A wheel assembly includes a central hub, an outer rim including a spoke bed wall, and a spoke unit including first and second spokes. Each of the first and second spokes extends between the outer rim and the central hub, and has a first end connected to the spoke bed wall, a second end opposite to the first end and connected to the central hub and a span portion connected between the first and second ends. The first ends of the first and second spokes are respectively formed with first and second spoke bed connection portions where the first and second spokes are respectively connected to the spoke bed wall. With respect to the central hub, the second spoke bed connection portion is radially outboard relative to and circumferentially spaced from the first spoke bed connection portion.

A wheel with high strength flexible spokes of the present invention, including a rim and hub, and spokes between the rim and hub made of fibrous material that causes the spokes to be both lighter in weight and stronger than comparable steel spokes. The spokes are also flexible and resilient such that they can bend while retaining their integrity and strength. The wheel includes a nipple within the rim that receives the high strength spoke and allows for flexibility in adapting the spoke to wheels having differing shapes and sizes.

A wheel with high strength flexible spokes of the present invention, including a rim and hub, and spokes between the rim and hub made of fibrous material that causes the spokes to be both lighter in weight and stronger than comparable steel spokes. The spokes are also flexible and resilient such that they can bend while retaining their integrity and strength. The wheel includes a nipple within the rim that receives the high strength spoke and allows for flexibility in adapting the spoke to wheels having differing shapes and sizes.

A wheel with high strength flexible spokes of the present invention, including a rim and hub, and spokes between the rim and hub made of fibrous material that causes the spokes to be both lighter in weight and stronger than comparable steel spokes. The spokes are also flexible and resilient such that they can bend while retaining their integrity and strength. The wheel includes a nipple within the rim that receives the high strength spoke and allows for flexibility in adapting the spoke to wheels having differing shapes and sizes.

A combination structure of a hub and spokes is provided, including: a hub shell, having separate small and large flanges, the small and large flanges having first and second assembling holes, respectively; a plurality of first spokes, assembled to one of the first assembling holes and a wheel rim; a plurality of second spokes, including cylindrical spokes and aero bladed spokes, the cylindrical spokes and aero bladed spokes being alternatively assembled to the second assembling holes and to the wheel rim; as viewed along an axial direction of the hub shell, every two of the second spokes which are neighboring to each other intersect with each other to define an intersecting area, each first spoke extends and passes through one of the intersecting areas.

A spoke for an at least partially muscle-powered bicycle and wheel including a spoke where the spoke comprises a spoke body with a hub-side, first end and a rim-side, second end and the first end and the second end are remote from one another. The spoke body is elongated and includes at least one first center region disposed closer to the first end than to the second end, and at least one second center region disposed closer to the second end than to the first end. The first center region and in the second center region of the spoke body each include flattened cross-sections substantially accommodated in a longitudinal plane. In the second center region the spoke body is configured more asymmetric than in the first center region.

A transport for material, item or a subject, is described, the transport including a support for the material, item or subject; one or more detachable ground engaging wheels, detachable from the support at a detachable mount; one or more lifts to facilitate lifting the support from ground level to a selected height, the lift being operatively connected to the support and the one or more detachable ground engaging wheels, when the wheels are attached to the support. A collapsible wheel is also described, having a plurality of arcuate segments, each one pivotally connected to adjacent ones at their ends; an adjustable-length flexible spoke connected to opposed or remote ends so that variation of the length of the spoke deploys or stows the collapsible wheel; a spoke length adjuster.

A nonpneumatic tire includes a tread portion, an upper ring, and a plurality of spokes extending radially downward from the upper ring. Each spoke terminates at a lower end having a spoke mount configured to engage a corresponding hub mount. Each spoke is under substantially no tension when the tread portion is not in contact with a ground surface and when each spoke mount is disengaged from its corresponding hub mount. Each spoke is under tension when the tread portion is not in contact with the ground surface and when each spoke mount is engaged with its corresponding hub mount.

An airless tire includes a cylindrical tread ring, a hub and a spoke structure connecting the tread ring and hub. The spoke structure has a tread-side annular component, a hub-side annular component, and spoke plates radially extending from the hub-side to tread-side components, each spoke plate has thickness having first tapered-thickness region, second tapered-thickness region and minimum-thickness region such that the first region radially extending outward has the thickness gradually reducing from first position at which the hub-side component is bonded, the second region radially extending inward has the thickness gradually reducing from second position at which the tread-side component is bonded, and the minimum-thickness region has the minimum thickness between the first and second regions, and the first and second regions are formed such that each of tire radial lengths of the first and second regions is at least 0.05 times a tire radial length of a spoke plate.

A non-pneumatic tire (1) of the present invention includes an attachment body (11) attached to an axle, a ring-shaped body (13) which surrounds the attachment body (11) from the outside in a tire radial direction, and coupling members (15) which displaceably couple the attachment body (11) to the ring-shaped body (13), wherein a plurality of coupling members (15) are arranged in a tire circumferential direction and include elastic coupling plates (21 and 22) whose opposite ends are respectively coupled to the attachment body (11) and the ring-shaped body (13), and a bending rigidity EI1 of the elastic coupling plates (21 and 22) represented by E1W1t1.sup.3/12 when the average thickness in the tire circumferential direction is t1 (mm), the average width in a tire width direction H is W (mm), and the Young's modulus is E1 (MPa) is smaller than the bending rigidity EI2 of the ring-shaped body (13) represented by E2W2t2.sup.3/12 when the average thickness in the tire radial direction is t2 (mm), the average width in the tire width direction H is W2 (mm), and the Young's modulus is E2 (MPa).