Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – Rim
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-26
2002-08-06
Stormer, Russell D. (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
Rim
C152S381500, C152S427000, C152S516000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06428115
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bicycle wheel rim, more particularly to a bicycle wheel rim capable of effectively preventing disengagement of a bicycle tire therefrom.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a first conventional bicycle wheel rim includes an annular rim body with spaced-apart left and right tire retaining walls
12
and a spoke mounting wall
11
interconnecting the tire retaining walls
12
. The spoke mounting wall
11
is formed with a plurality of angularly displaced spoke mounting holes
15
which are arranged along the length of the spoke mounting wall
11
for retaining spoke fasteners
16
of spokes
10
therein. The tire retaining walls
12
and the spoke mounting wall
11
cooperatively confine a tire retaining space
14
for retaining a bicycle tire
1
therein. The bicycle tire
1
typically includes an inflatable inner tire body
17
and an outer tire body
18
enclosing the inner tire body
17
. A lining
19
is disposed between the inner tire body
17
and the spoke mounting wall
11
to protect the inner tire body
17
from being pierced by the spoke fasteners
16
. When the inner tire body
17
is inflated after installation of the inner and outer tire bodies
17
,
18
on the wheel rim
1
, the outer tire body
18
is stretched to engage two opposite hooked edges
181
thereof with hooked radial outer edges
13
of the tire retaining walls
12
. However, once the inner tire body
17
is accidentally deflated, or in the case the inner tire body
17
is not fully inflated, the opposite hooked edges
181
of the outer tire body
18
could be easily disengaged from the radial outer edges
13
of the tire retaining walls
12
.
FIGS. 2 and 3
illustrate another conventional bicycle wheel rim
2
suitable for use with a bicycle tire which includes only an outer tire body
20
and which is free of an inner tire body. The bicycle wheel rim
2
includes annular left and right tire retaining walls
23
spaced apart from each other, a spoke mounting wall
21
interconnecting radial inner edges of the tire retaining walls
23
, and an annular connecting wall
26
disposed around the spoke mounting wall
21
and extending between intermediate sections of the tire retaining walls
23
. A tire retaining space
24
is formed among the connecting wall
26
and tire retaining walls
23
. To facilitate installation of the tire body
20
, the connecting wall
26
is configured to have a central indented portion
261
that is indented in a radial inward direction to define an annular recess
22
. During installation, two confronting edge portions
201
of the tire body
20
are extended into the recess
22
so as to be temporarily retained therein. Thereafter, high pressure air is pumped into an interior of the tire body
20
to inflate the same. At this time, the edge portions
201
are forced to move away from each other and move out of, the recess
22
so as to engage radial outer edges
25
of the tire retaining walls
23
, respectively. However, since the tire body
20
engages the recess
22
before inflation, high pressure air is required to inflate the tire body
20
. The bicycle wheel rim
2
is still not satisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle wheel rim capable of effectively preventing disengagement of a bicycle tire therefrom.
Accordingly, the bicycle wheel rim of the present invention includes an annular rim body with a central axis. The rim body has annular left and right tire retaining walls, an annular spoke mounting wall, and a tire retaining cavity. The tire retaining walls are spaced apart from each other. Each of the tire retaining walls has a radial inner edge proximate to the central axis of the rim body, and a radial outer edge distal to the central axis of the rim body. The spoke mounting wall interconnects the radial inner edges of the tire retaining walls, and is formed with a set of spoke mounting holes adapted for retaining spoke fasteners therein. The tire retaining cavity is formed between the tire retaining walls, and is configured to have two opposite lateral cavity parts proximate to the tire retaining walls, respectively, and an intermediate cavity part between the lateral cavity parts. The lateral cavity parts are deeper than the intermediate cavity part with respect to the radial outer edges of the tire retaining walls.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2844180 (1958-07-01), Omeron
patent: 3877503 (1975-04-01), Tangorra et al.
patent: 4401144 (1983-08-01), Wilde
patent: 4794970 (1989-01-01), Huinink et al.
patent: 5271444 (1993-12-01), Chen
patent: 6089672 (2000-07-01), Chen
Stormer Russell D.
Vinson & Elkins LLP
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