Forged Vehicle Wheel Rib Structure for Brake Cooling and Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle wheels struggle to achieve a balance between aerodynamics, lightweight design, and rigidity, particularly in forged metal wheels with spokes, as they often compromise on one aspect for the sake of another.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle wheel design featuring a wheel hub, rim, and spokes forged as a single piece from light metal, with an annular gap between the wheel disc and rim, and spokes extending directly from the wheel hub to the rim, raised on both sides of the wheel disc to form ribs for stiffness, allowing for a thin wheel disc and separate air flow paths for improved aerodynamics and cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the wheel disc extends radially outward to the rim to maintain structural rigidity, then the rigidity between wheel hub and rim is improved, but the weight of the vehicle wheel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel disc is segmented into multiple sections separated by radial gaps that extend from the outer edge of the wheel disc to the rim. This segmentation reduces the amount of material required while maintaining structural integrity through the spoke connections, thereby reducing weight while preserving rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The spokes are designed with a raised profile on both the outer and inner sides of the wheel disc, creating a three-dimensional rib structure. This adds stiffness in the axial dimension without increasing radial thickness, allowing weight reduction while maintaining rigidity.
2Strength
If the wheel disc extends radially outward to the rim to maintain structural rigidity, then the rigidity between wheel hub and rim is improved, but the aerodynamics of the vehicle wheel deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The radial gaps segment the wheel disc structure, allowing air to flow through the wheel assembly rather than being blocked by a solid disc extending to the rim. This improves aerodynamics by reducing drag while the spoke ribs maintain necessary rigidity.
3Strength
If the wheel disc extends radially outward to the rim to maintain structural rigidity, then the rigidity between wheel hub and rim is improved, but the wheel disc thickness must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing radial thickness, the spokes are raised in the axial dimension to form ribs on both sides of the wheel disc. This provides the necessary stiffening effect without increasing the radial extent of the wheel disc, allowing it to terminate before reaching the rim.
4Strength
If the wheel disc extends radially outward to the rim to maintain structural rigidity, then the rigidity between wheel hub and rim is improved, but the brake cooling efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The radial gaps create open passages that allow air to flow directly to the brake components located at the circumferential point inside the rim. This improves cooling efficiency by enabling effective heat dissipation while the spoke ribs maintain structural rigidity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle wheel (1) for a motor vehicle, forged in one piece from a light metal, comprising a wheel hub (2), a wheel disc (3), spokes (4), and a rim (5). A gap (11) for ventilating a wheel brake exists between the wheel disc (3) and the rim (5). To ensure a rigid design of the vehicle wheel (1), the spokes (4) extend from the wheel hub (2) to the rim (5) and are raised on an outer side (6) and an inner side (9) of the wheel disc (3) in such a way that the spokes (4) form a type of stiffening rib for the wheel disc (3).