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A pneumatic wheels cover comprises an arc-shaped member sized and shaped to fit at least over a portion of the outer rim edge, the cover extending at least from the edge over an outer most portion of the rim which, in use, is exposed; and the cover further comprises a bend around the edge to secure the cover onto the rim edge.

12. A pneumatic wheels cover comprising an arc shaped member sized and shaped to fit in use at least over a portion of an outer rim edge of a wheel rim, the coyer extending at least from the edge over an outermost portion of the rim which, in use, is exposed; the cover further comprising a bend around the edge to secure the cover onto the rim edge.

13. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, further comprising clamping means to clamp the cover onto the rim.

14. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the cover comprises clamping means, the arc shaped member is in the form of a circle, the circle has a gap between two circle, end pieces and the clamping means includes a mechanism for immobilising the two end pieces relative to one another, thereby clamping the cover onto the rim in use.

15. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the inner surface of the cover is a layer with low abrasion properties compared to conventional steel.

16. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the inner surface of the cover has relatively high friction properties and the outside of the cover has relatively low friction properties.

17. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the arc shaped member includes end portions which are drawn together by a mechanism which is supported on two plates located within the arc and separated by a gap.

18. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the arc shaped member includes end portions which are drawn together by a mechanism which is supported on two plates located within the arc and separated by a gap, and both the arc shaped member and the plates incorporate inner surfaces with low abrasion properties.

19. A pneumatic wheels cover according to claim 12, wherein the arc shaped member includes end portions which are drawn together by a mechanism which is supported on two plates located within the arc shaped member and separated by a gap, and o tongue located on one of the plates cooperates with a loop located on the other plate in order to align the end portions.

20. A kit of pneumatic wheels covers in which each pneumatic wheels cover is according to claim 12.

21. A kit of pneumatic wheels covers in which each pneumatic wheels cover is according to claim 12, and the covers are of varying sizes and are colour coded according to their sizes.
Description

The invention relates to pneumatic wheels covers and kits of pneumatic wheels covers.

[0004]In its broadest independent aspect, the invention provides a pneumatic wheels cover comprising: an arc shaped member sized and shaped to fit at least over a portion of the outer rim edge, the cover extending at least from the edge over an outermost portion of the rim which, in use, is exposed; and the cover further comprises a bend around the edge to secure the cover onto the rim edge.

[0005]This combination of features is particularly advantageous because it protects the edge of the rim from scratching during the operation of removing the tyre from the rim. It also does not interfere with the removal of the tyre so that conventional automatic tyre changers may be used. This cover may also be used for the manual removal of tyres from the rim, if necessary, as it will offer improved protection of the outer rim. It will avoid having to recoat rims which are damaged during the conventional tyre removal process.

[0006]In a subsidiary aspect in accordance with the invention’s broadest independent aspect, the pneumatic wheels cover further comprises clamping means to clamp the cover onto the rim. In this configuration, the pneumatic wheels cover can be prevented from rotating about the rim which could otherwise cause undue wear and tear to the cover itself as well as to the protected rim.

[0007]In a further subsidiary aspect, the arc forms a circle where the circle has a gap between two circle end pieces and the cover incorporates a mechanism for immobilising the two end pieces relative to one another, thereby clamping the cover onto the rim. This method of clamping is particularly advantageous because it removes any requirement for clamping to, for example, external surfaces such as the tyre changing machinery or the wheel itself.

[0008]In a further subsidiary aspect, the inner surface of the cover is a layer with low abrasion properties compared to conventional steel. This configuration will provide the inner surface with sufficiently low abrasion to avoid any scratching of the edge whilst the cover is in place.

[0009]In a further subsidiary aspect, the inner surface of the cover has relatively high friction properties and the outside of the cover has relatively low friction properties. This may, for example, be achieved by employing rubber in the inside surface and steel on the outside surface so that the removing head of a tyre changer may be freely displaced against the cover on the outside whilst the cover itself is immobilised due to the high friction of an inside layer against the rim edge.

[0010]In a further subsidiary aspect, the invention provides a kit of pneumatic wheels covers according to any of the preceding aspects.

[0011]The provision of a kit will allow a particular fitter to employ a range of covers to correspond with a range of rim sizes.

[0012]In a further subsidiary aspect, the covers are of varying sizes and are colour-coded according to their sizes. This will allow the tyre fitter to immediately find which wheel cover to employ for a given rim. These features will be particularly beneficial when considering that in the field of wheel fitters any improvement to the rapidity of a fitter being able to find the appropriate tool will allow greater efficiencies to be achieved.

[0013]In a further subsidiary aspect, end portions of the arc are drawn together by a mechanism which is supported on two plates located within the arc and separated by a gap.

[0014]In a further subsidiary aspect, both the arc and the plates incorporate inner surfaces with low abrasion properties.

[0015]In a further subsidiary aspect, a tongue located on one of the plates cooperates with a loop located on the other plate in order to align the end portions of the arc.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels includes a one-piece backbone wheel cast from a light-weight metal. The backbone wheel includes a generally cylindrical wheel rim adapted to carry a vehicle tire, and a wheel disc backbone extending across the wheel rim. The wheel disc backbone is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle. A styled plastic wheel face is moulded on at least a portion of the wheel disc backbone.

A vehicle’s pneumatic wheels comprising:

a one-piece universal backbone wheel cast from a light-weight metal, said wheel adapted to be mounted upon a plurality of vehicles, said wheel comprising a generally cylindrical wheel rim adapted to carry a vehicle tire, said wheel rim having an outboard end and an inboard end, said wheel rim including a deep well formed between said outboard and inboard ends, said deep well defining a deep well wall which is adjacent to said outboard end of said wheel rim, said wheel also having a central hub supported within said rim by a plurality of radically extending spokes, said spokes having a generally accurate shape with one end of each spoke terminating upon said hub and the other end of each spoke terminating on said deep well wall whereby the spoke forms a generally radial arch between said hub and said deep well wall and the amount of material included in an outboard wheel sidewall is minimized while providing sufficient strength to support a vehicle; and

a styled plastic pneumatic wheel face moulded directly upon at least a portion of said wheel disc, such that said styled plastic wheel face provides a pleasing esthetic appearance to the wheel.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 1 wherein the backbone wheel includes an outboard tire bead retaining flange and the plastic wheel face extends over the flange.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 2 wherein the backbone wheel includes a wheel hub and the plastic wheel face extends over the wheel hub.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 3 wherein The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels is at least about 20% reduced in weight compared to A vehicle’s pneumatic wheels having the same shape but cast totally from the light-weight metal instead of having the plastic wheel face.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 4 wherein the cast wheel disc backbone is varied in thickness such that it includes relatively thin portions which are at least about 30% thinner than relatively thick portions of the wheel disc backbone.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 5 wherein the relatively thin portions are at least about 50% thinner than the relatively thick portions.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 6 wherein the backbone wheel is universal in configuration such that it is adapted to be mounted on a plurality of different types of vehicle.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 7 wherein the backbone wheel includes a plurality of backbone spokes extending between the wheel hub and the wheel rim, the backbone spokes having a thickness of not greater than about 1.5 inches.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 8 wherein the backbone spokes have a thickness of not greater than about 1 inch.

A vehicle’s pneumatic wheels comprising:

a one-piece universal backbone wheel cast from a light-weight metal, said wheel adapted to be mounted upon a plurality of vehicles, said wheel comprising a generally cylindrical wheel rim adapted to carry a vehicle tire, the wheel rim having an outboard end and an inboard end, said wheel rim including a deep well formed between said outboard and inboard ends, said deep well defining a deep well wall which is adjacent to said outboard end of said wheel rim, said wheel also having a central hub supported within said rim by a plurality of radically extending spokes, said spokes having a generally accurate shape with one end of each spoke terminating upon said hub and the other end of each spoke terminating on said deep well wall whereby the spoke forms a generally radial arch between said hub and said deep well wall to minimize the amount of metal utilized to form the wheel while providing sufficient strength to support a vehicle; and

a styled plastic wheel face moulded directly upon at least a portion of said wheel disc and the outboard end of the wheel rim, the plastic wheel face forming a plastic flange on the outboard end of the wheel rim, such that said styled plastic wheel face provides a pleasing aesthetic appearance to the wheel.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 10 wherein the plastic wheel face is metal-plated on an outboard surface of the plastic wheel face.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 11 wherein the wheel hub is covered by the plastic wheel face.

The vehicle’s pneumatic wheels defined in claim 12 wherein the backbone wheel is universal in configuration such that it is adapted to be mounted on a plurality of different types of vehicle.

A method of producing a vehicle comprising:

(a) casting a one-piece universal backbone wheel from a light-weight metal, the wheel adapted to be mounted upon a plurality of vehicles, the backbone wheel comprising a generally cylindrical wheel rim adapted to carry a vehicle tire, said wheel rim having an outboard end and an inboard end, said wheel rim including a deep well formed between said outboard and inboard ends, said deep well defining a deep well wall which is adjacent to said outboard end of said wheel rim, said wheel also having a central hub supported within said rim by a plurality of radically extending spokes, said spokes having a generally accurate shape with one end of each spoke terminating upon said hub and the other end of each spoke terminating on said deep well wall whereby the spoke forms a generally radial arch between said hub and said deep well wall and the amount of material included in an outboard wheel sidewall is minimized while providing sufficient strength to support a vehicle; and

(b) moulding a styled plastic wheel face directly upon at least a portion of the wheel disc, such that the styled plastic wheel face provides a pleasing aesthetic appearance to the wheel.

The method defined in claim 14 comprising an additional step, between steps (a) and (b), of machining the casting.

The method defined in claim 15 comprising an additional step, after moulding the wheel face in step (b), of curing the plastic.
The method defined in claim 16 comprising an additional step, after curing the plastic, of chrome-plating the plastic wheel face.

The method defined in claim 17 wherein the pneumatic wheel disc backbone is cast having a varying thickness such that it includes relatively thin portions which are at least about 30% thinner than relatively thick portions of the wheel disc backbone.

The method defined in claim 18 wherein the cast backbone pneumatic wheel has an outboard end and an inboard end, and wherein method step (b) comprises moulding the plastic wheel face on the wheel disc backbone and the outboard end of the wheel rim such that the plastic wheel face forms a plastic flange on the outboard end of the wheel rim.

The present invention generally relates to machine skate wheels, and particularly to wheels of the type utilizing a pneumatic tire.

There are two basic types of wheels for machine skates, including the solid wheel and the pneumatic wheels. Disclose conventional machine skates of the in-line type and double-line type, respectively, which are provided with solid wheels formed of rubber, plastic or other appropriate material. Because of the solid wheel construction, these skates often cause discomfort to skaters, particularly when they are performing maneuvers, such as jumping or other high impact movements, which transmit vibrations from the ground directly to their feet Such skating requires a high level of skill in order to avoid injuries to the feet from shock, which often causes sprains. However, to most skaters, such discomfort and injuries are almost unavoidable.

In order to mitigate the drawbacks of solid wheels, it is known to provide machine skates with wheels formed from pneumatic wheels. Wheels of this type serve as cushions with a shock-absorbing function, an example of which is disclosed by the Taiwan Patent Application Publication No. 81215017. Pneumatic wheels provide greater comfort to the skater and the pressure of the tire may be adjusted to vary skating acceleration. Since a pneumatic wheel is lighter than a comparable solid wheel, the overall weight of the skate is reduced, particularly if the skate requires four or more wheels.

The tire of a pneumatic machine skate wheel is installed on a wheel rim in a manner similar to the tires of conventional vehicles, such as automobiles or motorcycles. Such vehicle tires are constructed to resist deformation under pressure and thereby assure safety while the vehicle is moving straight or around a turn. However, because machine skates are subjected to a greater variety of movements, such as jumping, accelerating and landing on the ground at various angles, there exits the possibility that the tire may fall off the wheel rim and thereby cause injury to the skater. Moreover, a skater can travel at a speed of around 30-40 miles per hour, a speed which is quite high and imparts a rolling speed to the wheels that is at least five times that of automobile or motorcycle wheels. When skate wheels roll at this high speed, the centrifugal force generated may result in deforming the pneumatic tire of the machine skates wheel and pose potential danger to the operator.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cushioned wheel assembly for machine skates which provides a shock buffering and absorbing function during skating.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved machine skate wheel assembly having a pneumatic tire which resists deformation and detachment from the wheel rim during all skating movements, thereby enhancing safety to the operator.

These and other objects of the invention are realized by providing an improved skate wheel assembly which includes an annular bearing frame defined by an inner circumferential bearing seat, an outer circumferential tire rim and a radially extending circumferential bridge portion connecting the bearing seat and wheel rim. A pneumatic tire is mounted on the tire rim and an outer covering layer is molded around the tire and bearing frame to form an integrated wheel assembly. A plurality of bearings are installed in a central circular passage defined by the bearing seat and a wheel shaft is rotatably supported through the bearings.

Further embodiments of the invention include providing the outer covering layer with a reinforcing filler material, providing the tire with circumferentially spaced annular grooves which may also be provided with reinforcing filler material, mounting the tire to a sectionalized tire rim whereby substantially the entire tire is exposed in the wheel assembly, and providing the tire with a check valve for inflating the same.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

A machine skate wheel includes a gas-filled tire tube that is secured to the tire rim of a bearing frame by molding a cover layer around the tube and frame to form an integrated wheel assembly which provides buffering and shock-absorbing functions during skating.

a) and annular-shaped bearing frame including a tire rim, a bearing seat having a central passage therethrough for receiving a bearing and wheel shaft assembly, and a bridge portion connecting the tire rim and bearing seat, the bridge portion including a plurality of spaced holes formed therein;

b) a tire element mounted on the tire rim;

c) a combination comprising a cover layer molded around the tire element, the combination being further engaged within the spaced holes of the bridge portion to form a strong integrated wheel assembly comprised of the bearing frame, bridge portion, tire element and cover layer.

2. The machine skates wheel assembly of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the cover layer includes a filler material embedded therein for imparting structural strength to the wheel assembly.

3. The machine skates wheel assembly of claim 1 wherein the tire tube is filled with at least a non-air molecular gas.

4. The machine skates wheel assembly of claim 1 wherein the tire tube includes a check valve for introducing a pressurized fluid into the tube.

5. The machine skates wheel assembly of claim 4 wherein the check valve is made of resilient material.

6. The machine skates wheel assembly of claim 4 further including a valve seat provided on the tire tube and the check valve is a one-way valve secured to the valve seat.

7. The machine skates wheel assembly of claim 1 further including means for balancing the rotation of the wheel assembly.

8. The machine skates wheel assembly of claim 7 wherein the balancing means includes a plurality of spaced recesses on opposite sides of the wheel assembly and a filler assembly disposed within the recesses.

9. The machine skates wheel assembly of claim 1 wherein the tire tube includes a plurality of spaced annular grooves.

10. The machine skates wheel assembly of claim 9 further including a filler material disposed within the annular grooves for enhancing the structural strength of the tube.

11. The machine skates wheel assembly of claim 1 wherein the tire tube is pre-pressurized with a fluid prior to the molding of the cover layer therearound.

12. The machine skates wheel assembly of claim 11 wherein the fluid includes at least a non-air molecular gas.

13. A skate wheel assembly comprising:

a) an annular-shaped bearing frame including a tire rim, a bearing seat having a central passage therethrough for receiving a bearing and wheel shaft assembly and a bridge portion connecting the tire rim and bearing seat, the bridge portion including a plurality of spaced holes formed therein;

b) a tire element mounted on the tire rim;

c) a cover layer molded around the tire element, the tire rim, the bridge portion and into the spaced holes of the bridge portion to form a strong integrated wheel assembly comprised of the bearing frame, tire element and cover layer.
Description