Metal vehicle wheels

Abstract

The present invention relates to a metal wheel having a disc (12) having an outer wall region (15), a rim (11), and a side wall (13). To provide a stable and durable mounting option for wheel trim elements such as hub caps, the outer wall region (15) of the rim (11) and / or the side wall (13) of the disc is provided with several fastening bolt elements (20) distributed along the circumference of the vehicle wheel (10) for such wheel trim elements, and these bolt elements (20) are positioned substantially parallel to the axis of rotation (23) of the wheel (10) and protrude from the side wall (13) of the disc or the side wall region (15) of the rim (11).

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates particularly to a metal vehicle wheel made of steel, wherein the vehicle wheel has a wheel rim for receiving a tire and a wheel disc connected to the wheel rim, the wheel disc having a disc sidewall with a hub connecting flange for fastening the vehicle wheel to the wheel hub of a vehicle, and the wheel rim has an outer rim flange, an outer rim shoulder, and / or a rim well base sidewall on the outer side of the wheel. The present invention also relates to a vehicle wheel device, wherein the vehicle wheel device essentially comprises a vehicle wheel and a wheel trim element or aerodynamic element, in particular a hub cap, according to the present invention. Background Technology

[0002] Metal vehicle wheels, particularly steel wheels, have long been used in passenger cars and trucks, and the outer surface of the wheel can often be covered with removable hub caps. The fastening of these wheel trim elements is generally achieved by clamping elements provided in the hub caps, which radially grip the rear of components such as the bead provided on the vehicle wheel.

[0003] Known fastening techniques for hub caps not only require a corresponding design of a wheel disc or wheel rim having a suitable bead-shaped undercut that the hub cap's clamping element can grip, but also limit design options when forming wheel trim elements, because it is not easy to cover the outer surface of the vehicle wheel with the hub cap in an essentially single plane, for example, at the same height as the outer rim flange. Furthermore, it is easy for the hub cap not to be carefully attached to the vehicle wheel, so the clamping connection between the hub cap and the vehicle wheel is unreliable and the cap may unintentionally detach from the wheel. Additionally, eccentric or concentric deviations between the wheel and the hub cap can result in an unsightly appearance during use. The problem to be solved

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a reliable alternative fastening option for wheel trim elements, particularly hub caps on vehicle wheels, which enables simple, reliable, and durable mounting of wheel trim elements even on large vehicle wheels, particularly for commercial vehicles. means of solving the problem

[0005] The above objective is achieved by the present invention by providing a number of fastening bolt elements for wheel trim elements, etc., particularly for hub caps, distributed across the circumference of a vehicle wheel on the outer wall area of ​​a wheel rim and / or the disc side wall of a wheel disc, and the fastening bolt elements are essentially arranged to protrude from the disc side wall or the side wall area of ​​the wheel rim substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the vehicle wheel. A correspondingly designed vehicle wheel according to the present invention can be combined with a wheel trim element, particularly a hub cap, to form a vehicle wheel device, wherein the wheel trim element or hub cap is provided with a connecting means that is suitable in position and shape for the fastening bolt element formed on the vehicle wheel, so that the hub cap can be connected to or connected to the fastening bolt element.

[0006] According to the present invention, therefore, a number of fastening bolt elements are preferably provided and evenly distributed along the circumference on the outer surface of a vehicle wheel, and the fastening bolt elements are aligned parallel to the axis, so that the wheel trim element to be mounted can be attached axially to the vehicle wheel and secured to the bolt elements by means of connection provided for this purpose. Unlike known hub caps, it is not necessary to include a clamping element acting radially into a rear grip provided for retention in a bead formed on the wheel, and for the means of connection, it is possible to provide fastening holes in the wheel trim element that are suitable for the bolt elements provided on the wheel in terms of position and number, and the bolt elements can be accessed from the outside through such fastening holes when mounting the hub cap, etc. Thus, the hub cap can be attached to the bolt elements in a simple manner by inserting a retaining screw or nut through the fastening holes and screwing them into the bolt elements, or by providing a suitable locking plug that can be connected to the fastening bolt elements in a suitable manner by a positive or friction fit. Such a locking plug can be integrally formed on the inner surface of the wheel trim element, for example, in the case of a hub cap made of plastic using an injection molding process.

[0007] In an advantageous manner, the fastening bolt elements can be welded to the wheel rim and / or wheel disc, and thus it has been proven that spot welding the bolt elements is effective and reliable.

[0008] In an advantageous design of the present invention, the fastening bolt element is a screw bolt having an external thread or an internal thread, and to fasten the wheel trim element, a cylindrical nut having a retaining collar suitable for the external thread or a retaining screw suitable for the internal thread is inserted through each fastening hole and screwed into the thread, and the screw head of the retaining collar or retaining screw overlaps with the edge of the relevant fastening hole to firmly secure the wheel trim element to the vehicle wheel.

[0009] For convenience, at least three fastening bolt elements are preferably evenly distributed along the circumference and placed in the sidewall area of ​​the disc and / or the wheel rim. For larger disc wheels, particularly opposing disc wheels for commercial vehicles, it is useful to provide three or more fastening bolt elements (e.g., five or ten bolts), and it is also possible to place multiple bolt elements on different pitch circles, that is, at different radial distances from the axis of rotation of the wheel, in order to fasten the hub cap to the wheel particularly reliably and torsion-resistantly.

[0010] The fastening bolt element may be placed on the outer side of the wheel in the disc sidewall and / or the sidewall area of ​​the wheel rim.

[0011] It is also possible to position the fastening bolt element on the disc sidewall from the inner side of the wheel, which can be useful for dual tires in commercial vehicles, where the outer wheel is mounted upside down so that the inner side of the wheel faces outward. This design can also be advantageous for passenger car applications where only a single hub cover (half cover) can be securely mounted.

[0012] In most cases, the fastening bolt element is conveniently welded to the outer side of the wheel at the outer rim flange, outer rim shoulder, or the well base sidewall of the rim well base on the outer side of the wheel.

[0013] In another advantageous improvement of the present invention, the fastening bolt element is stepped and forms a stop collar for the trim element. For assembly, the trim element is pushed onto the fastening bolt element until it contacts the stop collar of the bolt element on its rear or inner side. Thus, the hub cap has an axially defined position relative to the vehicle wheel, so that the appearance of the combination of the hub cap and the vehicle wheel remains the same whenever the hub cap is reinstalled.

[0014] A bolt head formation for a positive connection with a trim element, particularly a hub cap, can be provided on the fastening bolt element. For example, such a bolt head formation may have a radially concave circumferential groove and / or a collar protruding radially beyond the bolt diameter. An elastic edge limit (e.g., an elastomer ring) may be provided in the fastening hole provided on the wheel trim element, and when the hub cap is mounted, the elastic edge limit engages with the collar of the bolt or engages with the groove of the bolt under elastic deformation. Of course, the collar formed on the bolt may also be elastic and is compressed when the wheel trim element is attached, so as to overlap radially with the edge of the corresponding fastening hole on the outside.

[0015] In an advantageous design of a vehicle wheel device according to the present invention, a connecting means assigned to a wheel trim element may include a fastening nut or a fastening screw that can be firmly screwed into or is screwed into a screw bolt or screw sleeve through a fastening hole formed in the wheel trim element. In this embodiment, a separate fastening element in the form of a nut or screw is used as the connecting means, but according to a particularly advantageous design, the connecting means may include a retaining element disposed on the wheel trim element, the retaining element being suitable in position and shape for the bolt head formation of the fastening bolt element, and can or is connected to the fastening bolt element in a positive and detachable manner. This design has the advantage that the retaining element remains attached to the wheel trim / hub cap even when disassembled and thus is not easily lost.

[0016] A retaining element is movably positioned on a wheel trim element and is placed in at least one closure that covers a fastening bolt element in a closed state. Thus, the closure can be pivotally mounted on the wheel trim element, and the retaining element engages with the bolt head formation of the fastening bolt element in a push-button manner when the closure is in a closed state. For fastening to a vehicle wheel, a hub cap can be attached to the vehicle wheel by precisely aligning it with the bolt element. The closure containing the retaining element is rotated to a closed position, so that the retaining element moves onto or into the bolt element. An elastically deformable fixing element provided on the bolt or retaining element ensures a secure connection, for example, in a push-button manner.

[0017] Additionally, the closing portion preferably comprises a sliding element having a locking groove that is radially displaceable and forms an undercut, and it is advantageously possible for the bolt head formation of the associated fastening bolt element to engage positively with the locking groove in the locked state. In this embodiment, the sliding element displaceably mounted on the wheel trim element moves to a closed position after the trim element is attached to the vehicle wheel, so that the head formation formed on the bolt element engages positively with the locking groove, and thus the wheel trim element cannot be unintentionally dislodged. Of course, it is desirable to take precautions to prevent the sliding element from unintentionally and / or automatically sliding backward. Appropriate measures for this are well known to the expert.

[0018] As another alternative, the retaining element preferably includes a bayonet locking element for each fastening bolt element, the bayonet locking element being rotatably mounted to the wheel trim element and cooperating with the bolt head formation of the associated fastening bolt element to fasten the wheel trim element. Instead of the translational movement of the sliding element, the locking in this embodiment is achieved by the rotational movement of the bayonet locking element after the bayonet locking element is attached to the bolt head of the associated fastening bolt element.

[0019] Further features and advantages of the present invention are described in more detail in the drawings and the following description, where preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0020] FIG. 1 is a front view of a steel vehicle wheel according to the present invention, in which fastening bolt elements are arranged on three different pitch circles. Figure 2 is a detailed radial cross-sectional view of Figure 1. FIGS. 3a and 3b are perspective views of two different designs of fastening bolt elements provided according to the present invention. Figures 4a and 4b show two additional designs of a bolt element connected to a hub cap as simplified side views. FIGS. 5a and 5b show a second embodiment of a vehicle wheel according to the present invention as a front view (FIS. 5a) and a radial cross-section (FIS. 5b). FIGS. 6a and 6b show a third embodiment of a vehicle wheel according to the present invention as a rear view (Fig. 5a) and a radial cross-section (Fig. 5b). FIG. 7 shows a first embodiment of a vehicle wheel device according to the present invention in a partial radial cross-section. FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of a vehicle wheel device according to the present invention in a representation corresponding to FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a detailed perspective view of a third embodiment of a vehicle wheel device according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a detailed perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a vehicle wheel device according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0021] FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 illustrate a steel disc wheel, denoted collectively as "10", which is composed of a wheel rim (11) for essentially accommodating a tire (not shown) in a known manner and a wheel disc (12) welded to the wheel rim (11). The wheel disc (12) has a disc sidewall (13) having a hub connecting flange (14) for fastening the vehicle wheel (10) to the wheel hub of the vehicle. The wheel rim (11) forms an outer wall region (15) having an outer rim flange (16), an outer rim shoulder (17), and a well base sidewall (18) of a rim well base (19) on the outer side of the wheel ( FIG. 2).

[0022] In a first embodiment, in order to enable a hub cap (not shown in FIG. 1 and 2) to be detachably attached to the vehicle wheel (10) in an advantageous manner, the outer wall region (15) of the wheel rim (11) is provided with several fastening bolt elements (20) distributed along the circumference of the vehicle wheel (10). In FIG. 1 and 2, the bolt elements appear in alternative connection regions of the side wall region (15) on pitch circles of different sizes, namely, four bolt elements (20a) evenly distributed along the circumference on the maximum pitch circle (21a) in the region of the outer rim flange (16), bolt elements (20b) on the intermediate pitch circle (21b) in the region of the rim shoulder (17), or, as an additional alternative, bolt elements (20c) connected to the outer well base side wall (18), and the connection point of the bolt (20c) to the vehicle wheel is on the inner minimum pitch circle (21c). The bolt elements (20a, 20b, and 20c) shown are of an alternative design, that is, the bolt elements are generally positioned on the outer surface (pitch circle (21a)) of the rim flange (16) or the outer surface or bottom surface (pitch circle (21b)) of the rim shoulder (17) or the outer surface (pitch circle (21c)) of the well base sidewall (18) of the vehicle wheel (10), that is, preferably welded by a spot weld connection (22). In all cases, the bolt elements (20) are positioned at least substantially parallel to the axis of rotation (23) of the vehicle wheel (10) and are positioned to protrude from the disc sidewall (13) or the sidewall area (15) of the wheel rim (11), so that the wheel trim elements to be mounted, in particular the hub cap (provided with a fastening hole positioned to fit the bolt elements), can be pushed axially onto the bolt elements (20) and secured thereto.

[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates two embodiments of a fastening bolt element (20) that can be used in the present invention. FIG. 3a illustrates a screw bolt (24) made of steel material having an external thread (25), and FIG. 3b illustrates an alternatively suitable screw sleeve (26) having an internal thread (27). To secure a hub cap to these bolt elements, a collar nut (not shown) is preferably used in the embodiment of the bolt according to FIG. 3a, and a fastening screw having a screw head that overlaps with each fastening hole in the hub cap is used in the embodiment according to FIG. 3b. In this way, the outer diameter of the screw sleeve (26) can be configured to be larger than the diameter of the fastening hole in the hub cap, so that the edge region of the cap surrounding the fastening hole can be supported on the front side of the screw sleeve. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the front side of the screw sleeve (26) is designed as a truncated conical guide surface (28), and if a countersink is provided correspondingly formed in the edge area around each fastening hole on the hub cap to be attached, the hub cap can also be centered with the truncated conical guide surface. In a similar manner, a bolt element designed as a screw bolt may be provided with an extended step (which may have a centering conical portion (not shown)) to create a defined stop for the hub cap attached axially.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows two different embodiments of a fastening bolt element (20), in which a hub cap (29) to be mounted (schematically shown here only by a dotted line) can be secured to a vehicle wheel (10) by the fastening bolt element. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a, the bolt element (20) is provided with a rubber-elastic retaining head (30) that is molded directly onto the bolt shaft (31), which is otherwise made of steel. As shown in the drawing, the hub cap (29) can be placed on the bolt with each fastening hole (32) fitted into the bolt element, so that the elastic head can be deformed to pass through the fastening hole (32) with sufficient assembly force and extend again on the outer surface (33) of the hub cap (29). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4b, the bolt element (20) has a radially concave circumferential groove (34), and the hub cap (29) is provided with an elastic collar (35) at the edge of each fastening hole (32), and when the hub cap is placed on the bolt (20), the collar is compressed and expanded again in the area of ​​the groove to firmly secure the hub cap to the bolt element (20).

[0025] In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the fastening bolt element (20) is provided on the wheel disc (12) rather than on the wheel rim area; that is, in the embodiment according to FIG. 5, it is provided on the outer surface of the disc sidewall (13) on the pitch circle of the fastening hole (36) of the hub connecting flange (14). The wheel shown in FIG. 6 is provided as an outer wheel for a dual tire and is mounted by rotating so that the inner surface of the wheel disc is on the outer side when mounted. Thus, in this embodiment, the bolt element (20) is welded to the inner surface (37) of the wheel disc (12) to form a mounting element for a hub cap that is inserted into the wheel disc (12) from the outside of the vehicle.

[0026] FIGS. 7 to 10 partially illustrate various embodiments of a vehicle wheel device comprising a vehicle wheel (10) and a hub cap (29) attached thereto according to the present invention, wherein a connecting means (38) suitable for this purpose is provided therein.

[0027] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the hub cap (29) is provided with fastening holes (32) that correspond to the number and position of fastening bolt elements (20) welded to the vehicle (10), and only one of them is visible in the shown portion. In this embodiment, the fastening bolt elements are designed as screw bolts (24) having external threads (25). Here, the connecting means (38) for fastening the hub cap (29) to the vehicle wheel (10) consists of fastening nuts (39) that are screwed onto the bolt elements (20) after the hub caps (29) having the fastening holes (32) are placed on the respective screw bolts (24).

[0028] In the embodiment according to FIG. 8, the fastening bolt element (20) has the head formation according to FIG. 4a. In this embodiment, the hub cap (29) has a series of retaining elements (40) disposed in the hub cap (29) in the form of a push button facing the bolt element (20) as a connecting means (38), and the retaining elements are aligned with the bolt head formation of the fastening bolt element (20) in position and shape. Thus, the retaining elements are rotatably disposed in the hub cap (29) and are disposed in a number of closing parts (41) that cover the fastening bolt element (20) in a closed state. In the closed state of the rotatably closed parts (41), the retaining elements (40) overlap with the retaining head (30) and, by holding the rear of the retaining head (30) disposed on the bolt element with a retaining collar (42) formed inside, engage with the bolt head formation (30) of the fastening bolt element (20) in a push button manner.

[0029] An embodiment of the vehicle wheel device shown in FIG. 9 also uses a fastening bolt element (20) in the same manner as shown in FIG. 4. To fasten the hub cap (29), the hub cap is provided with a number of closures in the form of a sliding element (43) having a locking groove (44) that can be displaced radially and forms an undercut. After the hub cap (29) is mounted on the vehicle wheel (10), the sliding element (43) is moved radially outward using a hand or a suitable tool, so that the retaining head (30) positively engages with the sliding element of the associated bolt element (20), at which point its protruding edge reaches the front of the undercut of the locking groove (44). As is known to those skilled in the art, the sliding element is prevented from being unintentionally pushed backward inward in a suitable manner, for example by a latch element (not shown). Additionally, the sliding element is held in a radially outward locked position by the centrifugal force acting during driving.

[0030] Finally, in the vehicle wheel device shown in FIG. 10, the retaining element (40) has a bayonet locking element (45) for each fastening bolt element (20) in the vehicle wheel (10), which is rotatably mounted on the hub cap (29) and cooperates with the bolt head formation (30) of the associated fastening bolt element (20) to fasten the wheel trim element (29). Thus, unlike the embodiment according to FIG. 9, the locking here is not achieved by the translational movement of the sliding element, but by the rotational movement of the bayonet locking element (45) after it is attached to the bolt head (30) of the associated fastening bolt element (20).

[0031] The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown and various modifications and additions are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in some cases, the wheel cover to be fastened may be reduced to a trim or aerodynamic ring that covers only the gap between the rim flange and the wheel disc. In addition, the present invention may be advantageously used for vehicle wheels made of metal materials other than steel, for example, aluminum.

Claims

Claim 1 In particular, the metal vehicle wheel made of steel has a wheel rim (11) for receiving a tire and a wheel disc (12) connected to the wheel rim (11), the wheel disc has a disc sidewall (13) having a hub connecting flange (14) for fastening the vehicle wheel (10) to the wheel hub of the vehicle, the wheel rim (11) has an outer wall region (15) having an outer rim flange (16), an outer rim shoulder (17), and / or a rim well base sidewall (18) of a rim well bed (19) on the outer side of the wheel, and a number of fastening bolt elements (20) for wheel trim elements (29), etc., particularly for a hub cap, are provided distributed along the circumference of the vehicle wheel (10) on the outer wall region (15) of the wheel rim (11) and / or the disc sidewall (13) of the wheel disc (12), and the fastening bolt elements are rotated of the vehicle wheel (10). A metal vehicle wheel positioned substantially parallel to the axis (23) and protruding from the sidewall area (15) of the disc sidewall (13) or wheel rim (11). Claim 2 In claim 1, the fastening bolt element (20) is welded, particularly spot welded, to the wheel rim (11) and / or wheel disc (12), a vehicle wheel. Claim 3 A vehicle wheel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fastening bolt element (20) is a screw bolt (24) having an external thread (25) or a screw sleeve (26) having an internal thread (27). Claim 4 A vehicle wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least three fastening bolt elements (20) are preferably evenly distributed circumferentially across the sidewall area (15) of the disc sidewall (13) and / or the wheel rim (11). Claim 5 A vehicle wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fastening bolt element (20) is disposed on the outer side of the wheel in the sidewall area (15) of the disc sidewall (13) and / or the wheel rim (11). Claim 6 In any one of claims 1 to 4, the vehicle wheel, wherein the fastening bolt element (20) is disposed on the disc sidewall (13) on the inner side of the wheel. Claim 7 A vehicle wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fastening bolt element (20) is welded to the outer rim flange (16), the outer rim shoulder (17), or the rim well base sidewall (18) of the rim well base (19) on the outer side of the wheel. Claim 8 A vehicle wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fastening bolt element (20) is stepped and forms a stop collar for a trim element (29). Claim 9 A vehicle wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the fastening bolt element (20) is provided with a bolt head formation (30, 34) for a positive connection to a decorative element, particularly a hub cap (29). Claim 10 In claim 9, the bolt head formation is a vehicle wheel having a radially concave circumferential groove (34) and / or a collar (30) protruding radially beyond the bolt diameter. Claim 11 A vehicle wheel device comprising, essentially, a vehicle wheel (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and a wheel trim element or aerodynamic element, in particular a hub cap (29), wherein the hub cap is provided with a connecting means (38) which is suitable for a fastening bolt element (20) formed on the vehicle wheel (10) in position and shape, so that the hub cap can be connected to or connected to the fastening bolt element (20). Claim 12 A vehicle wheel device comprising, in reference to claim 3, a fastening nut (39) or a fastening screw that can be firmly screwed into a fastening hole (32) formed in a wheel trim element (29) at a screw bolt (24) or screw sleeve (26), or is screwed into. Claim 13 A vehicle wheel device, wherein, in reference to claim 9, the connecting means comprises a retaining element (40) disposed on the wheel trim element (29), the retaining element is suited in position and shape to the bolt head formation (30) of the fastening bolt element (20) and can also be connected to or connected to the fastening bolt element in a positively detachable manner. Claim 14 In claim 13, the retaining element (40) is disposed in at least one closing portion (41; 43), the closing portion is movably disposed in the wheel trim element (29) and covers the fastening bolt element (20) in the closed state, a vehicle wheel device. Claim 15 A vehicle wheel device according to claim 14, wherein the closure part (41) is pivotally mounted to the wheel trim element (29), and the retaining element (40) engages with the bolt head formation (30) of the fastening bolt element (20) in a push-button manner while the closure part is closed. Claim 16 In claim 14, the closing portion preferably comprises a sliding element (43) having a locking groove (44) that is displaceable in the radial direction and forms an undercut, and the bolt head formation (30) of the associated fastening bolt element (20) is fitted into the locking groove in a positive manner while locked, a vehicle wheel device. Claim 17 In claim 13, the retaining element preferably includes a bayonet locking element (45) for each fastening bolt element (20), the locking element is rotatably mounted on the wheel trim element (29) and cooperates with the bolt head formation (30) of the associated fastening bolt element (20) to fasten the wheel trim element (29), a vehicle wheel device.

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