Centreless wheel

A centreless wheel (also known as a hubless wheel, spokeless wheel, orbital wheel, or rim-rider) is a wheel with no center.

More specifically, the axle is hollow and follows the wheel at very close tolerances. The hubless wheel was invented by Franco Sbarro (who has built a variety of working hubless wheel vehicles, including at least two motorcycles and a car, the 1989 Sbarro Osmos), and patented by Globeholding of Geneva.

Although hubless wheels are striking in appearance, their numerous practical disadvantages have precluded their widespread use as an alternative to conventional wheels. They are difficult and expensive to manufacture, requiring a great deal of precision machining, and the design leaves the bearings and other critical parts largely exposed to the elements. The drive system is especially problematic since a conventional axle and constant-velocity joint cannot be used; options include using a chain or belt drive.

Examples

Tron: Legacy light cycle

One real-life example of hubless wheels are those used in the replica Tron: Legacy light cycle. The illuminated, street-legal motorcycle was sold through Hammacher Schlemmer, inspired by the computer-animated vehicle from the 2010 film Tron: Legacy. Designed for casual cruising and slow ride-bys at shows, it is made from a steel frame covered by a fiberglass cowling that replicates the sleek look of its computer-generated imagery counterpart.

Electroluminescent wire strips built into the tire cowlings, wheel rims, and body illuminate the cycle. It is powered by a fuel-injected Suzuki 996 cc (60.8 cu in) 4-stroke engine. Riders lie at a near-horizontal position astride the padded leather seat, with feet on foot pegs that control its 6-speed constant-mesh manual transmission and hands on the handlebars for throttle and braking. The hubless wheels are former truck tires built up then custom-shaped to fit onto one of two counter-rotating rims spinning within each other, providing the broad-tired authenticity of the computer cycles from the movie.

Skatecycle

The Skatecycle is a device similar to a caster board but with 9" hubless wheels and a 2-axis twisting axle replacing the function of the casters. The central axle connects the two standing platforms surrounded by 9" polyurethane hubless wheels, giving them the appearance of stirrups. In order to move the unit, the rider rotates their feet inwards and outwards, creating a wave-like motion in the hinged frame and providing propulsion. In recognition of the novel design, the Skatecycle received the Bronze 2010 IDSA IDEA award in the transportation category.[1]

Zero Bike

Another example of a hubless vehicle is the Zero Bike, a lightweight hubless bicycle whose non-functional prototype won an Industrial Design Excellence Award in 1991.[2] Designed by then-ArtCenter College of Design students Makota Makita and Hiroshi Tsuzaki, it is based on the principle of magnetic superconductivity, also used in high-speed trains that are suspended above rails.

Ujet

Ujet[3] electric scooter is mass produced in Luxembourg since 2018, featuring front and rear orbital wheels connected to a frame with torsion suspension system, and in-wheel electric motor. Such setup is communicated to benefit from minimal energy loss in transmission. In 2019 Ujet won both iF Gold[4] and Red Dot[5] awards for its design.

Orbital wheel

The orbital wheel was designed in 1990 by Dominique Mottas of the French Osmos company in an attempt to reduce the number of moving parts by removing the center shaft and hub of the wheel and relying upon a circular or star-shaped framework inside the wheel to support it instead. The orbital wheel was created by using two circular bearings inserted inside of each other. The inner bearing provides steering, support, and attachment to the frame. The outer bearing consists of a tire with a brake ring also fixed in. Some of the advantages seen by this design are more accurate steering, less weight, and enhanced braking.

See also

References
  1. "Alon Karpman's TRON Inspired Skatecycle". Core77. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  2. "A Bicycle Far Ahead Of the Pack", New York Times, 29 August 1991
  3. https://ujet.com
  4. https://ifworlddesignguide.com/search?search=ujet#/page/entry/259245-ujet-electric-mobility-solutions
  5. https://menafn.com/1098305315/Ujet-electric-scooter-wins-Red-Dot-Award-2019
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.