GB2291017A

GB2291017A - Motor vehicle wheel cover

Info

Publication number: GB2291017A
Application number: GB9513004A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pietro Cartella
Original assignee: Plastal ZCP SpA
Current assignee: Plastal ZCP SpA
Priority date: 1994-07-15
Filing date: 1995-06-26
Publication date: 1996-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 2015-06-26
Also published as: GB9513004D0; ITPN940030U1; FR2722449A1; ITPN940030V0; GB2291017B; IT235033Y1; DE29511347U1; FR2722449B1

Abstract

In a cover for a wheel fixed to a hub by bolts (9, Fig. 1) distributed around a central circle a central support hub member 10 is adapted to be mounted on the wheel by the bolts and comprises axially projecting elastic tongues 13 around which is mounted a central portion 18 of a cover body 11. A locking plug 12 has a cylindrical portion 22 by which it can be fastened radially within said tongues 13 to lock the cover body 11 in its axial position by means of a front flange 24. <IMAGE>

Description

MOTOR VEHICLE WHEEL COVER The present invention relates to a motor vehicle wheel cover.

As is known, the protective covers for the wheels of modern motor cars are generally made of plastics material, replacing the traditional metal covers, so as to be easier to produce and more economical in terms of manufacture on an industrial scale.

The most common covers of plastics material are of a substantially discoidal configuration with flexible peripheral teeth which are loaded by an internal circular spring in order to be pressed into locking engagement against a corresponding seat on the rim of the wheel. When the cover is fitted it substantially covers the rim and the associated bolts for fixing the wheel. As is known the circular spring does not ensure effective fixing of the cover to the wheel and constitutes an undesirable complication in the manufacture and assembly of the cover itself.

Alternatively, covers of plastics material are known, which are fixed to the rim by means of the actual bolts which are distributed along an internal circle and which provide for mounting the wheel on the wheel hub. That solution suffers from a series of disadvantages: possible replacement of the cover requires removal of the entire wheel; the fixing bolts have to be covered for aesthetic and protective purposes by a separately mounted external central cover; and the operation of tightening the bolts can cause the cover to fracture unless it involves suitable contrivances such as metallic reinforcing inserts which undesirably complicate manufacture thereof.

In any case the cover can easily scratch the paint on the rim and can easily take up off-centre position with respect to the wheel, for example due to foreign bodies.

The main aim of the present invention is that of providing a cover for wheels of motor vehicles, which can be manufactured in a particularly simple and economical manner and which can be fitted in a particularly quick and secure fashion.

Another aim of the invention is that of providing a cover of the specified type which ensures good centering and optimum kinematics of the wheel-cover assembly.

According to the present invention, there is provided a cover for a wheel of a motor vehicle, the wheel having a rim fixable to a wheel hub by means of bolts distributed along a substantially central virtual circle, the cover comprising a central support hub member adapted to be fixed to the rim by means of said bolts and having a plurality of axially projecting elastic tongues around which a central portion of a front shaped cover body is adapted to be mounted, a locking plug having a substantially cylindrical portion by means of which it is adapted to be fastened within said tongues in such a way as to lock the shaped body in axial position by means of a front flange.

The features and advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent from the following description given solely by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 diagrammatically shows a partial crosssection of the rim-cover assembly; Figure 2 shows a detail from Figure 1 on an enlarged scale, in accordance with a preferred embodiment; Figures 3 and 4 diagrammatically show the section III-III in Figure 2 in respective operative positions; and Figure 5 is a front view of a cover according to the invention.

With particular reference to Figure 1 the cover is preferably made of plastics material and is to be fitted to a wheel comprising a rim 6 (shown in broken line) provided.

with a shaped external front surface 7 and a shaped peripheral edge 8. The rim 6 is adapted to be fixed to the hub of the wheel (not shown) by means of clamping bolts 9 which are distributed over around a circle and which are inserted into suitable holes in the rim 6.

With reference also to Figure 2 the cover according to the present invention comprises substantially three elements: a central support hub member 10, a front shaped cover body 11 and a central locking plug 12. The central hub member 10 comprises an annular flange 14 having holes 15 which are similar to the holes in the rim 6, whereby the hub member 10 can be easily fixed to the actual hub of the wheel, together with the rim 6, by means of the same bolts 9 (which are not shown in Figure 2 for the sake of simplicity of the description). That fixing in particular is effected by means of the bolts 9 by presenting the flange 14 to the rim 6 with the holes 15 angularly aligned with the corresponding holes in the rim 6.

A plurality of partially cylindrical elastic tongues 13 extend axially outwardly from the inward edge of the flange 14. The tongues 13 are preferably equidistant and distributed circumferentially. The tongues 13 comprise respective external latching teeth 16, at the front ends thereof, and respective undercut steps 17 disposed at a more inward axial position, as shown in Figure 2.

With reference also to Figures 3 and 4 the body 11 of the cover comprises a central substantially cylindrical portion 18, the internal surface of which is provided with recesses 19 of an axial and angular extent complementary to that of the tongues 13. That permits the central portion 18 of the shaped body 11 to be fitted axially on to the hub member 10 with the recesses 19 in engagement with the tongues 13 to provide for angular locking of the body 11 with respect to the hub member 10. Preferably the central portion 18 of the shaped body 11 is of an axial extent such that the edge 20 if its inward end bears against the flange 14 of the hub member 10 while the teeth 16 of the tongues 13 engage against corresponding tapered zones 21 of the central portion 18.To sum up, the shaped body 11 can be easily and conveniently fitted and locked in a condition of pressure engagement on the hub member 10 by virtue of the teeth 16 and the abutment 20 in the correct axial working position.

Fixing of the body 11 on the hub member 10 and thus the wheel is ensured by the central plug 12 which has a substantially cylindrical portion 22, the external surface of which is shaped with enlargement portions or teeth 23 involving an angular extent which is no greater than the distance between adjacent tongues 13. In addition the plug 12 is provided with a front annual flange 24 having a shaped peripheral edge portion 25 adapted to bear axially against a corresponding recessed surface of the body 11. As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the plug 12 is fitted with its cylindrical portion 22 which is axially inserted in the interior of the tongues 13 in an angular position such that the enlargement portions 23 are positioned between the tongues 13. That axial insertion movement takes place until the enlargement portions 23 go axially beyond the under cut steps 17 of the tongues 13 and the edge portion 25 of the plug 12 bears against the body 11 which has been previously press-fitted on to the hub member 10 as described above. At that point the plug 12 is rotated angularly by means of a suitable integrally provided gripping portion 26 to move the enlargement portions 23 into positions of angular correspondence with the undercut steps 17 (Figure 4) which therefore axially lock the plug 12 in the operative position. In turn the edge portion 25 of the plug 12 axially locks the entire shaped body 11 in position, as already stated.Preferably at least one of the enlargement portions 23 of the plug 12 is shaped with one or more catch projections 27 (for example radially projecting ribs) which are capable of coming into latching engagement with corresponding abutments 28 (for example complementary recesses) provided at the internal surface of the tongues 13. The latching engagement between the catch projections 27 and the abutments 28, which is effected by rotating the plug 12 as described hereinbefore, thus involves the dual function of constituting a travel limit for the rotary movement and affording security preventing accidental unlocking of the plug 12 from its correct operative position.

The simplicity, practicality and security of fitting of the cover for wheels according to the invention are apparent from the foregoing description. In particular it should be noted that the system for fixing the cover in a substantially central position permits the cover itself to be mechanically freed from the edges 8 of the rim 6. The cover according to the invention is therefore not adversely affected by the possible impacts which deform the rim 6, thereby ensuring that consequential off-centre positioning of the cover does not further unbalance the entire wheel of the motor vehicle.In addition the cover according to the invention can be produced with a reduced thickness at the edges, thereby achieving a reduction in the rotating masses which are far from the axis of the wheel; the consequential reduction in inertia improves the kinematic characteristics of the entire wheel, in particular increasing the grip thereof on the road.

It will also be noted that the invention affords the further advantage that the shaped body 11 can be quickly replaced by another equivalent body by simply rotating and removing the locking plug 12.

In any case, in the cover according to the invention, the shaped body 11 can be of the most widely varying shapes and configurations according to the various requirements involved since it does not necessarily have to be of a discoidal shape. Just by way of example, Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment which shows the substantial absence of geometrical constraints (to the exclusion of the central fixing zone) as regards the configuration of the shaped body 11.

It will be appreciated that the cover for wheels of motor vehicles which has been described may be the subject of numerous modifications which fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A cover for a wheel of a motor vehicle, the wheel having a rim fixable to a wheel hub by means of bolts distributed along a substantially central virtual circle, the cover comprising a central support hub member adapted to be fixed to the rim by means of said bolts and having a plurality of axially projecting elastic tongues around which a central portion of a front shaped cover body is adapted to be mounted, a locking plug having a substantially cylindrical portion by means of which it is adapted to be fastened within said tongues in such a way as to lock the shaped body in axial position by means of a front flange.

2. A vehicle wheel cover according to claim 1, wherein said tongues are adapted to be axially inserted into corresponding internal recesses in said central portion in such a way as angularly to lock the shaped body.

3. A vehicle wheel cover according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said tongues comprise external teeth adapted to fasten said shaped body in axial position.

4. A vehicle wheel cover according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said tongues comprise internal undercut steps with which corresponding enlargement portions on said cylindrical portion are adapted to engage in such a way as to fix the locking plug and thus the shaped body in axial position.

5. A vehicle wheel cover according to claim 4, wherein said cylindrical portion of the locking plug is adapted to be mounted with the enlargement portions which are inserted axially between the tongues to the undercut steps of which they are engaged by means of rotation of the locking plug.

6. A vehicle wheel cover according to claim 5, wherein said cylindrical portion and at least one of the tongues are provided with complementary catch means adapted to define the angular fixing position of the locking plug.

7. A vehicle wheel cover according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the locking plug is provided with a gripping portion for facilitating rotation thereof.

8. A vehicle wheel cover constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.