A bicycle rim printing apparatus comprises a non-contact printer to print a non-contact printed deposit to an annular rim body, a rim holder to hold the annular rim body, and a rotational actuator to rotate the rim holder relative to the non-contact printer about a rotational axis.

The step being performed in a state where a wheel body is fixed to be prevented from rotating around a rotation axis while a cutting edge of a cutting tool is in contact with the three-dimensional shape surface of the design surface in the wheel body, the cutting tool being three-dimensionally and continuously moved relatively along the three-dimensional shape surface while being changed in direction with respect to the three-dimensional shape surface to allow a rake face of the cutting tool to face a tool travel direction to perform three-dimensional continuous cutting processing that allows a specular glossy surface to be automatically formed in the three-dimensional shape surface, the specular glossy surface being finished into a processed surface having a high metallic gloss property by exposing the base metal.

A metal workpiece, such as a wheel, and a method of providing an enhanced corrosion resistant surface coating on an exposed surface of a metal or alloy substrate (such as magnesium). A corrosion resistance basecoat is formed, including generating an oxide layer, and applying a first primer coating onto at least a portion of the oxide layer. The method may further include identifying highest corrosion prone areas on the substrate and designing a support rack that avoids contact with these corrosion prone areas. The method also includes forming a topcoat over at least a portion of the basecoat, by applying a second primer coating onto at least a portion of the first primer coating and depositing a sputtered metallic film onto the second primer coating using a physical vapor deposition technique. A clear coat layer may be applied over the metallic film.

A wheel design face in a three-dimensional shape is decorated only with a two-dimensional move of one of a discharge nozzle and a holding member, and inclination of the other one of the discharge nozzle and the holding member.

A vehicle wheel decoration method includes a setting step of detachably holding a wheel body in the holding member such that the wheel design face faces the discharge nozzle, and a decoration step of forming a decorative layer on the wheel design face by discharging paint from a discharge opening of the discharge nozzle toward the wheel design face while relatively moving the discharge nozzle in two directions which extend along the wheel design face and cross each other with respect to the wheel design face of the wheel body held in the holding member, and, in the decoration step, the wheel body is relatively inclined in a direction which crosses moving directions toward the two directions by a relative move of one of the discharge nozzle and the holding member or relative moves of both of the discharge nozzle and the holding member, and the discharge opening of the discharge nozzle is relatively moved in the two directions along the wheel design face, a distance from the discharge opening to the wheel design face falling within a predetermined range.

A marked wheel rim is provided, including: a rim body and a mark. The rim body includes an outer surface. The mark is embedded on the outer surface and includes an outer peripheral edge adjacent to the rim body. The outer peripheral edge is non-protrusive beyond the outer surface. A method for manufacturing the marked wheel rim is further provided.

The step being performed in a state where a wheel body is fixed to be prevented from rotating around a rotation axis while a cutting edge of a cutting tool is in contact with the three-dimensional shape surface of the design surface in the wheel body, the cutting tool being three-dimensionally and continuously moved relatively along the three-dimensional shape surface while being changed in direction with respect to the three-dimensional shape surface to allow a rake face of the cutting tool to face a tool travel direction to perform three-dimensional continuous cutting processing that allows a specular glossy surface to be automatically formed in the three-dimensional shape surface, the specular glossy surface being finished into a processed surface having a high metallic gloss property by exposing the base metal.

A bicycle rim printing apparatus comprises a non-contact printer to print a non-contact printed deposit to an annular rim body, a rim holder to hold the annular rim body, and a rotational actuator to rotate the rim holder relative to the non-contact printer about a rotational axis.

A vehicle wheel assembly includes a wheel. A tire is disposed around the wheel. A wheel cap is coupled to the wheel and includes a polymeric base. A substantially transparent cap is positioned on the base which defines a first surface and a second surface. The second surface integrally defines an optical grating.

A bicycle rim comprises a tire-attachment portion, an inner peripheral portion, a first side portion, a second side portion, and a first non-contact printed deposit. The inner peripheral portion is provided radially inwardly from the tire-attachment portion with respect to a rotational center axis of the bicycle rim. The first side portion includes a first curved surface. The first non-contact printed deposit is at least partly provided on the first curved surface. A first tangential line is defined on the first curved surface in which the first non-contact printed deposit is provided. A first surface angle is defined by the first tangential line and a reference plane perpendicular to the rotational center axis. The first surface angle is larger than 30 degrees.

A marked wheel rim is provided, including: a rim body and a mark. The rim body includes an outer surface. The mark is embedded on the outer surface and includes an outer peripheral edge adjacent to the rim body. The outer peripheral edge is non-protrusive beyond the outer surface. A method for manufacturing the marked wheel rim is further provided.