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 sealing strip comprising: a circumferentially elongated rim strip having a radially outwardly facing outboard surface, a radially inwardly facing inboard surface, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge laterally spaced from the first lateral edge; where the rim strip includes an overall lateral width between the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge and a radial thickness between the outboard surface and the inboard surface; and where the radial thickness is variable across the lateral width to include a first lateral region having a first radial thickness and a second lateral region having a second radial thickness, where the first radial thickness is thicker than the second radial thickness. A rim sealing system comprising: a circumferentially elongated rim strip having a radially outwardly facing outboard surface, a radially inwardly facing inboard surface, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge laterally spaced from the first lateral edge; a rim to receive the circumferentially elongated rim strip, where the rim includes a radially outwardly projecting first bead flange, a radially outwardly projecting second bead flange laterally spaced from the first bead flange, and a radially outwardly facing tire bed surface positioned laterally between the first bead flange and the second bead flange, and where the inboard surface of the rim strip circumscribes the tire bed surface; where the rim strip includes an overall lateral width between the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge and a radial thickness between the outboard surface and the inboard surface; and where the radial thickness is variable across the lateral width to include a first lateral region having a first radial thickness and a second lateral region having a second radial thickness, where the first radial thickness is thicker than the second radial thickness. A rim sealing strip comprising: a circumferentially elongated rim strip having a radially outwardly facing outboard surface, a radially inwardly facing inboard surface, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge laterally spaced from the first lateral edge; where the rim strip includes an overall lateral width between the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge and a radial thickness between the outboard surface and the inboard surface; and where the rim strip includes a first lateral region and a second lateral region laterally adjoining the first lateral region; and where the material stiffness of the first lateral region has greater stiffness than the material stiffness of the second lateral region. A rim comprising: a rim, the rim comprising: a radially outwardly facing tire bed surfa

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle wheel is disclosed that includes a cover and a backbone. The cover includes recessed portions and non-recessed portions defining inner surfaces that are spaced about a periphery of the cover, and the backbone defines at least one first support that is configured and positioned for contact with the inner surfaces defined by the recessed portions and at least one second support that is configured and positioned for contact with the inner surfaces defined by the non-recessed portions.

A composite wheel assembly and method of construction thereof is provided. The composite wheel assembly includes a lightweight annular aluminum barrel having an inner surface and an outer surface configured to support a tire thereon. A lightweight metal central hub assembly is fixed to the barrel. The metal central hub assembly includes a central hub portion and plurality of support spokes extending outwardly from the central hub portion to free ends, wherein the free ends are fixed to the inner surface of the aluminum barrel. A wheel cladding contrasting in at least one of material type, color, texture and surface finish to an outwardly facing surface the central hub assembly is fixed to the outwardly facing surface of the central hub assembly.

A wheel for a vehicle comprises a rim to support a tire and a wheel disc connected to the rim and configured to engage an axle hub of a vehicle. The wheel disc comprises one or more spokes extending outwardly from a center section of the wheel disc to the rim, each spoke being formed by a substantially planar curbside spoke member and a substantially planar inside spoke member, The curbside and inside spoke members are oriented transversely to each other and to a portion of the center section lying between the curbside and inside spoke members to define a triangle. A plane of the triangle is substantially parallel to a center axis of symmetry of the disc.

Disclosed herein are systems and techniques for producing complex components using a reinforced thermoplastic material. The complex components can include contoured or curved outer surfaces, and in some cases define a cavity. In certain examples, one or more thermoplastic materials are arranged to form a wheel component, such as that adapted to define a rim of the bicycle. Thermal bonding can be used to join multiple reinforced thermoplastic materials to one another in order to form a cavity of the wheel component or other complex shape. In certain examples, a portion of a tooling assembly can be pressurized to maintain a shape of the cavity during thermal bonding and cooling. This can remove the need for a sacrificial bladder or other structure that would maintain the shape of the cavity, allowing for a seamless final component, optionally absent indicia of bladder exit or other seams.

A wheel assembly for a vehicle includes a face portion and a rim portion. The face portion is formed from an alloy and defines a plurality of spokes extending radially outwardly between a central portion and a proximal bead element. The rim portion is formed of a composite material that defines an annular wall extending between the proximal bead element and a distal bead element. The face portion defines a mating member that is disposed in mating engagement with a rim seat defined by the rim portion. The mating member and the rim seat define a receptor for receiving a pin with said pin including shear resistors oriented to counteract shear forces F between said face portion and the rim portion.

A wheel hub includes an inner hub part made of a first material and comprising a central portion formed to protrude in an axially inward direction and a flange portion formed to extend in a radially outward direction from the central portion; and an outer hub part made of a second material, which is lower in strength and lighter in weight than the first material, and configured to be integrally coupled with the inner hub part. The flange portion comprises a plurality of main extended portions in which a plurality of fastening holes are formed to penetrate in an axial direction while being arranged to be spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction so that a wheel is mounted to the flange portion. The plurality of main extended portions are formed to extend along a plurality of virtual extension reference lines which extend in the radially outward direction.

A sensing device for vehicle includes a housing having an opening formed at one side thereof; a sensing part disposed inside the housing and configured to sense wheel-related information to generate a signal; an insert on which the sensing part is mounted and disposed in the housing through the opening; at least one connection part connected to the sensing part so as to supply power to the sensing part or to transmit the signal from the sensing part; a body coupled to the housing and formed of a first material such that a portion of the insert is embedded in the body; and a filling material provided to fill an inner space of the housing therewith and formed of a second material different from the first material.

The present disclosure is directed to a device and a method of using the device. The device includes a substantially circular ring dimensioned to extend around an outer flange of an automobile rim, the substantially circular ring comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, an adhesive that covers at least a portion of the first surface and a first post extending substantially orthogonally from the first surface of the substantially circular ring, the first post configured to extend into a space between the outer flange and an automobile tire.