Axle shaft assemblies for use with a vehicle include a shaft formed from a first material having a first modulus of elasticity for providing the shaft with a flexibility adapted to withstand side impacts and resist deformation. A first end member can be engaged with a first end of the shaft, and a second end member can be engaged with the second end of the shaft. The end members can be formed from a second material having a second modulus of elasticity greater than the first, such that the end members are adapted to withstand a rotational force. The end members can include splined connectors, hub flanges, and other similar components. The resulting axle shaft assembly can thereby include modular combinations of materials having low and high moduli of elasticity.

A non-pneumatic tire includes an attachment body (11) attached to an axle, an inner tubular body (12) fitted onto the attachment body (11) from the outside, an outer tubular body (13) configured to surround the inner tubular body (12) from the outside in a tire radial direction, and a plurality of connecting members (15) disposed between the inner tubular body (12) and the outer tubular body (13) in a tire circumferential direction and configured to connect both of the tubular bodies (12) and (13) while maintaining relative elastic displacement therebetween, wherein at least one of an outer circumferential section of the attachment body (11) and an inner circumferential section of the inner tubular body (12) that are locked to each other is inclined throughout the circumference in the tire circumferential direction from the outside toward the inside in a tire radial direction as it goes from both of the outsides toward the inside in a tire width direction (H), and is formed in a V shape when seen in a cross-sectional view in the tire width direction (H).

A one-part wheel which is made of fiber composites without interruption of fibers with excellent mechanical properties and with low weight at the same time as well as a process for the manufacture thereof. The wheel has especially a rim well as well as a wheel disk passing over into a wheel flange of the rim well, where the wheel disk is formed at least partly by fiber layers, which run from the rim well over a wheel flange and the wheel disk. The wheel is manufactured by a multipart mold with parts displaceable at least in the axial direction. The mold is completely removed after the deposition of fibers or remains as a lost core in the wheel.

A one-part wheel which is made of fiber composites without interruption of fibers with excellent mechanical properties and with low weight at the same time as well as a process for the manufacture thereof. The wheel has especially a rim well as well as a wheel disk passing over into a wheel flange of the rim well, where the wheel disk is formed at least partly by fiber layers, which run from the rim well over a wheel flange and the wheel disk. The wheel is manufactured by a multipart mold with parts displaceable at least in the axial direction. The mold is completely removed after the deposition of fibers or remains as a lost core in the wheel.

A wheel for use with a bicycle includes a hub for mounting the wheel to a bicycle. The wheel includes a rim about which a tire is mountable and a plurality of spokes that extend between the hub and the rim. The rim and/or one or more of the spokes have a leading and/or trailing edge, at least part of which has an undulating configuration.

A hub for a bicycle wheel includes a hub shell that defines one or more spoke holes. The hub shell includes a fiber reinforced material. The fiber reinforced material has one or more reinforcement fibers bending around the spoke holes to remain continuous around the spoke holes. One or more flanges with the spoke holes extend from the hub shell at an outer radial direction. A clutch or freehub adapter is coupled to the hub shell. Depending on the type of clutch mechanism used in the freehub, different clutch adapters can be incorporated into the hub.

A quick release skewer assembly including a skewer shaft with a first end portion and a second end portion axially spaced from the first end portion, a first clamping element connected to the first end portion with a first grip face, a clamping assembly adjacent the second end portion including an anchor element, and a second clamping element with a second grip face. The first grip face is axially separated from the second grip face by a grip distance. The first clamping element is axially and rotationally engaged to the skewer. The anchor element is threadably connected to the skewer shaft such that the grip distance may be selectively threadably adjusted. The clamping assembly is operative to selectively displace the second grip face in a generally linear and axial direction between: (i) an open orientation where the grip distance is axially expanded and distal; and (ii) a closed orientation where the grip distance is axially contracted and proximal relative to the open orientation.

A wheel carrier mounted on a rear axle body of a vehicle, which wheel carrier comprises a supporting plate and a bearing plate. The supporting plate coincides with a virtual king-pin axis and the properties of the supporting plate are such that the supporting plate may bend around the virtual king-pin axis in the area of a flexible supporting section. The bearing plate comprises a section with such properties that the section is allowed to deflect in a lateral direction of the vehicle. When a lateral force F.sub.lateral and a brake force F.sub.brake are applied to the wheel carrier, e.g. during cornering and braking, the properties of the supporting plate and the bearing plate create lateral force under steer and brake force under steer.

A non-pneumatic wheel having a thermoplastic wheel hub includes a center hub for attachment to a wheel bearing of a vehicle. The center hub has a central shaft aperture extending axially therethough and a plurality of lug apertures spaced radially from and circumferentially about the central shaft aperture. The thermoplastic wheel hub also includes a plurality of ribs extending radially outwardly from the center hub. The thermoplastic wheel hub further includes a cylindrical tire mount connected to the ribs and extending axially in substantially a cylinder for mounting a non-pneumatic tire thereon.

A bicycle wheel rim design with high safety margin and optimized strength-to-weight is described. The rim provides a tire bead supporting platform which defines a circumferential bead seat with minimum bead seat diameter equal to the standard tire bead diameter defined for a particular size of tire. Each tire bead seat defined along the rim circumference is comprised by a pair of circumferential ridges. The circumferential ridges comprise the external sidewalls of the rim and do not include tire bead hook features, and are of optimized sidewall thickness to add load strength and lateral stiffness, and resist crushing from impact. The interior ridges are increased diameter towards the medial plane of the rim to a value greater than the specified tire bead diameter. Given this geometry, the left lateral and right lateral of each tire bead is safely constrained within the defined bead seats under a wide variety of uses.