A wheel assembly comprising a wheel disk and a tread member disposed around the wheel disk. The wheel disk can have a substantially conical shape when in an unloaded state, but be flexible such that it can deform under load to optimize and/or maximize contact area between the tread member and a driving surface.

A wheel for a robot cleaner includes an outer ring in contact with a surface to be cleaned, an inner ring which is disposed inside the outer ring and receives a driving force, a plurality of spokes which connect the outer ring and the inner ring, and form a plurality of independent spaces through which air passes, and a plurality of ribs disposed in the plurality of independent spaces, each of the plurality of ribs having a shorter length than a length of each of the plurality of spokes.

A wheel for a robot cleaner includes an outer ring in contact with a surface to be cleaned, an inner ring which is disposed inside the outer ring and receives a driving force, a plurality of spokes which connect the outer ring and the inner ring, and form a plurality of independent spaces through which air passes, and a plurality of ribs disposed in the plurality of independent spaces, each of the plurality of ribs having a shorter length than a length of each of the plurality of spokes.

A hybrid wheel for vehicles that includes a unitary lug structure, with a mount face and a dish section of the lug structure extending therefrom. The lug structure is usually a cast aluminum alloy. A wheel structure including a high strength polymer encapsulates a portion of the lug structure dish section. Rim ring(s) are included in the wheel structure and are preferably made of a fiber reinforced high strength polymer.

A hybrid wheel for vehicles that includes a unitary lug structure, with a mount face and a dish section of the lug structure extending therefrom. The lug structure is usually a cast aluminum alloy. A wheel structure including a high strength polymer encapsulates a portion of the lug structure dish section. Rim ring(s) are included in the wheel structure and are preferably made of a fiber reinforced high strength polymer.

A method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel includes: a casting process of manufacturing the wheel in a one-piece body having a forming end and a temporary flange protruding at inner and outer sides of the wheel, respectively, wherein the one-piece body further includes a resonance chamber forming groove; a primary shape machining process of forming a stepped part at an outer circumferential side of the resonance chamber forming groove; a flow forming process of bending the forming end to be seated on the stepped part; a friction stir welding process of integrally bonding a portion where the forming end and the stepped part are in close contact with each other; a fine machining process of removing the temporary flange; and a sound-absorbing hole machining process of forming a sound-absorbing hole for communicating between the resonance chamber and an interior space of a tire in the forming end.

A method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel includes: a casting process of manufacturing the wheel in a one-piece body having a forming end and a temporary flange protruding at inner and outer sides of the wheel, respectively, wherein the one-piece body further includes a resonance chamber forming groove; a primary shape machining process of forming a stepped part at an outer circumferential side of the resonance chamber forming groove; a flow forming process of bending the forming end to be seated on the stepped part; a friction stir welding process of integrally bonding a portion where the forming end and the stepped part are in close contact with each other; a fine machining process of removing the temporary flange; and a sound-absorbing hole machining process of forming a sound-absorbing hole for communicating between the resonance chamber and an interior space of a tire in the forming end.

A vehicle wheel is defined by a substrate including a face and a rim portion. The face defines a plurality of spokes extending radially outwardly between a central portion of the face and the rim portion and defining a mating portion. An applique is affixed to the wheel at the mating portion. A polymer over-coating that is substantially transparent extends over the applique and the wheel substrate defining a continuous polymer surface over the applique and the wheel substrate.

A material and method for manufacturing components. The method includes squeeze casting the material into a component of a desired shape and flow-forming the component that has been squeeze cast to refine the shape of the component. The method also includes heat treating the component to enhance the microstructure of the component and machining the component to further refine the shape.

A material and method for manufacturing components. The method includes squeeze casting the material into a component of a desired shape and flow-forming the component that has been squeeze cast to refine the shape of the component. The method also includes heat treating the component to enhance the microstructure of the component and machining the component to further refine the shape.