One-Piece Vehicle Wheel Contour for Aerodynamics and Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle wheels with steel-built rims and wheel discs have gaps that impair aerodynamics and require significant material usage, leading to increased weight and cost, and existing designs with improved aerodynamics suffer from complex manufacturing and additional material overlap.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece vehicle wheel design with integrally formed disc and rim segments, eliminating the need for a circumferential welding seam and utilizing a transition element to create a continuous contour profile, optimized through flow-forming processes to reduce material thickness and enhance aerodynamics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If wheel covers are used to improve aerodynamics, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the wheel disc and wheel rim into a single integrally formed component, eliminating the need for separate wheel covers. The continuous outer contour is achieved by flow-forming the rim segment over the disc segment, integrating the aerodynamic surface directly into the wheel structure rather than adding a separate cover component.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel is divided into functionally integrated segments (disc segment and rim segment) that are flow-formed together as one piece. This segmentation allows optimization of material distribution in different zones while maintaining a continuous aerodynamic contour, resolving the contradiction between aerodynamic performance and structural complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional welded construction is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but material usage and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the wheel disc and wheel rim into a single flow-formed component, eliminating the need for welding operations. This merging of components reduces material usage by removing overlap zones and connecting material, while also reducing weight by eliminating the welding seam and associated reinforcement requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameter from traditional welding to flow-forming, which allows continuous material flow and seamless integration of components. This parameter change enables material optimization by eliminating redundant material in welding zones while maintaining structural integrity through controlled material distribution during the flow-forming process.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If integrally formed design is used, then aerodynamics and material efficiency are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flow-forming as the manufacturing parameter, which is specifically suited for creating integrally formed wheels with continuous contours. This process parameter enables the disc and rim segments to be formed as one piece with optimized material distribution, achieving superior aerodynamics without requiring complex assembly of multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow-forming process enables local optimization of material thickness and distribution throughout the wheel structure. Material can be concentrated where structurally required and reduced where aerodynamic efficiency is prioritized, allowing the integrally formed design to achieve both aerodynamic performance and manufacturing feasibility through localized material property control.
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 design achieves improved aerodynamics, reduced material usage, and weight savings while maintaining structural integrity and compatibility with various vehicle types, with potential for lower CO2 footprint and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The segments of the vehicle wheel are integrally formed, particularly flow-formed, from a metallic material, in particular from a bandage or a circular blank, in order to shape a one-piece, continuously running vehicle wheel contour profile.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle wheel including a disc segment and a rim segment. The disc segment includes a wheel mounting surface for connecting the vehicle wheel to a vehicle hub and a transition element, wherein the transition element is arranged between the wheel mounting surface and an outer rim flange. The rim segment includes the outer rim flange and an inner rim flange as well as a drop center arranged between the two flanges. The segments of the vehicle wheel are integrally formed in order to shape a one-piece, continuously running vehicle wheel contour profile.