Annular Centering Ring for Wheel Hub Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The accurate centering of a wheel on a hub is challenging due to manufacturing tolerances, leading to potential ride and handling issues in motor vehicles.
Innovation Solution
An annular centering ring with a mounting flange structure that seats on the hub and a flexible centering skirt that engages with the wheel's central opening, providing a press-fit or extruded fit to ensure precise wheel alignment, eliminating eccentricity and enhancing installation ease.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional wheel opening and hub are used with manufacturing tolerances, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but wheel centering precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The centering ring serves as an intermediary component between the wheel and hub. It includes a mounting structure that attaches to the hub and a centering skirt that engages with the wheel's central opening. This mediator absorbs the manufacturing tolerances of both the wheel and hub, providing precise centering without requiring high-precision manufacturing of the wheel or hub themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The centering function is segmented into a separate, dedicated component (the centering ring) rather than being integrated into the wheel or hub. This allows the centering ring to be optimized specifically for centering precision while the wheel and hub can be manufactured using standard tolerances, reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If wheel opening and hub are manufactured with tight tolerances for precise centering, then wheel centering precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The centering ring acts as a cost-effective intermediary that provides precise centering functionality without requiring expensive tight-tolerance manufacturing of the wheel or hub. The centering ring itself can be manufactured with standard tolerances, as its design (particularly the flexible centering skirt) compensates for dimensional variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The centering ring utilizes material parameter changes through its flexible centering skirt, which can deform elastically to accommodate dimensional variations. This flexibility allows the centering ring to maintain precise centering functionality even when manufactured with standard tolerances, reducing manufacturing costs.
3Strength
If rigid centering structure is used, then structural strength is improved, but adaptability to manufacturing tolerances deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The centering skirt is designed as a flexible component that can elastically deform to accommodate manufacturing tolerances of the wheel and hub. This flexibility allows the centering ring to adapt to dimensional variations while maintaining structural integrity. The mounting flange structure provides the necessary rigidity for strong attachment to the hub, creating a hybrid structure that combines both strength and adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The annular centering ring effectively centers the wheel on the hub, ensuring optimal ride and handling by capturing the skirt in a press-fit or extruding it during installation, thus eliminating the need for supplementary machining and enhancing manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The centering skirt structure is flexed and occupies the annular space between the circular outer surface of the hub and the central opening of the wheel
Implementation Method 2
The centering skirt structure is captured in a press-fit relationship between the wheel and hub
Data Source
AI summary
An annular centering ring centers a wheel on a hub. The hub has a circular outer surface and an outer end face. The wheel has a central opening defined by a circular wall. The annular centering ring has an annular mounting flange structure that seats upon the circular outer surface and the outer end face of the hub, and a centering skirt structure that is engaged by the circular wall of the wheel when the wheel is installed onto the hub so that the centering skirt structure is flexed and occupies the annular space between the circular outer surface of the hub and the central opening of the wheel to thereby center the wheel upon the hub in readiness for installation of a plurality of lug nuts. The centering skirt structure is captured in a press-fit relationship between the wheel and hub, or can be extruded away during the installation of the wheel onto the hub.