Wheel spoking systems and methods of manufacturing and installing wheel spokes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9944349-B2
Application number	US-201514663717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Dec 4, 2009
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of wheel spoking systems and methods of manufacturing and installing. An electrically motorized wheel can include a wheel rim, a wheel hub, and a plurality of wheel spokes connecting the wheel rim to the wheel hub wherein first and second ends of each of the plurality of wheel spokes are connected to the wheel rim and a curved portion of each of the plurality of wheel spokes interface with curved spoke pockets of the wheel hub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wheel comprising:
a wheel rim;
a wheel hub having a first side and a second side, each of said first sides and second sides having an external side surface with spoke pockets formed therein, the spoke pockets having a shape corresponding to an attachment section of a respective spoke for retaining and securing the attachment section of a respective spoke; and
a first set and a second set of a plurality of wheel spokes providing a connection of the wheel rim to the wheel hub, each of the plurality of wheel spokes has a first end, a second end, and an attachment section therebetween, corresponding to one of the spoke pockets, the first end and the second end extending at an angle with respect to each other and attaching to the wheel rim,
wherein each attachment section retained and secured by the respective spoke pocket allows for said connection of the wheel rim to the wheel hub.

2. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein each attachment section of the first set and the second set of the plurality of wheel spokes has a shape that is one of: a curved shape or a bent shape.

3. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein the spoke pocket of either the first external side surface or the second external side surface has a shape that is one of: a curved shape or a bent shape.

4. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein the angle of each attachment section of the first set and the second set of the plurality of wheel spokes ranges between 20 degrees and 60 degrees.

5. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein the angle of each attachment section of the first set and the second set of the plurality of wheel spokes is 35 degrees to 45 degrees.

6. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein the ends of the first set of the plurality of wheel spokes and the ends of the second set of the plurality of wheel spokes are alternately connected around an inner circumference of the wheel rim.

7. A wheel, comprising:
a wheel rim;
a wheel hub having a first exterior side surface and a second exterior side surface, each of said first and second exterior side surfaces with spoke pockets formed therein, the spoke pockets having a shape corresponding to an attachment section of a respective spoke for retaining and securing the attachment section of a respective spoke; and
a first plurality of wheel spokes providing a connection of the wheel rim to the first exterior side surface of the wheel hub, and a second plurality of wheel spokes providing a connection of the wheel rim to the second exterior side surface of the wheel hub, each of the first plurality of wheel spokes and the second plurality of wheel spokes having a first end, a second end, and an attachment section therebetween corresponding to one of the spoke pockets, the first end and the second end of each of the first plurality of wheel spokes and the second plurality of wheel spokes extending at an angle with respect to each other and attaching to the wheel rim,
wherein each wheel spoke of the first plurality of wheel spokes engages with a respective spoke pocket on the first exterior side surface of the wheel hub such that the attachment section is retained and secured within the respective spoke pocket via an overhang of the spoke pocket, and each wheel spoke of the second plurality of wheel spokes engages with a respective spoke pocket on the second exterior side surface of the wheel hub such that the attachment section is retained and secured within the respective spoke pocket via an overhang of the spoke pocket.

8. The wheel of claim 7 , wherein each attachment section forms a shape that is one of a curved shape and a bent shape.

9. The wheel of claim 8 , wherein each spoke pocket forms a shape that is one of a curved shape and a bent shape.

10. The wheel of claim 7 , wherein each attachment section attaches to the respective spoke pocket such that the attachment section is generally flush with the first exterior side surface or the second exterior side surface of the wheel hub.

11. The wheel of claim 7 , wherein the angle ranges between 20 degrees and 60 degrees.

12. The wheel of claim 7 , wherein the angle of each of the first plurality and each of the second plurality of wheel spokes is 35 degrees to 45 degrees.

13. The wheel of claim 7 , wherein the first exterior side surface and the second exterior side surface of the wheel hub are convex.

14. A wheel, comprising:
a wheel rim;
a wheel hub having a first exterior side and a second exterior side, each of said first exterior sides and second exterior sides having a surface with spoke pockets formed therein, the spoke pockets having a shape corresponding to an attachment section of a respective spoke for retaining and securing the attachment section of a respective spoke, and
a plurality of wheel spokes providing a connection of the wheel rim to the wheel hub, each of the plurality of wheel spokes has a first end that interfaces with a respective spoke pocket of the wheel hub and a second end that interfaces with the wheel rim.

15. The wheel of claim 14 , wherein the first exterior side surface and the second exterior side surface of the wheel hub are convex.

16. The wheel of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of wheel spokes are threaded on the first end and the second end.

17. The wheel hub of claim 14 , wherein both the first exterior side surface and the second exterior side surface of the wheel hub are convex.

18. The wheel of claim 14 , wherein each wheel spoke is retained under tension.

19. A wheel comprising:
a central hub having a first external side and a second external side, each of said first external sides and second external sides having a surface with spoke pockets formed therein, the spoke pockets having a shape corresponding to an attachment section of a respective spoke for retaining and securing the attachment section of a respective spoke;
a rim; and
a plurality of spokes providing a connection of the central hub to the rim, each spoke of the plurality of spokes comprising:
at least one threaded portion inserted into the rim; and
an attachment portion wherein each attachment portion is retained and secured by the respective spoke pocket allowing for said connection of the wheel rim to the central hub.

20. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein each attachment section attaches to a respective spoke pocket such that the attachment section is generally flush with the exterior of the respective side surface of the wheel hub.

21. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein the first side surface and the second side surface of the wheel hub are convex.

22. The wheel of claim 7 , wherein the ends of each of the first plurality of wheel spokes and the ends of each of the second plurality of wheel spokes are alternately connected around an inner circumference of the wheel rim.

23. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein each spoke pocket comprises an enclosed channel, a protrusion or a clasp.

24. The wheel of claim 7 , wherein each spoke pocket comprises an enclosed channel, a protrusion or a clasp.

25. The wheel of claim 19 , wherein each spoke pocket comprises an enclosed channel, a protrusion or a clasp.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Biderman Assaf
• Ratti Carlo
• Outram Christine Louise

Classifications

• B60L2270/40

  related to technical updates when adding new parts or software · CPC title

• B62M6/65

  with axle and driving shaft arranged coaxially · CPC title

• B60B1/003

  specially adapted for bicycles (B60B1/041 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60B1/042

  Attaching spokes to hub · CPC title

• B60B7/04

  built-up of several main parts (B60B7/01, B60B7/20 take precedence) · CPC title