Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – Tension wheel; e.g. – spoke
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-06
2001-09-25
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
Tension wheel; e.g., spoke
C301S091000, C301S091000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293629
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bicycle wheel rim, more particularly to a rim of a bicycle wheel that can ensure proper frictional contact with a brake mechanism on a bicycle frame even after adjustment of the wheel axle relative to the bicycle frame has been performed to ensure tight engagement between a drive chain and a chain wheel for driving rotation of the bicycle wheel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, after a bicycle
1
has been in use for a period of time, the drive chain
11
thereof might become loose and slightly lengthen. At this time, the drive chain
11
might be easily and undesirably released from the chain wheel
120
to result in inconvenience when the bicycle
1
is in use. As such, an adjustment device
13
has been proposed to permit adjustment of the position of the wheel axle
121
of the rear bicycle wheel
12
on the bicycle frame. The adjustment device
13
is mounted on the seat stay
141
and the chain stay
142
of the bicycle frame, and includes a plate member formed with an elongated slot
131
for retaining the wheel axle
121
therein. When the drive chain
11
becomes loose, the wheel axle
121
can be moved along the slot
131
to permit the drive chain
11
to engage fittingly the chain wheel
120
.
However, since the brake mechanism
15
of the bicycle
1
is mounted on the seat stay
141
, and since the wheel rim
122
of the rear bicycle wheel
12
moves together with the wheel axle
121
during the adjustment operation, unless a corresponding adjustment is made for the brake mechanism
15
, the brake pads
151
of the brake mechanism
15
cannot be kept in proper frictional contact with brake pad contacting surfaces formed on the tire retaining walls of the wheel rim
122
after the wheel axle
121
has been moved to an adjusted position, as shown in phantom lines in
FIGS. 2 and 3
.
In co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/321,467, there is disclosed a bicycle wheel rim that is adapted for use with a brake pad having a width in a radial direction of the bicycle wheel rim, and that is adapted for mounting a plurality of spokes thereon. The bicycle wheel rim includes spaced left and right annular tire retaining walls that are adapted for retaining a bicycle tire therebetween. Each of the tire retaining walls has an inner edge proximate to a central point of the wheel rim, an outer edge distal to the central point of the wheel rim, and an intermediate portion between the inner and outer edges. Each of the tire retaining walls further has an outer brake pad contacting surface that has a width in the radial direction of the wheel rim. The width of the brake pad contacting surface of each of the tire retaining walls is at least twice the width of the brake pad. The bicycle wheel rim further includes an annular spoke mounting wall that interconnects the inner edges of the tire retaining walls and that has a central spoke fastening portion which extends along a length of the spoke mounting wall and which is formed with a set of spoke fastening holes adapted for mounting the spokes thereat.
Because the width of the brake pad contacting surface of each of the tire retaining walls is at least twice the width of the brake pad, after the wheel rim moves together with the wheel axle to an adjusted position where the drive chain can engage fittingly the chain wheel, the brake pad can still be kept in proper frictional contact with the brake pad contacting surface of the adjacent tire retaining wall. However, recent advancements in the materials used for fabricating the brake pads and the wheel rim, and in the surface treatment of the brake pad contacting surfaces of the tire retaining walls, have resulted in higher friction coefficients, thereby resulting in a larger braking force per unit area. Thus, the length of the brake pad can be reduced. Under such a condition, the requirement of the width of the brake pad contacting surface of each of the tire retaining walls to be at least twice the width of the brake pad is overestimated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a rim of a bicycle wheel of the type disclosed in the aforesaid co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/321,467, that can ensure proper frictional contact with a brake mechanism on a bicycle frame even after adjustment of the wheel axle relative to the bicycle frame has been performed to ensure tight engagement between a drive chain and a chain wheel for driving rotation of the bicycle wheel.
According to the present invention, a bicycle wheel rim is adapted for use with a brake pad and is adapted for mounting a plurality of spokes thereon. The bicycle wheel rim includes spaced left and right annular tire retaining walls adapted for retaining a bicycle tire therebetween. Each of the tire retaining walls has an inner edge portion proximate to a central point of the wheel rim, and an outer edge portion distal to the central point of the wheel rim. Each of the tire retaining walls further has an outer wall surface that has a first width in a radial direction of the wheel rim. The first width is larger than a width of the brake pad in the radial direction of the wheel rim. The outer wall surface is allocated with a brake pad contacting portion that is adapted to contact the brake pad and that has a second width in the radial direction of the wheel rim. The second width ranges from 50 to 60% of the first width. The bicycle wheel rim further includes an annular spoke mounting wall interconnecting the inner edge portions of the tire retaining walls and adapted for mounting the spokes thereat.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3732951 (1973-05-01), Hata et al.
patent: 4602665 (1986-07-01), Sacks
patent: 5499864 (1996-03-01), Klein et al.
patent: 5651591 (1997-07-01), Mercat et al.
patent: 5653510 (1997-08-01), Osborne
patent: 6024413 (2000-02-01), Dixon et al.
patent: 6065812 (2000-05-01), Lee
patent: 6089672 (2000-07-01), Chen
patent: 6120105 (2000-09-01), Chern
patent: 6155651 (2000-12-01), Mizata et al.
patent: 6186598 (2001-02-01), Chen
patent: 6216758 (2001-04-01), Chen
Alex Machine Industrial Co., Ltd.
Morano S. Joseph
Nguyen Long Bao
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
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