A wheel and tire assembly in accordance with the present invention for a mobile vehicle includes an inner central hub, an outer shear band and tread structure mounted on the central hub, and a spoke structure extending between the central hub and the shear band and tread structure. The spoke structure defines a plurality of cavities disposed concentrically about the central hub whereby the cavities allow the spoke structure to deflect under load.

A vehicle wheel rim shielding device includes a panel that is circularly shaped and rigid. A gasket is coupled to a circumference of the panel. A handle is coupled to the panel and is positioned on an exterior of the panel. A coupler is coupled to the panel and extends from an interior of the panel. The handle is positioned on the panel such that the handle is configured to be grasped by a hand of the user to place the panel in abutment to the rim for treatment of the tire. The coupler is configured to couple the panel to the rim of the vehicle wheel. The gasket is configured to reversibly seal the panel to the rim of the vehicle wheel. Materials employed by a user in the treatment of a tire attached to the rim do not come into contact with the rim.

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 system. The system includes a wheel, a protective device and a fastener system. The fastener system is connected to the wheel and the protective device. The fastener system includes an elastomeric fastener configured to allow for controlled radial and rotational displacement of the protective device relative to the wheel in x and y directions.

A nonpneumatic tire assembly includes an outer hoop, a plurality of loops extending inward from the outer hoop, and a hub having a plurality of members. Each of the plurality of members is connected to one of the plurality of loops.

The pivot for castor wheel for cleaning equipment or the like, with new elements structured to absorb and counteract the stresses to which the wheel is generally subjected during use, allows cleaning equipment and the like to be used in areas and sectors compatible with the materials used for the various parts that compose it.

A nonpneumatic tire assembly includes an outer hoop, a plurality of loops extending inward from the outer hoop, and a hub having a plurality of members. Each of the plurality of members is connected to one of the plurality of loops.

A bicycle wheel including a hub and a rim coupled to the hub. The wheel also includes a cover that is coupled to rim and that defines a bead seat engageable by a tire. The rim can have a first annular feature and the cover can have a second annular feature that is complementary to the first annular feature to attach the cover to the rim.

A bicycle wheel including a hub and a rim coupled to the hub. The wheel also includes a cover that is coupled to rim and that defines a bead seat engageable by a tire. The rim can have a first annular feature and the cover can have a second annular feature that is complementary to the first annular feature to attach the cover to the rim.

A locomotion assembly is provided, suitable to be used in a vehicle. The locomotion assembly comprises a frustum-conical structure comprising at least one flexible member having a frustum-conical surface extending between its relatively narrow and wide ends along a frustum-conical axis, the frustum-conical member being reversibly deformable from its biased rounded shape corresponding to a frustum-conical shape in which its side elevation is circular into a deformed frustum-conical shape in which its side elevation is non-circular. The frustum-conical structure may serve for supporting at least one surface-engaging member convertible between a round wheel-like configuration, in which its side elevation is substantially circular, and a deformed configuration, in which its side elevation is non-circular and in which a larger portion of the surface-engaging member is in contact with a movement surface.