AU642300B2

AU642300B2 - An insert and/or ornament for automotive wheel

Info

Publication number: AU642300B2
Application number: AU84581/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Nobuo Nishida
Original assignee: CRIMSON Co Ltd
Current assignee: CRIMSON Co Ltd
Priority date: 1991-09-18
Filing date: 1991-09-18
Publication date: 1993-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2011-09-18
Also published as: GB2259891A; GB2259891B; AU8458191A; GB9120355D0

Description

Our Rdi: '407645 P/00/011 Regulation 3:2

AUSTRALIA

tf) 2 Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT

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5S 5* 5 .5.5 S S 55 Applicant(s): Crimson Company Limited 35, Sugigamrachi

NARA-CITY

JAPAN

ARTHUR S. CAVE CO.

Paternt Trade Mark Attorneys Level 10, 10 Barrack Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 Address for Service: o 50 5 5 00 epSe SO o 0 Invention Title: AN INSERT AND/OR ORNAMENT FOR AUTOMOTIVE WHEEL.

The following statement is e full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 5020 0698v/MS 1 AN INSERT AND/OR ORNAMENT FOR AUTOMOTIVE WHEEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to an insert for use as fitted in each of the through-holes formed in the disk of an automotive wheel to esthetically improve the appearance of the wheel and/or minimize metal dust produced by braking from contaminating or scratching the outer surface of wheel. The present invention also relates to use of a body/ornament which can be used for cooling the brake drum.

Prior Art Statement: The currently available automotive wheels include a one-piece or two-piece wheel made of a light alloy such as aluminium alloy or the like and a wheel made of any other metal. These wheels have appropriately-shaped through-holes formed radially in the disk thereof, ind the shape of the through-holes imparts an esthetic feature to the wheels.

•The conventional wheels are esthetically featured only by the shape of the through-holes formed in the disk thereof. Since the wheels are mass-produced, the through-holes are inevitably designed as standardized.

Thus, the design of such through-hole is esthetically 0 monotonous, so it is not accepted by all the users. Also, when the brake is applied while the car is running, metal dust coming from the brake pad through the through-holes adheres to, contaminates or scratches the outer surface of 0000 the wheel.

In one form the present invention is a decorative attachment for a vehicle wheel, said wheel includes a disc portion having an outer side and one or more through holes therein, the decorative attachment being separable from the wheel and adapted for connection to said wheel when said wheel is not fitted to a vehicle, wherein the decorative attachment comprising at least one body having a section thereof which in a fitted position extends at least partially through at least one of said through holes, said section of said body having a visible surface which in the fitted position is visible when viewed from the outer side of the disc portion of the wheel.

0698v/MS 2 In one preferred embodiment of the present invention the body is tubular with a peripheral wall of a shape fitting the peripheral wall face of the through-hole formed in the wheel disk.

In a further preferred embodiment the body of the insert is open at both the upper and lower ends.

In another preferred embodiment the body is open at an upper end and has a bottom formed integrally therewith at the lower end. In such embodiment the bottom may have a projecting vane provided on the outer surface thereof.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention the body is fastened to the through-hole by screws.

In another preferred embodiment the body is fastened to the through-hole by bendable tabs or projecting pieces projecting from the lower end of the body.

In another preferred embodiment a number of bodies are interconnected in the form of a circular plate, each of the bodies insertable into a respective through-hole, the •r circular plate adapted to be removably fixed to the side of the wheel facing inwardly towards a vehicle when the wheel is in use.

The body/bodies in any of che preferred embodiments may be an ornament.

:Therefore in one preferred embodiment of the present invention the body of which may be an ornament, can be securely fixed in each of th through-holes formed in the wheel disk by fitting it into the through-holes and fixing it there with screws or the like. With a shape, color, material and the like selected for the body/ornament from various kinds as desired, the wheel disk can be given a desired appearance'.

With the body/ornament provided with a bottom closing the through-hole according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the adherence, to the outer surface of the wheel disk, of the metal dust produced when the brake is applied while the car is running, thereby preventing the disk surface from being contaminated or scratched by such dust.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawings show the embodiments of the body/ornament, 0698v/MS 3 for automotive wheel according to the present invention, of which; 1 is perspective view of the automotive wheel and bodies/ornaments disassebled from the wheel; Fig. 2 is a sectionil view of the wheel to which the bodies/ornaments are fixed; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wheel and an body/ornament having a bottom formed integrally therewith, the body/ornament being disassembled from the wheel; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the wheel to which the body/ornament shown in Fig. 3 is fixed; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the body/ornament fixed in place; Fig. i( is a plan view, enlarged in scale, of the engagement ring shown in Fig. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the fixation of the body/ornament having projections formed at the lower end of the circumferential wall thereof; S Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the body/ornament having a projecting vane formed integrally outside the bottom thereof; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the fixation of the circular plate having protrusions formed thereof; and Fig. 10 is a sectional viet/of the wheel disk to which the circular disk is fixed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS :The present invention will be better understood from the ensuing description made by way of example of the S embodiments of the body/ornament for automotive wheel according to the present invention with reference to the drawings.

The reference numeral 1 in the drawings indicates an o- insert which will be referred to as a body/ornament. The body/ornament if shaped in the form of a short tube fittable in each of through-holes 13 formed in the disk 12 of an automotive wheel 11. The body/ornament 1 has a nearly same form as the through-hole 13. The body/ornament 1 has an 0698v/MS 4 outwardly projecting flange Ib of a desired shape formed integrally therewith at the upper edge of a peripheral wall la having a form fitting the peripheral wall face 14 of the through-hole 13.

The body/ornament 1 may be made of a same material as that of the wheel 11 or any other suitable material. In the latter case, a material may be selected from among, for example, plastic molding, wood and the like and can be colored appropriately. Further, appropriate pattern, characters or the like can desirably be printed or engraved on the peripheral wall la and flange lb.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the body/ornament 1 may be opened at both the upper and lower ends thereof, namely, it may be shaped in the form of a short tube which can communicate with both the front and rear sides of the disk 12 like the through-hole 13. Also, as shown in Figs. 3 to 0 5, the body/ornament 1 may be opened at the upper end 00 o thereof and have formed integrally therewith a bottom Ic closing the opening at the lower end thereof. In the latter case, the bottom lc closes the through-hole 12, thereby preventing dust or the like from passing through the hole 12.

0o* Furthermo7:e, the bottom lc may have formed integrally s* on the outer Eurface thereof a projecting vane 2 appropriately slanted as shown in Fig. 8. As the vane 2 rotates when the car is running, an air flow takes place at the rear side opposite to the brake drum, thereby cooling soe the brake drum.

0. For removably fixing the body/ornament of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in the through-hole 13, a plurality of threaded holes 3 is formed in the bottom of the peripheral wall la of the body/ornament 1 and a rectangular metallic fixing plate 8 long enough to extend between the neighboring through-holes 13 is used which has a screw insertion hole 9 formed in each of the four corners thereof. When installing the body/ornament, the fixing plate 8 is applied to the rear of the disk 12 and the opposite ends thereof are set to the bottoms of the peripheral wall la of the body/ornaments 1 fitted in the 0698v/MS 5 neighboring through-holes 13. Thereafter, screws 6 are tightened into the threaded holes 3 through the screw insertion holes 9, respectively, thereby coupling and fixing the bodies/ornaments 1 to each other by means of the fixing plates 8 to fix the bodies/ornaments 1 in all the through-holes 13.

Also for this fastening with screws, screw insertion holes (not shown) may be formed at appropriate positions in the peripheral wall la of the body/ornament 1 and threaded holes 3 formed in the circumferential wall face 14 of the through-hole 13. In this case, the body/ornament 1 is fitted into the through-hole 13 and then fixed with screws.

As shown in Fig.5, the height of the peripheral wall la of the body/ornament 1 may be somewhat greater than its dimension of insertion into the through-hole 13 and an engagement recess 4 is formed on the outer periphery at the lower end of the peripheral wall la. In addition, an S: engagement ring 5 (Fig. 6) is adopted which has formed at some portions thereof bendings 5a protruding inwardly, and a o* peripheral step 16 is formed on the rear side of the wheel disk 12 at the periphery of the lower open end of the through-hole 13 in the disk 12. When fixing the body/ornament in the through-hole 13 in the wheel disk 12 in this case, the inwardly protruding bendings 5a of the engagement ring 5 are engaged in the engagement recess 4 and the engagement ring 5 is engaged on the peripheral step 16 as shown in Fig. Also, the body/ornament 1 may have formed at the lower end of the peripheral wall la thereof a plurality of 0e0 projecting metallic pieces 7 each bendable outwardly as shown in Fig. 7. When fixing the body/ornament in the through-hole 13 in the wheel disk 12 in this case, the 00 body/ornament is fitted into the through-hole 13 and then the projecting pieces 7 are bent outwardly thereby engaging, on the rear side of the disk 12 at the lower open end of the through-hole 13.

The body/ornament 1 can be easily fixed to the wheel 1.

by the above-mentioned means either before or after the 0698v/MS 6 wheel 11 is installed on the axle.

The wheel 11 is made of a light metal such as aluminium alloy, magnesium alloy or the like or any other material.

As well known, the disk 12 of the wheel 11 has a hub hole 17 formed in the center thereof, and the disk 12 has a rim 18 provided integrally on the outer circumference thereof. In the aforementioned embodiments of the present invention, each of the plurality of through-holes 13 formed through the disk 12 and around the hub 17 are regularly spaced shaped in the form of a triangle of which the corners are round, and the peripheral wall face 14 of the through-hole 13 is slanted outwardly from the rear side of the disk 12 toward the front side. However, the shape and dimensions of the through-hole 13 may be arbitrarily selected.

Fig. 4 shows the wheel 11 installed to the axle. In this Figure, the reference numeral 19 indicates a brake pad and 20 a disk brake.

S-

e 0 'In.the aforementioned embodiments, the bodies/ornaments 1 are removable, fixed individually in the plurality of through-holes 13 formed in the disk 12 of the wheel 11. For 0ee p a wheel 11 comprising a disk of mesh type or fin type (spoke s. type) and having many such through-hole 13 formed as 0..0 regularly spaced in the entire disk 12, a plurality of bodies/ornaments can be connected together in the form of a circular plate 21 fitting the rear side of the disk 12 of the wheel 11 and having formed thereon the bodies/ornaments arranged as protrusions 1' laid in a same array as the O plurality of through-holes 13 formed in the disk 12 of the wheel 11 and each having a shape fittable in each through-hole 13, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The circular plate is applied to the rear side of the disk 12 with the G.s. protrusions 1' fitted into the through-holes 13, o* eo respectively.

For fixing the circular plate of this structure to the wheel 11, for example, a plurality of fixing holes 22 is formed around a central hole 25 (coincident in size and form with the hub 17) in the circular plate 21. The circular plate 21 can be fixed to the wheel 11 by tightening screws 0698v/MS 7 24 in threaded holes 23 formed in the rear side of the disk through the fixing holes 22.

As having been described in the foregoing, the present invention provides a body/drnament for automotive wheel of which the body is shaped such that it is fittable into each of the through-holes formed in the wheel disk and which can be removably fikced in the through-hole with screws or the like. Witth the shape, color, material and the like factor appropriately selected, a desired appearance can be imparted to the body/ornament as well aito the disk itself.

Furthermore, the wheel appeaance can be much more improved with an appropriate pattern or characters marked, by any means, on the body/ornament.

The body/ornament is formed separately from the wheel and removably fixed in the through-hole. Various kinds of bodies/ornaments can be formed of which the exposed portion at the front side of the disk may be different in shape and pattern from one body/ornament to another. Thus a same S* wheel used with a car can be arbitrarily changed in appearance with various kinds of bodies/ornaments.

Further, the bottom provided on the body/ornament in one of the abovementioned embodiments prevents the 0 adherence, to the wheel disk surface, of metallic dust or the like produced from the brake pad and coming through the through-holes when the brake is applied while the car is running, thereby preventing the disk surface from being contaminated or scratched by the dust and thus to keep the disk surface clean.

Moreover, the protrusions formed on the embodiment in the form of a circular plate removably fixe o the rear side of the wheel disk and each fittable in the through-hole can be fitted into all the corresponding through-holes at a time. This embodiment is optimally usable with a wheel S" having small through-holes or many through-holes.

Claims

1. A decorative attachment for a vehicle wheel, said wheel includes a disc portion having an outer side and one or more through holes therein, the decorative attachment being separable from the wheel and adapted for connection to said wheel when said wheel is not fitted to a vehicle, wherein the decorative attachment comprising at least one body having a section thereof which in a fitted position extends at least partially through at least one of said through holes, said section of said body having a visible surface which in the fitted position is visible when viewed from the outer side of the disc portion of the wheel.

2. A decorative attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body is tubular with a peripheral wall of a shape 0. fitting a peripheral wall face of said through-hole formed S" in said disc portion and a flange formed integrally therewith. 4 0

3. A decorative attachment as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said body is open at both an upper end and lower end.

4, A decorative attachment as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said body is open at the upper end thereof and provided with a bottom formed integrally therewith at the lower end.

A decorative attachment as claimed in claim 4, wherein said bottom having a projecting vane provided on the outer surface thereof.

6. A decorative attachment as claimed in any one of claims li 2 to 5, wherein said body is fastened to the through-hole with screws.

7. A decorative attachment as claimed in claim 6, wherein screw insertion holes are formed at appropriate positions in 0698v/MS 9 the peripheral wall of said body and threaded holes corresponding to said screw insertion holes are formed in the peripheral wall face of the through-hole in said disc portion.

8. A decorative attachment as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the peripheral wall of said body is formed as extending beyond the depth of the through-hole in said wheel disk and an engagement recess is formed on the outer periphery at the lower end of said peripheral wall.

9. A decorative attachment as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein said body has formed at the lower end of the peripheral wall thereof a plurality of projecting pieces each bendable outwardly. so

10. A decorative attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein 0: a plurality of said bodies are interconnected in the form of a circular plate, each of said bodies insertable into a 0060 respective through-hole, said circular plate adapted to be removably fixed to the side of the wheel facing inwardly towards a vehicle when said wheel is in use. 00 4

11. A decorative attachment as claimed in claim 10, wherein said circular plate has formed therein a central hole coincident with a hub hole and a plurality of fixing holes is formed around said central hole.

12. A decorative attachment for an automotive wheel as substantially herein described and with reference to the accompanying illustrations. DATED this 4th day of August, 1993. CRIMSON COMPANY LTD By Their Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE 1 An ornament for automotive wheel, comprising a body adapted to be fitted in each of a plurality of through-ho]~es formed in the disk of the wheel and which is removably fixed in the through-hale with screw or the like. This ornament is used to esthetically ft improve the surface of the wheel disk. B *ft ft ft *ft *6 he ft ft 0 *h 0 ft ft *B B ft ft. ft ftO@* 4' ft ft ft. ft. a ft ft ftp B ft. ft B 4ft ft ft A. eft ft 4 A. ft. B ft ft ft ft '%LWR11?1 FIG.1 9 lee... 6 S. 6 8 S 56 .4 A 9 960 A *604 0 9609 9@ 0 C *3 I ~S 0S 9 66 S 655*60 6 FIG.2 F IG. 3 b**p 400 SO 00 C- FIG.4 *0 S S I *5 S 0e0050 O 0 F IG. b 00 00 .6 U S. 0 6 o o0 o .0 he C .00 0 he., S hO Sb U0 0 0 00 FIG.6 4S 0 FIG.7 0* a a Se S CeeS C. a. C FIG. 8 14,51& 1 qt FlIG.9 *see*. 0 l* b Ae lb i Fl G.