A wheel disc includes a hub located centrally within the wheel disc and defining a wheel axis. The wheel disc further includes an outer circumferential edge and a transition portion radially extending between the hub and the outer circumferential edge. The transition portion has a front surface and a rear surface such that the rear surface has a relatively smooth profile and the front surface has a plurality of concentric ring-shaped curvatures formed therein, thereby providing the transition portion with a variable thickness between the front and rear surfaces.

A variable wheel resonator system for a vehicle can suppress a resonance noise in a wide resonance frequency band occurring during driving of the vehicle by variably controlling an amount of air flowing from a first air chamber of a tire to a second air chamber and then flowing again to the first air chamber through an on/off control of a solenoid valve mounted on a wheel resonator. The system can suppress the resonance noise in the resonance frequency band that differs in accordance with a road-surface input frequency change (road-surface impact change) input to the tire, a driving speed and turning condition change, and a temperature change of an internal air of the tire.

A variable wheel resonator system for a vehicle can suppress a resonance noise in a wide resonance frequency band occurring during driving of the vehicle by variably controlling an amount of air flowing from a first air chamber of a tire to a second air chamber and then flowing again to the first air chamber through an on/off control of a solenoid valve mounted on a wheel resonator. The system can suppress the resonance noise in the resonance frequency band that differs in accordance with a road-surface input frequency change (road-surface impact change) input to the tire, a driving speed and turning condition change, and a temperature change of an internal air of the tire.

A rim for a vehicle wheel, the rim comprising: a circumferential tire bed surface, the tire bed surface comprising: a circumferential first bead seat and a circumferential second bead seat laterally spaced from said first bead seat, said first bead seat configured to support a first bead of a mating tire and said second bead seat configured to support a second bead of said mating tire; a circumferential rim well laterally positioned between said first bead seat and said second bead seat; wherein said rim well comprises a circumferential first step edge laterally inwardly offset from said first bead seat and a circumferential first spacer region laterally positioned between said first bead seat and said first step edge; at least a portion of said first spacer portion is radially inboard of said first bead; said first step edge extending radially inwardly from said first spacer region; wherein said first step edge is configured to provide for lateral alignment registration and/or visual alignment and placement of a first edge of a mating rim strip, said rim strip is a circumferential element that radially outwardly overlaps said rim well and extends laterally inwardly from said first edge.

A rim for a vehicle wheel, the rim comprising: a circumferential tire bed surface, the tire bed surface comprising: a circumferential first bead seat and a circumferential second bead seat laterally spaced from said first bead seat, said first bead seat configured to support a first bead of a mating tire and said second bead seat configured to support a second bead of said mating tire; a circumferential rim well laterally positioned between said first bead seat and said second bead seat; wherein said rim well comprises a circumferential first step edge laterally inwardly offset from said first bead seat and a circumferential first spacer region laterally positioned between said first bead seat and said first step edge; at least a portion of said first spacer portion is radially inboard of said first bead; said first step edge extending radially inwardly from said first spacer region; wherein said first step edge is configured to provide for lateral alignment registration and/or visual alignment and placement of a first edge of a mating rim strip, said rim strip is a circumferential element that radially outwardly overlaps said rim well and extends laterally inwardly from said first edge.

A system for powering an electronic device within a tire is provided, the system comprising: a generator; an electrically conductive wheel coated in a non-conductive coating, the wheel including rim lips, wherein one of the rim lips includes a conductive area; the tire including bead portions, sidewalls, shoulders, a tread oriented in a tread region, and an inner surface; a conductive element extending from a bead portion, and in contact with the inner surface; an electronic device within the vehicle tire; and a ground path extending through a thickness of the vehicle tire from the inner surface to an exterior surface in a contact patch of the tread; wherein the generator is electrically connected to the electrically conductive wheel; wherein the electronic device is electrically connected to the conductive element and the ground path; and wherein the conducive element contacts the conductive area.

A device configured for coupling a resonator to a vehicle wheel, may include an annular first strap assembled with an external circumferential surface of the wheel rim and fixing positions of resonators disposed on the external circumferential surface of the wheel rim; and an annular second strap surrounding second flanges formed at second edge portions of the resonators based on an axial direction of the wheel rim and pressurizing the second flange toward the external circumferential surface of the wheel rim after first flanges, which are formed on second edge portions of the resonators based on an axial direction of the wheel rim, are inserted between the first strap and the external circumferential surface of the wheel rim.

A device configured for coupling a resonator to a vehicle wheel, may include an annular first strap assembled with an external circumferential surface of the wheel rim and fixing positions of resonators disposed on the external circumferential surface of the wheel rim; and an annular second strap surrounding second flanges formed at second edge portions of the resonators based on an axial direction of the wheel rim and pressurizing the second flange toward the external circumferential surface of the wheel rim after first flanges, which are formed on second edge portions of the resonators based on an axial direction of the wheel rim, are inserted between the first strap and the external circumferential surface of the wheel rim.

The present invention relates to a method of assembling a rim, in particular a bicycle rim of composite material. The invention further relates to a rim obtainable by such a method.

The present invention relates to a method of assembling a rim, in particular a bicycle rim of composite material. The invention further relates to a rim obtainable by such a method.