A high strength truck wheel structure

Abstract

The application discloses a high-strength truck wheel structure and relates to the technical field of wheel manufacturing of automobiles. The high-strength truck wheel structure comprises spokes and a rim which are press-fitted and welded, the rim comprises an axial outer rim and an axial inner rim, and the axial outer rim and the axial inner rim are connected through a rim base; the axial inner rim comprises a proximal end flange, a bead seat edge is connected to the end of the proximal end flange, the distal end of the bead seat edge is inclined and extended towards the direction of the rim base until being directly connected with the rim base; the spoke is provided with a fixed part at the opening, and the fixed part is welded and fixed with the inner side of the bead seat edge. The scheme cancels the groove top round corner, the rim straight edge and the transition arc in the structure of the previous design, and the bead seat edge is directly connected with the arc transition section in the rim base; therefore, there is no stress concentration phenomenon of the groove top round corner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automobile wheel manufacturing technology, specifically a high-strength truck wheel structure. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in existing tubeless wheels, the open end of the spokes is assembled with the straight edge of the rim mounting surface of the spokes with a certain interference fit, and then the rim and spokes are welded together to form a whole.

[0003] During our company's early R&D process, we proposed an improved design for the wheel rim. This improvement involves using a transition arc, the straight edge of the rim, and the rounded corner at the bottom of the groove to create a smooth transition between the rim bead seat and the groove. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the specific structure can be found in the invention patent filed and published in 2020 (Publication No.: CN112721541B; Patent Name: High-strength Rim with Adjustable Inner Diameter Fitting Dimensions and its Wheel). By adopting the above structure, the inner diameter of the rim fit remains consistent even for rims of different material thicknesses, thereby enhancing the versatility of the spokes, significantly reducing the production cost of the spokes for enterprises, and ensuring that there will be no inapplicability due to different outer diameters of the spokes during the process of wheel lightweighting.

[0004] During the large-scale demonstration and application process in our company, the above-mentioned structure (publication number: CN112721541B; patent name: high-strength rim and wheel with adjustable inner diameter fit size) also received feedback from engineers. The main problems are: the above-mentioned wheel structure is prone to stress concentration at the composite weld, the top rounded corner and the bottom rounded corner of the groove, which will seriously affect the normal service life of the car wheel. At the same time, due to the excessive stress concentration, the far end rim of the wheel is severely deformed, the rigidity is insufficient, and tire wear occurs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems in current applications, a new high-strength truck wheel structure is proposed. This solution aims to resolve the issues of rim stress concentration and tire wear at the far rim flange.

[0006] Specifically, the detailed technical solution provided by this invention is as follows:

[0007] A high-strength truck wheel structure includes press-fitted and welded spokes and a rim. The rim includes an axial outer rim and an axial inner rim, which are connected via a rim base. The axial inner rim includes a proximal flange, and a bead seat edge is connected to the end of the proximal flange. The distal end of the bead seat edge is inclined toward the rim base and extends until it is directly connected to the rim base.

[0008] The spoke opening has a fixed connection, which is welded to the inner side of the bead seat.

[0009] As a further improvement to this solution, the bead seat includes an integrally formed front section, a middle section, and a rear section. The front section is connected to the end of the near-end rim; the rear section is connected to the rim base; and the fixed part is welded to the inner side of the middle section.

[0010] As a further improvement to this solution, the middle section has an inner edge, which is inclined at an angle α, wherein the range of α is 15±1°.

[0011] As a further improvement to this solution, the fixed part includes a face edge and an opening bottom edge; the face edge is inclined at an angle of β, where β = α; the face edge is configured to be welded together with the inner edge; the opening bottom edge is horizontally positioned.

[0012] As a further improvement to this solution, the rim base includes a rim groove section, which is connected to the bead seat edge via an arc transition section; the bead seat edge, the arc transition section, and the rim groove section together form a large concave arc structure.

[0013] As a further improvement to this solution, a valve stem hole is provided at the tail end of the bead seat.

[0014] As a further improvement to this solution, the axial outer rim also includes a distal rim; the axial outer rim and the axial inner rim are an integral structure.

[0015] The beneficial effects achieved by adopting this technical solution are as follows:

[0016] 1. In the structural design of this scheme, the rounded corners at the top of the groove, the straight edge of the rim, and the transition arc in the previous design structure are eliminated. Instead, the bead seat edge is directly connected to the arc transition section in the rim base. Therefore, there is no stress concentration phenomenon at the rounded corners at the top of the groove. At the same time, the weld seam and the arc transition section in the rim base together form a large arc shape, which reduces the stress by an average of about 30% and increases the fatigue life by about 50%. Meanwhile, because the stress concentration problem is reduced, the stiffness of the far-end rim is increased by about 10%, reducing the deformation at the far-end rim and effectively reducing tire wear.

[0017] 2. The rim structure is simplified in this design, so that the near-end rim and the far-end rim are transitioned by a large arc structure. This avoids the risk of excessive thinning during the spinning process due to small arcs such as the groove top fillet and transition arc, and reduces the difficulty of product quality control.

[0018] 3. The valve stem hole was originally located at the sloping edge of the groove bottom in the previous design. This solution changes it to the area between the composite weld and the arc transition section (i.e., at the tail end of the bead seat). This effectively reduces the risk of cracking at the bottom of the groove when the valve stem hole is opened. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a diagram of the wheel structure from the initial technical design scheme.

[0020] Figure 2 This is an improved structural diagram of the proposed solution.

[0021] Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of the composite welding of the spokes and rim.

[0022] The components include: 10 spokes, 11 fixed joint, 20 rim, 21 axial outer rim, 22 rim base, 23 axial inner rim, 221 arc transition section, 222 rim groove section, 231 near-end flange, 232 bead seat edge, and 300 valve stem hole. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The principles and features of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The examples given are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0024] Before introducing the technical solution of the present invention, we will first combine the previous technical design scheme (publication number: CN112721541B; patent name: high-strength rim with adjustable inner diameter and matching size and its wheel) to clarify the current situation, which will help those skilled in the art to understand the technical solution of the present invention.

[0025] The high-strength rim with adjustable inner diameter provided in the early design scheme is connected by a transition arc between the bead bevel and the straight edge of the rim. This ensures that the inner diameter of the rim remains consistent even for rims of different material thicknesses, thereby making the spokes more versatile, greatly reducing the production cost of spokes for enterprises, and ensuring that there will be no inapplicability due to different outer diameters of spokes during the process of wheel lightweighting.

[0026] Meanwhile, in its structural design, see Figure 1 The design drawings show the size transition arc, the straight edge of the rim, the rounded corner at the top of the groove, the beveled edge at the bottom of the groove, and the rounded corner at the bottom of the groove. Practice has proven that the above structure ensures that the length of the straight edge of the rim will not change due to different rim material thicknesses, thereby avoiding the phenomenon of reduced wheel fatigue life caused by the reduction of the straight edge of the rim.

[0027] Regarding the technical problem of varying rim material thickness leading to changes in the straight edge length of the rim, the previous structural design (Publication No.: CN112721541B; Patent Name: High-strength Rim and Wheel with Adjustable Inner Diameter Fitting Dimensions) could solve this problem to the greatest extent. However, during large-scale demonstration and application, it was found that the above structural design would simultaneously generate other new problems. The aforementioned wheel structure is prone to stress concentration at the dimensional transition arc, the joint weld, the top fillet, and the bottom fillet, which seriously affects the normal service life of the automobile wheel. At the same time, due to excessive stress concentration, the distal rim of the wheel is severely deformed, resulting in insufficient rigidity and tire wear.

[0028] Based on the preliminary structural design, this invention further elaborates on the structure of the rim and spokes, resulting in a high-strength truck wheel structure provided by this solution. The structure comprises press-fitted and welded spokes 10 and a rim 20. (See attached diagram.) Figure 2 .

[0029] The rim 20 includes an outer axial rim 21 and an inner axial rim 23, which are connected by a rim base 22. The inner axial rim 23 includes a proximal rim 231, at the end of which a bead seat edge 232 is connected. The distal end of the bead seat edge 232 slopes and extends towards the rim base 22 until it is directly connected to the rim base 22. This design simplifies the rim structure, eliminating unnecessary bending transitions between the proximal rim 231 and the rim base 22. Compared to the initial design, this avoids the risk of excessive thinning during spinning due to small arcs such as transition radius and groove top fillet, effectively ensuring product quality control.

[0030] The spoke 10 has a fixed part 11 at its opening, which is welded to the inner side of the bead seat edge 232. At this time, the fixed part 11 and the bead seat edge 232 form a composite weld. Because the stress concentration caused by the lack of the size transition arc and the rounded corner of the groove is not present, the average stress at the composite weld is reduced by at least 30%, ensuring the stability of the welding position.

[0031] In further optimization of this scheme, we specifically divide the bead seat edge 232 into a front section, a middle section and a rear section. The front section, the middle section and the rear section are integrally formed. The front section is connected to the end of the near-end rim 231; the rear section is connected to the rim base 22; the fixed part 11 of the spoke 10 mentioned above is welded to the inner side of the middle section here.

[0032] Further optimizations to this solution are underway; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 - Figure 3To avoid the stress effects caused by the small arc structure, it is best to design the front, middle, and rear sections as smooth straight lines, with the bead seat edge 232 forming an overall inclined design until the rear section connects to the rim base 22. Of course, the middle section at this point has an inner edge, which is inclined at an angle α, where α ranges from 15±1°. Therefore, our designed bead seat edge 232 is inclined at an angle α until it directly connects to the rim base 22. It is easy to see that this solution directly eliminates the straight edge of the rim in the previous design, thus eliminating the problem of reduced wheel fatigue life caused by the reduction of the straight edge. In other words, by adopting the structural design of this solution, the phenomenon of reduced wheel fatigue life due to the reduction of the straight edge of the rim is also avoided.

[0033] In further optimization of this scheme, in order to ensure stable welding between the spokes 10 and the rim 20, the fixed connection part 11 includes a facing edge and an open bottom edge; the facing edge is inclined with an inclination angle of β, where β = α; the facing edge is configured to be welded together with the inner edge; by keeping the facing edge of the fixed connection part 11 and the inner edge of the middle section welded together, it has a great promoting effect on reducing the impact of stress concentration.

[0034] In a further optimization of this design, the bottom edge of the opening of the fixed connection part 11 is set horizontally.

[0035] To achieve a smooth connection between the bead seat edge 232 and the rim base 22, the rim base 22 is also partially designed. That is, the rim base 22 in this design includes a rim groove section 222 and an arc transition section 221. The rim groove section 222 is connected to the tail section of the bead seat edge 232 through the arc transition section 221. Because the bead seat edge 232 extends towards the rim base 22 at an angle α (15±1°), the arc transition section 221 is not a small arc like a size transition arc or a groove top fillet. The bead seat edge 232, the arc transition section 221, and the rim groove section 222 together form a large concave arc structure.

[0036] Therefore, the small arc structures such as the rounded corners at the top of the grooves and the transition arcs in the size of the previous design were eliminated here. Instead, the bead seat edge 232 and the arc transition section 221 in the rim base 22 were directly connected. This allows the bead seat edge 232 and the rim base 22 to form a large arc shape together, resulting in an average reduction of stress of about 30% and an increase of about 50% in fatigue life. At the same time, because the problem of stress concentration is reduced, the stiffness of the far rim is increased by about 10%, reducing the amount of deformation at the far rim and effectively reducing the frequency of tire wear.

[0037] In a further optimization of this design, a valve stem hole 300 is provided at the tail end of the bead seat edge 232. In the previous design, the valve stem hole was located at the inclined edge of the groove bottom. In this design, it is changed to the area between the composite weld and the arc transition section 221 (i.e., at the tail end of the bead seat edge 232), which can effectively reduce the risk of cracking at the groove bottom when the valve stem hole is opened.

[0038] In a further optimization of this design, the outer axial rim 21 and the inner axial rim 23 are integrated into a single structure.

[0039] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0040] It should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the technical product is in use. They are used only for the convenience of describing the technology and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the technology. Furthermore, "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. Therefore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only for distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0041] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "sag" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0042] In the description of this technology, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this technology based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this technology. It should be noted that, due to the limitations of written expression and the existence of an infinite number of specific structures, those skilled in the art can make several improvements, modifications, or changes without departing from the principles of this technology, and can also combine the above-mentioned technical features in an appropriate manner. These improvements, modifications, changes, or combinations, or the direct application of the technical concept and solution to other situations without modification, should all be considered within the scope of protection of this technology.

Claims

1. A high-strength truck wheel structure, comprising press-fitted and welded spokes (10) and a rim (20), the rim comprising an axially outer rim (21) and an axially inner rim (23), the axially outer rim (21) and the axially inner rim (23) being connected by a rim base (22); characterized in that, The axial inner rim (23) includes a proximal rim (231), and a bead seat edge (232) is connected to the end of the proximal rim (231). The distal end of the bead seat edge (232) is inclined toward the rim base (22) and extends until it is directly connected to the rim base (22). The spoke (10) has a fixed part (11) at the opening, and the fixed part (11) is welded and fixed to the inner side of the bead seat edge (232); The bead seat edge (232) includes an integrally formed front section, middle section and rear section. The front section is connected to the end of the proximal rim (231). The rear section is connected to the rim base (22). The fixed part (11) is welded to the inner side of the middle section. The middle section has an inner edge, which is inclined at an angle of α, wherein the range of α is 15±1°. The fixed part (11) includes a face edge and an opening bottom edge; the face edge is inclined and the inclination angle is β, where β=α; the face edge is welded and fixed to the inner side edge; the opening bottom edge is horizontal.

2. The high-strength truck wheel structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rim base (22) includes a rim groove section (222), which is connected to the bead seat edge (232) via an arc transition section (221); the bead seat edge (232), the arc transition section (221) and the rim groove section (222) together form a large concave arc structure.

3. The high-strength truck wheel structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tail section of the bead seat edge (232) is provided with a valve stem hole (300).

4. A high-strength truck wheel structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The axial outer rim (21) also includes a distal rim; the axial outer rim (21) and the axial inner rim (23) are an integral structure.

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