GB2608358A

GB2608358A - Velocipede wheel attachment

Info

Publication number: GB2608358A
Application number: GB2108875.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gwenaelle Tapping Kristen
Original assignee: Go Rolloe Ltd
Current assignee: Go Rolloe Ltd
Priority date: 2021-06-21
Filing date: 2021-06-21
Publication date: 2023-01-04
Also published as: WO2022268562A1; GB202108875D0

Abstract

A velocipede wheel filter includes a base (203, figure 2a) and a housing 303 that is operatively connected to the base 203. The housing 303 includes at least one filter (322, figure 3c) and at least one set of fins 318, 319, wherein a first set of fins 318 is positioned between the filter 322 and an inner perimeter edge 311 of the housing 303. The present invention also relates to a method of retrofitting the velocipede wheel filter to a clincher wheel.

Description

Velocipede Wheel Attachment The present invention relates to a velocipede wheel attachment and, in particular, to a velocipede wheel filter attachment.

Background

Air pollution is a significant problem that has harmful effects on both humans and the environment.

The majority of the air pollution nowadays is caused by the combustion of fossil fuels in industry, in generating electrical power and in powering traditional diesel or petrol engine vehicles. The combustion process typically results in harmful emissions, such as gases and particulates, which have a detrimental effect on the health of people, animals, vegetation and the wider environment.

Improving air quality is important but often requires either expensive equipment on an industrial scale and/or significant open space for parks and planting trees to offset the harmful gases. This is not always practical, especially in congested cities and in the developing countries where air pollution typically has a greater detrimental effect.

Therefore, there is a need for a practical and cost effective solution for improving air quality and the present invention seeks to address, at least in part, the disadvantages and drawbacks described above.

Statement of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a velocipede wheel filter comprising: a base; a housing operatively connected to the base; wherein the housing further comprises: at least one filter; and at least one set of fins, wherein a first set of fins is positioned between the filter and an inner perimeter edge of the housing.

The base may include two or more base sections.

The housing may include two or more housing sections.

The velocipede wheel filter may further comprise an inner cavity and wherein in operation the rotation of the at least one set of fins may generate a centrifugal force to draw air into the inner cavity and force the air through the at least one filter.

The base and the housing may further comprise at least one connection means to connect the housing to the base.

The two or more base sections may be joined along a respective base joint line.

The two or more housing sections may be joined along a respective housing joint line.

The base joint line and the housing joint line may be shaped to substantially match a shape of the fins of the at least one set of fins.

The base joint line and the housing joint line may include one or more protrusions, wherein the protrusions of the base joint line and the respective housing joint line engage.

The base and the housing may be substantially annulus in shape.

The housing may further comprise a second set of fins positioned between the filter and an outer perimeter edge of the housing.

Two or more of the fins of the second set of fins may extend radially beyond the outer perimeter edge of the housing by a predetermined distance.

The base may further comprise an outer rim that extends outwardly from the base from an outer perimeter edge of the base.

The velocipede wheel filter may further comprise at least one external cavity wherein each external cavity may be formed from two consecutive fins of the second set of fins that extend beyond the outer perimeter edge of the housing and a portion of the outer rim of the base that extends therebetween.

The outer rim may be perpendicular to a surface of the base or the outer rim may have an angle of inclination to the surface of the base.

The housing may be positioned within the outer rim of the base, such that the outer rim provides a cover for the housing.

The housing may further comprise a filter receptacle and the at least one filter may be positioned within the filter receptacle.

The housing may further comprise at least one attachment means, wherein the attachment means attach the at least one filter to the housing.

The at least one filter includes one or more filter components, wherein the filter components include a prefilter, a sheep's wool prefilter, a woven hemp prefilter, a sheep's wool filter, a sheep's wool finer filter, a polymer filter, a ceramic filter, a woven hemp filter, a post filter, and a woven hemp post filter.

Two or more of the fins of the first set of fins may extend radially beyond an inner perimeter edge of the housing by a predetermined distance.

A radius of an inner circular hole of the annulus shaped base may be less than a radius of an inner circular hole of the annulus shaped housing.

Each fin of the at least one set of fins may be curved in shape or each fin of the at least one set of fins may be substantially straight.

Each fin of the at least one set of fins may be uniform in height or each fin of the at least one set of fins may vary in height such that each fin substantially increases in height from interior to exterior of each fin.

Each fin of the at least one set of fins may be teardrop shaped.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of retrofitting a clincher wheel with a velocipede wheel filter according to any one of the above described features of the velocipede wheel filter, the method comprising: attaching the base to one or more spokes of the clincher wheel and/or to a second base on an opposite side of the clincher wheel; attaching the at least one filter to the housing; inserting the housing into the base; and connecting the housing to the base.

Drawings Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a conventional bicycle with clincher wheels and a velocipede wheel filter attachment on both the front and rear clincher wheel, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Figures 2A and 2B show a base of a velocipede wheel filter attachment, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Figures 3A and 3B show a housing of a velocipede wheel filter attachment, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 3C shows a filter within the housing of a velocipede wheel filter attachment, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 4 shows an assembled velocipede wheel filter attachment, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 5 shows an example connection means for connecting the base and the housing of the velocipede wheel filter attachment, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 6 shows an example attachment means for attaching a filter to a housing of the velocipede wheel filter attachment, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Description

Air pollution caused by harmful gases and particulates can have a detrimental effect on health and the environment. One of the main causes of air pollution is the exhaust gases and particulate matter emitted by combustion engine vehicles. The pollutants and particulate matter (PM) may include PM2.5, PM10, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Nitrogen Oxides (N0x).

For various reasons, such as for health, for quicker journeys in congested areas, the reduction in use of combustion engine power vehicles, and so on, there has been a significant increase in the number of journeys being made on bicycles over the past two decades across the world. For example, in 2019 in London, UK, cyclists made an average of 745,000 trips a day covering an estimated cumulative average of 4 million kilometres per day. Therefore, a significant number of cycle trips are being made daily which the inventor has recognised as being a vast potential source of energy that could be utilised to improve air quality.

The velocipede wheel filter of the present invention comprises at least a base and a housing, both of which are described in more detail below. The velocipede wheel filter in operation utilises the motion of the wheel to generate a centrifugal force which creates a vacuum to draw an air flow into at least one internal cavity of the velocipede wheel filter in order to filter the air flow, wherein the air flow includes several pollutants and particulates, and expels the filtered air out of the velocipede wheel filter.

The velocipede wheel filter may be attached to any clincher wheel, of any dimension and style. A velocipede includes a unicycle, a bicycle, a tricycle, a quadracycle and so on. In the following description, the present invention is described in relation to a bicycle, however, it will be appreciated that the invention will equally apply to any velocipede that includes at least one clincher wheel.

With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a conventional bicycle 101 with a bicycle wheel filter attachment 114 on both a front clincher wheel and a rear clincher wheel. The bicycle 101 comprises a front clincher wheel 102 and a rear clincher wheel 103.

The rear clincher wheel 103 is rotably attached to a rear fork 104 via an elongated hub located at the centre of the rear clincher wheel 103. A set of spokes 105 are attached between the elongated hub and the rim of the clincher wheel. A tyre 106 surrounds the rim of the rear clincher wheel. One or more rear gears 107 may be attached to the hub and a chain 108 connects the rear gears 107 to one or more central gears 109 attached to a set of pedals 110.

The front clincher wheel 102 is rotably attached to a front fork 111 via an elongated hub located at the centre of the front clincher wheel 102. A set of spokes 105 are attached between the elongated hub and the rim of the clincher wheel. A tyre 106 surrounds the rim of the front clincher wheel. The front fork 111 is pivotably moveable via handlebars 112 to enable the cyclist to alter the direction of travel on the bicycle. A frame 113 connects the set of pedals 110 to the front and rear forks 111, 104.

Exemplary embodiments of the components of the bicycle wheel filter attachment will now be described in more detail.

The base will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 2A and 2B. A front view 201 of the base 203 is shown in Figure 2A and a rear view 202 of the base 203 is shown in Figure 2B.

The base 203 may be formed as one single component or the base 203 may be formed from two or more sections.

If the base is formed as a single component then the base may be one continuous component or the base may include a slit or gap formed along a single line that dissects the base from the interior to the exterior of the base. As the base is formed from a semi-flexible material, such as a thermoplastic, rubber, and so on, then by including a single gap or slit in the base it enables the base to be retrofitted to a bicycle wheel without needing to remove the bicycle wheel from the bicycle.

In the example of Figures 2A and 2B, the base 203 is divided into two sections 204 and 205. Forming the base from two or more sections has several advantages, for example, simplifies manufacture of the base, enables the bicycle wheel filter to be retrofitted to different bicycle wheel designs and dimensions as the two or more sections may not need to be in contact, simplifies the attachment of the bicycle wheel filter to the bicycle wheel as the bicycle wheel does not need to be disassembled or removed from the bicycle, and so on.

As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the base 203 is divided into two sections along a curved joint line 206. However, as will be appreciated the base may be divided into two or more sections along a straight joint line or any other shaped joint line as appropriate. The joint line 206 may be shaped to substantially match the shape of a plurality of fins (which will be described further below in relation to the housing) so that the joint line 206 does not dissect, or cut across any fins adjacent, or proximate, to the joint line 206. This is advantageous to maintain the structural integrity of the fins adjacent the joint line 206 and also simplifies manufacture of the base 203 or the two or more sections 204, 205 of the base 203.

The two or more sections 204, 205 of the base may fully engage or connect at the joint line to effectively form a single continuous base or, alternatively, the two sections of the base may not fully engage or connect at the joint line and as such there may be a gap between the two sections. This advantageously enables the base to adapt to clincher wheels of different sizes and with different spoke pitches/angles.

A connection means 207 may be formed at the joint line 206 in order to contact with, engage with, or receive a corresponding connection means of the housing in order to form a connection therebetween. For example, the connection means 207 may be formed as a protrusion 207 that extends inwardly and substantially perpendicular to an inner surface 216 of the base 203 The protrusion 207 of the base 203 may be in contact with, engage with, or be received by, a corresponding component of the housing. Alternatively, or additionally, the connection means 207 of the base 203 may include one or more of clips, a nut and bolt arrangement, a push and click arrangement, or any other suitable connection means to contact or engage with the housing.

The base may also include one or more further connection means to maintain a connection with the housing. Any suitable connecting means may be implemented. For example, the base may include one or more holes 208 through which a bolt or screw may be inserted and wherein the housing may include one or more respective protruded receiving means, e.g. a nut or screw thread receptacle, into which the bolt or screw may be inserted. This example connection means is shown in more detail in Figure 5, in which a bolt 501 is inserted through a hole 502 in the base 503 and into a respective screw thread receptacle 504 of the housing 505.

Returning to Figure 2A and 28, the base 203 may include any number of holes 208 through which bolts or screws may be inserted in order to connect the base 203 to the housing. Or vice versa, the base 203 may include the one or more nut or screw thread receptacle to receive a bolt or screw from the housing.

Alternatively or additionally, the base 203 may include one or more protrusions that may be pushed into a respective receptacle on the housing in order to maintain a connection therebetween. Or vice-versa the base may include one or more receptacles for receiving one or more respective protrusions on the housing in order to maintain a connection therebetween. Additionally, or alternatively, the further connecting means may include one or more clips to clip the base and the housing together, or any other suitable connection means to maintain a connection between the base and the housing.

The base 203 may also include one or more guide receptacles which may receive one or more components from the housing in order to provide a guide when assembling the bicycle wheel filter.

The guide receptacles may be, for example, respective indentations or a pair of ridges, which may be used to align and receive an outer edge of one or more of the fins attached to the housing.

With reference to Figure 2B, the base 203 may include one or more attachment means for attaching the bicycle wheel filter to the clincher bicycle wheel, for example, hooks, clamps, clips, a nut and bolt arrangement, and so on. For example, the base 203 may include one or more clips 209 on a rear outer surface 211 of the base 203 that engage with a respective spoke of the clincher wheel. There may be any number of clips 209 to attach the base to the clincher wheel and eight are shown in Figure 2B. In order to secure the clips to a respective spoke an extrusion of the clip may be rotatable to pivot around the respective spoke, and/or the extrusion of the clip may be shaped with a hook portion to hook onto the respective spoke. The clips 209 may be manufactured separately to the base and attached to the base using adhesive, resin, bolts, or any other suitable means.

Alternatively, or additionally, the attachment means may include a holding portion, for example, the holding portion may be made of a polymer and may be substantially rectangular in shape. The holding portion may be disposed against two spokes of the clincher wheel on the opposite side of the spokes to the base and secured to the base using, for example, a nut and bolt arrangement.

A bicycle wheel filter may also be attached to either side of the same clincher wheel and therefore the base attachment means may alternatively or additionally include means to securely connect to a second mirrored base on the opposite side of the clincher wheel in order to sandwich or clamp therebetween the clincher wheel, for example, the attachment means may further include one or more of hooks, clips, a nut and bolt arrangement, and so on, between the two bases.

The base 203, when formed as a single component or of the two sections 204, 205, may be of a substantially annulus shape. The base may include an outer perimeter edge 213 and an inner perimeter 214 edge defining therebetween a base portion 215. The base portion 215 may have an inner surface 216 that faces the housing and an outer surface 211 that faces the spokes of the clincher wheel.

An inner circular hole 210 of the annulus shaped base may be shaped and dimensioned, e.g. the radius/diameter of the inner circular hole 210, to both allow the components of the bicycle wheel (e.g. axle, elongated hub, gearing, etc.), to fit within the inner circular hole and to reduce the effects of a cross wind on the bicycle. Ideally, the base would not have an inner circular hole, however, this is impractical given the components of the bicycle wheel and the effects of cross winds may destabilise the bicycle in operation. Therefore, the inner circular hole is preferably as small as allowable given the components of the bicycle wheel but sufficiently large enough to reduce the effects of any cross winds on the bicycle.

The effects caused by cross winds is more pronounced in relation to a front wheel of a bicycle than a rear wheel of the bicycle. Also, the front and rear wheels may include different components of differing sizes. Therefore, a base of the bicycle wheel filter may have different dimensions depending on whether it is to be attached to the front wheel or to the rear wheel of the bicycle.

For example, in relation to a front wheel the radius of the inner circular hole 210 of the base may be in the range of approximately 105 to 125 millimetres and the inner circular hole diameter is in the range of approximately 32% to 39% of the entire front clincher wheel diameter to which the bicycle wheel filter will be attached. For example, on a 650 millimetres diameter clincher the inner circular hole may have a radius of 117 millimetres, and therefore the inner circular hole diameter equates to 36% of the front clincher wheel diameter.

For example, in relation to a rear wheel the radius of the inner circular hole 210 of the base may be in the range of approximately 70 to 100 millimetres and the inner circular hole diameter is in the range of approximately 21% to 31% of the entire rear clincher wheel diameter to which the bicycle wheel filter will be attached. For example, on a 650 millimetres diameter clincher the inner circular hole may have a radius of 80 millimetres, and therefore the inner circular hole diameter equates to approximately 24.6% of the rear clincher wheel diameter.

However, as will be appreciated, for the ease of manufacturing the rear wheel may have the same dimensions as the front wheel.

An outer surface 211 of the base portion 215 may be positioned adjacent to, or proximate to, the spokes of the clincher bicycle wheel.

The spokes of clincher bicycle wheels are typically provided at an angle of inclination from the bicycle wheel rim to an elongated a hub that extends outwardly from the centre of the wheel. Thus, the direction of inclination of the spokes is outwardly from the rim towards the point of connection, e.g. a flange, of the elongated outwardly extending hub.

The base portion 215 may therefore be shaped to substantially match the inclination of the spokes of the clincher wheel so that the base can be placed adjacent to, or proximate to, the spokes. As such, base portion 215 may have an angle of inclination that is substantially the same as the angle of inclination of the spokes. The angle of inclination of the base portion 215 may be any suitable angle for the shape and dimensions of the bicycle wheel to which the bicycle wheel filter is to be attached. The angle of inclination may be in the range of 3 to 15 degrees.

An outer rim portion 212 of the base portion 215 may extend outwardly from the base portion 215 around the outer perimeter edge 213 of the base portion 215, and extends outwardly in a direction away from an inner surface 216 of the base portion 215. The outer rim portion 212 may advantageously function as a cover over the housing in order to protect the filters housed within the housing from rain and debris. The outer rim portion 212 may also function to provide at least part of the one or more exterior cavities through which the filtered air can be expelled from the bicycle wheel filter. The outer rim portion 212 may extend outwards by a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance may be in the range of approximately 6 to 16 millimetres. The outer rim portion 212 may be perpendicular to the inner surface 216 of the base portion 215 or the outer rim portion 212 may have an angle of inclination, for example, approximately 110 to 150 degrees taken from a horizontal x-axis where the x-axis is along the surface of the base portion, or is approximately to 60 degrees taken from a vertical y-axis perpendicular to the point that the outer rim portion connects to the outer perimeter edge of the base portion.

The outer rim portion 212 of the base portion 215 may be positioned proximate to, or against, the rim of the bicycle wheel.

The housing will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 3A and 3B. A front view 301 is shown in Figure 3A and a rear view 302 is shown in Figure 3B.

The housing 303 may be formed as one single component or the housing 303 may be formed from two or more sections.

If the housing is formed as a single component then the housing may be one continuous component or the housing may include a slit or gap formed along a single line that dissects the housing from the interior to the exterior of the housing. As the housing is formed from a semi-flexible material, such as a thermoplastic, rubber, and so on, then by including a single gap or slit in the housing it enables the housing to be retrofitted to a bicycle wheel without needing to remove the bicycle wheel from the bicycle.

In the example of Figures 3A and 3B, the housing 303 is divided into two sections 304 and 305.

Forming the housing from two or more sections has several advantages, for example, simplifies manufacture of the housing, enables the bicycle wheel filter to be retrofitted to different bicycle wheel designs and dimensions as the two or more sections may not need to be in contact, simplifies the attachment of the bicycle wheel filter to the bicycle wheel as the bicycle wheel does not need to be disassembled or removed from the bicycle, and so on.

As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the housing 303 is divided into two sections along a curved joint line 306. However, as will be appreciated the housing may be divided into two or more sections along a straight joint line or any other shaped joint line as appropriate. The joint line 306 may be shaped to substantially match the shape of a plurality of fins of the housing so that the joint line 306 does not dissect, or cut across any fins adjacent, or proximate, to the joint line 306. This is advantageous to maintain the structural integrity of the fins adjacent the joint line 306 and also simplifies manufacture of the sections of the housing 303.

The two sections of the housing may engage, contact, or connect at the joint line to effectively form a single continuous housing or, alternatively, the two sections of the housing may not fully engage or make contact at the joint line and as such there may be a gap between the two sections. This advantageously enables the housing to adapt to clincher wheels of different sizes and with different spoke pitches/angles.

A connection means 307 may be formed at the joint line 306 in order to make contact with, engage with, or receive a corresponding connection means of the base in order to maintain a connection therebetween. For example, the connection means 307 may be formed as a protrusion that extends inwardly and substantially perpendicular to an inner surface 308 of the housing 303. The protrusion 307 of the housing 303 may be in contact with, engage with, or be received by, a corresponding component of the base. Alternatively, or additionally, the connection means 307 of the housing 303 may include one or more of clips, a nut and bolt arrangement, a push and click arrangement, or any other suitable connection means to engage with the base.

The housing may also include one or more further connection means to maintain a connection with the base. Any suitable connecting means may be implemented. For example, the housing may include one or more protruded receiving means 313, e.g. a nut or screw thread receptacle, into which a respective bolt or screw may be inserted from the base. This example connection means is shown in more detail in Figure 5, in which a bolt 501 is inserted through a hole 502 in the base 503 and into a respective screw thread receptacle 504 of the housing 505.

Returning to Figure 3A and 3B, the housing 303 may include any number of protruded receiving means 313 to receive respective bolts or screws from the base in order to connect the base to the housing 303. Or vice versa, the housing 303 may include the one or more holes through which a bolt or screw is inserted to be received by a respective protruded receiving means on the base.

Additionally or alternatively, the housing may include one or more protrusions that may be pushed into a respective receptacle on the base in order to maintain a connection therebetween. Or vice-versa the housing may include one or more receptacles for receiving one or more respective protrusions on the base in order to maintain a connection therebetween. Additionally, or alternatively, the connecting means may include one or more clips to clip the housing and base together, or any other suitable connection means to maintain a connection between the housing and the base.

The housing 303, when formed as a single component or of the two sections 304, 305, may be of a substantially annulus shape.

The housing includes an outer perimeter edge 310 and an inner perimeter edge 311 defining therebetween a housing portion 312. The housing portion may have an inner surface 308 that faces the base and an outer surface that faces away from the base.

An inner circular hole 309 of the annulus shaped housing may be shaped and dimensioned, e.g. the radius/diameter of the inner circular hole 309, to both allow the components of the bicycle front wheel and/or rear wheel (e.g. axle, elongated hub, gearing, forks, etc.), to fit within the inner circular hole and to enable a flow of air containing the pollutants to enter at least one cavity of the bicycle wheel filter. The radius/diameter of the inner circular hole 309 of the annulus shaped housing may also be shaped and dimensioned to reduce the effects of a cross wind on the bicycle. A smaller inner circular hole of the housing forms a smaller centrifugal fan which is more optimal and efficient for filtering the air pollutants, however, the inner circular hole must also be dimensioned large enough to avoid cross winds destabilising the bicycle in operation.

For example, the radius of the inner circular hole 309 of the housing may be in the range of approximately 100 to 250 millimetres and the inner circular hole diameter may therefore be in the range of approximately 35% to 80% of the clincher wheel diameter to which the bicycle wheel filter will be attached. For example, on a 650 millimetres wheel, the inner circular hole may have a radius of 164 millimetres, and therefore the inner circular hole diameter equates to approximately 50% of the clincher wheel diameter.

The inner circular hole of the housing may be the same for a front wheel and a rear wheel and dependent on the dimensions of the wheel to which the bicycle wheel filter is attached, or the inner circular hole may be different for a front wheel and a rear wheel depending on the components of the front wheel and rear wheel respectively.

The housing portion 312 may be substantially flat or may have an angle of inclination. As described hereinabove a bicycle may typically include a set of front forks which connect to the elongated hub at the centre of a front wheel and a set of rear forks which connect to an elongated hub at the centre of a rear wheel. The front forks are typically connected to handle bars and are pivotally moveable in order to enable the rider of the bicycle to change direction and steer the bicycle. The rear forks are typically fixedly mounted to the bicycle frame. The front and/or rear forks may also have an angle of inclination in an inwardly direction towards the bicycle wheel. The housing portion 312 may therefore be shaped to include an angle of inclination from the outer perimeter edge 310 towards the inner perimeter edge 311 in an inwardly direction towards an inner surface 308 of the housing. By inclining the housing portion inwardly it will prevent the housing of the bicycle wheel filter from contacting, or otherwise interfering with, the forks of the bicycle and any other associated components. The inclination of the housing portion may also advantageously improve the aerodynamics of the bicycle wheel filter by allowing the wind to pass over the surface of the bicycle wheel filter more smoothly. Furthermore, the braking mechanism for a bicycle is typically either brake pads or disc-brakes and, in the case of brake pads, the angle of inclination of the housing surface allows the brake pads to frictionally contact the housing portion to enable a rider to brake more efficiently. A further advantage of the inclination of the housing portion is it enables any advertising or branding to be attached, or added, to an outer surface of the housing portion with greater visibility.

The inner surface 308 of the housing portion 312 may comprise at least one set of fins 318, 319 and at least one filter receptacle 315.

In the example of Figure 3B, the filter receptacle 315 is formed by a parallel pair of filter guide ridges, with a lower filter guide ridge 316 and an upper filter guide ridge 317. The guide ridges may extend outwards from and substantially perpendicular to the inner surface 308 of the housing by a predetermined distance. In order to increase the effectiveness of a filter that will be housed within the filter receptacle, it is preferable to provide the maximum surface area of the filter for air flow to interact with the filter and therefore the guide ridges may extend outwards from the inner surface of the housing by a minimum amount to guide the placement of the filters, for example, the predetermined distance may be between 1 millimetre and 3 millimetres.

A filter located at the filter receptacle may be securely engaged with the housing via one or more engagement means, which will be described in more detail hereinbelow.

Alternatively, the guide ridges may extend outwards by substantially the same height of the filter and the guide ridges may have slots or holes formed therein to allow air to flow into the filters.

As will be appreciated, other filter receptacles may be used, either alternatively or additionally, for example, an indentation formed in the inner surface of the housing wherein the indentation is shaped to receive a filter, and so on.

In the example shown in Figure 3B, the inner surface 308 of the housing includes two sets of fins, an inner set of fins 318 and an outer set of fins 319.

The inner set of fins 318 may extend from below the filter, for example, from the lower filter guide ridge 316, towards the inner perimeter edge 311. The inner set of fins 318 may end at the inner perimeter edge 311 or may extend further past the inner perimeter edge 311 by a predetermined distance, for example, inner set of fins may extend approximately 15-20 millimetres beyond the inner perimeter edge of the housing. Extending the inner set of fins 318 past or beyond the inner perimeter edge of the housing may advantageously enhance the air flow into the bicycle wheel filter.

The outer profile 320 of the portion of the inner set of fins that extend beyond the inner perimeter edge of the housing may include a profile or shape that is inclined on at least one side of the fin such that the outer profile is substantially pointed in shape. This may be advantageous as it prevents the portion of the fins that extend below the inner perimeter edge of the housing from interfering with or contacting any accessories or components on the inner side of the front or rear forks of the bicycle and further improves the aerodynamic performance of the inner set of fins.

Each of the fins of the inner set of fins 318 may be shaped as a curved fin or may be shaped as a straight fin. Curved fins may be advantageous by being more efficient whilst straight fins may be advantageous in terms of ease of manufacturing.

In the example of Figure 3A and 3B the inner set of fins 318 are curved fins. The curvature of the fins maybe formed from a radius of substantially 254 millimetres, the curvature of the fins may be an arc or may be a partially flattened or elongated arc. The height of the fins in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the housing may range between approximately 8 to 25 millimetres. The height of the fins may be substantially the same over the length of the fins or the height may increase from the interior to the exterior of the fins.

The inner set of fins may additionally be teardrop shaped in order to further enhance the aerodynamic performance of the fins.

The inner set of fins 318 may include any number of fins. The number of fins may be based, at least in part, on the diameter of the bicycle wheel filter. The number of fins may alternatively or additionally be based, at least in part, on the optimal number of fins to generate the optimal air flow to the filters whilst ensuring the fins do not interfere with any components of the bicycle wheel or forks. The fins may be equally spaced around the inner surface of the housing. The distance between each adjacent fin may be approximately the same as the length of a fin of the inner set of fins. For example, the inner set of fins may include between 25 to 40 fins. For example, on a 650 millimetres to 700 millimetres diameter clincher wheel the inner set of fins may include 36 fins and on a 600 millimetres diameter clincher wheel the inner set of fins may include 32 fins, which may be equally spaced around the inner surface of the housing based on the length of a fin of the inner set of fins.

The outer set of fins 319 may extend from above the filter, for example, from the upper filter guide ridge 317, towards the outer perimeter edge 310. All of the outer set of fins 319 may end at the outer perimeter edge 310 of the housing 303 or may extend further past or beyond the outer perimeter edge 310 by a predetermined distance. Alternatively, only a proportion of the outer set of fins 319 may extend further past the outer perimeter edge 310 of the housing 303, for example, every second outer fin, every third outer fin, every fourth outer fin, and so on. The predetermined distance that one or more of the outer set of fins ay extend beyond the outer perimeter edge may be in the range of approximately 8 to 15 millimetres.

By extending one or more of the outer set of fins 319 past the outer perimeter edge 310 of the housing it advantageously provides a plurality of exterior cavities wherein each exterior cavity may be formed by two consecutive fins of the outer set of fins that extend further past the outer perimeter edge of the housing and the respective section of the outer rim portion of the base extending between the two consecutive fins. The plurality of exterior cavities advantageously enables the filtered air that has passed through the filters to exit the bicycle wheel filter.

The outer profile 321 of the portion of the outer set of fins that extend further past the outer perimeter edge 310 of the housing 303 may include a profile or shape that is inclined on at least one side of the fin such that the outer profile is substantially pointed in shape. The outer profile of the fins of the outer set of fins that extend beyond or protrude from the housing may be shaped with the same angle of inclination as the outer rim portion of the base that substantially covers the fins so as to create a close fit between the fins and the outer rim of the base.

If all of the outer set of fins 319 end at the outer perimeter edge 310 of the housing 303 then a single exterior cavity will be formed between the outer perimeter edge 310 of the housing and the outer rim portion of the base.

In the example of Figure 3A and 3B, the outer set of fins 319 are substantially aligned with the inner set of fins 318. That is, the shape of the outer set of fins 319 substantially follows the shape of the inner set of fins 318 such that if there was no gap in the sets of fins for the filter to be positioned, each respective inner and outer fin would be one continuous curved shaped fin.

Alternatively, the outer set of fins may be staggered with respect to the inner set of fins, that is the outer set of fins may be offset from the respective inner set of fins by a predetermined distance.

Alternatively, the outer set of fins may have a different shape to the inner set of fins. The fins of the outer set of fins may additionally have a teardrop shape in order to further enhance the aerodynamic performance of the fins.

The height of the fins 319 in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the housing may range between approximately 8 to 25 millimetres. The height of the fins 319 may be substantially the same over the length of the fins or the height may increase from the interior to the exterior of the fins.

The inner set of fins 318 and the outer set of fins 319 may be moulded as part of the housing 303 or may be formed separately and attached to the housing 303.

In the example of Figure 3A and 3B, the fins are moulded and integrated with the inner surface of the housing which simplifies the manufacturing and assembly of the bicycle wheel filter. In this case, the fins may further include a draft angle, or a taper, to enable and facilitate the integrated fins and housing to be injection moulded. The draft angle may be in the region of 0.5 degrees.

If the fins are formed separately then the fins may be securely attached to the inner surface of the housing by any suitable means, for example, adhesive, resin, a lip engaging a respective slot, a push and click arrangement, and so on.

In addition to generating the required centrifugal force, both the inner set of fins and the outer set of fins may advantageously act as ridges to strengthen the housing's structural integrity.

With reference to Figure 3C, there is shown a filter 322 positioned in the filter receptacle of the inner surface 308 of the housing.

The filter 322 may be positioned between the inner set of fins 318 and the outer set of fins 319. The filter 322 may be divided into two or more sections such that the filter sections can be positioned in the filter receptacle of each of the respective sections of the housing prior to or after assembly of the housing. In Figure 3C the filter 322 is divided into two sections, 323 and 324 to match the two sections of the housing. Alternatively, the filter 322 may be a single circular filter that is positioned within the filter receptacle on the inner surface of the housing once the housing has been assembled and a suitable gap is formed in the joint line 306 of the housing.

The filter 322 is used to trap pollutants and particulates within the air as the air flows through the filter. The filter 322 may include any number of filter components, for example, the filter components may include one or more of a prefilter, a sheep's wool prefilter, a woven hemp prefilter, a sheep's wool filter, a sheep's wool finer filter, a polymer filter, a ceramic filter, a woven hemp filter, a post filter, a woven hemp post filter, or any other suitable filter component for trapping different pollutants and particulates that may be in the air. One or more of the above described filter components may further comprise a chemical coating to further trap one or more types of pollutants and particulate matter. Typically, the filter can remove, or substantially remove, pollutants and particulate matter (PM) such as PM2.5, PM10, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Nitrogen Oxides (N0x).

The width of the filter, i.e. the dimension of the filter that is substantially parallel to the inner surface of the housing, may be any suitable width, for example the width of the filter may range between approximately 10 millimetres and 20 millimetres. The height of the filter, i.e. the dimension of the filter that is substantially perpendicular to the inner surface of the housing, may be any suitable height, for example, the height may range between approximately 10 millimetres to 30 millimetres.

The filter 322 may be securely held in the filter receptacle of the housing 303 by one or more attachment means 314.

For example, the attachment means 314 may include clips to hold the filter in place. In one example, with reference to Figure 6, the clips may be formed with an upper flat portion 601, wherein the flat portion 601 may have a thickness of approximately 2 millimetres. Two side portions 602 may be disposed at respective opposite ends of the flat portion 601, wherein the side portions 602 may include an indentation 603. The indentation 603 may be shaped to be fractionally smaller than the width of a fin to ensure a secure and tight fit when the clip is engaged, for example, the indentation may have a width of 0.5 millimetres. Alternatively, or additionally, an interior surface of the indentation 603 may have ridges so as to grip a respective fin. The length of the flat portion extending between the two side portions is substantially the same as the width of the filter. The clip may be shaped with a slight curve to match the curvature of the respective aligned inner and outer fin that the clip will engage with.

Returning to the example of Figure 3c, any number of clips 314 may be used to securely hold the filter to the filter receptacle and in the example of Figure 3C there are six clips, with three clips on each of the two sections of the housing.

Alternatively, or additionally, the attachment means may include one or more lips on the filter or the housing surface that engage with respective slots on the other of the housing surface or the filter, clips that operationally engage the filter wherein the clips are attached to the housing surface, a push and click arrangement, and so on.

The filter may need to be replaced after a period of usage and therefore the above described attachment means allow the filter to be attached to the housing in a manner that enables the filter to be easily replaced.

In the above described embodiments and examples, the fins are described as an inner set of fins 318 and an outer set of fins 319 for the ease of reference and description. However, as will be appreciated the inner set of fins 318 and the outer set of fins 319 may be formed separately with a filter disposed therebetween or the inner set of fins 318 and the outer set of fins 319 may be formed as a single set of fins and subsequently, for example, during the manufacturing process, a gap or recess may be formed within the single set of fins to enable the filter to be disposed within the fins such that an inner set of fins and an outer set of fins is subsequently formed. The recess or gap formed in the fins may extend to the surface of the housing, may extend into the surface of the housing to form an indentation in the housing surface, or may not extend as far as the housing surface thereby maintaining a link between the inner set of fins 318 and the outer set of fins 319. In the latter example, as a link is maintained then it may be considered a single set of fins with an inner portion of the fins and an outer portion of the fins, therefore the description to an inner set of fins and an outer set of fins would equally apply to the inner portion of the fins and the outer portion of the fins respectively in this example. In all examples, the filter is disposed within or between the fins such that fins extend from opposite sides of the filter. Preferably, the filter is disposed within or between the inner and outer fins with approximately two thirds of the length of the fins extending below the filter towards the interior perimeter edge of the housing and approximately one third of the fins extending above the filter towards the outer perimeter edge of the housing. However, as will be appreciated, different ratios of the fins extending below the filter and above the filter may be used.

In the above examples, the fins are shown with a curvature that is in the opposite direction to the rotation of the bicycle wheel, in other words, the fins have a curvature that is backwards relative to the direction of rotation of the wheel. However, as will be appreciated the fins may alternatively have a curvature that is in the direction of rotation of the bicycle wheel, in other words, the fins may have a curvature that is forwards relative to the direction of rotation of the wheel. Alternatively, as mentioned hereinabove, the fins may be substantially straight.

The assembled bicycle wheel filter 401 is shown in Figure 4. The bicycle wheel filter 401 may include a housing 402 and a base 403 securely connected together. As mentioned hereinabove, the housing and the base may each be formed of two sections that are joined together along a joint line 404, wherein the joint line is substantially matched to the shape of the fins of the housing.

Both the base 403 and the housing 402 are substantially annulus shaped such that when the base 403 and the housing 402 are joined together to form the bicycle wheel filter, the bicycle wheel filter has a substantially torus shape with a substantially trapezoid shaped cross-section.

The width of the base portion of the annulus shaped base 403 may be larger than the width of the housing portion of the annulus shaped housing 402. Therefore, the outer perimeter edge, and/or the outer rim portion 411, of the base may be higher than the outer perimeter edge of the annulus shaped housing. The inner perimeter edge of the base 403 may be lower than the inner perimeter edge of the housing 402. Thus, the diameter 405 of the inner circular hole of the housing may be greater than the diameter 406 of the inner circular hole of the base 403.

This arrangement advantageously enables the housing 402 to fit within the base 403 such that the outer rim portion 411 of the base 403 covers the filters attached to the inner surface of the housing 402 to protect the filters from rain and debris as the bicycle wheel filter rotates in operation.

The housing 402 and the base 403 are securely connected together by any suitable connecting means, such as a nut and bolt, clips, a push and click arrangement and so on. As described hereinabove, the base may include one or more holes through which a bolt or screw may be inserted. The housing may include one or more respective protrusions wherein each protrusion may include a screw thread or a nut. The bolt or screw inserted through the hole in the base mates with a respective protrusion enabling the bolt or screw to be securely fastened in the respective protrusion such that the base is securely connected to the housing.

A gap formed between the housing 402 and the base 403 where the inner set of fins 408 are located defines an interior cavity 407 through which air can be drawn into the bicycle wheel filter 401. The air is drawn into the cavity 407 of the bicycle wheel filter during operation by the rotation of the bicycle wheel filter as the inner set of fins 408 create a centrifugal force that draws the air containing pollutants and particulates into the cavity 407 of the bicycle wheel filter.

The air drawn into the cavity 407 of the bicycle wheel filter is subsequently forced through a filter in the housing 402 by the centrifugal force generated when the bicycle wheel is rotating and the filter removes various pollutants and particulates from the air. As mentioned hereinabove, the filter may include any number of filter components wherein each filter component may remove or reduce specific pollutants or particulate matter from the air.

The cleaned air from the filters is expelled from, or exits, the bicycle wheel filter 401 by the outer set of fins 409 which force the cleaned air out of one or more external cavities 410. The external cavities 410 may be formed by consecutive fins of the outer set of fins 409 and the outer rim portion 411 of the base that extends therebetween.

The centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the bicycle wheel filter further advantageously adds stability against crosswinds to the wheel.

Returning to Figure 1, which shows a conventional bicycle with a bicycle wheel filter 114 attached to both a front clincher wheel 102 and a rear clincher wheel 103 of the bicycle. As mentioned hereinabove, in many embodiments both the base 115 and the housing 116 are each formed of at least two sections that are joined, or substantially joined, along joint line 117. This advantageously enables the bicycle wheel filter to be attached to the bicycle clincher wheel without needing to disassemble the bicycle or remove the wheel in order to attach the bicycle wheel filter.

The bicycle wheel filter is attached to, or securely held to, the clincher wheel 102, 103 by one or more attachment means which may be one or more of hooks, clips, nut and bolt arrangement, or any other suitable attachment means to attach the bicycle wheel filter to the clincher wheel. The attachment means may attach the base of the bicycle wheel filter to the spokes, as described hereinabove, and/or to any other component of the clincher wheel.

A bicycle wheel filter may also be attached to the opposite side of a clincher wheel, such that a bicycle wheel filter is positioned on both sides of the clincher wheel. In this case, the base of each bicycle wheel filter may alternatively, or additionally, include attachment means that connect the two mirrored bases together in order to sandwich, or clamp, the clincher wheel therebetween. The attachment means may be one or more of hooks, clips, nut and bolt arrangement, or any other suitable attachment means to connect the two bases together.

One or two bicycle wheel filters may be attached to either or both of the clincher wheels of the bicycle. Thus, one or two bicycle wheel filters may be attached to the front clincher wheel and similarly one or two bicycle wheel filters may be attached to the rear clincher wheel.

The bicycle may be human powered by a rider rotating the pedals of the bicycle, may be an electric powered bicycle, or a combination of the two.

The bicycle wheel filter as described hereinabove may be retrofitted to a clincher wheel. The method of retrofitting a clincher wheel with a bicycle (i.e. velocipede) wheel filter may comprise attaching the base to one or more spokes of the clincher wheel and/or to a second base on an opposite side of the clincher wheel; attaching the at least one filter to the housing; inserting the housing into the base; and connecting the housing to the base.

If the base and housing are formed of two or more sections then the bicycle wheel filter may be retrofitted to the clincher wheel without removing the clincher wheel from the bicycle. In this example, the two sections of the base may first be attached to the clincher wheel by one or more attachment means, for example, via clips that engage with respective spokes of the clincher wheel, or if a second bicycle wheel filter is attached to the opposite side of the clincher wheel then the base may be alternatively or additionally attached to a base of the second bicycle wheel filter on the opposite side of the clincher wheel. The two or more sections of the filter may then be attached to the respective receptacles of the housing. The two or more sections of the housing may then be inserted into the base and connected to the base section by one or more connection means in order to form the completed bicycle wheel filter on the clincher wheel.

If the base and housing are formed of a single section with a slit or gap formed therein then the bicycle wheel filter may be retrofitted to the clincher wheel without removing the clincher wheel from the bicycle. In this example, the single section of the base may be slotted around the elongated circular hub and attached to the clincher wheel by one or more attachment means, for example, via clips that engage with respective spokes of the clincher wheel, or if a second bicycle wheel filter is attached to the opposite side of the clincher wheel then the base may be alternatively or additionally attached to a base of the second bicycle wheel filter on the opposite side of the clincher wheel. The filter may then be attached to the respective receptacle of the housing. The single section of the housing may then be inserted into the base and connected to the base section by one or more connection means in order to form the completed bicycle wheel filter on the clincher wheel.

If the base and housing are formed of a single continuous section, then the bicycle wheel filter can be retrofitted to the clincher wheel by first removing the clincher wheel from the bicycle. The base may then be attached to the clincher wheel by one or more attachment means, for example, via clips that engage with respective spokes of the clincher wheel, or if a second bicycle wheel filter is attached to the opposite side of the clincher wheel then the base may be alternatively or additionally attached to a base of the second bicycle wheel filter on the opposite side of the clincher wheel. The filter may then be attached to the respective receptacle of the housing. The housing may then be connected to the base section by one or more connection means in order to form the completed bicycle wheel filter on the clincher wheel. The clincher wheel may then be reattached to the bicycle.

In the above example, the base and the housing are formed in the same manner, that is both include two sections, both include a single section with a slit, or both are formed of a single section. However, as will be appreciated, each of the base and the housing may be formed differently to the other.

The bicycle wheel filter may be manufactured using one or more known techniques, such as injection moulding, vacuum moulding, machine tooling, and so on. The individual components of the bicycle wheel filter may be manufactured separately and subsequently packaged together for retrofitting to a clincher wheel. Different moulds for different clincher wheels (e.g. different dimension clincher wheels) may be created and used in the manufacturing process to form the components of the bicycle wheel filter. Therefore, a method of manufacturing the bicycle wheel filter may comprise forming the base, forming the at least one filter and forming the housing.

The outer surface of the housing, the outer surface of the base and/or the inner surface of the base may further include advertising, one or more logos, one or more patterns, and/or one or more designs. The advertising, one or more logos, one or more patterns, and/or one or more designs may be added during manufacture, for example, using direct injection moulding, or may be added subsequent to manufacture and/or assembly using for example a printed vinyl and adhering the vinyl to the respective surface.

The above described embodiments and examples relate to a bicycle having at least one bicycle wheel filter attachment attached to one or both of the clincher wheels of the bicycle. However, as mentioned above, the present invention relates to any velocipede and therefore the embodiments and examples described in relation to a bicycle wheel filter attachment equally apply to a velocipede wheel filter attachment, wherein the velocipede wheel filter attachment may be attached to one or more clincher wheels of a unicycle, bicycle, tricycle or a quadracycle. Thus, in the embodiments and examples above of the present invention the term bicycle will be understood to include, encompass and is applicable to any velocipede having any number of clincher wheels. The velocipede wheel filter attachment may also be used on suitable indoor exercise bikes which may be used as a home filtering system when the indoor exercise bike is in use. In the case of the velocipede wheel filter being attached to an indoor exercise bike as an indoor air filtration system, a wider range of filters may be used to increase the filtration rate and eliminate more types of pollutants and particulate matter that may be in the home environment. For example, a filter component of the filter may alternatively or additionally include, for example, one or more High Efficiency Particulate Air (NEPA) filter.

In the foregoing embodiments, features described in relation to one embodiment may be combined, in any manner, with features of a different embodiment in order to provide a more efficient and effective velocipede wheel filter attachment that can be attached to a velocipede clincher wheel. Note that, the above description is for illustration only and other embodiments, examples and variations may be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Claims: 1. A velocipede wheel filter comprising: a base; a housing operatively connected to the base; wherein the housing further comprises: at least one filter; and at least one set of fins, wherein a first set of fins is positioned between the at least one filter and an inner perimeter edge of the housing.
2. The velocipede wheel filter of claim 1, in which the base includes two or more base sections.
3. The velocipede filter of claim 1 or 2, in which the housing includes two or more housing sections.
4. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an inner cavity and wherein in operation a rotation of the at least one set of fins generates a centrifugal force to draw air into the inner cavity and force the air through the at least one filter.
5. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims, in which the base and the housing further comprise at least one connection means to connect the housing to the base.
6. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of claims 2 to 5 in which the two or more base sections are joined along a respective base joint line.
7. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of claims 3 to 6 in which the two or more housing sections are joined along a respective housing joint line.
8. The velocipede wheel filter of claim 6 or 7, in which the base joint line and the housing joint line are shaped to substantially match a shape of the fins of the at least one set of fins.
9. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of claims 6 to 8, in which the base joint line and the housing joint line includes one or more protrusions, wherein the protrusions of the base joint line and the respective housing joint line engage.
10. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims in which the base and the housing are substantially annulus in shape.
11. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims, in which the housing further comprises a second set of fins positioned between the filter and an outer perimeter edge of the housing.
12. The velocipede wheel filter of claim 11, in which two or more of the fins of the second set of fins extend radially beyond the outer perimeter edge of the housing by a predetermined distance.
13. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims in which the base further comprises an outer rim that extends outwardly from the base from an outer perimeter edge of the base.
14. The velocipede wheel filter of claim 13 when dependent on claim 12, in which the velocipede wheel filter further comprises at least one external cavity wherein each external cavity is formed from two consecutive fins of the second set of fins that extend beyond the outer perimeter edge of the housing and a portion of the outer rim of the base that extends therebetween.
15. The velocipede wheel filter of claim 13 or 14, in which the outer rim is perpendicular to a surface of the base or the outer rim has an angle of inclination to a surface of the base.
16. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of claims 13 to 15, in which the housing is positioned within the outer rim of the base, such that the outer rim provides a cover for the housing.
17. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims, in which the housing further comprises a filter receptacle and the at least one filter is disposed within the filter receptacle.
18. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims, in which the housing further comprises at least one attachment means, wherein the attachment means attach the at least one filter to the housing.
19. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims, in which the at least one filter includes one or more filter components, wherein the filter components include a prefilter, a sheep's wool prefilter, a woven hemp prefilter, a sheep's wool filter, a sheep's wool finer filter, a polymer filter, a ceramic filter, a woven hemp filter, a post filter, and a woven hemp post filter,.
20. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims, in which one or more of the fins of the first set of fins extend radially beyond an inner perimeter edge of the housing by a predetermined distance.
21. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of claims 10 to 20, in which a radius of an inner circular hole of the annulus shaped base is less than a radius of an inner circular hole of the annulus shaped housing.
22. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims, in which each fin of the at least one set of fins are curved in shape or each fin of the at least one set of fins is substantially straight.
23. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims, in which each fin of the at least one set of fins is uniform in height or each fin of the at least one set of fins varies in height such that each fin substantially increases in height from interior to exterior of each fin.
24. The velocipede wheel filter of any one of the preceding claims, in which each fin of the at least one set of fins are teardrop shaped.
25. A method of retrofitting a clincher wheel with a velocipede wheel filter according to any one of claim s 1 to 24, the method comprising: attaching the base to one or more spokes of the clincher wheel and/or to a second base on an opposite side of the clincher wheel; attaching the at least one filter to the housing; inserting the housing into the base; and connecting the housing to the base.