Patents Assigned to Minilite Limited
  • Patent number: 4422490
    Abstract: A vehicle road wheel is disclosed having a safety groove adjacent its outboard rim edge but so as to be within a tire fitted to the wheel and within which a flexible band is fitted so that a tire fitted to the wheel has it outboard bead embraced between the flexible band and the outboard rim edge of the wheel. This enables the the configuration of the wheel rim to be simplified and hence the risk of damaging a tire when fitting it is minimized. The safety groove can be in a tire sealing member of annular form that is held in position around the wheel by inboard and outboard rim parts that are releasably secured together, this sealing member defining the outboard rim edge of the wheel. There are also disclosed, where the sealing member is present, inboard and outboard non-rigid torque transfer bands respectively fitted to the inboard and outboard rim parts and with which the sealing member is engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1983
    Assignee: Minilite Limited
    Inventor: Derek J. Power