Rim for a mountain bike

Abstract

A rim for a mountain bike is provided, including a rim body having a rim well, a rim base and two lateral rim flanks and a hollow space device with a hollow space. A width of the rim body is larger than 30 mm. The hollow space device of the rim body is radially outwardly limited by the rim well and laterally and radially inwardly, by an inner enclosing wall including the rim base and the rim flanks. The radially inwardly enclosing wall forms an internal wall that is substantially closed, apart from the nipple accommodations. The rim well includes a plurality of recesses having a surface proportion of at least 10% of a surface of the rim well.

Claims

1. A rim for an at least partially muscle-powered bicycle comprising: a rim body having a rim well, a rim base and two lateral rim flanks; and a hollow space device with a hollow space; wherein the hollow space device of the rim body is radially outwardly limited by the rim well and laterally and radially inwardly by an inner enclosing wall comprising at least one of the rim base and the rim flanks, wherein a width of the rim body is larger than 30 mm, the radially inwardly enclosing wall forms an internal wall that is substantially closed, apart from the nipple accommodation, and that the rim well comprises a plurality of recesses having a surface proportion of at least 20% of a surface of the rim well.

2. The rim according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of nipple accommodations for receiving spoke nipples is disposed in the radially inner enclosing wall distributed over the circumference.

3. The rim according to claim 1, wherein the rim well is provided with nipple passages aligned with the nipple accommodations to allow to insert spoke nipples from the outside into the nipple accommodations.

4. The rim according to claim 1, wherein rim flanges are provided.

5. The rim according to claim 1, wherein the rim flanks make a radially outwardly transition to the rim flanges.

6. The rim according to claim 1, wherein the rim well comprises laterally adjacent to the rim flanks, a support section each, for a tire and a center region between the support sections.

7. The rim according to claim 1, wherein the hollow space device extends in the lateral direction until radially beneath the support sections.

8. The rim according to claim 1, wherein the center region forms a circumferential groove.

9. The rim according claim 1, wherein the support sections are configured as continuous, circumferential stems.

10. The rim according claim 1, wherein non-round and/or polygonal recesses are provided.

11. The rim according to claim 1, wherein at least one recess has rounded corners.

12. The rim according to claim 1, wherein at least one recess is configured as a through hole.

13. The rim according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the rim well is formed by recesses with support stems disposed in between.

14. The rim according to claim 1, wherein at least one recess has a wall thickness of the rim well that is at least 20% less than that of a support stem of the rim well.

15. The rim according to claim 1, wherein a width of the rim body is more than twice the size of a radial extension from the inner surface of the rim base to a radially outermost point of the rim body.

16. The rim according to claim 1, wherein a rim width of the rim body is larger than 30 mm.

17. A wheel comprising a rim according to claim 1, and a hub that is connected with the rim through a plurality of spokes wherein the spokes are attached by means of spoke nipples disposed in the hollow space of the rim.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages and features of the present invention can be taken from the exemplary embodiments which will be described below with reference to the enclosed figures.

(2) The figures show in:

(3) FIG. 1 a schematic side view of a mountain bike;

(4) FIG. 2 a schematic front view of a rim according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 3 the rim according to FIG. 2 in a perspective view;

(6) FIG. 4 a cross-section of the rim according to FIG. 2;

(7) FIG. 5a-c various configurations of a rim according to the invention;

(8) FIG. 6 another exemplary embodiment of a front view of a rim according to the invention;

(9) FIG. 7 the rim according to FIG. 6 in section;

(10) FIG. 8 an enlarged detail from FIG. 7;

(11) FIG. 9 another exemplary embodiment of a front view of a rim according to the invention;

(12) FIG. 10 the rim according to FIG. 9 in section; and

(13) FIG. 11 an enlarged detail from FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(14) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a mountain bike as the bicycle or two-wheeled vehicle 100. The mountain bike 100 comprises two wheels 101, 102, a front wheel 101 and a rear wheel 102. Furthermore, a frame 103, a suspension fork 104, a rear wheel damper 105, a handlebar 106, and a saddle 107 are provided. The drive 112 is provided by means of pedals and in this case, a chain shifting device respectively derailleur. The front wheel 101 and the rear wheel 102 are each fastened to dropouts 113 on the fork 104 or the frame 103.

(15) FIG. 2 shows a schematic front view of a rim 1 according to the invention. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the rim 1 from FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 represents a pertaining cross-section of the rim 1.

(16) The rim 1 comprises a rim body 2 provided with a hollow space device 7 presently having exactly one hollow space 8. The hollow space 8 is limited radially inwardly and sidewardly by a presently integral, inner enclosing wall 9 consisting of the rim base 4 and the rim flanks 5 and 6.

(17) The hollow space 8 is limited radially outwardly by the rim well 3 in which large-area recesses 10 are provided. The recesses 10 are configured approximately triangular, showing rounded corners. Between recesses 10 support stems 23 are provided forming the supporting portion of the rim well 3.

(18) In the rim base 4, nipple accommodations 12 are configured which serve to receive as a rule conventional spoke nipples, not illustrated. The spoke nipples are mounted by inserting them from the outside through the cutouts 10 into the nipple accommodations 12. Then the nipple body protrudes radially inwardly through the rim base 4, and the nipple head of the spoke nipple is retained in the nipple accommodation in the interior of the hollow space 8. It is possible for the nipple head and/or the nipple accommodation to be configured hemispherical to enable angular alignment of a spoke nipple in the nipple accommodation 12. It is also possible to have a convex outer surface of the spoke nipple head contacting a convex surface of the nipple accommodation to ensure low-friction alignment of the spoke nipple head.

(19) The total width 22 of the rim body 2 in the lateral direction 20 is noticeably larger than a radial thickness 25 of the rim body 2 between the rim base 4 and the radially outermost point of the rim flanks 5, 6 or the rim flanges 15, 16.

(20) FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of the rim 1 according to FIGS. 2 and 3. The hollow space 8 is located between the inner peripheral wall 9 and the outer peripheral wall which is formed by the rim well 3. The inner peripheral wall 9 is formed by the rim base 4 and the rim flanks 5 and 6 following on both sides. The inner peripheral wall 9 is a closed wall that is interrupted only for the nipple accommodations. The rim flanks 5 and 6 make seamless transitions to a rim flange 15 respectively 16.

(21) A total width 22 of the rim 1 is more than twice a radial extension 25 between the inner peripheral surface 24 of the rim base 4 and the radially outermost point 26 at the rim flanges 15 respectively 16. The rim width 27 is somewhat less and corresponds to approximately the width of the hollow space 8.

(22) The rim well 3 comprises in the lateral direction 20 three sections namely, adjacent to the rim flange 15, a support section 17 and adjacent to the rim flange 16, a support section 18. A center region 19 extends between the support sections 17 and 18.

(23) While the support sections 17 and 18 are aligned transverse to the rim flanges 15 and 16 and presently substantially perpendicular to the rim flanges 15 and 16, the center region 19 forms a circumferential groove or a depression along the circumference. The support stems 23 and the recesses 10 in this exemplary embodiment are only located in the center region 19. The support sections 17 and 18 are configured as circumferential stems for supporting a tire. There are no recesses in these sections. Or else it is possible to provide recesses at least up to the possible width 28. Preferably at least minimal circumferential stems 17 and 18 are left immediately next to the rim flanges 15 and 16 to ensure a circumferential tire support. An axial width of the circumferential stems is preferably between the actual wall thickness of the rim flanges and ten times the wall thickness of the rim flanges and in particular between 2 mm and 10 mm.

(24) FIG. 5a shows a rim 1 with circular recesses 10 that are for example bored into the rim well 3. Separate nipple passages 14 are provided which are suitable for passing through spoke nipples to dispose the spoke nipples in the nipple accommodations 12 in the rim base 4 during mounting.

(25) FIG. 5b illustrates a variant where crossing support stems 23 are provided in the rim well 3 of the rim 1, respectively substantially triangular recesses 10 are provided so as to leave cross-type support stems 23.

(26) FIG. 5c shows a variant with recesses 10 disposed evenly distributed over the circumference of the rim 1 and which at the same time also serve to pass spoke nipples through for placing the spoke nipples in the pertaining nipple accommodation 12.

(27) Both in the exemplary embodiment of the rim 1 according to FIGS. 2-4 and in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 a surface proportion of the recesses 10 of the total surface 13 (see FIG. 4) of the rim well 3 is more than 10%. Preferably the surface proportion is >20% and preferably it reaches 30% or 40%. The proportion may in particular with framework-like structures reach 50%, 60%, 70% and much more.

(28) In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5c the surface proportion is determined by the total sum of the surfaces of the recesses 10 relative to the total surface of the rim well 3, which results approximately from the lateral inner distance of the rim flanges 15 and 16 multiplied by the circumference of the rim well 3. The surface proportion of the recesses 10 to the entire peripheral surface is the same as in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5b or FIG. 2, more than 40% and in particular more than 50%. In the peripheral direction the length proportion of the support stems in the center region 19 is preferably more than 3% and in particular more than 5%, and it may be more than 10%. The proportion is preferably less than 70% and in particular less than 50%.

(29) With reference to the FIGS. 6-8 another exemplary embodiment of a rim 1 according to the invention will now be explained, wherein recesses 11 are provided where the wall thickness of the rim well 3 is only reduced while no through holes are present.

(30) Again, the rim body 2 comprises a hollow space 8 of a hollow space device 7. The hollow space 8 is limited radially inwardly by an inner enclosing wall 9 that is formed of the rim flanks 5 and 6 and the rim base 4. The hollow space 8 is limited outwardly by the rim well 3 which in the lateral direction 20 is composed of the lateral support sections 17 and 18 adjacent to the rim flanges 15 and 16 and a center region 19. As in the other exemplary embodiments, a proportion of the width of the center region 19 is more than 60% of the rim width.

(31) In the support sections 17 and 18, circumferential stems are configured having a circumferentially constant wall thickness. In the center region 19 the rim well has recesses 11 and evenly spaced nipple passages 14. The cross-section dimensions of the recesses 11 and the nipple passages 14 may be the same or different. At any rate the nipple passages 14 are provided with through holes while only part of the rim wall is removed for the illustrated recesses 11, thus reducing weight.

(32) It is also possible to provide both recesses 10 and recesses 11 wherein the recesses 10 are provided as through holes and the recesses 11, as cutouts in the rim well wherein part of the wall of the rim well 3 is left in the recesses 11 only.

(33) As illustrated in FIG. 8 which shows an enlargement of the dash-dotted detail from FIG. 7, the regular stem thickness 33 of a support stem 23 or the rim well 3 is reduced by the depth 31 of the recess 11. In this exemplary embodiment the stem thickness 33 may for example be 1.2 mm while the depth of the recesses 11 is approximately 0.5 mm. Or else it is possible to increase the depth 11 and thus to locally further decrease the rim well thickness.

(34) The FIGS. 9-11 show another exemplary embodiment of a rim 1 according to the invention, FIG. 9 showing a front view, FIG. 10, a cross-section of the rim 1, and FIG. 11, the enlarged dash-dotted detail from FIG. 10.

(35) Unlike the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 6-8 the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 9-11 is substantially provided with rectangular recesses 11 where a stem thickness 33 or thickness of the rim well 3 is considerably reduced. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 9-11 only part of the wall thickness is removed in the recesses 11 so that the rim well 3 forms a continuous wall that is perforated only by the nipple passages 14 and optionally a valve passage. The recess corners may be rounded for example for reasons of manufacturing.

(36) Or else it is again possible to combine recesses 10 according to the FIGS. 2-5 with recesses 11 according to FIG. 9 to 11 or according to FIGS. 6-8, so as to obtain for one, recesses 10 as through holes and for another, recesses 11 having reduced wall thicknesses.

(37) In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 9-11 the wall thickness is reduced by the depth 31 in the region of the recesses 11 so that instead of a wall thickness of 1.2 mm, a wall thickness of only 0.7 mm remains. A remaining wall thickness of 0.4 mm or 0.5 mm or 0.6 mm or the like is also possible.

(38) In the exemplary embodiment according to the FIGS. 9-11 the recesses 11 extend over a substantial part of the center region 19. Again, the support sections 17 and 18 are configured as continuous, circumferential stems of even wall thicknesses.

(39) In all the exemplary embodiments various combinations of recesses may be provided. It is in particular also possible to have a stepped or continuous transition of recesses 10 or 11 to support stems 23 or to the lateral support sections 17 and 18. It is possible for the wall thickness to change in steps on one side while on the other side the wall thickness changes continuously, extending over 1 mm length, 5 mm length, or 10 mm length or more.

(40) The invention enables noticeable reduction of the weight of a rim 1 over conventional rims while at the same time achieving increased stability. A rim 1 according to the invention is suitable for use with tubeless tires and ensures high quality.

(41) While a particular embodiment of the present rim for a mountain bike has been described herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in the following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(42) 1 rim 2 rim body 3 rim well 4 rim base 5 rim flank 6 rim flank 7 hollow space device 8 hollow space 9 enclosing wall 10 recess 11 recess 12 nipple accommodation 13 surface 14 nipple grommet 15 rim flange 16 rim flange 17 support section 18 support section 19 center region 20 lateral direction 21 circumferential groove 22 width of 2 23 support stem 24 inner surface of 4 25 radial extension 26 radially outermost point 27 nominal rim width 28 possible width of 10 31 depth of 11 33 thickness of stem 100 mountain bike, bicycle 101 wheel, front wheel 102 wheel, rear wheel 103 frame 104 fork 105 damper 106 handlebar 107 saddle 108 hub 109 spoke 111 brake disk 112 drive 113 dropout