Wheel trim cover fixing structure and wheel trim cover assembly

Abstract

The utility model belongs to injection molding and assembly technical field especially relates to wheel ornament cover fixed knot and wheel ornament cover assembly, wherein one kind wheel ornament cover fixed knot, including: at least one fixed plug, its setting in wheel ornament cover towards one side of wheel hub, at least one expansion plastic nail, its setting in wheel hub, and an expansion plastic nail corresponds one fixed plug, wherein, the fixed plug inserts into expansion plastic nail, and expansion plastic nail is compressed to change shape to limit wheel ornament cover. Compared with traditional screw fixing scheme and metal buckle fixing scheme, the utility model optimizes fixed knot, and can complete installation through simple pressing operation, need not operating from the back of wheel, and at the same time avoids the damage to wheel hub in the installation and practical process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of injection molding and assembly technology, and particularly relates to a wheel cover fixing structure and a wheel cover assembly. Background Technology

[0002] In the automotive manufacturing industry, wheel covers are important exterior components, and the reliability and convenience of their fixing methods directly affect the assembly efficiency and appearance quality of the entire vehicle.

[0003] In related technologies, there are two main technical solutions for fixing wheel covers in the market:

[0004] First, screw fixing method (see attached) Figure 1 The method involves drilling screw holes in the wheel hub and using screws to fasten the wheel cover to the hub. While this method provides a secure connection, it has significant drawbacks: installation requires operation from the back of the wheel, demanding ample space for tools and severely limiting the design freedom of the wheel cover's layout on the hub. The assembly process is cumbersome and inefficient.

[0005] Second, metal clip fixing solution (see attached document) Figure 2 (1) The wheel is held in place by a metal elastic clip on the edge of the wheel hub. While this method simplifies installation, it has an inherent drawback: the high hardness of the metal clip makes it extremely easy to scratch the plating or paint on the wheel hub surface during installation or vehicle vibration, affecting the wheel's appearance and even causing rust.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a wheel cover fixing structure that is easy to install and can protect the surface of the wheel hub.

[0007] It should be noted that the information disclosed in this background section is only for understanding the background technology of this application concept, and therefore, the above description is not considered to constitute information related to the technology. Utility Model Content

[0008] This disclosure provides at least one wheel cover fixing structure and a wheel cover assembly.

[0009] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a wheel cover fixing structure, including:

[0010] At least one fixing insert is provided on the side of the wheel cover facing the wheel hub;

[0011] At least one expandable plastic nail is disposed on the wheel hub, and one expandable plastic nail corresponds to one fixing plug;

[0012] The fixing plug is inserted into the expansion plastic nail, and the expansion plastic nail is deformed under pressure to limit the wheel cover.

[0013] In one alternative implementation, the fixing plug includes:

[0014] The guide head is tapered and used for insertion into the expansion plastic nail;

[0015] The rod is connected to the rear end of the guide head and the inner wall of the wheel cover.

[0016] In one alternative embodiment, the expanded plastic nail comprises:

[0017] The nail body is hollow inside and is installed in the fixing hole of the wheel hub;

[0018] The positioning ring is located at the outer end of the nail body and abuts against the outer wall of the wheel hub;

[0019] The outer overhang is located at the inner end of the nail body;

[0020] At least one inner overhang is set against the inner wall of the nail body;

[0021] The guide head is inserted into the nail body, and the inner buckle abuts against the rear end of the guide head to limit the wheel cover.

[0022] In one alternative embodiment, the outer undercut is conical, hollow inside, and its outer diameter is larger than the diameter of the fixing hole.

[0023] In one optional embodiment, a limiting ring is fitted onto the outer wall of the rod, and the outer diameter of the limiting ring is larger than the inner diameter of the fixing hole of the wheel hub.

[0024] The guide head is inserted into the nail body, and the limiting ring abuts against the positioning ring.

[0025] In one optional embodiment, the outer wall of the nail body has two through holes symmetrically arranged axially, and an inner buckle is correspondingly disposed on the top wall of one of the through holes, with the lower end of the inner buckle extending obliquely toward the axis of the nail body.

[0026] In one optional embodiment, the inner wall of the outer undercut is provided with ribs in the circumferential direction, and when the guide head is limited by the inner undercut, the ribs abut against the outer wall of the guide head.

[0027] In one alternative embodiment, the outer wall of the guide head is provided with a plurality of weight-reducing grooves along the axial direction.

[0028] In one alternative embodiment, the expanded plastic nail is integrally injection molded from polyamide or polypropylene material.

[0029] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a wheel cover assembly, including a wheel cover and a wheel cover fixing structure.

[0030] The beneficial effects of this utility model are that it provides a wheel cover fixing structure and a wheel cover assembly. Compared with traditional screw fixing and metal clip fixing methods, this utility model optimizes the fixing structure by inserting the fixing plug into the expansion plastic nail and simply pressing it to install the wheel cover on the wheel hub. This eliminates the need to operate from the back of the wheel hub, thus overcoming the strict limitations of tool operation space. At the same time, it avoids damage to the wheel hub during installation and use.

[0031] Other features and advantages of this invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objectives and other advantages of this invention are realized and obtained through the structures particularly pointed out in the description and the accompanying drawings.

[0032] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments or related technologies of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a screw fixing scheme in the prior art;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a metal clip fixing scheme in the prior art;

[0036] Figure 3 A perspective view of the wheel cover fixing structure provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the unfolded state of the wheel cover and wheel hub provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0038] Figure 5 A perspective view of an expansion plastic nail provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the wheel cover fixing structure provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] In the picture:

[0041] 1. Wheel cover; 2. Wheel hub; 20. Mounting holes; 3. Screws; 4. Metal clips;

[0042] 5. Fixing insert; 51. Guide head; 52. Rod; 53. Limiting ring; 54. Weight reduction groove;

[0043] 6. Expansion plastic nail; 61. Nail body; 62. Positioning ring; 63. Outer undercut; 64. Inner undercut; 65. Through hole; 66. Rib. Detailed Implementation

[0044] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0045] In this document, when it is mentioned that a first component is located on a second component, this can mean that the first component can be directly formed on the second component, or that a third component can be inserted between the first and second components. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the thickness of the components may be exaggerated or reduced for the purpose of effectively describing the technical content.

[0046] In this document, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As used herein, expressions such as “at least one of…” modify the entire list of elements when following a list of elements, rather than individual elements in the list. For example, the expression “at least one of a, b, and c” should be understood to include only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, or all of a, b, and c.

[0047] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific exemplary configurations only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular articles “a,” “an,” and “the” may also be intended to include plural forms unless otherwise expressly stated herein. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are inclusive and thus specify the presence of features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein should not be construed as requiring them to be performed in the specific order discussed or shown, unless specifically identified as such. Additional or alternative steps may be employed.

[0048] As used herein, the phrases “in one embodiment,” “according to one embodiment,” “in some embodiments,” etc., generally refer to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase can be included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. Therefore, a particular feature, structure, or characteristic can be included in more than one embodiment of this disclosure, such that these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. As used herein, the terms “example,” “exemplary,” etc., are used to “serve as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation, aspect, or design described herein as “example” or “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or superior to other implementations, aspects, or designs. Rather, the use of the terms “example,” “exemplary,” etc., is intended to present concepts in a specific manner.

[0049] Research has revealed two main technical solutions for fixing wheel covers in the market:

[0050] First, screw fixing method (see attached) Figure 1 The method involves drilling screw holes in the wheel hub and using screws to fasten the wheel cover to the hub. While this method provides a secure connection, it has significant drawbacks: installation requires operation from the back of the wheel, demanding ample space for tools and severely limiting the design freedom of the wheel cover's layout on the hub. The assembly process is cumbersome and inefficient.

[0051] Second, metal clip fixing solution (see attached document) Figure 2 (1) The wheel is held in place by a metal elastic clip on the edge of the wheel hub. While this method simplifies installation, it has an inherent drawback: the high hardness of the metal clip makes it extremely easy to scratch the plating or paint on the wheel hub surface during installation or vehicle vibration, affecting the wheel's appearance and even causing rust.

[0052] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a wheel cover fixing structure that is easy to install and can protect the surface of the wheel hub.

[0053] The defects in the above solutions and the reasons for their occurrence are the results of the inventors' practice and careful research. Therefore, the discovery process of the above problems and the solutions proposed in this disclosure should be considered as the inventors' contributions to this disclosure.

[0054] 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.

[0055] The following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, describes some embodiments of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0056] In existing technologies, such as Figure 1 As shown, the inner wall of the wheel cover 1 is provided with several screws 3, and the wheel hub 2 has several screw holes that are compatible with the screws 3. During assembly, the screws 3 need to be fixed from behind the wheel hub 2, which places strict requirements on the tool operating space and greatly limits the freedom of design for the layout of the wheel cover on the wheel hub. At the same time, using tools and screws 3 to fix the wheel cover 1 is a cumbersome and inefficient assembly process.

[0057] like Figure 2 As shown, the inner wall of the wheel cover 1 is provided with several metal clips 4. During assembly, although the metal clips 4 can be installed from the front of the wheel hub 2, the metal clips 4 have high hardness and are very easy to scratch the coating or paint on the surface of the wheel hub during installation or vehicle vibration, which affects the appearance of the wheel and may even lead to rust.

[0058] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, at least one embodiment provides a wheel cover fixing structure, including:

[0059] At least one fixing insert 5 is disposed on the side of the wheel cover 1 facing the wheel hub 2; see attached figure. Figure 4 The fixing plug 5 includes: a guide head 51, which is tapered and used for insertion into the expansion plastic nail 6; the tapered guide head 51 facilitates insertion into the nail body 61. A rod 52 is connected to the rear end of the guide head 51 and the inner wall of the wheel cover 1. A limiting ring 53 is also fitted on the outer wall of the rod 52. The outer diameter of the limiting ring 53 is larger than the inner diameter of the fixing hole 20 on the wheel hub 2. When the guide head 51 is inserted into the nail body 61, the limiting ring 53 abuts against the positioning ring 62 to provide a limiting effect during installation.

[0060] Reference Appendix Figure 5 At least one expandable plastic nail 6 is disposed within the fixing hole 20 of the wheel hub 2, and one expandable plastic nail 6 corresponds to one fixing plug 5. The expandable plastic nail 6 includes: a nail body 61, which is hollow inside and disposed within the fixing hole 20 of the wheel hub 2 to accommodate the guide head 51 of the fixing plug 5; a positioning ring 62, which is disposed at the outer end of the nail body 61 and abuts against the outer wall of the wheel hub 2 after installation, serving a positioning function; and an outer buckle 63, which is disposed at the inner end of the nail body 61. The outer buckle 63 is conical, hollow inside, and its outer diameter is larger than the diameter of the fixing hole 20. Through the cooperation of the outer buckle 63 and the positioning ring 62, it is ensured that the expandable plastic nail 6 can be firmly locked in the fixing hole 20. At least one inner buckle 64 is disposed on the inner wall of the nail body 61; it is used to abut against the rear end of the guide head 51 after the guide head 51 of the fixing plug 5 is inserted into the nail body 61, thereby limiting the wheel cover 1. The guide head 51 is inserted into the nail body 61, and the inner buckle 64 abuts against the rear end of the guide head 51 to limit the wheel cover 1.

[0061] Continue to refer to the appendix Figure 5 To further optimize the structure, two through holes 65 are symmetrically formed on the outer wall of the nail body 61 along the axial direction. Each through hole 65 has an inner undercut 64 on its inner top wall, with the lower end of the undercut 64 extending obliquely towards the axis of the nail body 61 to improve its elastic deformation capacity and gripping force. Furthermore, ribs 66 are circumferentially formed on the inner wall of the outer undercut 63. When the guide head 51 is limited by the inner undercut 64, the ribs 66 abut against the outer wall of the guide head 51 to enhance friction and stability. Several weight-reducing grooves 54 are formed axially on the outer wall of the guide head 51 to reduce weight and improve the deformation adaptability of the guide head 51. In this embodiment, the expanded plastic nail 6 is made of polyamide (PA) or polypropylene (PP) material through integral injection molding, possessing good elasticity, wear resistance, and anti-aging properties.

[0062] The working principle of the wheel cover fixing structure is as follows:

[0063] During installation, the expansion plastic nail 6 is first pressed into the fixing hole 20 from the front of the wheel hub 2. At this time, the outer buckle 63 undergoes elastic deformation and passes through the fixing hole 20, and returns to its original shape after passing through. Its outer diameter is larger than the hole diameter of the fixing hole 20, thereby fixing the expansion plastic nail 6 to the wheel hub 2.

[0064] Subsequently, the fixing plug 5 on the wheel cover 1 is aligned with the expansion plastic nail 6, and pressure is applied to insert the guide head 51 into the nail body 61. The conical structure of the guide head 51 guides its smooth insertion and pushes the inner buckle 64 to undergo elastic deformation; when the guide head 51 is fully inserted, the inner buckle 64 returns to its original shape and abuts against the rear end of the guide head 51, while the limiting ring 53 abuts against the positioning ring 62, thereby completing the fixing of the wheel cover 1.

[0065] At least one embodiment provides a wheel cover assembly, including a wheel cover 1 and a wheel cover 1 fixing structure as described above. This assembly has advantages such as easy installation, reliable fixing, and no scratching of the wheel hub 2 surface, and is suitable for installing wheel covers 1 on various types of passenger vehicles.

[0066] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" 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 utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0067] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms used herein do not imply order or sequence unless expressly indicated herein. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments, the first element, component, region, layer, or segment discussed above may be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer, or segment.

[0068] Based on the above-described preferred embodiments of this utility model, and through the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical concept of this utility model. The technical scope of this utility model is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wheel cover fixing structure, characterized in that, include: At least one fixing plug (5) is provided on the side of the wheel cover (1) facing the wheel hub (2); At least one expansion plastic nail (6) is provided on the wheel hub (2), and one expansion plastic nail (6) corresponds to one fixing plug (5); The fixing plug (5) is inserted into the expansion plastic nail (6), and the expansion plastic nail (6) is deformed under pressure to limit the wheel cover (1).

2. The wheel cover fixing structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed plug-in (5) includes: The guide head (51) is tapered and is used for insertion into the expansion plastic nail (6); The rod (52) is connected to the rear end of the guide head (51) and the inner wall of the wheel cover (1).

3. The wheel cover fixing structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The expanded plastic nail (6) includes: The nail body (61) is hollow inside and is set in the fixing hole (20) of the wheel hub (2); The positioning ring (62) is located at the outer end of the nail body (61) and abuts against the outer wall of the wheel hub (2); An outer buckle (63) is provided at the inner end of the nail body (61); At least one inner buckle (64) is disposed on the inner wall of the nail body (61); The guide head (51) is inserted into the nail body (61), and the inner buckle (64) abuts against the rear end of the guide head (51) to limit the wheel cover (1).

4. The wheel cover fixing structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The outer buckle (63) is conical, hollow inside, and its outer diameter is larger than the diameter of the fixing hole (20).

5. The wheel cover fixing structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that, A limiting ring (53) is fitted on the outer wall of the rod (52), and the outer diameter of the limiting ring (53) is larger than the inner diameter of the fixing hole (20) of the wheel hub (2); The guide head (51) is inserted into the nail body (61), and the limiting ring (53) abuts against the positioning ring (62).

6. The wheel cover fixing structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The outer wall of the nail body (61) is provided with two through holes (65) symmetrically arranged in the axial direction. An inner buckle (64) is correspondingly arranged on the top wall of one of the through holes (65), and the lower end of the inner buckle (64) extends obliquely toward the axis of the nail body (61).

7. The wheel cover fixing structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The inner wall of the outer undercut (63) is provided with ribs (66) in the circumferential direction. When the guide head (51) is limited by the inner undercut (64), the ribs (66) abut against the outer wall of the guide head (51).

8. The wheel cover fixing structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The outer wall of the guide head (51) has several weight-reducing grooves (54) along the axial direction.

9. The wheel cover fixing structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The expanded plastic nail (6) is integrally injection molded from polyamide or polypropylene material.

10. A wheel cover assembly, characterized in that, It includes a wheel cover (1) and a wheel cover fixing structure as described in any one of claims 1-9.

Images