Wheel Rim

Abstract

In a wheel rim including fiber reinforced composite material and preferably having lateral rim sidewalls that may include rings.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a cross section of the rim profile of a wheel rim, which is made of two pieces and whose rim sidewalls are designed as rim flanges, within each of which flanges an encircling ring is mounted,

FIG. 2 a detail representation of a rim sidewall of the rim profile from FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 a cross section of a rim piece,

FIG. 4 the rim profile of two rim pieces, connected together to form a wheel rim, which pieces are provided with fiber mats in their contact areas,

FIG. 5 a perspective view of a piece of a rim piece, which piece shows cutouts separated by partition walls in its contact side, which contacts a second rim piece.

FIG. 6 a cross section of the rim profile of a wheel rim, whose rim pieces at their contact sides each show cutouts divided from each other by partition walls, whereby the cutouts of the two wheel rim pieces are mounted offset from each other,

FIG. 7 a cross section of the rim profile of a wheel rim, having radially protruding connecting flanges on the lateral side facing away from the rim well,

FIG. 8 the wheel rim from FIG. 7 having an additional, encircling support ring between the rim sidewalls,

FIG. 9 a cross section of a rim blank,

FIG. 10 a cross section of a rim blank, with represented tools indicated for the finish machining,

FIG. 11 a cross section of a wheel rim in a negative mold with a three-part mold core,

FIG. 12 a cross section of a wheel rim in a negative mold with a mono-part mold core,

FIG. 13 a cross section of a rim blank, having a rim body with a cavity, and

FIG. 14 a cross section of the rim blank from FIG. 13, machined to be a wheel rim with represented tools indicated for the finish machining.

Claims

1. A wheel rim comprising: a rim body having a rim well, the rim well being formed by fiber reinforced composite material and comprising two lateral rim sidewalls;wherein the two lateral rim sidewalls are each formed by a generally annular ring generally located circumferentially along the rim body.

2. The wheel rim according to claim 1, wherein the two lateral rim sidewalls each include an annular ring located therein.

3. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein the annular ring comprises at least one of aluminum and steel.

4. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein the annular rings comprises at least one of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) fibers and fiber reinforced polymer.

5. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein each annular ring comprises reinforced fiber composite wherein the reinforced fibers comprise annular fiber groupings that extend circumferentially along the associated lateral rim sidewall.

6. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein the annular ring comprises at least one of monodirectional fibers and monodirectional fiber groupings.

7. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein the annular ring comprises at least one of plies of variously oriented fiber groupings and plies of variously oriented fiber mats.

8. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein the annular ring is formed of a plurality of ring segments.

9. The wheel rim according to claim 8, wherein the ring segments are positioned to at least partially overlap.

10. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein the annular ring comprises pre-tensioned fiber groupings.

11. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein the annular ring comprise rolled fiber mats.

12. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein the annular ring has a generally circular cross-section.

13. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein the annular ring has a varying radial cross-section over the course of the circumference.

14. The wheel rim according to one of the claim 2, wherein the annular ring is enclosed by fiber material which emanates from the associated lateral rim sidewalls and encloses the annular ring so that a portion of the fiber material projects generally inwardly from the associated lateral rim wall.

15. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein the wheel rim comprises at least two pieces.

16. The wheel rim according to claim 15, wherein the at least two pieces are generally symmetrical relative to a radial plane of the wheel rim.

17. The wheel rim according to claim 15, wherein the at least two pieces of the wheel rim are connected to each other by at least one of an adhesive, a weld, a fastener, and tacking.

18. The wheel rim according to claim 1, wherein the rim body is designed as a cavity rim and shows at least one cavity.

19. The wheel rim according to claim 15, wherein each of the at least two rim pieces is configured to form a cavity therein.

20. The wheel rim according to claim 19, wherein interiorly lying contact sides of the rim at least two rim pieces, which are symmetrical relative to the radial plane of the wheel rim, are configured to include cutouts each of which is separated from other cutouts by partition walls.

21. The wheel rim according to claim 20, wherein the partition walls and the cutouts of the at least two rim pieces, when these pieces are abutted against each other in the connected or standard position, are mounted offset from each other.

22. The wheel rim according to claim 2, wherein the wheel rim shows on its tire supporting side, which faces generally outwardly from the rim well, essentially radially protruding connecting flanges equally spaced from each other in the circumferential direction.

23. The wheel rim according to claim 22, wherein the connecting flanges each are configured to form an insertion opening oriented generally perpendicular to a flat central plane of the wheel rim.

24. The wheel rim according to claim 22, wherein at least one of the wheel supporting side and the rim well side of a peripheral side of the wheel rim is provided with fiber mats which cover over contact areas between the at least two rim pieces.

25. The wheel rim according to claim 20, wherein the partition walls are equidistantly located along the circumference between at least one of the lateral rim sidewalls and a continuous support ring is located between the lateral rim sidewalls.

26. The wheel rim according to claim 24, wherein the wheel rim is any one of a bicycle wheel rim, a motorcycle wheel rim, and a wheel rim for a wheel chair.

27. A method for producing a wheel rim out of fiber reinforced composite, comprising: forming at least two rim pieces using a mold, each having an interior side, wherein the at least two rim pieces can be combined to form a rim body having a rim well, the rim well being formed by fiber reinforced composite material and comprising two lateral rim sidewalls, wherein the two lateral rim sidewalls are each formed by a generally annular ring generally located circumferentially along the rim body, the two lateral rim sidewalls each include an annular ring located therein, wherein the annular rings comprises carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP);positioning at least a portion of an annular ring in each of the at least two rim pieces along a circumference thereof proximate a portion of the at least two rim pieces that forms a lateral rim sidewall;curing the at least two rim pieces;removing the at least two rim pieces from the mold and connecting the at least two rim pieces along their interior sides which are each aligned generally parallel to a radial plane of the wheel rim.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein subsequent to the removal of the at least two rim pieces from the mold, cutouts are introduced onto the interior side of the at least two rim pieces, the cutouts are formed by means of material removal, whereby in the circumferential direction, several cutouts are introduced, each separated by a material partition wall.

29. A method for producing a wheel rim, comprising: forming a wheel rim blank as a single piece in a mold, wherein the rim blank has a rim well, the rim well being formed by fiber reinforced composite material and comprising two lateral rim sidewalls, wherein the two lateral rim sidewalls are each formed by a generally annular ring generally located circumferentially along the rim body, the two lateral rim sidewalls each include an annular ring located therein, wherein the annular rings comprises carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP);allowing the wheel rim to cure; andsubsequent to the curing of the fiber material and the removal of the wheel rim blank out of the mold, an interior rim flange is formed by the removal of material from the wheel rim blank.

30. A method for producing a wheel rim, comprising: molding a wheel rim blank as a single piece in a multi-part negative mold with at least two mold core pieces provided in the area of the rim well and the rim sidewalls, wherein the wheel rim blank forms a rim body having a rim well, the rim well being formed by fiber reinforced composite material and comprising two lateral rim sidewalls, wherein the two lateral rim sidewalls are each formed by a generally annular ring generally located circumferentially along the rim body, the two lateral rim sidewalls each include an annular ring located therein, wherein the annular rings comprises carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP);subsequent to the curing of the fiber material and the removal of the wheel rim blank out of the multi-part negative mold, an interior rim flange is formed by the removal of material from the wheel rim blank.

31. A method for producing a wheel rim, comprising: a wheel rim blank is molded as a single piece in a mold with a mold core piece provided in the area of a rim well and rim sidewalls, each mold core piece consists of two lateral partial cores for the molding of the rim sidewalls as rim flanges, as well as at least one central partial core mounted between the lateral partial cores, wherein the wheel rim blank forms a rim body having a rim well, the rim well being formed by fiber reinforced composite material and comprising two lateral rim sidewalls, wherein the two lateral rim sidewalls are each formed by a generally annular ring generally located circumferentially along the rim body, the two lateral rim sidewalls each include an annular ring located therein, wherein the annular rings comprises carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP);subsequent to the curing of the fiber materials the mold core pieces are removed by the removal of the central partial core followed by the removal of the lateral partial cores out of the form and the form is opened for the removal of the wheel rim.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein a bladder is incorporated in the fiber material in one of the area of the rim body of the wheel rim and in each of the rim pieces, the bladder being inflated for the formation of a cavity in the rim body prior to the curing of the fiber material.