More easily mountable trim cover for a sheet-metal wheel

Abstract

The invention relates to a trim cover (2) for a sheet-metal wheel, comprising a holding portion (3) which includes a first portion (31) designed to bear against an edge of an opening in the sheet-metal wheel, the first portion (31) of the holding portion (3) comprising at least one circular-arc portion (311) in which a groove (312) is formed which is designed to receive a portion of the edge of the opening, the first portion (31) of the holding portion (3) comprising at least one guide ramp (313, 314) designed, when positioning the holding portion (3) on the sheet-metal wheel, to slidingly bear against said portion of the edge of the opening in order to guide the portion of the edge of the opening into the groove (312). The invention also relates to a wheel comprising such a trim cover (2) and to a vehicle comprising such a wheel.

Description

DESCRIPTION TITLE OF THE INVENTION: HUB COVER FOR A SHEET METAL WHEEL WITH SIMPLIFIED MOUNTING

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2209743 filed on September 26, 2022, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a hubcap for a sheet metal wheel, it also relates to a sheet metal wheel comprising such a hubcap and a vehicle comprising such a sheet metal wheel equipped with such a hubcap.

[0003] The present invention relates more particularly to such a hubcap for a sheet metal wheel of the type comprising a rim which has a web in its center, said web comprising a series of openings at the edge of the rim, said hubcap being adapted to be positioned at one of said openings and comprising a holding part which comprises a first part adapted to bear against an edge of said opening, the first part of the holding part comprising at least one part in the shape of an arc of a circle in which a groove is formed, said groove being adapted to receive a part of the edge of the opening when the holding part is positioned on the web of the sheet metal wheel.

[0004] Document FR-A1-3116232 discloses such a hubcap for a sheet metal wheel of the type comprising a rim which has a web in its center, the web comprising a series of openings at the edge of the rim where hubcaps are positioned at a part of the openings, the hubcaps comprising a first holding part which is adapted to bear against an edge of the corresponding opening and against the rim.

[0005] To position each trim in the corresponding openings, it is necessary to deform the arc-shaped shape of the first part of the holding part sufficiently to insert the edge of the opening into the groove, and this in a simple manner by a single assembly movement, which such a trim does not allow.

[0006] The device according to the invention makes it possible to overcome this drawback.

[0007] It comprises, in fact, according to the invention, a hubcap for a sheet metal wheel of the type comprising a rim which has a web in its center, said web comprising a series of openings at the edge of the rim, said hubcap being adapted to be

[0008] positioned at one of said openings and comprising a holding part which comprises a first part adapted to bear against an edge of said opening, the first part of the holding part comprising at least one part in the shape of an arc of a circle in which a groove is formed, said groove being adapted to receive a part of the edge of the opening when the holding part is positioned on the web of the sheet metal wheel, the first part of the holding part comprising along the at least one part in the shape of an arc of a circle, at least one guide ramp adapted to, when positioning the holding part on the web of the sheet metal wheel, be in sliding support against said part of the edge of the opening to guide the part of the edge of the opening in said groove.

[0009] According to a first characteristic of the invention, the holding part comprises a second part adapted to be positioned in abutment against the rim and an intermediate part which connects the first part to the second part of said holding part.

[0010] According to a second characteristic of the invention, the at least one arcuate portion of the first portion of the holding portion comprises a first free end and a second end which is connected to said intermediate portion, the at least one guide ramp extending from the free end of the at least one arcuate portion of the first portion of the holding portion to said second end of the at least one arcuate portion.

[0011] According to a third characteristic of the invention, the at least one guide ramp comprises a first slope which begins at the free end of the at least one arcuate portion and which gradually rises along the at least one arcuate portion to said second end of the at least one arcuate portion and a second slope which begins along the outer edge of the at least one arcuate shape and which gradually rises to its inner edge.

[0012] According to a fourth characteristic of the invention, at the location of the attachment point of the first part of the holding part and of the intermediate part of said holding part, an intermediate guide ramp is formed which is positioned in the same alignment as said at least one guide ramp.

[0013] According to a fifth characteristic of the invention, the first part of the holding part comprises two parts in an arc of a circle which extend symmetrically on either side of the point of attachment of the first part of the holding part to the intermediate part of said holding part.

[0014] According to a sixth characteristic of the invention, each of the two arcuate parts symmetrically comprises said at least one guide ramp.

[0015] According to a seventh characteristic of the invention, in the same alignment, along said two arcuate parts, are aligned a first at least one guide ramp, the intermediate guide ramp and a second at least one guide ramp.

[0016] The present invention also relates to a sheet metal wheel which includes such a hubcap.

[0017] It also concerns a vehicle which has at least one such sheet metal wheel.

[0018] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

[0019] [Fig. 1] represents a sheet metal wheel which comprises a rim with a disc in its center and at least one hubcap according to the invention which at least partially covers an opening formed in the disc.

[0020] [Fig. 2] represents a view during the assembly of one of the hubcaps according to the invention, where more particularly visible is a holding part of the hubcap and a covering part of the hubcap which is adapted to be fixed on the holding part while covering it at least partially.

[0021] Figure 1 represents a sheet metal wheel 1 which has a rim 11 with a disc 12 in its center.

[0022] The rim 11 has a first groove 13 which is formed by a curved outer free edge and a second groove 14 which is positioned at the edge of the rim 11 with the disc 12.

[0023] The veil 12 comprises a series of openings 15 which are formed at the edge of the veil 12 and the rim 11, hubcaps 2 being positioned at the level of a part of these openings 15, partially masking them.

[0024] In the example as shown, only one opening 15 out of two is masked by a trim 2, but depending on the proximity of the openings 15 and the size of the trims 2, there may be more or fewer trims 2.

[0025] As more particularly visible in Figure 2, the hubcap 2 comprises two parts:

[0026] - a holding part 3 which comprises a first part 31 adapted to bear against an edge of the opening 15 and a second part 32 adapted to bear against an edge of said rim 11, positioned in the first groove 13 and in the second groove 14, at the edge of said opening 15, and

[0027] - a covering part 4 adapted to be fixed on the holding part 3 while covering it at least partially.

[0028] The holding part 3 comprises an intermediate part 33 which rigidly connects the first part 31 and the second part 32 of said holding part 3.

[0029] The intermediate part 33 of the holding part 3 is adapted to deform elastically during the mounting of the first part 31 of the holding part 3 in the opening 15 of the wheel 1.

[0030] The first part 31 of the holding part 3 comprises an arcuate shape 311 in which a groove 312 is formed which is adapted to receive a part of the edge of the openings 15.

[0031] The first part 31 of the holding part 3 comprises, along the arcuate part 311, three guide ramps which make it possible to guide a part of the edge of the opening 15 into the groove 312 of the arcuate shape 311 when assembling the holding part 3 of the hubcap 2 on the wheel 1.

[0032] The first part 31 of the holding part 3 is connected in its center to the intermediate part 33 of the holding part 3 and comprises at this central location a first guide ramp 313.

[0033] Along the first part 31 in an arc of a circle 311 of the holding part 3 are positioned symmetrically, on either side of the first guide ramp 313, two second guide ramps 314, the three guide ramps being in the same circular alignment.

[0034] The two second guide ramps 314 each have a first slope which begins at the free ends of the arcuate portion 311 and which gradually rises along the arcuate portion 311 to the height of the first guide ramp 313.

[0035] The two second guide ramps 314 each have a second slope which begins along the outer edge of the arcuate shape 311 of the first part 31 of the holding part 3 and which gradually rises to the inner edge, the second slope being identical to the slope of the first guide ramp 313.

[0036] The holding part 3 comprises a support 5 which extends from the second part 32 of the holding part 3, with a T shape, into the space left free of the intermediate part 33.

[0037] The covering part 4 comprises two first clipping tabs 41 adapted to be fixed on the support 5 of the holding part 3 and a third clipping tab 42 adapted to be fixed on the first part 31 of the holding part 3.

[0038] The support 5 comprises a reference bearing surface 51 against which a reference bearing surface 43 of the covering part 4 bears, once the covering part 4 is fixed to the holding part 3.

[0039] The third clipping tab 42, by virtue of its positioning in alignment with the bearing surface 43 of the covering part 4, creates a bearing force against the first part 31 of the holding part 3 making it possible to press the bearing surface 43 of the covering part 4 against the bearing surface 51 of the support 5.

[0040] Such a pressed position of the bearing surface 43 of the covering part 4 against the bearing surface 51 of the support 5, makes it possible to guarantee good positioning of the covering part 4 relative to the rim 11 of the sheet metal wheel 1.

[0041] Thus, if the positioning of the first part 31 of the holding part 3 is random due to its dependence on the positioning of the openings 15 of the disc 12 of the sheet metal wheel 1 (the openings 15 of the disc 12 being able to vary slightly from one sheet metal wheel 1 to another) the positioning of the rim 11 is precise and allows for good peripheral alignment of the hubcaps 2 on the sheet metal rim 1.

[0042] The flexibility of the third clipping tab 42 of the covering part 4 and the flexibility of the intermediate part 33 of the holding part 3 makes it possible to compensate for this variation in positioning of the openings 15 of the web 12 of the sheet metal wheel 1.

[0043] The bearing surface 51 of the support 5 is positioned along the distal edge of the support 5 relative to the second part 32 of the holding part 3, the two adjacent edges 52 on either side of the distal edge 51, make it possible to clip the first two clipping tabs 41 of the covering part 4.

[0044] The first two clipping tabs 41 of the trim part 4, once clipped, can slide along the support 5, with a sliding direction which is perpendicular to the bearing surface 51 of this support 5, to adapt without opposing the correct peripheral positioning of the hubcap 2 relative to the rim 11 of the sheet metal wheel 1.

Claims

CLAIMS 1 . Hubcap (2) for a sheet metal wheel (1) of the type comprising a rim (11) which has a web (12) in its center, said web (12) comprising a series of openings (15) at the edge of the rim (11), said hubcap (2) being adapted to be positioned at one of said openings (15) and comprising a holding part (3) which comprises a first part (31) adapted to bear against an edge of said opening (15), the first part (31) of the holding part (3) comprising at least one arcuate part (311) in which a groove (312) is formed, said groove (312) being adapted to receive a part of the edge of the openings (15) when the holding part (3) is positioned on the web (12) of the sheet metal wheel (1), characterized in that the first part (31) of the holding part (3) comprises along the at at least one arcuate portion (311), at least one guide ramp (313, 314) adapted for,when positioning the holding part (3) on the web (12) of the sheet metal wheel (1), be in sliding support against said part of the edge of the opening (15) to guide the part of the edge of the opening (15) in said groove (312)., 2. Hubcap (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding part (3) comprises a second part (32) adapted to be positioned in abutment against the rim (11) and an intermediate part (33) which connects the first part (31) to the second part (32) of said holding part (3).

3. Hubcap (2) according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one arcuate portion (311) of the first portion (31) of the holding portion (3) comprises a first free end and a second end which is connected to said intermediate portion (33), the at least one guide ramp (314) extending from the free end of the at least one arcuate portion (311) of the first portion (31) of the holding portion (3) to said second end of the at least one arcuate portion (311).

4. Hubcap (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that the at least one guide ramp (314) comprises a first slope which begins at the free end of the at least one arcuate portion (311) and which gradually rises along the at least one arcuate portion (311) to said second end of the at least one arcuate portion (311) and a second slope which begins along the outer edge of the at least one arcuate shape (311) and which gradually rises to its inner edge.

5. Hubcap (2) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that at the location of the fixing point of the first part (31) of the holding part (3) and of the intermediate part (33) of said holding part (3), an intermediate guide ramp (313) is formed which is positioned in the same alignment as said at least one guide ramp (314).

6. Hubcap (2) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the first part (31) of the holding part (3) comprises two arcuate parts (311) which extend symmetrically on either side of the point of attachment of the first part (31) of the holding part (3) to the intermediate part (33) of said holding part (3).

7. Hubcap (2) according to claim 6, characterized in that each of the two arcuate parts (311) symmetrically comprises said at least one guide ramp (314).

8. Hubcap (2) according to claim 7 taken in dependence on claim 6, characterized in that in the same alignment, along said two arcuate parts (311), are aligned a first at least one guide ramp (314), the intermediate guide ramp (313) and a second at least one guide ramp (314).

9. Wheel (1) comprising a hubcap (2) according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. Vehicle comprising a wheel (1) according to the preceding claim.

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