a knurled nut, after the valve assembly is positioned in the hole in the rim, to secure the valve assembly onto the rim.
The present invention provides a bicycle wheel comprising an axle, a hub mounted for rotation on the axle, a rim mounted for rotation with the hub, and a valve assembly. The rim includes a radially inner wall having an inner opening and a radially outer wall having an outer opening. A first portion of the rim (e.g., defining the inner opening or the outer opening, and preferably the outer opening) includes a first securing feature. The valve assembly is positioned in the inner opening and outer opening, and the valve assembly includes a second securing feature engaging the first securing feature to releasably secure the valve assembly to the rim. Preferably, the first securing feature comprises inner threads in the first portion of the rim, and the second securing feature comprises outer threads on the valve assembly, the outer threads being threaded into the inner threads. The rim can include a separate plate that defines the first engaging feature.
In one embodiment, the valve assembly includes a valve stem and a resilient bumper (e.g., an annular member) coupled to (e.g., wrapped around) the valve stem. The resilient bumper is aligned with a second portion of the rim defining either the inner opening or the outer opening (preferably the inner opening).
The valve assembly can further include a seal member compressed between the valve stem and the rim (e.g., positioned substantially adjacent the first and second securing features). Preferably, the seal member is positioned in an annular groove in an underside of an enlarged head of the valve stem.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
The outer wall 48 further includes a threaded insert 58 comprising a thin plate 60 that is sized to rest on the recessed lip 56 in the aperture 54 such that an upper surface 62 of the threaded insert 58 is recessed below the adjacent surface of the radially outer wall 48. The threaded insert 58 is preferably secured to the rest of the outer wall 48, such as with adhesive or fasteners. The threaded insert 58 includes a first securing feature in the form of an outer opening 64 having inner threads, the function of which is described below in more detail. In the illustrated embodiment, the threaded insert 58 is made of plastic, composite, or a metallic material, such as titanium, aluminum, or steel. Although the threaded insert 58 is shown as a separate part, it should be understood that it could instead be formed integrally with the rest of the outer wall, as described below in connection with the embodiment of
The valve assembly 44 includes a valve stem 66 comprising a cylindrical body 68 and a plunger valve 70 positioned in the cylindrical body 68, as is generally known in the art to facilitate one-way inflation of the tire. The valve stem 66 further includes an enlarged head 72 on a radially outer end of the cylindrical body 68. The valve stem 66 further includes a second securing feature in the form of outer threads 74 on an exterior surface of the cylindrical body 68 adjacent the enlarged head 72. The outer threads 74 are designed to thread into the outer opening 64 to releasably secure the valve assembly 44 to the rim 42.
The illustrated valve assembly 44 further includes a seal member in the form of an O-ring 76 compressed between the valve stem 66 and the rim 42. The O-ring 76 is positioned in a first annular groove 78 in the underside of the enlarged head 72 of the valve stem 66. Alternatively, the first annular groove 78 can be omitted and the O-ring 76 can be compressed against a flat bottom of the head 72. The illustrated O-ring 76 is made of a synthetic rubber such as Buna-N, natural rubber, or silicone in the hardness range of 40-100 Shore A.
The illustrated valve assembly 44 further includes a second annular groove 80 in an outer surface of the cylindrical body 68 and a resilient bumper 82 positioned in the second annular groove 80 to couple the resilient bumper 82 to the valve stem 66. As shown in
It should be understood that the first and second securing features can be embodied in securing mechanisms other than a threaded attachment, For example, in an alternative embodiment illustrated in
Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/863,599, filed on Jan. 5, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15863599 | Jan 2018 | US |
| Child | 17071275 | US |
