Two-piece wheel

Abstract

To provide a strong, attractive and lightweight two-piece wheel that is cheaper and easy to manufacture.SOLUTION: The disclosure provides a two-piece (composed of two components) wheel which contains a first section and a second section. The wheel contains regions with different diameters over the width and the first section and the second section are joined in the region of the wheel provided with the minimum diameter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (Reference to Related Application) This application claims priority to and the benefit of pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 542,520, filed August 8, 2017.

[0002] (Technical field) This disclosure relates to wheels for automobiles and other wheeled vehicles. In particular, this disclosure relates to two piece wheels. [Background technology]

[0003] As is well known, consumers often desire multiple choices and options when purchasing a vehicle to allow for options based on appearance, price, or other features (such as fuel economy). With this in mind, the present disclosure provides a novel and unique two-piece molded wheel that offers many benefits, including weight reduction, appearance change, cost reduction, and improved fuel economy. More specifically, the present disclosure provides a wheel that minimizes the weight of the wheel, yet retains necessary strength.

[0004] Prior art composite wheels are often very expensive due to the cost of materials involved in their manufacture and the time involved in manufacturing each wheel. The present disclosure provides a strong, attractive, lightweight two-piece wheel that is less expensive and easier to manufacture. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a two-piece molded wheel including a spoke section and a barrel section, where the spoke section and the barrel section are joined at a drop center of the wheel.

[0006] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a two-piece wheel including a first section and a second section, the wheel including regions of different diameters across its width, the first section and the second section being joined at the region of the wheel with the smallest diameter.

[0007] To further illustrate the advantages and features of the present disclosure, a more particular description of the invention will be provided by reference to certain embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that these drawings should not be considered limiting in scope, and the invention will be described and explained with additional particularity and detail through the use of the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 shows a front view of one embodiment of a wheel of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates a rear view of one embodiment of a wheel of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 shows a top cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a wheel of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a spoke section of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a barrel section of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the junction of the barrel section and the spoke section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] As shown in Figures 1-6, the present application provides an improved two piece wheel 10 that may be used on a variety of motor vehicles, including, but not limited to, cars and trucks. The wheel 10 disclosed herein offers many advantageous features not found in prior art wheels, such as lighter weight and stronger construction.

[0010] Figure 1 shows a front view of a fully assembled wheel 10. The wheel includes a spoke section 20 (furthest from the vehicle on which the wheel 10 is mounted) and a barrel section 30 (closer to the vehicle on which the wheel is mounted). Figure 2 shows a rear view of the fully assembled wheel, and Figure 3 shows a top cross-sectional view of the fully assembled wheel 10.

[0011] The spoke section 20 includes one or more spokes 40, which serve to add strength to the wheel 10 and also provide a pleasing decorative appearance. Thus, one skilled in the art can appreciate that while one design is shown in the figures contained herein, many different spoke designs and arrangements are possible based on consumer preference, and the scope of the present invention should not be limited by the illustrated design. Additionally, the shape, design, number and length of the spokes 40 can be varied to increase the strength of the wheel 10. The spoke section 20 and spokes 40 may include one or more fiber composite strips 25. The fiber composite strips 25 can be co-molded between the fiber layers when the spoke section 20 / spokes 40 are molded, or the fiber composite strips 25 can be bonded to the spoke section 20 / spokes 40 after the spoke section 20 / spokes 40 configuration is molded. As shown in FIG. 3, the fiber composite strips 25 may be positioned along the outer surface of one or more spokes 40, or alternatively, the fiber composite strips 25 may be positioned where the spokes 40 contact the hub or center of the spoke segment along the lip or outer edge of the spoke segment or where the spoke 40 contacts the barrel.

[0012] The spoke section 20 also includes a number of holes near its center, including one or more wheel stud holes 50 and a hub hole 70. The wheel stud holes 50 are configured to receive threaded wheel studs (sometimes called wheel bolts) present in the hub of the wheel to which the wheel 10 is mounted. Thus, as shown in the accompanying figures, there may be five wheel stud holes (a common number for most passenger cars), but there can be more or fewer wheel stud holes if required for installation on a particular vehicle or vehicle type. For example, there can be as few as four wheel stud holes or as many as twelve wheel stud holes. As shown in the accompanying figures, there may be recesses on the outside of the spoke section 20 into which lug nuts fit during installation, although this is not required. Alternatively, the wheel may only have a single hole, with the hub passing through the hole and a nut threaded onto the hub to secure it to the wheel.

[0013] Optionally, the spoke section 20 may include one or more inserts 55 that may be generally complementary to the shape and size of the wheel stud holes 50. These inserts 55 may be integrally molded about the areas of the spoke section 20 proximate the wheel stud holes 50. These inserts 55 may have a variety of shapes and compositions. For example, the inserts 55 may be complementary to the shape and size of the wheel stud holes 50 to form a concentric circle therewith and may be disposed around one or more of the wheel stud holes 50, as shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the inserts 55 may be square shaped and disposed proximate the wheel stud holes but do not have a circular shape. The inserts 55 may be metal or other suitable material that helps distribute the force applied to the wheel 10 when the lug nuts are tightened onto the wheel studs. After the wheel studs are threaded through the wheel stud holes 50, one or more lug nuts or other fastening devices are typically threaded onto the threaded wheel studs to securely fasten the wheel 10 to the vehicle. A hub hole 70 is provided to allow the vehicle's hub to pass through the spoke section 20. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the size of the hub hole 70 often varies depending on the make and model of the vehicle on which the wheel 10 is to be mounted. That is, a wheel designed to fit a Ford® may have a different sized hub hole 70 than a wheel designed to fit a Subaru®.

[0014] The spoke sections 20 also include valve stem holes 60 that receive valve stems used to add air (or other suitable gas, such as nitrogen) to a tire positioned on the wheel 10 .

[0015] Spoke section 20 also includes a bead hump 100 on its interior facing surface that secures the bead of the tire to wheel 10 .

[0016] The spoke sections 20 also have mating surfaces 80 that contact mating surfaces 110 on the barrel surface when the wheel 10 is assembled (as discussed in more detail below).

[0017] The barrel section 30 is the portion of the wheel 10 closest to the vehicle. Similar to the spoke sections 20, the barrel section 30 includes a bead hump 100 on its exterior facing surface that secures the bead of the tire to the wheel 10. In one embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the barrel section 30 may have a reduced diameter across its width, or stated differently, the innermost portion of the barrel section 30 may have a larger diameter than the outermost portion.

[0018] Additionally, the barrel section 30 has a mating surface 110 that may be complementary to the mating surface 80 of the spoke section. As will be appreciated from the accompanying drawings, different regions of the wheel 10 have different diameters. For example, the region of the wheel that includes the bead hump 100 has a different diameter than the center region of the wheel 10. In one embodiment, the mating surface 110 is generally located at the drop center (also known as the tire well) of the wheel 10 or the narrowest region of the wheel, such that the opposing mating surface 80 of the spoke section 20 to which the section is joined is also located at the drop center, which makes tire installation easier in that it allows the tire's bead wires to retain their natural shape / length / diameter during the installation process. The bead hump 100 may be integrally molded or formed with the spoke section 20 and the barrel section 30, as shown in FIG. 5, or the bead hump 100 may be manufactured separately and secured or attached to the spoke section 20 and the barrel section 30, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0019] The mating surface 110 of the barrel section 30 includes one or more spacers 120 that serve to provide a gap between the mating surface 80 of the spoke section 20 and the mating surface 110 of the barrel section after the wheel is assembled. This gap allows space for the adhesive used to bond the spoke section 20 and the barrel section 30 to be evenly applied and properly cured to attach the two sections, thereby creating a strong and reliable wheel 10. In one embodiment, the adhesive can be selected from the group consisting of urethane and epoxy based adhesives. In one embodiment, the spacer 130 has a height between 5 and 60 one-thousandth's of an inch. Alternatively, the mating surface 80 of the spoke section may include one or more spacers rather than the barrel section 30.

[0020] The mating surface 110 of the barrel section 30 may have a lip or stop 130 against which the leading edge of the mating surface 80 of the spoke section rests once the two sections are properly mated during assembly. This lip or stop 130 helps provide sufficient overlap created by the two opposing mating surfaces 80, 110 to provide a secure assembly. The amount of overlap may vary depending on the desired use of the wheel. In some embodiments, the amount of overlap is 0.10 to 6.00 inches (0.254 to 15.24 centimeters), 0.50 to 5.00 inches (1.27 to 12.7 centimeters), 1.00 to 4.0 inches (2.54 to 10.16 centimeters), and 1.50 to 3.0 inches (3.81 to 7.62 centimeters). In one preferred embodiment, the amount of overlap is between 1.50 and 2.00 inches (3.81 and 5.08 centimeters).

[0021] In addition to the lap joint shown in the accompanying drawings, the overlap area may feature tongue-and-groove structures or threads to aid in securing the spoke sections 20 to the barrel section 30. Optionally, mechanical fastening devices, such as rivets, bolts, or tape, may be used in addition to the adhesive used to secure the spoke sections 20 to the barrel section 30.

[0022] Figures 4 and 5 show perspective views of spoke section 20 and barrel section 30, respectively. Figure 6 shows a side / cutaway view of the overlap of opposing mating surfaces 80, 110.

[0023] The wheel 10 may be made of many different materials, including composite materials such as carbon fiber. The term "carbon fiber" as used herein includes all fibers consisting essentially of carbon, ranging from graphite fibers to amorphous carbon fibers. Graphite fibers are fibers consisting essentially of carbon and have a predominant X-ray diffraction pattern characteristic of graphite. Amorphous carbon fibers are fibers consisting essentially of carbon and have an essentially non-crystalline X-ray diffraction pattern. In addition, the term also includes other high strength, low density materials such as boron, fiberglass, or the like, or any of the above materials in a mixture such as 1-99% carbon fiber mixed with 99-1% glass fiber. For example, the wheel 10 may include one or more of the following composite materials: carbon fiber / fiber mixture, carbon fiber, or fiberglass. Additionally, additives such as nanoparticles may be added to the composite material prior to molding. Additionally, the wheels 10 disclosed herein may not be made from composite materials, but rather from metallic materials such as aluminum, steel, or other alloys. In embodiments in which the wheel 10 is made from metallic materials, the components of the wheel may be forged, cast, or machined.

[0024] In addition to the composite material, and optionally to the nanoparticles, a resin may be used to bind the composite material during molding. In one embodiment, the resin is selected from the group consisting of epoxy resin, polyurethane resin, rubber resin, and polyester resin. In a further embodiment, the resin is a vinyl ester / polyurethane resin, or any other thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer resin, or a metal matrix. In another alternative embodiment, the resin may be selected from the group consisting of butadiene rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, melamine formaldehyde, natural rubber, phenol-formaldehyde, polyamide, polycarbonate, polypropylene, and polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0025] The wheel 10 may be constructed using a variety of manufacturing methods, including compression molding, hi one embodiment, the wheel 10 is constructed using a sheet molding compound (SMC) process or a bulk molding compound (BMC) process.

[0026] Although particular embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, it is not intended that such references be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure, except as set forth in the claims.

Claims

[Claim 1] A two-piece molded wheel including a spoke section and a barrel section, the spoke section and the barrel section are joined at a drop center of the wheel; the barrel segment includes a lip in contact with a distal-most surface of a leading edge of a mating surface of the spoke segment, a thickness of the barrel segment on a first side of the lip being less than a thickness of the barrel segment on a second side of the lip, the mating surface of the barrel segment being positioned on an inner surface of the barrel segment, and a portion of the mating surface of the barrel segment overlapping a portion of the mating surface of the spoke segment. wheel.

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