Method for manufacturing vehicle wheels and vehicle wheels

Abstract

The objective is to provide a method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel and a vehicle wheel that makes it possible to highlight the presence of a logo formed by engraving on the design surface where the metallic color of the metal base material is visible. [Solution] The entire design surface that has been machined on a lathe is polished to form a polished surface. A thin layer of transparent clear paint is applied to the entire polished design surface to form a first clear layer on the polished surface. A portion of the design surface on which the first clear layer has been formed is engraved with a cutting tool, engraving the first clear layer and the metal base material of the wheel body, exposing the metal of the metal base material and leaving the cutting tool marks to form a logo area with multiple engraved lines including sharp convex lines. Without polishing the engraved logo area, a second clear layer is applied to the entire design surface in its original state, with a thickness greater than the film thickness of the first clear layer, thereby maintaining the sharpness of the engraved lines of the logo area and creating a design surface that highlights both the polished surface and the logo area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel having a logo portion formed by engraving and a vehicle wheel.

Background Art

[0002] In vehicle wheels, there are those in which a logo portion composed of characters, figures, symbols, etc. is formed on a part of the design surface painted in a base color. As a method for forming this logo portion, a technique has been provided in which the metal of the metal base material is exposed by engraving (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, there are vehicle wheels made of light alloy with a design in which the design surface shows the metal color of the metal base material. In such vehicle wheels, the logo portion formed by engraving the surface of the metal base material may be less prominent compared to the metal color of the entire design surface. Also, generally, after machining the design surface, operations such as deburring and polishing the machined surface are performed to combine burr removal and polishing. Therefore, after performing engraving to form a logo portion on the design surface, although the glossiness of the polished surface increases by polishing this design surface, the glossiness of the logo portion decreases. Therefore, in the design surface where the metal color of the metal base material of the wheel body is visible, the logo portion formed by engraving becomes even more difficult to exhibit its presence.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel and a vehicle wheel that makes it possible to highlight the presence of a logo formed by engraving on the design surface where the metallic color of the metal base material is visible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel according to one aspect of the present invention is: A vehicle wheel comprising a wheel body made of light alloy having a rim portion and a disc portion having multiple spokes in an integral or segmented structure, wherein the three-dimensional design surface visible from the outside when mounted on a vehicle has the metallic color of the metal base material, and a logo portion is formed on this design surface, a method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel, The surface of the metal base material on the design surface of the wheel body is formed into a smooth surface by turning, The entire surface of the design, which has been machined on a lathe, is polished to form a polished surface. A thin layer of transparent clear paint is applied to the entire polished design surface to form a first clear layer on the polished surface. A portion of the design surface on which the first clear layer is formed is engraved with a cutting tool, engraving the first clear layer and the metal base material of the wheel body, thereby exposing the metal of the base material and forming a logo area represented by multiple engraved lines including sharp raised lines, leaving the marks of the cutting tool. By applying a transparent clear coating thicker than the first clear layer to the entire design surface without polishing the engraved logo, a second clear layer is formed, maintaining the sharpness of the engraved lines of the logo and creating a design surface that highlights both the polished surface and the logo.

[0007] A vehicle wheel according to one aspect of the present invention is A vehicle wheel comprising a wheel body made of light alloy, having a rim portion in an integrated or segmented structure and a disc portion having multiple spokes, wherein the three-dimensional design surface visible from the outside when mounted on a vehicle has the metallic color of the metal base material exposed, and a logo portion is formed on this design surface, The entire surface of the design area of ​​the metal base material of the wheel body, which is formed as a smooth surface, is provided with either a polished surface that gives the surface of the metal base material of the wheel body a metallic luster, or a polished surface that gives the surface of the metal base material of the wheel body a hairline surface with multiple fine polishing lines facing in a certain direction. A first clear layer is provided on the polished surface by thinly coating it with a transparent clear paint. On a portion of the design surface where the first clear layer is formed, the first clear layer and the metal base material of the wheel body are engraved using a cutting tool, exposing the metal of the base material and creating a logo area represented by multiple engraved lines, including sharp raised lines, leaving the marks of the cutting tool. The multiple engraved lines forming the logo are formed in a spiral or ring shape, and the height of each engraved line differs from the engraved lines positioned on the outside to the engraved lines positioned in the center, and the line portion of the logo is sloped from the outer edge towards the center. A second clear layer is formed by applying a transparent clear coating thicker than the film thickness of the first clear layer to the entire design surface without polishing the engraved logo portion. This creates a design surface that maintains the sharpness of the engraved lines of the logo portion, making both the polished surface and the logo portion stand out. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the multiple engraved lines forming the logo are formed while maintaining sharpness by leaving sharp convex lines created by the engraving tool, thereby further enhancing the light reflection of the logo. Therefore, even on the design surface where the metallic color of the metal base material of the wheel body is visible, the engraved logo is clearly distinguishable from the polished surface, resulting in the effect of highlighting the logo together with the polished surface. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a front view showing a vehicle wheel according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle wheel according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of a spoke after the logo has been formed following the formation of the first clear layer. [Figure 4] These are plan views showing a portion of the logo's components (the V-shaped section). Figure (a) shows a plan view with the engraved lines formed in a spiral pattern, and Figure (b) shows a plan view with the engraved lines formed in a ring pattern. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional diagram showing the process of forming the logo on the design surface of a vehicle wheel. [Figure 6] This is a front view of a vehicle wheel in which a logo is formed on a polished surface with a hairline finish on the design surface of the vehicle wheel. [Figure 7] These are photographs of the logo area; Figure (a) shows a spoke with the logo formed on a polished surface with a high-gloss finish, and Figure (b) shows a spoke with the logo formed on a polished surface with a hairline finish. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle wheel 1 of the embodiment comprises a wheel body 10 having a rim portion 2 and a disc portion 3. The vehicle wheel 1 is made of a light alloy, for example, an aluminum alloy or a magnesium alloy. The vehicle wheel 1 may have a rim portion 2 and a disc portion 3 as an integrated structure or a separate structure, and the rim portion 2 and the disc portion 3 can be manufactured by forging or casting. The rim portion 2 has an overall cylindrical shape, and rim flanges 21 extending radially outward are formed at both ends of the cylindrical shape. The disc portion 3 comprises a hub hole 31 that fits with a vehicle hub and a plurality of spokes 32 that are provided radially from the hub hole 31 in the outer direction. The surfaces of the rim flange 21 and the disc portion 3, that is, the surfaces visible from the outside when the vehicle wheel 1 is mounted on a vehicle, become the three-dimensional design surfaces. Since the design surface refers to the surface of the rim flange 21 and the disc portion 3, in this specification it may be referred to as the design surface of the vehicle wheel 1 or the design surface of the wheel body 10.

[0011] The design surface of the vehicle wheel 1 displays the metallic color of the metal base material of the wheel body 10, and a logo portion 6 is formed on this design surface (see Figure 7). The logo portion 6 is composed of a predetermined logo design shape such as letters, figures, or symbols. The logo portion 6 may also have a frame line 63 (see Figure 3) surrounding the outer circumference of the constituent parts such as letters. In this embodiment, the logo portion 6 is provided on the top surface of the spoke 32, but it can also be formed on a part of the disc portion 3 or rim portion 2, such as the side surface of the spoke 32, the surface of the disc portion 3 other than the spoke 32, or the surface of the rim flange 21.

[0012] The entire design surface of the wheel body 10 is a polished surface 5, which is formed by turning the surface of the metal base material of the wheel body 10 into a smooth surface and then polishing it (see Figures 3 and 5(a)). The polished surface 5 is finished to a glossy surface with a metallic luster by buff polishing. A first clear layer 7 and a second clear layer 8, formed by applying a clear paint, are provided on the polished surface 5 (see Figure 5(d)). The first clear layer 7 and the second clear layer 8 are colorless and transparent clear layers, but they may also be colored and transparent clear layers. The first clear layer 7 is formed to a thin film thickness of 3 μm to 15 μm (hereinafter referred to as "3 to 15 μm"), and the second clear layer 8 is thicker than the film thickness of the first clear layer 7, with a film thickness of more than 15 μm and 50 μm or less (hereinafter referred to as "15 to 50 μm").

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the logo portion 6 is provided such that the first clear layer 7 and the metal base material of the wheel body 10 are engraved by a cutting tool with respect to a part of the design surface (in this embodiment, the spokes 32) where the first clear layer 7 is formed on the polished surface 5 of the metal base material of the wheel body 10, and is represented by a plurality of engraved ribs 61 including sharp convex lines 62 where the metal of the metal base material is exposed and the cutting edges of the cutting tool are left. The depth of each engraved rib 61 forming the logo portion 6 (the distance from the surface of the metal base material (polished surface 5) of the wheel body 10 to the bottom of the engraved rib 61) is set shallowly to 0.3 mm or less. Therefore, the logo portion 6 looks white and shiny and is easy to see, and the logo portion 6 can be made prominent together with the polished surface 5 on the surface of the metal base material of the wheel body 10. A second clear layer 8 for protecting the design surface is formed on the logo portion 6 so as to cover the plurality of engraved ribs 61 constituting the logo portion 6 (see FIG. 5(d)). Note that a color clear layer of a predetermined color may be formed on the second clear layer 8 on all or a part of the logo portion 6 (for example, one character of the plurality of characters constituting the logo portion 6). As shown in FIG. 3, the frame line 63 surrounding the constituent parts such as the characters of the logo portion 6 is formed by one engraved rib.

[0014] The plurality of engraved ribs 61 forming the logo portion 6 are formed in a spiral shape as shown in Fig. 4(a) in the logo design shape, and are formed such that the heights of the engraved ribs 61 from the engraved ribs 61 arranged on the outer side like contour lines to the engraved ribs 61 arranged on the central side are different as shown in Figs. 3 and 5(c). The cross-sectional shape of the line portion constituting the logo portion 6 is gradient from the outer edge toward the center. Note that the plurality of engraved ribs 61 may be formed in a circular shape as shown in Fig. 4(b). When the engraved ribs 61 are formed in a circular shape, the engraved rib 61 formed at the central portion of the line portion of the logo portion 6 may be constituted by a single line instead of a circular shape. Also, each of the components of the logo portion 6 may be formed in a spiral or circular shape according to the design shape. In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the line portion of the logo portion 6 is formed in a concave shape with the central portion being the lowest, but it may be formed in a convex shape with the central portion being the highest. Also, the adjacent engraved ribs 61 are arranged such that a part of both ends of the line width overlaps, and a sharp convex line 62 (ridge line) is formed along the length direction of each engraved rib 61 (see Figs. 4 and 5(c)).

[0015] Hereinafter, a manufacturing method of the vehicle wheel 1 of the present embodiment will be described. First, a wheel body 10 having a cylindrical rim portion 2 and a disk portion 3 having a plurality of spokes 32 is manufactured from a light alloy material such as an aluminum alloy. This wheel body 10 may have an integral structure or a split structure between the rim portion 2 and the disk portion 3, and the rim portion 2 and the disk portion 3 can be manufactured by forging or casting. Then, the surface of the metal base material serving as the design surface of the wheel body 10 is formed into a smooth surface by lathe machining (machining).

[0016] Next, as shown in Fig. 5, polishing is performed on the entire lathe-machined design surface of the wheel body 10 to form a polished surface 5 (see Fig. 5(a)). This polishing is buff polishing. It is preferable to perform the buff polishing by changing the particle size (mesh number) of the abrasive particles in order from large to small. Thereby, the polished surface 5 is finished into a mirror-like shiny surface where the metal base material surface of the wheel body 10 exhibits a metallic luster.

[0017] Then, a thin layer of transparent clear paint is applied to the entire polished design surface (polished surface 5) to form a first clear layer 7 on the polished surface 5 (see Figure 5(b)). This first clear layer 7 is formed to have a film thickness of 3 to 15 μm for the purpose of rust prevention and protection of the design surface.

[0018] Next, a machining center is used to engrave the top surface of a predetermined spoke 32 on which the first clear layer 7 has been formed, thereby forming the logo portion 6 (see Figure 5(c)). Note that the logo portion 6 can be formed not only on the top surface of the spoke 32 but also on a predetermined part of the design surface. The engraving process is carried out by using a cutting tool (such as an end mill) to engrave the first clear layer 7 and the metal base material of the wheel body 10 onto the top surface of the spoke 32 on which the first clear layer 7 has been formed, thereby exposing the metal of the metal base material while leaving the cutting tool marks and forming the logo portion 6 in the shape of a predetermined logo design represented by multiple engraved lines 61.

[0019] Multiple engraved lines 61 are formed in a spiral shape within the logo design, with each engraved line 61 having a different height, from those positioned on the outside to those positioned towards the center, so as to create contour lines. The line portion of the logo 6 is formed to have a slope from the outer edge towards the center. In this embodiment, the line portion of the logo 6 is formed as a concave shape with the lowest point in the center, but it may also be formed as a convex shape with the highest point in the center. Furthermore, adjacent engraved lines 61 are formed so that parts of both ends of the line width overlap, and each engraved line 61 is processed to form a pointed convex line 62 (ridge line) along its length.

[0020] During engraving with a cutting tool, the design surface finished to a polished surface 5 is protected by the formation of a first clear layer 7, so that the design surface other than the logo area 6 is not damaged by processing debris generated during engraving. Each engraved line 61 is composed of a thin processing line (cutting edge) with a thickness (line width) of 350 μm or more and 700 μm or less, and can be formed by one or more processing passes of the cutting tool. A cutting tool with a thin shaft of 1200 μm or less is used. The cutting tool is precisely controlled to move in micron units, but since the first clear layer 7 is formed with a thin film thickness of 3 to 15 μm, even a cutting tool with a thin shaft can easily cut through the first clear layer 7, which is softer (lower hardness) than the metal base material of the wheel body 10, without hindering the precise movement of the cutting tool.

[0021] The design surface in which the logo portion 6 is formed by engraving is left as is without polishing the logo portion 6, and a transparent clear coating is applied to the entire design surface to a thickness greater than the thickness of the first clear layer 7 to form a second clear layer 8 (see Figure 5(d)). This creates a design surface that maintains the sharpness of the engraved lines 61 of the logo portion 6, making both the polished surface 5 and the logo portion 6 stand out.

[0022] According to the manufacturing method and the vehicle wheel 1 of this embodiment described above, the multiple engraved lines 61 forming the logo portion 6 are formed while maintaining sharpness by leaving sharp convex lines 62 created by the engraving of the cutting tool. Because of these sharp convex lines 62, each engraved line 61 can scatter light reflection in multiple directions, making the light reflection of the logo portion 6 even more prominent. Therefore, the logo portion 6 will appear to shine overall or partially when viewed from various directions, thereby enhancing the sense of brilliance.

[0023] Furthermore, the multiple engraved lines 61 that form the logo portion 6 are formed so that the height of each engraved line 61 differs, from the engraved lines 61 positioned on the outside to the engraved lines 61 positioned towards the center, like contour lines, and the lines of the logo portion 6 are sloped from the outer edge towards the center. As a result, the logo portion 6 has a contrast of light and dark areas, depending on the direction of the light. Therefore, a visual effect that emphasizes the three-dimensionality of the logo portion 6 can be obtained.

[0024] As described above, even on the design surface where the metallic color of the metal base material of the wheel body 10 is visible, the engraved logo portion 6 is clearly distinguishable from the polished surface 5, thus highlighting the logo portion 6 together with the polished surface 5.

[0025] In the modified vehicle wheel 1 shown in Figure 6, when the entire lathe-machined design surface of the wheel body 10 is polished, the polished surface 5 of the design surface is finished with a hairline surface by Scotch polishing (polishing using a pad such as nonwoven fabric) to create multiple fine polishing lines along the circumferential direction of the vehicle wheel 1 on the metal base material surface of the design surface. Note that the direction in which the hairline 51 (multiple fine polishing lines) are formed may be in the diametrical direction or diagonal direction of the vehicle wheel 1, in addition to the circumferential direction of the vehicle wheel 1.

[0026] By making the entire design surface a hairline surface in this way, the glossiness of the polished surface 5 which has a hairline surface is softened, and a pattern is expressed by the hairline 51. As a result, in a design surface where the metallic color of the metal base material is visible, the logo portion 6 formed by engraving is more clearly distinguished from the hairline surface, making the logo portion 6 stand out together with the hairline surface. Furthermore, the hairline surface can have a unique variation in how it reflects light depending on the weather, reflects light at night, and reflects light when the vehicle wheel 1 rotates. This also contributes to the prominence of the logo portion 6, thus further improving the design effect of the design surface where the metallic color of the metal base material is visible.

[0027] Figure 7(a) is a photograph of an actual product in which the logo is formed on a polished surface with a glossy finish. As is clear from this photograph, the logo (the letters "VOLK RACING") is clearly distinguishable from the polished surface on which it was formed, and both the polished surface and the logo stand out. Figure 7(b) is a photograph of an actual product in which the logo is formed on a polished surface with a hairline finish. As is clear from this photograph, the logo (the letters "VOLK RACING") is clearly distinguishable from the polished surface with a hairline finish on which it was formed, and both the hairline texture and the logo stand out.

[0028] Although embodiments and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 1. Vehicle wheels 2 Rim section 3. Disc section 5 Polished surface 6. Logo section 7. First Clear Layer 8. Second Clear Layer 10 Wheel body 21 Rim flange 31 hub holes 32 spokes 51 Hairline 61 Sculpting lines 62 Convex line 63 border lines

Claims

1. A vehicle wheel comprising a wheel body made of light alloy having a rim portion and a disc portion having multiple spokes in an integral or segmented structure, wherein the three-dimensional design surface visible from the outside when mounted on a vehicle has the metallic color of the metal base material, and a logo portion is formed on this design surface, a method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel, The surface of the metal base material on the design surface of the wheel body is formed into a smooth surface by turning, The entire surface of the design, which has been machined on a lathe, is polished to form a polished surface. A thin layer of transparent clear paint is applied to the entire polished design surface to form a first clear layer on the polished surface. A portion of the design surface on which the first clear layer is formed is engraved with a cutting tool, engraving the first clear layer and the metal base material of the wheel body, thereby exposing the metal of the base material and forming a logo area represented by multiple engraved lines including sharp raised lines, leaving the marks of the cutting tool. A method for manufacturing vehicle wheels, which involves applying a transparent clear coating thicker than the film thickness of the first clear layer to the entire design surface without polishing the engraved logo area, thereby forming a second clear layer that maintains the sharpness of the engraved lines of the logo and creates a design surface that highlights both the polished surface and the logo area.

2. In the method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel according to claim 1, A method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel, wherein the polished surface is finished to a lustrous surface in which the metal base material surface of the design surface of the wheel body exhibits a metallic luster by buff polishing.

3. In the method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel according to claim 1, A method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel, wherein the polished surface is finished to a hairline surface by Scotch polishing, creating multiple fine polishing lines oriented in a specific direction on the metal base material surface of the wheel body's design surface.

4. In the method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel, wherein when engraving the logo portion, the multiple engraved lines forming the logo portion are formed in a spiral or ring shape, and the height of each engraved line differs from the engraved lines positioned on the outside to the engraved lines positioned on the central side, so that the line portion of the logo portion is sloped from the outer edge towards the center.

5. A vehicle wheel comprising a wheel body made of light alloy, having a rim portion in an integrated or segmented structure and a disc portion having multiple spokes, wherein the three-dimensional design surface visible from the outside when mounted on a vehicle has the metallic color of the metal base material exposed, and a logo portion is formed on this design surface, The entire surface of the design area of ​​the metal base material of the wheel body, which is formed as a smooth surface, is provided with either a polished surface that gives the surface of the metal base material of the wheel body a metallic luster, or a polished surface that gives the surface of the metal base material of the wheel body a hairline surface with multiple fine polishing lines facing in a certain direction. A first clear layer is provided on the polished surface by thinly coating it with a transparent clear paint. On a portion of the design surface where the first clear layer is formed, the first clear layer and the metal base material of the wheel body are engraved using a cutting tool, exposing the metal of the base material and creating a logo area represented by multiple engraved lines, including sharp raised lines, leaving the marks of the cutting tool. The multiple engraved lines forming the logo are formed in a spiral or ring shape, and the height of each engraved line differs from the engraved lines positioned on the outside to the engraved lines positioned in the center, and the line portion of the logo is sloped from the outer edge towards the center. A vehicle wheel is characterized in which a second clear layer is formed by applying a transparent clear coating thicker than the film thickness of the first clear layer to the entire design surface without polishing the engraved logo portion, thereby maintaining the sharpness of the engraved lines of the logo portion and creating a design surface that highlights both the polished surface and the logo portion.

Images