GB2548881A

GB2548881A - Vehicle wheels having locking-hole reinforcement structure

Info

Publication number: GB2548881A
Application number: GB1605473.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chen Wei-Chin
Original assignee: Alex Global Technology Inc
Current assignee: Alex Global Technology Inc
Priority date: 2016-03-31
Filing date: 2016-03-31
Publication date: 2017-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2036-03-31
Also published as: GB2548881B

Abstract

This invention is related to a reinforcing structure of a truck's wheels. The securing structure mainly install iron alloy screw shaft liners on locking holes of the mounting parts of the aluminium alloy or magnesium alloy rims. The studs of the assembling part correspondingly penetrate the holes of the screw shaft liners. A first folded edge and a second folded edge are formed on two terminals of the screw shaft liners to respectively insert into the conical pits of the mounting part of the rims. The nuts screw onto the studs of the assembling part to secure the rim onto the assembling part and the nuts. When the trucks pass bumping roads, the relative motion, caused by vibrations, is occurred between the rims and the assembling part. Therefore, friction is generated between the wheels and the studs, as well as the nuts and the terminal surfaces of the assembling part. The screw shaft liner is used to let the friction above act on the screw shaft liner. Therefore, the soft aluminium alloy or magnesium alloy rims will not be directly rubbed by the studs, nuts, and the assemble part and thus is damaged. Accordingly, the aluminium alloy or magnesium alloy rims can be suitable for the trucks and other heavy vehicles.

Description

VEHICLE WHEELS HAVING LOCKING-HOLE REINFORCEMENT STRUCTURE

BACKGROUND

Field of Invention

The disclosure relates to vehicle wheels having a locking-hole reinforcing structure. More particularly, an easy structure design is used to allow the use of aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims on trucks and other heavy vehicles.

Description of Related Art

At present, the wheels and drive shafts of vehicles are assembled through rims. Nuts and studs are used to screw the wheel drive shafts and rims, and then tires are assembled on the rims. Accordingly, when the drive shaft is rotated drive is transmitted to the wheels to move the vehicles forward.

Iron alloy rims are mainly used in traditional heavy vehicles. However, the weight of the iron alloy rims is high. Therefore, more energy is consumed when the vehicles advance. The heat dissipation of the iron alloy rims is also poorer and this can cause the tires to be blown out easily. Moreover, the iron alloy rims easily rust. Therefore, wheel covers are used to cover the iron alloy rims to increase the aesthetics of the vehicles. In light of the many drawbacks of the iron alloy rims, aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims have been developed. The aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims are light in weight to save energy when the vehicles advance. The heat dissipation of the aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims is excellent to prevent the tires from being blown out. Moreover, the surfaces of the aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims can be polished and electroplated to have a bright and beautiful look. The wheel covers are thus no longer needed. Therefore, the aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims are commonly adopted by common vehicles.

However, heavy vehicles, including trucks, combination trucks, and container trucks, still use iron alloy rims. The main reason is that the wheel rims of the heavy vehicles are bigger than the wheel rims of the common vehicles. When the heavy vehicles pass bumping roads, the wheel rims withstand greater forces. For increasing the driving safety, iron alloy wheels with better rigidity are used.

Therefore, in view of the present aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims having advantages of light weight, oil saving, good heat dissipation, and beautiful appearance but having drawbacks of not being capable of being used by trucks etc., the inventors develop this invention by the many-year manufacturing and design experience and knowledge in the related fields and ingenuity.

SUMMARY

This invention relates to a vehicle wheel having a locking-hole reinforcing structure. The main purpose is to provide an easy and convenient structure design for a securing structure of aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims suitable used by trucks and other heavy vehicles.

For reaching the purpose above, a locking-hole reinforcing structure of a truck’s wheels is provided. The securing stmcture mainly comprises an aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rim. The aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rim comprises a mounting part, a rim part formed on a periphery of the mounting part, a receiving space formed by the mounting part and the rim part, and plural locking holes disposed on a central periphery of the mounting part; an assembling part having an axial connection part and received by the receiving space of the rim, as well as plural studs disposed on a central periphery of the assembling part and penetrating the locking holes of the mounting part of the rim; and plural nuts secured onto the studs correspondingly. The locking-hole reinforcing structure of a truck’s wheels is characterized in the followings.

Plural steel screw shaft liners have a cylindrical shape and sleeve-connected to the locking holes of the mounting part of the rim respectively to tightly match the screw shaft liners and the locking holes. The studs penetrate the holes of the screw shaft liners matching the outer diameter of the studs, and a length of the screw shaft liners is longer than a length of the locking holes to let two ends of the screw shaft liners each extend out of the locking holes. Conical pits are formed on two terminal surfaces of the mounting part and positioned to respectively correspond to the locking holes. Two ends of the screw shaft liners each are folded to form a first folded edge and a second folded edge to respectively insert into the conical pits on two terminal surfaces. The rim, the assembling parts and the nuts are secured.

Accordingly, when the securing structure is assembled to be used, the central axial connection part is secured to the wheel drive shaft of the heavy vehicles including trucks. Therefore, the rim can be driven by the wheel drive shaft through the assembling part to drive the truck move forward. When the trucks pass bumping roads, the relative motion, caused by vibrations, is occurred between the rims and the assembling part. Therefore, friction is generated between the wheels and the studs, as well as the nuts and the terminal surfaces of the assembling part. The screw shaft liners are used to let the friction above act on the screw shaft liners. Therefore, the soft aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rim will not be directly rubbed by the studs, nuts, and the assemble part to thus damaged. Accordingly, the aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims can be suitable for the trucks and other heavy vehicles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective diagram of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective assembling diagram of this invention.

Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional diagram of this invention.

Fig. 4 is another perspective explosive diagram of another embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional diagram of the present wheel securing structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventors have tested the aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims in trucks when the trucks advance. As shown in Fig. 5, the damaged parts of the aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rim 5 were mainly focused on the locking holes 51 penetrated by studs 6, as well as the terminal surfaces compelled by nuts 7 or washers. The main reason is that when the harder steel studs 6 and nuts 7 contact and rub the softer aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rim 5, the locking holes 51 and the terminal surfaces of the softer aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims 5 are easily deformed, and the terminal surfaces of the aluminum or magnesium alloy rims are sunken and broken by the compelling of the nuts 7 or washers. Other parts of the aluminum alloy or the magnesium alloy rim 5 were not damaged. Therefore, the structure of the aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims 5 contacted by the nuts and studs can be reinforced to be used by trucks and other heavy vehicles.

To more completely and clearly illustrate the technical means and effects of this invention, the detailed descriptions are set forth below. Please refer to the disclosed figures and the reference numbers.

First, please refer to Fig. 1, which shows the locking-hole reinforcing structure of a truck’s wheels of this invention mainly having a rim 1 made from an aluminum alloy or a magnesium alloy. The rim 1 has a mounting part 11 and a rim part 12 formed on a periphery of the mounting part 11. A receiving space 13 is formed by the mounting part 11 and the rim part 12. Plural locking holes 14 are disposed on a central periphery of the mounting part 11. An assembling part or hub 2 has an axial connection part 21 secured and connected to a wheel drive shaft. The assembling part 2 is disposed in a receiving space 13 of the wheel 1. Plural studs 22 are disposed on a central periphery of the assembling part 2 and penetrating the locking holes 14 of the mounting part 11 of the rim 1. Plural nuts 3 to respectively secure on the studs 22 correspondingly. The locking-hole reinforcing structure of a truck’s wheels is characterized in the followings.

Plural steel screw shaft liners 4 may be made of a material of a low carbon steel, a carbon steel, or a stainless steel. Surfaces of the screw shaft liners 4 may be hardened and further be knurled or sandblasted to increase the roughness thereof. Please also refer to Fig. 3. The screw shaft liners 4 have a cylindrical shape and sleeve-connected to the locking holes 14 of the mounting part 11 of the rim 1 respectively. The screw shaft liners 4 may match the shape of the locking hole 14 to have a corresponding shape. For example, when the locking holes 14 of the mounting part 11 of the rim 1 are circle, the screw shaft liners 4 are circular cylinders to correspondingly sleeve-connected to the circle locking holes 14, as shown in Fig. 1. When the locking holes 14 of the mounting part 11 of the rim 1 are polygon, the screw shaft liners 4 are polygon cylinders to correspondingly sleeve-connected to the circle locking holes 14 as shown in Fig. 4. The cylinder body of the screw shaft liners 4 may be straight or have at least a waist. The screw shaft liners 4 tightly match the locking holes 14. The holes 41 of the screw shaft liners 4 are circular to match the outer diameter of the studs 22 penetrating the holes 4 of the screw shaft liners 4. A length of the screw shaft liners 4 is longer than a length of the locking holes 14 to let two ends of the screw shaft liners 4 each extend out of the locking holes 14. Conical pits 15 are formed on two terminal surfaces of the mounting part 11 and respectively correspond to the locking holes 14. Two ends of the screw shaft liners 4 are folded to form a first folded edge 42 and a second folded edge 43 to respectively insert into the conical pits 26 on two terminal surfaces. The rim 1, the assembling parts 2, and the nuts 3 are secured and positioned.

The nuts 3 are directly against the first folded edge 42 to be locked and positioned, or a washer may be placed between the nuts 3 and the first folded edge 42 to lock and position the nuts 3 and the first folded edge 42 through the washer. The terminal surface of the assembling part 2 is against the second folded edge 43 to be locked and positioned, or a washer may be placed between the assembling part 2 and the second folded edge 43 to lock and position the assembling part 2 and the second folded edge 43 through the washer.

Please refer to Figs. 2 and 3 together. When the securing structure is assembled, the axial connection part 21 of the assembling part 2 is securely connected to the wheel drive shaft of the trucks and other heavy vehicles and thus assembled with the rim part 12 of an aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rim 1 pre-installed with a tire. Before assembling the wheel 1 and the assembling part 2, several screw shaft liner 4 are sleeved in the locking holes 14 of the mounting part 11 of the wheel 1 one by one to form a tightly matched assembly with the locking holes 14. Subsequently, the first folded edge 42 and the second folded edge 43 are formed by using a fixture punching on the two extending terminals projecting from the locking holes 14. The first folded edge 42 and the second folded edge 43 are correspondingly insert into the conical pits 15 on the two terminal surfaces of the mounting part 11. The rim 1 assembled with the screw shaft liner 4 is further assembled with the assembling part 2. The plural studs 22 of the assembling part 2 are correspondingly penetrate to the holes 41 of the screw shaft liner 4, and the assembling part 2 is positioned in the receiving part 13 of the wheel 1.

One terminal surface of the assembling part 2 is against one terminal surface of the mounting part 11 and positioned. Plural nuts 3 penetrate the holes 41 of the screw shaft liner 4 to screw the studs 22 one by one. The nuts 3 compel another terminal surface of the mounting part 11 and is positioned to secure the wheel 1 and the assembling part 2. A truck’s wheel drive shafts are rotated to drive the rims 1 with the tires through the assembling parts 1 to drive the truck move forward. When the trucks pass bumping roads, the relative motion, caused by vibrations, is occurred between the assembling sites of the assembling parts 2, studs 22, and nuts 3. Therefore, friction is generated between the wheels 1 and the assembling parts 2, as well as the nuts 3 and the studs 22. At this time, the screw shaft liners 4 are used to let the friction between the wheel 1 and the terminal surface of the assembling part 2 mainly act on the second folded edge 43 of the screw shaft liner 4, the friction at the contact rubbing sites of the nuts 3 or the washers mainly act on the first folded edge 42, as well as the friction at the contact rubbing sites of the studs 22 mainly act on the holes 41 of the screw shaft liner 4. Accordingly, the locking holes 14 of the softer aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rim will not be directly rubbed by the vibrating studs 22 to deformed the diameter of the locking holes 14, and the terminal surfaces of the rim 5 is directly compelled by the assembling part 2, the nuts 7 and the washers to be sunken, broken, or disfigured. Accordingly, the aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rim 1 can be suitable for the trucks and other heavy vehicles.

From the structure and embodiments, it can be known that this invention has the following advantages. 1. The locking-hole reinforcing structure of the truck’s rims uses a screw shaft liner to reinforce the structural strength of the contact sites between the aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims and studs, as well as the nuts and the assembling parts. Therefore, the aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims having advantages of light weight, oil saving, good heat dissipation, and aesthetics also can be used in trucks and other heavy vehicles. 2. The locking-hole reinforcing structure of the truck’s rims uses a simple and easy screw shaft liner to solve the problem of the aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rims being not capable of being used in trucks and other heavy vehicles. Especially, the easy structure facilitates the assembling and practicing without adding too much cost, and thus the securing structure can be mass produced.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A vehicle wheel, comprising: an aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy rim, wherein the rim comprises a mounting part, a rim part formed on a periphery of the mounting part, a receiving space formed by the mounting part and the rim part, and plural locking holes disposed on a central periphery of the mounting part; a hub having an axial connection part and received by the receiving space of the rim, as well as plural studs disposed on a central periphery of the hub and penetrating the locking holes of the mounting part of the rim; and plural nuts screwing on the studs correspondingly; characterized by a locking-hole reinforcing structure comprising: plural steel screw shaft liners having a cylindrical shape and sleeve-connected to the locking holes of the mounting part of the rim respectively to tightly match the screw shaft liners and the locking holes, the studs penetrating holes of the screw shaft liners matching the outer diameter of the studs, the length of the screw shaft liners being longer than the length of the locking holes to let two ends of the screw shaft liners each extend out of the locking holes, conical pits formed on two terminal surfaces of the mounting part and respectively corresponding to the locking holes, two ends of the screw shaft liners each being folded to form a first folded edge and a second folded edge to respectively insert into the conical pits on two terminal surfaces, as well as the rim, when the assembling parts and the nuts are secured and positioned.

2. A vehicle wheel according to claim 1, wherein the screw shaft liners are made from a low carbon steel, a carbon steel, or a stainless steel.

3. A vehicle wheel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein surfaces of the screw shaft liners are hardened.

4. A vehicle wheel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein surfaces of the screw shaft liners are knurled or sandblasted.

5. A vehicle wheel according to any preceding claim, wherein the locking holes of the mounting part are circular holes, and the screw shaft liners are circular cylinders to be sleeve jointed with the locking holes correspondingly.

6. A vehicle wheel according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the locking holes of the mounting part are polygon holes, and the screw shaft liners are polygon cylinders to be sleeve jointed with the locking holes correspondingly.

7. A vehicle wheel according to any preceding claim, wherein the screw shaft liners are straight cylinders.

8. A vehicle wheel according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the screw shaft liners have at least a waist.