Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – Tension wheel; e.g. – spoke
Reexamination Certificate
2003-08-15
2004-08-17
Stormer, Russell D. (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
Tension wheel; e.g., spoke
C301S095104, C301S104000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06776460
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bicycle rim having a plurality of elongate slots for being connected with spokes. The spokes are easily installed to or disengaged from the rim.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional connection between bicycle rim and spokes is shown in FIG.
1
and generally includes a plurality of holes
101
defined through the rim
100
for being connected with spokes
102
which has one end extends through the hole
101
and is fixed by a nut
103
at the inside of the rim
100
. This combination requires an I-shaped rubber seal (not shown) to seal the hole
101
if a tubeless tire is used. Nevertheless, it takes a lot of time to install the rubber seal into the hole and the seal tends to be deformed or damaged after being used for a period of time.
FIGS. 2
to
4
show another embodiment of the conventional way for the connection of the rim
100
′ and spokes
102
′, wherein each hole
101
′ in the rim
100
is inserted with a metal tube
104
through which the spoke
102
′ extends. One end of the metal tube
104
includes a plurality of longitudinal slits
105
and the spoke
102
′ includes an enlarged head
1021
. A nut
106
is threadedly mounted to the spoke
102
′ and may pull the enlarged head
1021
to expand the end of the metal tube
104
by the slits
105
as shown in FIG.
3
. However, a tool is required to pull the spoke
102
out from the metal tube
104
when the spokes
102
′ are to be replaced with new ones. The metal tubes
104
are then be damaged and have to be replaced with the spokes
102
′. This increase the maintenance cost.
FIG. 5-7
show yet another embodiment of the conventional way for the connection of the rim
100
″ and spokes
102
″, wherein the spoke
102
″: rotatably extends through a tube
107
having threaded outer periphery. A rectangular flange
108
is connected to an end of the tube
107
and located at the inside of the time
100
″ and a nut
109
is threadedly mounted to the threaded outer periphery of the tube
107
so that the tube
107
is securely engaged with the hole in the rim
100
″. It is noticed that the flange
108
contacts the inside of the rim
100
″ at only two lines instead of surface, so that the flange
108
tends to be deformed and affects the tension of the spokes
10
″.
The present invention intends to provide a combination between spokes and rim, and the holes in the rim are well sealed and the spokes are conveniently installed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bicycle rim having a plurality of elongate slots and each elongate slots is composed of a first diameter portion and a second diameter portion which is smaller than the first diameter portion. A tube having a threaded outer periphery has a flange on a first end thereof and a passage is defined longitudinally through the tube. The tube is inserted in each of the elongate slots and the flange is engaged with an inside of the rim. A core piece is inserted through the passage of the tube and has an enlarged head at a first end of the core piece. The enlarged head is engaged with the first end of the tube and a threaded inner periphery is defined in the core piece so that an end of a spoke is inserted in the core piece and threadedly engaged with the threaded inner periphery in the core piece. A cover member has a threaded hole defined therethrough which is threadedly connected to the threaded outer periphery of the tube. A protrusion extends from a side of the cover member and is engaged with the first diameter portion of each elongate slot. The cover member is connected to an outside of the rim and covers up each elongate slot.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 309566 (1884-02-01), Schad et al.
patent: 456218 (1891-07-01), Goodrich
patent: 780615 (1905-01-01), Newton
Kamrath Alan D.
Nikolai & Mersereau , P.A.
Stormer Russell D.
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