Patent ID: 6899401

Claim:
A wheel comprising: a peripheral wheel rim; a central hub with a central axle and an outer flange; a plurality of pretensioned spokes extending between the rim and hub, wherein said spokes have a first portion connected to said rim and a second portion opposed to said first portion and connected to said hub; a cavity formed within at least one of said outer flange and said rim for connection with at least one of said spokes, wherein the cavity is oriented axially and the spoke includes a bent region; wherein at least one of said first portion and said second portion of said at least one spoke is joined to at least one of said outer flange and said rim by means of a deformed engagement in a deformed engagement region, said cavity surrounding and enclosing the cross-section of said spoke at said deformed engagement region; and wherein said deformed engagement results in a connection to resist relative movement between said cavity and at least one of said first portion and said second portion of said at least one spoke at said engagement region.