Abstract:
A wheel assembly for a motorcycle provides two wheel and hub assemblies which are attached together along the outer rim of the mated and aligned hubs, providing a space between the two hubs along the axle for insertion of a brake rotor and brake mechanism within the wheel assembly while also providing the brake fluid flow through axle, partially concealing the brake and rotor within the wheel assembly instead of having the brake rotor and mechanism on the outside of a motorcycle wheel.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   None 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of Invention 
   A wheel assembly for a motorcycle provides two wheel and hub assemblies which are attached together along the outer rim of the mated and aligned hubs, providing a space between the two hubs along the axle for insertion of a brake rotor and brake mechanism within the wheel assembly while also providing the brake fluid flow through axle, partially concealing the brake and rotor within the wheel assembly instead of having the brake rotor and mechanism on the outside of a motorcycle wheel. 
   2. Description of Prior Art 
   The following United States patents were discovered and are disclosed within this application for utility patent. All relate to motorcycle wheels and brake mechanisms. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,400 to Cook discloses a two piece motorcycle wheel having two wheel sections bolted together over an independent rotating spinner component, each wheel component having a hub portion, a rim portion and a spoke portion wherein each wheel section when bolted together forms a complete wheel. A space defined between the two wheel section allows for the independent rotation of a spinner component mounted on an axle to rotate freely between the two wheel sections, freewheeling between the assemble wheel section. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,467 to Kasten provides a counter-rotating brake disc for a motorcycle wheel assembly to cancel out any gyroscopic force created by rotation of the wheels, limit the amount of additional weight required to be added to a motorcycle to cancel these forces and increase control and safety by eliminating the gyroscopic forces, accomplished by having the disclosed wheel providing a wheel assembly having a wheel axle carried by the motorcycle, a brake hub rotatably carried by the wheel axle, a tire hub rotatably carried by the brake hub for carrying a tire, and the brake hub and the tire hub constructed and arranged to rotate opposite by means of a center gear, transfer gear, and ring gear disposed between the brake hub and tire hub to cooperate to rotate the brake hub and tire hub in opposite directions during travel. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,798 to Toson, a disc brake system for a front motorcycle wheel is disclosed, the brake including a peripheral annular disc arranged such that its caliper reaction passes through a fixed axle coaxial with the wheel axis, the caliper mounted to the end of a radial arm rigidly connected to the axle engages the disc when activated, the brake system defining a wheel support, and rim for retaining a tire on an outer surface, a fixed axle upon which the wheel is able to rotate, a coupling means to prevent rotation of the axle with respect to the wheel support, and annular disc surrounding the axle without contact with the axle mounted directly to an inner surface of the rim, and elongated radial arm mounted to the axle and a caliper mounted to the radial arm positioned in a manner allowing engagement with the annular disc. 
   The present wheel assembly is presented for both front and rear wheels of a motorcycle or other wheeled vehicle providing two wheel segments, each forming half of a wheel defining a hub portion, a spoke portion and a rim portion, the rim portion further defining a central connector flange having a plurality of internally threaded bores, the internally threaded bores on each respective flange being aligned to connect each wheel component together forming complete wheel upon which a tire is installed and inflated. A central cavity is defined between the hub portions of the two wheel components, each hub portion further providing a central axle bore for mounting upon a modified axle having a bearing surfaces upon which the central axle bore is installed, the modified fixed axle attached to aligned axle supports of a motorcycle frame. 
   A complete brake assembly may be installed upon the modified fixed axle between the two wheel components in the central cavity, distinguishing the present motorcycle wheel assembly from the prior art by placement of the brake assembly between the spoke portion of the wheel assembly between the two wheel sections, the prior art disclosing the rotor and brake calipers on the outer surfaces of the present motorcycle wheel instead of being contained within a motorcycle wheel. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Motorcycle wheels have primarily gone unchanged since their introduction into the market several years ago. Motorcycle wheels comprise a hub attached to an axle connected to a frame, with spokes emanating from the hub to an outer wheel surface having a perimeter upon which a tire is mounted. The brake rotor is mounted on the outside of the wheel hub and the brake mechanism is supported by the motorcycle frame, most commonly brake calipers that capture the brake rotor, slowing the rotation of the wheel. This occurs on the front and rear wheels of the motorcycle. The only modification to this general wheel assembly occurs in the aesthetics of the spokes or the width of the motorcycle outer wheel surface varied by the width of the tire. The rim brake rotor is on the outside of the wheel, obstructing a portion of the view of the wheel from one side or the other. 
   The present motorcycle wheel provides two sections each defining a hub portion, spoke portion, and rim portion, assembled together along an inner cooperative margin of each wheel segment with mated extending flanges bolted together leaving a space between the two hub segments, allowing for the placement of the brake rotor between the two hub segments for a full view of the wheel from both sides of the wheel. Other components of the brake assembly or perhaps the drive mechanism of the rear wheel may also be placed between the two hub segments in the space provided by this two section wheel assembly. 
   The primary objective of the invention is to provide a two section wheel assembly forming a space between two hub segments within which a brake assembly may be placed to allow a full view of both sides of the wheel assembly for aesthetic purposes. A second objective is to provide the two section wheel assembly to be disassembled for access to the brake assembly for maintenance and repair, and to protect the brake rotor on the brake assembly between the two wheel sections. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The following formal drawings are submitted with this utility patent application. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the subject wheel assembly. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the wheel assembly. 
       FIG. 3  is an inner perspective view of the first wheel component of the wheel assembly with a brake assembly mounted upon the axle. 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of the wheel assembly. 
       FIG. 5  is a top cross-sectional view of the wheel assembly along reference lines  5 / 5  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the wheel assembly including a brake assembly engaged between the two wheel components. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the axle including the brake mounting bracket of the brake assembly with the brake fluid channel in the axle aligned with the brake fluid bore of the brake mounting bracket. 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the axle of the wheel assembly. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   A wheel assembly  10 ,  FIGS. 1-8 , primarily for use on a motorcycle, comprises a first wheel segment  20  defining a rim portion  21  having a first inner connecting flange  22 , an inner rim surface  23  and an outer retaining flange  24 , a spoke portion  25  and a hub portion  26  having an axle bore  27  and a first axle bearing  28 , a second wheel segment  40  defining a rim portion  41  having a second inner connecting flange  42 , an inner rim surface  43  and an outer retaining flange  44 , a spoke portion  45  and a hub portion  46  having an axle bore  47  and a second axle bearing  48 , and an axle  60  defining a neck  61 , a first end  62  providing a first axle mounting bolt bore  65 , and a second end  66  having a flattened portion  67  and providing a second axle mounting bore  68 , the first wheel segment  20  attached to the second wheel segment  40  along the first and second inner connecting flanges  22 ,  42  by a plurality of flange bolts  55  attaching through a plurality of aligned flange holes  54  in each inner connecting flange with the axle  60  passing through the aligned axle bores  27 ,  47  of each first and second wheel segments  20 ,  40 , through the first and second axle bearings  28 ,  48  set within each axle bore  27 ,  47 , the first and second ends  62 ,  66  of the axle  60  adapted to be attached to a chassis or motorcycle frame A,  FIG. 4 , having a tire  200  applied upon the inner rim surfaces  23 ,  43  of the assembled wheel assembly  10  between the two outer retaining flanges  24 ,  44  of the assembled first and second wheel segments  20 , 40 . The first and second inner connecting flanges  22 ,  42  may provide a flange plate  50  between them to provide an air-tight seal between the first and second inner connecting flanges  22 ,  42  to eliminate any potential air loss from the tire  200  mounted upon the wheel assembly  10 ,  FIG. 6 . 
   In a preferred embodiment, a brake assembly  100  is attached upon the axle  60  between the hub portions  26 ,  46  of the first and second wheel segments  20 ,  40  prior to assembly providing the brake assembly  100  within the two wheel segments,  FIGS. 1-3  and  5 - 7 . In this preferred embodiment, the first end  62  of the axle  60  provides an extension bore  63  within which is attached a first end extension  64  having the first axle mounting bolt bore  65 , the neck  61  including a brake fluid channel  70  having an outer channel bore  72  within the second end  66  of the axle  60  and an inner channel bore  74  between the first and second ends  62 ,  66  of the axle  60 , shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
   The brake assembly  100 ,  FIGS. 3 ,  5  and  6 , further comprises a caliper mounting bracket  110  having an axle bore  112  and defining a caliper arm  113  having at least two caliper holes  114 , the caliper mounting bracket  110  having a bracket fluid channel  115  from the axle bore  112  to the caliper arm  113 , the bracket fluid channel  115  having an outer port  117  and an inner port  116  aligned with the inner channel port  74  of the brake fluid channel  70  of axle  60 . A brake caliper  130  is attached to the caliper arm  113  by at least two caliper bolts  120 , the brake caliper  130  having brake pads  132  and a brake fluid line  135  connected to the outer port  117  of the bracket fluid channel  115  in the caliper mounting bracket  110 . 
   A brake rotor  140  is mounted to a rotor mounting plate  30  incorporated onto the hub portion  26  of the first wheel segment  20 , shown in  FIG. 6 , the brake rotor  140  having an inner portion  142  defining a central bore  144  through which the axle  60  is placed, the inner portion  142  providing a plurality of rotor plate holes  145  attaching to a plurality of aligned rotor mounting plate holes  35  in the rotor mounting plate  30  by a plurality of rotor bolts  146 . The rotor  140  is positioned between the brake pads  132  of the brake caliper  130 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , the brake pads  132  pinching the rotor  140  between the two brake pads  132  when the caliper  130  is activated, causing friction between the brake pads  132  and the rotor  140  as would in conventional brake systems known in the art, eventually causing the rotation of the rotor  140  to cease. 
   In this preferred embodiment, the first and second axle bearings  28 ,  48  within each first and second wheel segments  20 ,  40  are affixed to the axle  60  allowing the first and second wheel segments  20 ,  40  to rotate about the axle  60  freely, while the axle  60  is affixed to the chassis or motorcycle frame A without rotation, with the caliper mounting bracket  110  also affixed to the axle  60  without rotation. The outer channel port  72  is further connected to a brake means in the vehicle to which the wheel assembly is attached, not shown, and receives brake fluid from the vehicle&#39;s master cylinder, which is transferred under pressure into the brake fluid channel  70 , through the inner channel port  74  into the inner port  116  of the bracket fluid channel  115 , through the outer port  117  of the bracket fluid channel  115  into the brake fluid line  135  and further to the brake caliper  130 , forcing the brake caliper  130  to urge the brake pads  132  against the brake rotor  140 , stopping the rotation of the brake rotor  140  and thus, the rotation of the entire wheel assembly  10 . 
   The wheel assembly  10 , including the brake assembly  100  between the respective hub portions  26 ,  46 , is provided to locate the brake assembly  100  on the inside of a wheel assembly  10  instead of on the outside of a wheel as is known in the prior art, distracting from the appearance of the wheel. This allows for different aesthetic presentation of the wheel assembly  10  without obstruction by the brakes required on the vehicle. The hub portions  26 ,  46 , spoke portions  25 ,  45 , and rim portions  21 ,  41 , may be provided in any aesthetic style without the brake rotor  140  obstructing the view of the wheel assembly  10  during operation. In the present state of the art, the chain sprocket or drive gear B would still need to located outside the wheel,  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
   Additionally, the wheel assembly  10  with the brake assembly  100  between the two wheel segments  20 ,  40 , further protects the brake assembly  100  from damage by road objects which could strike and damage the brake rotor  140  or brake assembly  100  during operation, each wheel segment  20 ,  40  protecting the brake assembly  100 , including the brake rotor  140 , caliper  130  and brake pads  132  while in motion 
   Although shown in the drawing figures as a certain depiction, the wheel assembly may include any spoke pattern, rim configuration or hub orientation for different aesthetic appearances and include any wheel design or appearance. In addition, any brake assembly  100  other than the brake assembly disclosed herein may be provided between the first and second wheel segments  20 ,  40 . It is also contemplated within the scope of the invention that lights or other electrical components may also be located between the first and second wheel segments  20 ,  40  which might require some modification to the disclosed structures, although not departing from the general disclosure herein. It would also be contemplated that some or all of the drive mechanism of the vehicle may be included between the first and second wheel segments, although not disclosed specifically within the claims or the drawings. 
   While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.