The disclosure is directed to a wheel having a rim that is at least partially made from several layers of fiber-reinforced plastic, and a wheel center having multiple spokes extending from a wheel hub, which constitutes an axis of rotation, to the rim in a radial direction. According to the disclosure the rim comprises a rim well extending in transversal direction between an inboard flange and an outboard flange suitable to receive a tire to be mounted thereon. The wheel includes a circumferential collar that extends from the outboard flange radially inwards towards the axis of rotation and that has an outboard collar face that constitutes an aerodynamic surface.

A connection between a face portion (12) and a hub portion (14) of a composite wheel (10). The hub portion (14) comprises a generally disc shaped hub plate (16), and the face portion (12) comprises a plurality of spokes (18). The connection comprises an annular hub ring (22) surrounding the hub plate (16), the hub ring (22) comprising a plurality of layers of reinforcement fibers extending in an at least generally circumferential direction about the hub ring (22). The connection also comprises a first plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers (24) extending in a generally radial direction R relative to an axis of rotation of the wheel (10), and along a front face of each spoke (18), across a front edge (26) and an inner annular surface (28) of the hub ring (22) and across a front face (30) of the hub plate (16); and a second plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers (32) extending in a generally radial direction R along a rear face (33) of each spoke (18), across a rear edge (34) of the hub ring (22) and across a rear face (36) of the hub plate (6). The connection further comprises a third plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers (36), the third plurality of layers (36) of reinforcing fibers overlaying the first and second (1) layers of reinforcing fibers (24, 32), the third plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers 36 extending in a direction between +30 degrees and +60 degrees to the radial direction R; and a fourth plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers (40), the fourth plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers (40) overlaying the first and second layers of reinforcing fibers (24, (32), the fourth plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers (40) extending in a direction (20) between 30 degrees and 60 degrees to the radial direction R.

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.

Herein is described a non-metallic rim for a wheel, the rim comprising: a barrel having first and second flanges extending radially outward from opposing edges of the barrel, and the barrel comprising a first bead seat and a second bead seat arranged axially inwardly, respectively, of the first and second flanges, wherein a primary structural component extends at least through the first flange and the barrel, the primary structural component being capable of bearing the majority of the radial and/or lateral load that, in use, would be borne by the rim a protective insert is disposed between an outer face of the first flange and the primary structural component and/or at least a portion of the first bead seat is spaced apart from the primary structural component and the primary structural component, bead seat and, if present, the protective insert are bound by a polymer matrix.

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.

Disclosed are a composite rim of a vehicle wheel and a method of manufacturing the same, which is reduced in weight through the use of a continuous fiber composite. The rim of a vehicle wheel may be formed by stacking composite sheets, each prepared by impregnating fibers with a resin to form a sheet. The composite sheets may be stacked in multiple layers such that end portions of the respective composite sheets may contact each other in a circumferential direction of the wheel, and discontinuous interfaces, formed at the contacting end portions of the respective composite sheets along an axial direction of the wheel, may not be aligned with each other.