Reinforced composite rim
View Patent ↗A composite rim including a reinforcing assembly is provided. The composite rim includes a first sidewall portion, a second sidewall portion, a radially outer portion and a reinforcing assembly. The radially outer portion includes a radially outwardly-facing tire-engaging surface. The reinforcing assembly is disposed proximate the tire-engaging surface and includes a reinforcer and a containment member for containing the reinforcer. The reinforcer has an axis extending circumferentially about the composite rim and is configured to reinforce the composite rim in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of the reinforcer.
1. A composite rim comprising:
a first sidewall portion;
a second sidewall portion;
a radially outer portion that includes a radially outwardly-facing tire-engaging surface and one of first and second crown portions and first and second bead portions;
a reinforcing assembly disposed at one of the first and second crown portions and the first and second bead portions; and
a plurality of fiber-reinforced sheets sandwiching the reinforcing assembly, the reinforcing assembly including:
a reinforcer having an axis extending circumferentially about the composite rim, the reinforcer comprising a bundle of fibers, and
a containment member for containing the bundle of fibers of the reinforcer, the containment member including a thread woven about the bundle of fibers of the reinforcer,
the reinforcing assembly configured to reinforce the composite rim in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of the reinforcer, wherein the thread is stitched through the fiber-reinforced sheets for mechanically coupling the fiber-reinforced sheets and the bundle.
2. The composite rim of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fiber-reinforced sheets are shaped to form a pocket for receiving the bundle, the fiber-reinforced sheets stitched to enclose the bundle within the pocket.