Protective insert for a wheel of a land vehicle

Abstract

An insert equips a wheel (RV) forming part of a land vehicle and comprising a rim (JR) inside which is fixedly housed a disc (VR) provided with at least one aperture (AV). This insert (IP) is fixedly housed in at least part of the aperture (AV) by having a first outwardly oriented and convex outer face (FE1) in order to be interposed between an external obstacle and the disc (VR) in order to protect the latter.

Description

DESCRIPTION TITLE: PROTECTIVE INSERT FOR A LAND VEHICLE WHEEL Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2408643 filed on August 5, 2024, the content of which (text, drawings, and claims) is incorporated herein by reference. The invention relates to wheeled land vehicles, and more specifically to inserts intended for equipping the wheels of such land vehicles. State of the art

[0002] Some land vehicles, for example of the automobile type, include wheels having a rim centered on an axis of rotation and on which a tire is mounted, and an added disc, fixedly housed inside the rim, centered on the axis of rotation and equipped with at least one opening.

[0003] During certain vehicle maneuvers, the outer face of a wheel component (rim or rim) and / or part of a tire sidewall may rub against an external obstacle, such as a curb, a low block, or a stone. In this case, the outer face of the wheel component and / or the outer face of the tire sidewall may be damaged, which is unsightly and, more importantly, can weaken the wheel and / or tire (and may even necessitate replacement).

[0004] Several solutions have been proposed to limit interactions between a wheel and / or tire and an external obstacle. For example, installing a protruding bead between the tire sidewall and the rim hook that secures the sidewall has been suggested, but installing the bead is not easy and securing it is not guaranteed. This is guaranteed, but it can cause noise and even turn the rim into a projectile. It's also possible to use an annular disc that partially covers the rim and has fasteners on one inner face that are inserted between the tire sidewall and the rim hook that holds the sidewall, but installing these fasteners is difficult. Another option is to attach protective pieces to the rim spokes using plastic ties, but installing these ties is difficult and, more importantly, they are visible, which is unsightly and can detract from the vehicle's perceived quality. Finally, it's possible to use a tire that comes standard with a rim protection bead on its outer sidewall, but this proves ineffective at protecting the rim, and this type of tire is difficult to find and generally more expensive.

[0005] The invention is therefore intended, in particular, to improve the situation. Presentation of the invention

[0006] In particular, it offers for this purpose an insert intended to equip a wheel suitable for use on a land vehicle and comprising a rim inside which is fixedly housed a disc with at least one opening.

[0007] This insert is characterized by the fact that it is designed to be fixedly housed in at least one part of the opening, having a first external face intended to be oriented outwards and convex in order to be interposed between an external obstacle and the veil to protect the latter.

[0008] By acting as a spacer, the insert prevents an external obstacle coming into contact with it from damaging the rim, and therefore this insert can be replaced instead of having to subject the wheel to an abrasive surface treatment to restore its original appearance, which is particularly advantageous because it is very simple to do and very inexpensive.

[0009] The insert according to the invention may include other features which may be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

[0010] - the first external face can be curved with a radius of curvature of between 400 mm and 600 mm at least in a central area;

[0011] - the first external face can be chamfered on at least part of a peripheral edge intended to be oriented towards the rim;

[0012] - in the presence of the last option, at least part of the peripheral edge can be suitable for being placed at least partially in front of a second external face of the veil and / or a third external face of the rim;

[0013] - in the presence of a rim comprising a hook suitable for holding a sidewall of a tire and having an end located in an external plane perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the wheel, it may be intended to have a convexity along this axis of rotation which extends at least to the external plane;

[0014] - in the presence of the last option, the convexity can be intended to extend along the axis of rotation beyond the external plane over a distance of between 2 mm and 10 mm;

[0015] - it can be arranged so that it can be clipped or screwed onto the veil;

[0016] - it can be arranged so as to completely conceal the (one) opening.

[0017] The invention also proposes a wheel suitable for equipping a land vehicle and comprising, on the one hand, a rim inside which is fixedly housed a disc having at least one opening, and, on the other hand, at least one insert of the type of that presented above and fixedly housed in at least a part of this opening.

[0018] For example, the veil may include at least four openworks and at least two inserts.

[0019] The invention also proposes a land vehicle comprising at least two wheels of the type presented above.

[0020] For example, this land vehicle may have four wheels, and may be of the automobile type. Brief description of the figures

[0021] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon examination of the detailed description below, and the accompanying drawings (obtained using CAD / CAM (“Computer-Aided Design / Computer-Aided Manufacturing”)), in which:

[0022] [Fig. 1] schematically illustrates, in a front view from the external side, an example of an embodiment of a wheel equipped with a tire and comprising five examples of embodiments of inserts according to the invention,

[0023] [Fig. 2] schematically illustrates, in a cross-sectional view in a plane along the line ll-ll of figure 1, a part of the wheel and tire of figure 1, and

[0024] [Fig. 3] schematically illustrates, in a cross-sectional view in a plane along the line lll-lll of figure 1, another part of the wheel and tire of figure 1. Detailed description of the invention

[0025] The invention aims in particular to provide an IP (protective) insert intended to equip an RV wheel, suitable for receiving a PN tire and for being part of a land vehicle, to protect at least this RV wheel.

[0026] In what follows, we consider, by way of non-limiting example, that the land vehicle is of the automobile type. For example, a car. However, the invention is not limited to this type of wheeled land vehicle. It relates to any land vehicle comprising at least two wheels.

[0027] Furthermore, in the preceding and following text, "inner face" means a face of an element that is intended to be oriented towards the vehicle, and "outer face" means a face of the same element that is intended to be oriented towards the outside of the vehicle and therefore opposite to the inner face.

[0028] In figures 1 to 3 the X direction is intended to be parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (terrestrial), which is substantially parallel to the lateral (or longitudinal) sides including the side doors, the Y direction is intended to be parallel to the transverse direction of the vehicle, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, and the Z direction is intended to be parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y.

[0029] Figures 1 to 3 schematically illustrate at least partially an example of an RV wheel intended to equip a land vehicle and comprising a JR rim, a VR disc and five IP (protective) inserts according to the invention.

[0030] The JR rim is generally cylindrical in shape, centered on an AR rotation axis and designed to receive a PN tire.

[0031] Furthermore, the JV rim includes an external rim designed to hold the outer sidewall of the PN tire and which features a hook CJ. As shown in Figure 2, the JV rim also includes an internal rim opposite the external rim, designed to hold the inner sidewall of the PN tire and featuring a hook CJ'.

[0032] The VR disc is attached and fixed inside the JV rim, centered on the AR rotation axis. For example, the VR disc can be permanently welded to the JV rim and is intended to be attached to a hub, such as a vehicle's steering knuckle.

[0033] Furthermore, the VR veil includes at least one AV perforation. Note that in the example illustrated (but not limited to) in Figure 1, the The VR wheel comprises ten AV perforations, five of which are completely concealed by five IP inserts according to the invention. However, the number of AV perforations in a VR wheel can be any value greater than or equal to one. Similarly, the number of AV perforations in an RV wheel can be any value greater than or equal to one (this latter number is, however, less than or equal to the number of AV perforations in the VR wheel).

[0034] Each IP insert according to the invention is designed to be fixedly housed in at least a portion of the AV opening, having a first external face FE1 oriented outwards (from the vehicle) and convex. This convexity of the first external face FE1 advantageously allows the IP insert to be interposed between an external obstacle and the VR screen in order to protect (at least) the latter (VR).

[0035] In other words, each IP insert acts as a spacer, preventing any external obstacle from damaging the VR disc. Therefore, it is the IP insert that is damaged instead of the VR disc, thus avoiding the need for abrasive surface treatment to restore the RV wheel to its original appearance. In fact, simply replacing one or more IP inserts is enough to make the RV wheel look brand new again.

[0036] For example, and as illustrated (but not limited to) in Figure 1, each IP insert can be arranged to be screwed onto the VR curtain. For this purpose, at least one fixing screw (VF) can be used. This screw passes through a dedicated through hole defined in the IP insert and is screwed into a hole (possibly threaded) defined in a dedicated tab (not shown) on the VR curtain, which extends into an AV opening. Note that in the example illustrated (but not limited to) in Figure 1, each IP insert is fixed to the VR curtain by means of two fixing screws (VF) screwed into two holes (possibly threaded) defined in two dedicated tabs (not shown) on the VR curtain. However, only one fixing screw (VF) could be used.

[0037] In one embodiment, each IP insert can be arranged to be clipped onto the VR curtain. In this case, it (IP) can, for example, include at least two clipping tabs that clip onto the VR curtain at an edge that defines an AV opening.

[0038] Screwing, like clipping, allows for a fixed, permanent, very simple and very quick fastening of an IP insert in an AV opening of a VR curtain.

[0039] For example, and as illustrated (though not exhaustively) in Figure 1, each IP insert can be arranged to completely obscure the AV opening. However, in an alternative embodiment, each IP insert might only partially obscure the associated AV opening. It is also possible to have at least one IP insert within the same RV wheel completely obscuring one associated AV opening and at least one IP insert partially obscuring another associated AV opening.

[0040] For example, and as illustrated (but not limited to) in Figures 2 and 3, the first outer face FE1 of each IP insert can be convex, with a radius of curvature between 400 mm and 600 mm at least in a central zone ZC. As an illustrative example, this radius of curvature could be approximately 500 mm. However, other values ​​for this radius of curvature can be used. For instance, this radius of curvature could be chosen during the development or testing phase of a vehicle similar to the one to be fitted with RV wheel(s) with IP insert(s).

[0041] This bulge with radius of curvature (optional) is intended to facilitate (and if possible guarantee) a gradual clearance from an external obstacle (such as a sidewalk).

[0042] Also, for example, and as illustrated but not limited to Figures 1 to 3, the first external face FE1 can be chamfered on at least part of a peripheral edge BP which is intended to be oriented towards the JR rim. This option is intended to facilitate a gradual approach to an external obstacle (such as a curb).

[0043] Note that in the example illustrated (but not limited to) in Figures 1 to 3, the entire peripheral edge BP of each IP insert is chamfered. This allows for progressive, multidirectional contact. However, this is not mandatory.

[0044] Also, for example, and as illustrated (but not limited to) in Figures 1 to 3, at least part of the peripheral edge BP can be positioned at least partially in front of the second outer face FE2 of the VR disc and / or the third outer face FE3 of the JR rim. This allows for local coverage of this second outer face FE2 and / or this third outer face FE3, thus ensuring the fixed position of the IP insert relative to the VR disc, while preventing local airflow through the AV perforation (which could generate noise).

[0045] It should also be noted that, when the rim JR includes an external hook CJ designed to hold the outer sidewall of a tire PN and having one end located in an external plane perpendicular to the AR axis of rotation of the wheel RV, each insert IP can, as illustrated (though not exhaustively) in Figure 1, be designed to have a convexity along the AR axis of rotation extending at least to this external plane. In other words, the extension (or depth of convexity) of the first external face FE1 along the transverse direction Y (and therefore the AR axis of rotation) can extend at least to the transverse level where the end of the external hook CJ is located, so as to also protect the rim JR.

[0046] For example, and as illustrated (but not limited to) in Figure 2, the convexity can be designed to extend along the axis of rotation AR beyond the aforementioned external plane for a distance of between 2 mm and 10 mm. This also protects the outer sidewall of the PN tire in the vicinity of the external hook CJ.

[0047] As an illustrative example, this distance along the transverse Y direction can be approximately 6 mm. However, other values ​​for this distance may be used. For example, this distance may be chosen during the development or testing phase of a vehicle similar to the one to be fitted with RV wheel(s) with IP insert(s).

[0048] It should be noted that IP inserts can, for example, be made by molding a plastic material or by a 3D printer. Furthermore, customization of the shapes and / or colors and / or appearance (of the first external faces FE1) of the IP inserts is possible, to satisfy the widest range of land vehicle users.

Claims

DEMANDS

1. Insert (IP) for a wheel (RV) suitable for equipping a land vehicle and comprising a rim (JR) inside which is fixedly housed a disc (VR) having at least one opening (AV), characterized in that it is suitable for being fixedly housed in at least a part of said opening (AV) having a first external face (FE1) intended to be oriented outwards and convex in order to interpose itself between an external obstacle and said disc (VR) to protect the latter (VR).

2. Insert according to claim 1, characterized in that said first external face (FE1) is convex having a radius of curvature between 400 mm and 600 mm at least in a central zone (ZC).

3. Insert according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said first external face (FE1) is chamfered on at least part of a peripheral edge (BP) intended to be oriented towards said rim (JR).

4. Insert according to claim 3, characterized in that said part at least of the peripheral edge (BP) is suitable to be placed at least in part in front of a second external face (FE2) of said web (VR) and / or a third external face (FE3) of said rim (JR).

5. Insert according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in the presence of a rim (JR) comprising a hook (CJ) adapted to hold a sidewall of a tire (PN) and having an end situated in an external plane perpendicular to an axis of rotation of said wheel (RV), said insert (IP) is intended to have a convexity along said axis of rotation extending at least to said external plane.

6. Insert according to claim 5, characterized in that said convexity is intended to extend along said axis of rotation beyond said external plane over a distance between 2 mm and 10 mm.

7. Insert according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is arranged so as to be clipped or screwed onto said veil (VR).

8. A wheel (RV) suitable for equipping a land vehicle and comprising a rim (JR) inside which is fixedly housed a disc (VR) having at least one opening (AV), characterized in that it comprises in addition at least one insert (IP) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, fixedly housed in at least one part of said opening (AV).

9. Wheel according to claim 8, characterized in that said disc (VR) comprises at least four cutouts (AV) and at least two inserts (IP).

10. Land vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least two wheels (RV) according to claim 8 or 9.

Images