GB2285417A

GB2285417A - Sheet metal wheel

Info

Publication number: GB2285417A
Application number: GB9423880A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerhard Sollner; Herbert Linden
Original assignee: Vereinigte Aluminium Werke AG; Vaw Aluminium AG
Current assignee: Vereinigte Aluminium Werke AG; Vaw Aluminium AG
Priority date: 1994-01-07
Filing date: 1994-11-25
Publication date: 1995-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 2014-11-25
Also published as: ITTO950006A0; FR2714871B1; DE4441615A1; SE9403512D0; DE9400171U1; ES1029376U; ES1029376Y; SE9403512L; GB9423880D0; IT1278952B1; ITTO950006A1; SE507142C2; FR2714871A1; GB2285417B

Abstract

In a sheet metal wheel a rim (1) and a dish (2) are connected by a beam-welded butt seam (3) disposed between rim (1) and dish (2) from the direction of the side (S) which is visible when the wheel is in use on a vehicle. The press-in depth (P) is preferably less than 5.0 mm. The rim and dish may be of aluminium or aluminium alloy and the weld is preferably produced by laser beam. <IMAGE>

Description

SHEET METAL WHEEL The invention relates to a sheet metal wheel, comprising a rim and a dish which are connected by a weld seam, the sheet metal wheel having a visible side on the wheel side which lies outside in the assembled state.

Sheet metal wheels of the type described initially are known as so-called "steel rimmed wheels" in the automobile industry. They are usually manufactured as two-part sheet metal wheels by pressing a dish part and a rim part together. The parts pressed one into the other are welded together by a fillet weld from the direction of the non-visible side of the sheet metal wheel.

It is further known that, in terms of stress, fillet welds are less advantageous than butt seams. See, in this regard, "Aluminium pocket edition", 14th edition, page 821. For the application described above, however, fillet welds have previously been avoidable so that, to raise the loading capacity, the press-in depth of dish and rim had to be increased to enable more forces to be transmitted from the rim to the dish and vice versa.

An increase in the press-in depth leads, however, to an increase in the overall weight of the sheet metal wheel and to a reduction in the available space for the brake units which are to be disposed in the sheet metal wheel.

An increased press-in depth moreover also causes production engineering problems.

The object of the present invention is to avoid the described drawbacks and to develop a sheet metal wheel, particularly for use in the automobile industry and preferably using light metal materials, in which the dish and rim have a low press-in depth and in which the available space remaining for the brake units in the rim interior is increased and which, in terms of production engineering, is easier to manufacture.

Said object is achieved according to the invention by a sheet metal wheel comprising a rim and a dish which are connected by a weld seam, the sheet metal wheel having a visible side on the wheel side which lies outside in the assembled state, characterized in that a beam-welded butt seam is disposed between the rim and the dish from the direction of the visible side.

It has been demonstrated that the force profile in a multi-part sheet metal wheel is particularly advantageous when a beam-welded butt seam is disposed between the rim and the dish from the direction of the visible side.

For production engineering reasons, it is particularly advantageous when the butt seam is a laser beam weld seam with a weld seam depth < 10.0 mm. This enables the use of very narrow gaps, the dish being pressed into the rim and the press-in depth being < 5.0 mm.

It has proved particularly advantageous when the press-in depth is delimited by a bead which is disposed approximately in the middle of a central region in the narrowest diameter region of the rim. By said means, a central arrangement of the dish in the rim is enabled, with the bead simultaneously taking the form of a stop face for the outer edge of the dish. Thus, the two-part sheet metal wheel may be fixed in the preassembled state.

Moreover, the bead may therefore advantageously take the form of a weld pool support for the beam-welded seam.

By virtue of the design according to the invention of the sheet metal wheel, the dish and the rim may be made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy and at the same time transmit high loads.

An embodiment of the invention is described in detail below. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a cross-section through a sheet metal wheel according to the invention in an axial direction; and Figure 2 is an enlarged cutout of the connection point between the dish and the rim according to Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a simplified form of a sheet metal wheel, comprising a rim 1 and a dish 2 which is pressed into the rim. The press-in depth P is delimited by a bead 4, which serves simultaneously as a fixing means and hence as an aid for assembly of the dish 2 and rim 1.

Situated in the narrowest cross-sectional region D of the sheet metal wheel 1 is a central region M, in which the bead 4 is disposed. The central region M has a wheel inside diameter D which is simultaneously also the outside diameter for the dish 2, so that both parts, namely rim 1 and dish 2, prior to being welded together, may be pressed one into the other and hence brought into a preselected position.

The situation prior to welding at the connection point between rim 1 and dish 2 is shown to an enlarged scale in Figure 2. Said figure reveals the press-in depth P, which preferably has a value of less than 5 mm, and the bead 4 serving as a stop face, which simultaneously delimits the root tip of the butt seam 3.

In principle, both electron beam welding (EB welding) and laser beam welding (LA welding) are possible. However, laser beam welding is preferably used since tests have proved it to be particularly suitable for use in very narrow gaps.

As already mentioned, owing to the low press-in depth P, the rim interior 5 may be kept particularly large so that there is more room available for the brake units than in conventional sheet metal wheels.

Moreover, owing to the short weld seam depth E of less than 10 mm, the heat affected zone may be kept small which, particularly when aluminium materials are used, offers advantages in terms of the strength characteristics of the sheet metal wheel.

Besides said advantages of a technical nature, visual advantages may also be achieved as a result of the narrow weld seam on the visible side (S) of the sheet metal wheel. Said seam simultaneously performs a protective function against crevice corrosion influences which have often been detected in the contact region between rim 1 and dish 2.

Claims

1. A sheet metal wheel, comprising a rim (1) and a dish (2) which are connected by a weld seam, the sheet metal wheel having a visible side on the wheel side which lies outside in the assembled state, characterized in that a beam-welded butt seam (3) is disposed between the rim (1) and the dish (2) from the direction of the visible side (S).

2. A sheet metal wheel according to claim 1, characterized in that the butt seam (3) takes the form of a laser beam weld seam having a weld seam depth (E) of less than 10.0 mm.

3. A sheet metal wheel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dish (2) and the rim (1) are made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy.

3. A sheet metal wheel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dish (2) is pressed into the rim (1), the press-in depth (P) being less than 5.0 mm.

4. A sheet metal wheel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the press-in depth (P) is delimited by a bead (4) which is disposed approximately in the middle of a central region (M) in the narrowest diameter region (D) of the rim (1).

5. A sheet metal wheel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the press-in depth (P) is delimited by a bead (4) which takes the form of a stop face for the outer edge of the dish (2).

6. A sheet metal wheel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the press-in depth (P) is delimited by a bead (4) which takes the form of a weld pool support for the beam-welded seam (3).

7. A sheet metal wheel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dish (2) and the rim (1) are made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS (REVISED) 1. A sheet metal wheel, comprising a rim (1) and a dish (2) which are connected by a beam-welded butt seam (3) being disposed between the rim (1) and the dish (2) from the direction of the visible side (S) which lies outside in the assembled state, characterized in that the dish (2) is pressed into the rim (1), the press-in depth (P) being less than 5.0 mm and being delimited by a bead (4) which is disposed approximately in the middle of a central region (M) in the narrowest diameter region (D) of the rim (1), wherein the bead (4) takes the form of a stop face for the outer edge of the dish (2) and the form of a weld pool support for the beam-welded seam (3) as well.