Method for manufacturing spoke unit

US10166728B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-10166728-B2
Application numberUS-201615040210-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateFeb 10, 2016
Priority dateFeb 16, 2015
Publication dateJan 1, 2019
Grant dateJan 1, 2019

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  3. Assignees and inventors

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  6. CPC / IPC classifications

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

In a method for manufacturing a spoke unit, the continuous fiber reinforced plastic is led from a middle supporting portion to a first supporting portion along the front surface of the mandrel. Subsequently, the continuous fiber reinforced plastic is led from the first supporting portion to the middle supporting portion along the back surface of the mandrel. Subsequently, the continuous fiber reinforced plastic is led from the middle supporting portion to a second supporting portion along the front surface of the mandrel. Subsequently, the continuous fiber reinforced plastic is led from the second supporting portion to the middle supporting portion along the back surface of the mandrel.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. A method for manufacturing a spoke unit having at least three spokes, comprising: providing a mandrel for molding a spoke unit, the mandrel including supporting portions equal in number to the number of the spokes; winding a continuous fiber reinforced plastic around the mandrel; and molding the spoke unit by curing the continuous fiber reinforced plastic, wherein the winding includes leading the continuous fiber reinforced plastic from the supporting portion corresponding to a first one of the spokes to the supporting portion corresponding to a second one of the spokes along a front surface of the mandrel, the second one of the spokes being disposed opposite to the first one of the spokes, and leading the continuous fiber reinforced plastic from the supporting portion corresponding to the second one of the spokes to the supporting portion corresponding to the first one of the spokes along a back surface of the mandrel. 2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the spoke unit includes 2n+1 spokes, where n is a natural number, and each of the spokes is connected to a rim of a wheel at a middle connecting portion, and a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion disposed on either side of the middle connecting portion, each of the spokes including a middle rib connected to and extending from the middle connecting portion, a first rib connected to and extending from the first connecting portion and a second rib connected to and extending from the second connecting portion, wherein the mandrel has a middle supporting portion corresponding to the middle connecting portion of the spoke, a first supporting portion corresponding to the first connecting portion of the spoke, and a second supporting portion corresponding to the second connecting portion of the spoke for each of the spokes, and wherein when in the spoke unit, any one of the spokes is defined as a first spoke, two spokes each disposed opposite to the first spoke with the center of the spoke unit therebetween are defined as a second spoke and a third spoke respectively, the winding includes: a first winding process that leads the continuous fiber reinforced plastic from the middle supporting portion corresponding to the middle connecting portion of the first spoke to the first supporting portion corresponding to the first connecting portion of the third spoke along the front surface of the mandrel, a second winding process that leads the continuous fiber reinforced plastic from the first supporting portion corresponding to the first connecting portion of the third spoke to the middle supporting portion corresponding to the middle connecting portion of the first spoke along the back surface of the mandrel, a third winding process that leads the continuous fiber reinforced plastic from the middle supporting portion corresponding to the middle connecting portion of the first spoke to the second supporting portion corresponding to the second connecting portion of the second spoke along the front surface of the mandrel, and a fourth winding process that leads the continuous fiber reinforced plastic from the second supporting portion corresponding to the second connecting portion of the second spoke to the middle supporting portion corresponding to the middle connecting portion of the first spoke along the back surface of the mandrel. 3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein each of the first winding process, the second winding process, the third winding process, and the fourth winding process is performed for all the spokes simultaneously. 4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the middle supporting portion, the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion of the mandrel are disposed at an outer circumference of the mandrel. 5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the spoke unit includes 2n +2 spokes, where n is a natural number, and each of the spokes is connected to a rim of a wheel at a middle connecting portion, and a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion disposed on either side of the middle connecting portion, wherein the mandrel has a middle supporting portion corresponding to the middle connecting portion of the spoke, a first supporting portion corresponding to the first connecting portion of the spoke, and a second supporting portion corresponding to the second connecting portion of the spoke for each of the spokes, each of the spokes including a middle rib connected to and extending from the middle connecting portion, a first rib connected to and extending from the first connecting portion and a second rib connected to and extending from the second connecting portion, and wherein when in the spoke unit, any one of the spokes is defined as a first spoke and a spoke disposed opposite to the first spoke with the center of the spoke unit therebetween is defined as a second spoke, the winding includes: a first winding process that leads the continuous fiber reinforced plastic from the middle supporting portion corresponding to the middle connecting portion of the first spoke to the second supporting portion corresponding to the second connecting portion of the second spoke along the front surface of the mandrel, a second winding process that leads the continuous fiber reinforced plastic from the second supporting portion corresponding to the second connecting portion of the second spoke to the middle supporting portion corresponding to the middle connecting portion of the first spoke along the back surface of the mandrel, a third winding process that leads the continuous fiber reinforced plastic from the middle supporting portion corresponding to the middle connecting portion of the first spoke to the first supporting portion corresponding to the first connecting portion of the second spoke along the front surface of the mandrel, and a fourth winding process that leads the continuous fiber reinforced plastic from the first supporting portion corresponding to the first connecting portion of the second spoke to the middle supporting portion corresponding to the middle connecting portion of the first spoke along the back surface of the mandrel. 6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the middle supporting portion, the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion of the mandrel are disposed at an outer circumference of the mandrel. 7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mandrel comprises a plurality of grooves disposed on the front surface, and wherein the continuous fiber reinforced plastic is guided by the plurality of grooves. 8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting portions of the mandrel are disposed at an outer circumference of the mandrel. 9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the continuous fiber reinforced plastic includes a continuous filament of fiber reinforced plastic. 10. A method for manufacturing a spoke unit having at least three spokes, comprising: providing first and second mandrels each for molding a spoke unit, each of the mandrels including supporting portions equal in number to the number of the spokes; combining the first and second mandrels so that front surfaces of the first and second mandrels are oriented in different directions; winding a continuous fiber reinforced plastic around the mandrels; and molding the spoke unit by curing the continuous fiber reinforced plastic, wherein the winding includes leading the continuous fiber reinforced plastic from the supporting portion corresponding to a first one of the spokes to the supporting portion corresponding to a second one of the spokes along the front surface of the first mandrel, the second one of the spokes being disposed opposit

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Carbon · CPC title

  • by moulding, e.g. injection moulding, i.e. casting of plastics material · CPC title

  • Filament winding · CPC title

  • Mandrels especially adapted for winding and joining · CPC title

  • Arrangements comprising a plurality of cores or mandrels, e.g. to increase production speed (B29C53/827 takes precedence) · CPC title

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What does patent US10166728B2 cover?
In a method for manufacturing a spoke unit, the continuous fiber reinforced plastic is led from a middle supporting portion to a first supporting portion along the front surface of the mandrel. Subsequently, the continuous fiber reinforced plastic is led from the first supporting portion to the middle supporting portion along the back surface of the mandrel. Subsequently, the continuous fiber r…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Honda Motor Co Ltd
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification B29C70/32. Mapped technology areas include Operations & Transport.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Jan 01 2019 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).