Wheel Rim Protective Disk with Reinforcement Spine
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Automotive wheel rims are prone to damage from curbs and obstacles during parking, and existing solutions do not provide effective protection while also allowing for aesthetic personalization.
Innovation Solution
A removably installable wheel rim protective disk made of high-density nylon with a reinforcement spine and mounting apertures, which can be secured to the wheel using T-nuts and T-bolts, or to a mounting disk that attaches to another wheel using disk studs and wheel studs, or to a standard factory wheel with a 3D printed contoured mounting disk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective disk is added to protect the wheel rim, then the wheel rim is protected from damage, but the device complexity increases due to additional mounting components
Solution Approach 1:
The protective disk is divided into a disk body and a separate reinforcement spine, allowing the spine to be inserted into mounting apertures to provide localized strengthening at mounting points without adding complexity to the entire disk structure
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement spine is pre-positioned within the protective disk at the mounting apertures before installation, so that when the protective disk is mounted to the wheel, the reinforcement is already in place to prevent rim damage at critical points
2Strength
If a reinforcement spine is added to strengthen the protective disk, then the strength is improved, but the weight of the object increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement spine is positioned only at the mounting apertures where structural strength is needed to secure the protective disk to the wheel, rather than adding material throughout the entire disk, thus providing localized strengthening with minimal weight increase
Solution Approach 2:
The protective disk combines a plastic disk body with a reinforcement spine made of a different material (likely metal or composite), creating a composite structure that leverages the advantages of both materials for strength-to-weight optimization
3Reliability
If multiple mounting apertures are created for secure attachment, then the reliability is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting apertures serve multiple functions: they allow the reinforcement spine to be positioned within the disk body, provide attachment points for mounting bolts to secure the disk to the wheel, and enable alignment with corresponding apertures in the wheel or mounting bracket, reducing the need for separate alignment features
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel rim protective disk having a reinforcement spine continuously disposed from a wheel side to a depth less than a thickness of the protective disk. A first embodiment mounts to a wheel having a channel with a second width substantially conforming to a width of the protective disk, and a second depth less than the thickness of the protective disk. A plurality of receiving apertures is disposed through the channel to align with a plurality of mounting apertures in the protective disk. In an alternative embodiment, the protective disk mounts to a mounting disk that in turn mounts to a second wheel having a second plurality of mounting apertures. The mounting disk has the channel, the lower section and the plurality of receiving apertures. In a second alternative embodiment, the protective disk mounts to a 3D printed, contoured mounting disk that in turn mounts to a standard factory wheel.