A method of manufacturing a bicycle component having a component body formed at least partially of a fibrous composite material in a shaping mold. A shaping area of the shaping mold which serves to shape an outer section of the component body is provided with at least one intended surface roughness. At the same time, an intentional surface roughness is provided for the outer section by means of the surface roughness of the shaping area during manufacture of the outer section, to inhibit surface imperfections of the shaped outer section.

Disclosed herein are systems and techniques for producing complex components using a reinforced thermoplastic material. The complex components can include contoured or curved outer surfaces, and in some cases define a cavity. In certain examples, one or more thermoplastic materials are arranged to form a wheel component, such as that adapted to define a rim of the bicycle. Thermal bonding can be used to join multiple reinforced thermoplastic materials to one another in order to form a cavity of the wheel component or other complex shape. In certain examples, a portion of a tooling assembly can be pressurized to maintain a shape of the cavity during thermal bonding and cooling. This can remove the need for a sacrificial bladder or other structure that would maintain the shape of the cavity, allowing for a seamless final component, optionally absent indicia of bladder exit or other seams.

A mold and a method for manufacturing a front wheel disc of a carbon fiber composite wheel relates to a wheel disc, a wheel disc bottom aluminum alloy embedded body, a wheel disc middle aluminum alloy embedded body, a window insert, a top plate, an upper mold, a lower mold, an ejector rod lower plate, an ejector rod upper plate, outer ejector rods, inner ejector rods, a guide post, a bottom plate, upright posts, hydraulic cylinders, lower mold hot runners and upper mold hot runners.

A method for manufacturing a wheel integrated to a support shaft, including: making by overmolding, in a first material, of a wheelrim on the support shaft, the wheelrim having an upper face having a ribbed annular portion in which cells are formed, delimited by reinforcing ribs and having respective bottoms, making by overmolding, in a second material, of a crown on the upper face of the wheelrim, by implementing an injection in at least one injection point positioned opposite the ribbed annular portion, prior to the step of making the crown by overmolding, formation of a material deposit in at least one target cell, selected amongst the cells, so as to form a raised area with respect to bottom thereof, the injection of the second material at the injection point being performed opposite the raised area.

A mold includes first and second disks, and a spindle connecting centers of first and second disks. The first disk has first linear grooves extending radially from the center to outer periphery of the first disk. The second disk has second linear grooves that extend radially from the center to outer periphery of the second disk and are respectively aligned with first linear grooves. The spindle has first and second end portions that protrude from the first and second disks, respectively. Methods using the mold for producing a semi-product and a hub assembly are also disclosed.

A method for producing a product (200, 300, 400) comprising a composite fiber part (202, 402) and a second part (201, 401), wherein the second part (201, 401) comprises a carrier part (203, 403), wherein the carrier part (203, 403) is a replica of a press tool (301a, 301b) configured to be heated and to apply a pressure, comprising the steps of: applying (101), in a non-cured state, the composite fiber part (202, 402) on the carrier part (203, 403); arranging (103) the carrier part (203, 403) comprising the composite fiber part (202, 402) on the press tool (301a, 301b); curing (104a) the composite fiber part (202, 402) on the carrier part (203, 403); and removing (105) the product (200, 300, 400) from the press tool (301a, 301b), wherein after removal from the press tool (301a, 301b) the composite fiber part (202, 402) and the carrier part (203, 403) constitutes together at least a part of the finished product (200, 300, 400). Also disclosed is a composite fiber product comprising a composite fiber part and a second part.

A rim portion of a composite wheel comprises a shaped annulus formed about a central axis of rotation of the composite wheel and having a circumferential axis extending circumferentially about the central axis and around the rim portion, said rim portion having a fibre layup comprising a stacked laminate formed from alternating layers of: a hoop tow layer comprising elongate fibre tow in which the fibres are substantially aligned with the circumferential axis of the rim portion, the hoop tow layer being formed from at least one annularly wound elongate fibre tow; and a bias ply layer comprising at least one fibre ply in which the fibres are substantially orientated at an angle of + or to the circumferential axis of the rim portion, wherein is from 26 to 40.

A shaped preform component (200) for a face portion (104) of a composite wheel (100), the shaped preform (200) having a hub (206) that extends around a central axis (Y), the shaped preform component (200) being formed from a cured composite fibre material having a compressibility of <2% volumetric under moulding conditions of 50 bar hydrostatic pressure and a temperature of 60 to 200 C.

A shaped preform component (200A) for a spoke portion (108A) of a composite wheel (100), the shaped preform (200A) comprising: an elongate body (215) configured to be located in a spoke (108) of a composite wheel (100), wherein the shaped preform component (200A) is formed from a cured composite fibre material having a compressibility of <2% volumetric under moulding conditions of 50 bar hydrostatic pressure and a temperature of 60 to 150 C., and wherein the density of the cured composite fibre material is selected to form a counterbalance mass for a mass addition (300) to the composite wheel (100).

A method of manufacturing a composite rim includes following steps of: disposing a composite material on an outer surface of an air bag to form a semi-formed rim, wherein the air bag is a completely closed annular tube without any through opening on the outer surface and contains a thermal expansion material thereinside; disposing the semi-formed rim in a mold; and heating the thermal expansion material so that the thermal expansion material expands and inflates the air bag and the semi-formed rim is then solidified.