A spoke wheel includes a rim for supporting a tire having rim guards, a hub located radially inwardly with respect to the rim, and a plurality of spokes integrally connected with the rim and the hub at outer and inner ends, respectively, and extending radially with respect to the hub; a laterally outer surface of the outer end of each spoke and a laterally outer peripheral edge of the rim are located laterally inwardly with respect to a tip of a laterally outer rim guard; outer ends of main spokes among the spokes are provided with convex portions projecting laterally outwardly and extending in the radial direction, and a lateral position of a laterally outer tip of each convex portion lies in the range between a lateral position of the laterally outer peripheral edge of the rim and a lateral position of the tip of the laterally outer rim guard.

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.

Aerodynamic wheel covers may include a hub assembly coupled with a hub of a large vehicle, such as a truck. A base assembly may be coupled to the hub assembly, and a disk assembly may be coupled with the base assembly such that removal and installation of the disk assembly may be accomplished without tools.

A streamlined tailfin pivotably attached to a shaft-shaped member disposed on a vehicle provides for reduced drag in winds varying in direction impinging thereon.

An aerodynamically optimized drag-reduction means and method for optimal minimization of the drag-induced resistive forces upon a terrestrial vehicle wheel, where the drag-induced resistive moments on wheel surfaces pivoting about the point of ground contact are reduced, and the vehicle propulsive forces needed to countervail the resistive forces on the wheel are reduced. The drag reduction means includes: a streamlined wheel cover positioned on a vehicle to shield the faster moving upper wheel surfaces from headwinds; a streamlined wind-deflecting fairing positioned on a vehicle to shield the faster moving upper wheel surfaces from headwinds; an engine exhaust pipe disposed on a vehicle whereby exhaust gases deflect headwinds to shield the faster moving upper wheel surfaces of an automotive wheel; an automotive spoked wheel having streamlined oval-shaped wheel spokes arranged in one or more rows for greater axial strength; a streamlined tailfin rotatably attached to a wheel spoke, which thereby may pivot about the spoke in response to varying crosswinds; and a tire having streamlined tread blocks arranged in an aerodynamic pattern.

A spoke tension adjustment tool has a longitudinally elongated body with a central longitudinal cavity configured to house an end portion of a spoke. The housing has a longitudinal slit that allows the end portion of the spoke to enter the longitudinal cavity. The longitudinally elongated body has a grip portion and a shaped end portion configured to couple with a stem of a spoke attachment element. The shaped end portion is smaller than the grip portion and smaller than the diameter of a rim spoke attachment hole in which the stem is inserted.

An aerodynamic bicycle rim, the bicycle rim comprising a circumferential clincher portion adapted to seat a clincher bicycle tire, a nose a set of sidewalls, each sidewall extending radially from the nose to a respective circumferential outer edge to form a rim body having a maximum rim body width that is greater than a maximum width of the clincher bicycle tire and spaced radially inward of the clincher portion and radially outward from a centerline of the rim body. The aerodynamic bicycle rim seats the clincher bicycle tire to form an asymmetrical cross-sectional shape in which the widest part of the rim body is spaced from a centerline of the asymmetrical cross-sectional shape and there is a tangent line tangent to the clincher bicycle tire and a sidewall of the set of sidewalls, the tangent line tangent to the sidewall radially inward from the respective circumferential outer edge.

The present disclosure is directed to a wheel cover that is coupled to a wheel of a vehicle utilizing a mounting assembly that has a bearing block. A retainer assembly in combination with the bearing block of the mounting assembly allows the wheel cover to be coupled to the wheel in a manner such that the wheel cover does not rotate with the forward and backward rotation of the wheel when the vehicle is being driven. The wheel cover covers the wheel and partially covers a gap or space between a tire of the wheel and a fender of the vehicle, which increases the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle. The retainer assembly provides at least one degree of freedom such that the wheel cover may move with the wheel when steering the vehicle in a leftward direction and a rightward direction.

Methods for fabricating composite wheel assemblies are described, as well as the composite wheel assemblies being fabricated. The composite wheel assemblies may include multiple formed components that are joined together at one or multiple locations within the wheel assemblies, or may be fabricated as a castable wheel. The composite wheel assemblies may be fabricated from reinforced plastic and/or a metal.

There is provided a wheel device for a vehicle including: a wheel having an opening formed between adjacent spokes; a brake mechanism located inside the wheel in a vehicle width direction and having a brake caliper and a brake rotor; and an arc portion extending in a circular direction in the opening and suspended between the adjacent spokes. The arc portion has a recessed portion recessed outward in the vehicle width direction inside thereof in the vehicle width direction, and the arc portion and the brake caliper are located at such positions that they overlap with each other in a state viewed in the vehicle width direction.