US 11,766,893 B2
Wheel component in particular for bicycles
Jean-Paul Victor Ballard, Thalwil (CH); Matthew Jayaraman, Zürich (CH); Simon Hugentobler, Liebefeld (CH); and Martin Walthert, Aarberg (CH)
Assigned to DT SWISS INC., Grand Junction, CO (US)
Filed by DT SWISS INC., Grand Junction, CO (US)
Filed on May 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/320,378.
Claims priority of application No. 102020113270.0 (DE), filed on May 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0354517 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. B60C 3/04 (2006.01); B60C 11/03 (2006.01); B60C 11/24 (2006.01); B60C 13/00 (2006.01); B60C 13/02 (2006.01)
CPC B60C 3/04 (2013.01) [B60C 11/032 (2013.01); B60C 11/24 (2013.01); B60C 13/001 (2013.01); B60C 13/02 (2013.01); B60C 2200/12 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wheel component for at least partially muscle-powered sports and racing bicycles, comprising:
an annular tire and a tread surface configured in a central triangle segment and laterally adjacent side surfaces;
wherein the tread surface in proper use in straight-ahead travel on a plane ground makes at least partial contact with the surface of the ground, opening up a longitudinal sectional plane;
wherein aero elements are configured on the surface of the annular tire;
the aero elements are each configured planar as a depression in the surface of the tire and are disposed on the side surfaces; and define circumferential angular bands on the side surfaces;
wherein each circumferential angular band is defined radially inwardly and radially outwardly by the radial extension of the aero elements;
and that the surface proportion of the aero elements to the surface of an angular band is more than 5% and less than 25%,
and wherein each aero element is configured separately on the surface and wherein a distance from each said aero element to the next said aero element is larger than the maximum dimension of the aero element;
wherein the surface of the circumferential angular band is configured without profile, except for said aero elements;
wherein the surface proportion of the aero elements to the surface of the tire that is visible in proper use, is on the whole more than 2% and less than 8%, and wherein each aero element comprises between 0.01% and 0.1% of the surface of the tire visible in proper use.