A laced wheel manufactured from a one-piece casting, including both the hub portion and the rim portion. After casting and machining spoke interfaces, the hub and rim portions are separated and wire spokes are assembled.

An auxiliary power unit equipped wheel support bearing assembly is provided which includes a wheel support bearing assembly and an auxiliary power unit. The auxiliary power unit is of a direct drive design that includes a stator mounted to a stationary ring of the wheel support bearing assembly and a motor rotor mounted to a rotational ring of the wheel support bearing assembly. An entirety of the auxiliary power unit is sized to extend less than an outer peripheral segment of a brake rotor, with the outer peripheral segment defining an area against which a brake caliper is intended to be pushed. The auxiliary power unit is, with respect to an axial direction, sized to be situated between a hub flange of the wheel support bearing assembly and a mounting face of the wheel support bearing assembly for mounting to a vehicle body of a vehicle.

A rotary apparatus comprises a housing, a rotor, and a face seal. The rotor is mounted for rotation relative to the housing. The housing and the rotor cooperate to provide an annular clearance passage therebetween. The face seal is positioned in communication with the clearance passage and establishes a sealed connection between the housing and the rotor to block ingress of debris from the clearance passage. The housing or the rotor comprises a knife partially defining the clearance passage to cut debris that may enter the clearance passage. The rotary apparatus may be used, for example, in a shaft assembly or a final drive.

A braking system is presented that comprises a brake sphere rotor that is mounted to the wheel hub of an axle. The braking system incorporates a caliper arm assembly that comprises at least one caliper arm. Each caliper arm further comprises hemispherical friction material located between the caliper arm and the brake sphere rotor.

A heat shield assembly is disclosed. In various embodiments, the heat shield assembly includes a first heat shield segment having a first end and a second end spaced from the first end, the first end including a first hook member and the second end including a second hook member; and a first heat shield retainer including a first clip member configured to engage the first hook member and a second clip member.

The invention relates to a system for pneumatically powering a wheel comprising a bearing support (10), a shaft (20) comprising a hub-forming end (21) which extends radially (Y), at least one set of rolling bearings (30), wherein the system further comprises a chamber (C) formed by the hub-forming end (21), the bearing support (10), a rolling bearing seal (40) and a chamber seal (50), a primary channel (60) crossing the bearing support (10) and opening into the chamber (C), a secondary channel (70) crossing the hub-forming end (21) and opening into the chamber (C), wherein seals seal the cavity (C) in order to let air pass from the primary channel to the secondary channel via the cavity (C).

A hub-integrated inflation system which functions to convert relative motion at the wheel end (e.g., between the axle and the hub or wheel) into a pumping motion. The relative motion is then converted into mechanical or electrical energy, which can be used to actuate a pump of an inflator.

A bearingless hub assembly comprising a rim hollowed to receive a tube magnet, and magnets embedded around the circumference of the rim on both ends. The rim is capped by front and rear rim plates configured to hold the embedded magnets in place and fitted to receive respective circular magnets. Similar magnets in corresponding front or rear drive plate maintain space (i.e., levitation) vis--vis the front and rear rim caps by repelling each other, thus allowing the rim (and, as applied, a mechanically-attached tire assembly) to move freely with no friction. The front and rear drive plate carry forward and reverse electromagnetic actuators as well as forward and reverse levitation control units, power generators and speed sensors. These components mount 360 degrees around the circumference of the drive plates while the embedded magnets of the rim spin through when in motion.

A hub for bicycles including a hub shell which is rotatably supported relative to a hub axle, a rotor rotatably supported relative to the hub axle by means of two rotor bearings, and a freewheel device having two interacting freewheel components namely, a hub-side freewheel component and a rotor-side freewheel component. The two freewheel components each include axial engagement elements and they are movable relative to one another in the axial direction between a freewheel position and an intermeshing engaging position. Rolling members are provided for defined accommodation in the hub-side freewheel component to support the hub shell relative to the hub axle. An attachment portion and a centering portion are configured in the hub shell and an attachment area and a centering area are configured on the hub-side freewheel component. The attachment area is connected with the attachment portion and the centering area is centered on the centering portion.

Methods of protecting an electrically motorized human-powered vehicle are disclosed. A method may include transmitting, from a remote server, a security input relating to a user of the vehicle; receiving, at the electrically motorized human-powered vehicle the security input relating to the user; validating the security input; and enabling one of a first or second set of features based on the security input, wherein the second set of features is different from the first set of features and wherein one of set of features includes a service mode that enables maintenance access to the vehicle.