| 摘要 |
The present invention provides a spoked wheel comprising: a rim comprising a continuous series of circumferential sections (12) each of which has opposed ends and is connected at each of its ends to an adjacent section by means of a hinge (18) that allows the two adjacent sections to pivot with respect to each other substantially in the plane of the wheel; a hub (10) that rotates with the rim; and a plurality of spokes (14,16) extending between the hub and the rim and supporting the rim on the hub, each spoke having an end that is pivotally attached to the rim via a pivot (26) At least one of the spokes is movable with respect to the hub in the plane of the wheel to change the angular spacing between adjacent spokes and alter the shape of the rim between a circular shape (Figure 4) and a non-circular shape, preferably a flattened shape (Figure 14). The wheel may also include a tubular tyre held on the rim and is primarily intended for use in connection with bicycles and wheelchars. |
