Vehicle Wheel Resonance Chamber With Adjustable Insert Neck

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for manufacturing vehicle wheels in a two-piece bonding manner are costly due to increased manufacturing processes and may result in dimensional errors and inability to adjust the target resonance frequency for sound absorption.

Innovation Solution

A method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel in a one-piece state, which includes forming a temporary flange for chucking, performing flow forming and friction stir welding processes to create a resonance chamber, and inserting an adjustable insert neck into a sound-absorbing hole to adjust the resonance frequency and reduce weight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a wheel is manufactured in a two-piece bonding manner to form a resonance chamber, then the resonance sound absorption is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to increased number of processes and friction stir welding area

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresonance sound absorptionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the rim part and disc into a single integrated structure with a resonance chamber formed within the one-piece body. This eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and bonding of two pieces, reducing manufacturing processes and costs while maintaining the resonance sound absorption function through the integrated resonance chamber design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If a resonance chamber is machined after casting a one-piece wheel to reduce manufacturing cost, then the manufacturing cost decreases, but dimensional errors occur and target resonance frequency cannot be adjusted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoiddimensional accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates a temporary flange during the casting process that serves as a preliminary machining reference. This temporary flange is machined to high precision before being removed, and its position is used to establish accurate reference surfaces for subsequent resonance chamber machining, thereby achieving high dimensional accuracy without requiring the temporary flange to remain in the final product

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If a resonance chamber is machined after casting a one-piece wheel to reduce manufacturing cost, then the manufacturing cost decreases, but the target resonance frequency cannot be adjusted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidresonance frequency adjustment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the resonance chamber structure into a main chamber and an adjustable neck portion. The neck portion can be independently modified in terms of length and inner diameter, allowing the resonance frequency to be adjusted by changing these dimensional parameters while keeping the rest of the wheel structure intact

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Weight of moving object

If metal thickness around the sound-absorbing hole is minimized to reduce weight, then the wheel weight decreases, but the structural strength may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewheel weightVSAvoidstructural strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by concentrating the metal thickness reduction specifically in the region around the sound-absorbing hole where weight reduction is most beneficial, while maintaining adequate thickness in other critical load-bearing areas of the wheel. This localized thinning achieves weight reduction without compromising overall structural strength

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

This method reduces dimensional errors during machining, allows for easy adjustment of the target resonance frequency, and decreases the weight of the wheel by minimizing metal thickness around the sound-absorbing hole.

Implementation Method 1

a friction stir welding process of integrally bonding a portion where the forming end and the stepped part are in close contact with each other

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction stir welding: Friction Welding

Data Source

PatentUS12304239B2Vehicle wheel having adjustable insert neck and method for manufacturing the same

Publication Date: 2025.05.20 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel includes: a casting process of manufacturing the wheel in a one-piece body having a forming end and a temporary flange protruding at inner and outer sides of the wheel, respectively, wherein the one-piece body further includes a resonance chamber forming groove; a primary shape machining process of forming a stepped part at an outer circumferential side of the resonance chamber forming groove; a flow forming process of bending the forming end to be seated on the stepped part; a friction stir welding process of integrally bonding a portion where the forming end and the stepped part are in close contact with each other; a fine machining process of removing the temporary flange; and a sound-absorbing hole machining process of forming a sound-absorbing hole for communicating between the resonance chamber and an interior space of a tire in the forming end.