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, which includes a mount configured to mount the wheel to a hub of the vehicle; a colored surface that is hidden from direct view from an outside environment when the wheel is mounted to the hub; and a contoured reflective surface optically aligned to reflect the colored surface into view of the outside environment when the wheel is mounted, thereby appearing to alter a color of the reflective surface.

A color-changeable alloy wheel of a vehicle has an electrochromic paint deposited on the alloy wheel, so that a color of the alloy wheel changes according to a rotational speed thereof. The color-changeable alloy wheel includes: the electrochromic paint deposited on an outer side surface of the alloy wheel, and a current supplied from a battery of the vehicle to the alloy wheel when the rotational speed of the alloy wheel is higher than a predetermined speed, in order to change the color of the alloy wheel.

A method of making a work piece without the use of an auxiliary anode and a work piece created using the method are provided. The work piece includes a main face being generally planar. The work piece also includes a first area comprising a plateable resin configured to be plated using the plating process without the auxiliary anode and having a first current density during the plating process. Additionally, the work piece includes a second area comprising a non-plateable resin configured to not be plated using the plating process without the auxiliary anode. The first area and the second area are determined by a process referencing a predetermined minimum current density value with the first current density being greater than the predetermined minimum current density value.

Apparatus and method for assembling a non-rotating wheel cap. A bearing is seated in either an outer disk of an inner disk as a first assembly step. A weight is in the form of an arc between 90 and 110 degrees and resides in a pocket formed in the outer disk. An adapter disk is attachable to the inner disk to allow customizing for various wheel fitment. A center ornamental portion may be a custom part or may be cut from an original fixed wheel center cap is cut from the fixed center cap, and attached to the outer disk converting the fixed center cap to a non-rotating center cap.

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 caster system, including a housing portion, which includes first and second side walls defining an operational space therebetween and an upper wall including a central bore. A rolling assembly is disposed in the operational space, and is rotatable relative to the housing. The rolling assembly includes an exterior rim formed of a resilient material having at least one coloring agent embedded therein. A vertical connection assembly includes a shaft adapted to be fixed to a furniture article and to extend through the central bore in the upper wall. The housing portion is rotatable about the shaft of the vertical connection assembly. The coloring agent is adapted to be luminescent or phosphorescent in a dark environment.

A color-changeable alloy wheel of a vehicle has an electrochromic paint deposited on the alloy wheel, so that a color of the alloy wheel changes according to a rotational speed thereof. The color-changeable alloy wheel includes: the electrochromic paint deposited on an outer side surface of the alloy wheel, and a current supplied from a battery of the vehicle to the alloy wheel when the rotational speed of the alloy wheel is higher than a predetermined speed, in order to change the color of the alloy wheel.

A caster system, including a housing portion, which includes first and second side walls defining an operational space therebetween and an upper wall including a central bore. A rolling assembly is disposed in the operational space, and is rotatable relative to the housing. The rolling assembly includes an exterior rim formed of a resilient material having at least one coloring agent embedded therein. A vertical connection assembly includes a shaft adapted to be fixed to a furniture article and to extend through the central bore in the upper wall. The housing portion is rotatable about the shaft of the vertical connection assembly. The coloring agent is adapted to be luminescent or phosphorescent in a dark environment.

A vehicle component with a multi-layer paint system and a method for producing the same. The vehicle component has a multi-layer paint system applied to a base body of the vehicle component. The multi-layer paint system has at least a first color-giving coating layer and a second color-giving coating layer covering the first color-giving paint layer. The first color-giving coating layer and the second color-giving coating layer are separated from each other by a light-permeable intermediate coating layer. The second color-giving coating layer is removed in partial areas of the multi-layer paint system, such that the first color-giving coating layer is visible in these partial areas.