A wheel cover includes a fixing unit fixed to a wheel of a vehicle, a variable unit coupled to and supported by the fixing unit and configured for being opened and closed, a first power unit configured to apply a first force acting on the variable unit, wherein the force changes depending on temperature, and a second power unit configured to apply a second force acting on the variable unit, wherein the second force changes depending on a wheel speed, wherein the variable unit is opened or closed depending on the first force generated by the first power unit and the second force generated by the second power unit.

A two-piece wheel may have a first section and a second section. The wheel has areas of varying diameter across its width, and the first second and the second section are joined at the area of the wheel with the smallest diameter. The first section can be a spoke section with spokes extending from the central hub and the second section can be a barrel section.

The present invention provides a bicycle rim assembly adapted to be coupled to a hub to create a bicycle wheel. The rim assembly includes a rim and a cover coupled to the rim. The rim defines a central plane and comprises an annular inner wall and an annular outer wall cooperating with the inner wall to define a cavity. The rim further includes annular projections spaced laterally relative to the central plane and extending substantially radially outwardly from the outer annular wall. The cover includes sidewalls disposed on lateral sides of the rim adjacent the projections, each sidewall including a lateral inner portion having a lateral thickness. The cover further includes an annular ring portion interconnecting the sidewalls, the annular ring portion including a radial thickness less than the lateral thickness of the lateral inner portion of the sidewalls. Preferably, the rim comprises a metallic material and the cover comprises a non-metallic material. For example, the rim can comprise aluminum or an epoxy matrix composite, and the cover can comprises a polymeric material, such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. In addition, a radial thickness of the entire cover is preferably substantially less than a radial thickness of the entire rim. In one embodiment, the projections include a laterally inwardly facing surface, a laterally outwardly facing surface, and a radially outwardly facing surface. In this embodiment, the cover engages at least a portion of each of the laterally inwardly facing surface, the laterally outwardly facing surface, and the radially outwardly facing surface. Preferably, each annular projection has a smoothly radiused radially outwardly facing surface, and each laterally outwardly facing surface that lies in a radial plane substantially parallel to the central plane.

A preform for fabricating a wheel rim and a method of making a preform is provided. The preform includes a main section and at least one secondary section, each section being formed from composite materials, such as triaxially braided composite material that includes fibers oriented in at least three directions. The main section forms at least part of a lateral section of the preform and the secondary section forms at least part of a radial portion of the preform, the radial portion of the preform being generally perpendicular to the lateral section of the preform. The preform is fabricated from a plurality of composite layers, at least some being custom composite layers having a plurality of axial fibers interwoven intermittently with substantially consistent first and second sets of biased fibers. In some embodiments, the preform is initially fabricated in an intermediate configuration prior to being moved to a final configuration.

The invention relates to a wheel bearing unit including a wheel hub. The wheel hub has an integrally formed wheel flange at one end and an inner ring which can be rotated together with the wheel hub. The inner ring is secured on the wheel hub by a rolling rivet connection in order to pretension a row of rolling elements relative to an outer ring. The wheel bearing unit also has an encoder, which is provided on the inner ring and extends radially in the direction of the outer ring, and a protective cover which is secured to the outer ring in order to close and seal annular openings that are formed between the outer ring and the wheel hub. A cylindrical mounting section of the protective cover is pressed into a cylindrical press-in portion of the outer ring, and a shielding section extends from the cylindrical assembly portion inwards in a radial direction (R1). A base section is provided which adjoins the shielding section in order to cover an inner-side end of the wheel hub, and a sealing element is provided on a circumferential surface, which faces away from the outer ring, of the cylindrical assembly portion. The sealing element is formed such that a part of the sealing element protrudes from the mounting section in the axial direction (R2) in order to form a sealing lip which is pressed axially onto a section of the outer ring in order to sealingly rest against this section.

A circular wheel is aligned in a rotational plane and has a peripheral outfacing surface symmetrical about the plane of rotational. A center line of the width of the peripheral outfacing surface is sinusoidal around the wheel. The wheel may have a central hub, a rim, a medial wheel structure between the hub and the rim, and a tire mounted on the rim. The outfacing surface may be that of the hub, the medial wheel structure, the rim, or the tire depending on the application.

A vehicle wheel overlay attachment system disclosed herein provides for wheel overlays, or wheel skins, that are readily installable over existing wheels by securing directly to a wheel center cap. The center cap is adapted to be inserted into the center hub portion of the wheel, much like a traditional center cap, but also contains a system for securing a wheel overlay to the center cap. When properly installed on the center cap, the wheel overlay will be snugly positioned over the wheel thereby changing the appearance of the vehicle wheel.

The present invention relates to a vehicle (100), in particular a bicycle, for performing tests for a driver assistance system. The vehicle (100) has a base body (101) and at least one strut (102), which is formed to be dimensionally stable without influence of an impact force, which is generatable upon a collision of the vehicle (100) with a collision body, and is elastically deformable upon influence of the impact force. The strut (102) is connected to the base body (101) such that upon influence of the impact force the strut (102) is non-destructively detachable from the base body (101).

A wheel includes a first hoop attached to a second hoop about a circumferential interface. The first and second hoops form at least part of an enclosed box structure positioned circumferentially around the wheel and adjacent to an outboard side of the wheel. The box structure may be formed at least in part by circumferential projections of the first hoop and the second hoop. The wheel may also include a central hub that optionally includes spokes. In some embodiments, the central hub may form part of the enclosed box structure. In some embodiments, a first hoop portion and a second hoop portion may be integral or unitary, with a box structure integrally formed between the hoop portions.

Embodiments of the present application disclose a universal wheel assembly and a smart cleaning device having the same. The universal wheel assembly includes a rotating shaft support and a universal wheel support. The rotating shaft support is configured to be fixed to a predetermined mounting position. The universal wheel support is connected to the rotating shaft support and is rotatable relative to the rotating shaft support. The universal wheel support is provided with a through hole, and the through hole is used for a mounting tool to pass through to fix the rotating shaft support to the predetermined mounting position.