JP2003118302A - Wheel with cover - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheel with a cover for a vehicle light and small in air resistance at the time of the vehicle travelling. SOLUTION: Lightening parts 31, 32 are formed on a disc part 3 of a wheel main body 20, the cover 35 free to cover the lightening parts 31, 32 is constituted of a material lighter in specific gravity than a material of the wheel main body 20, and the wheel 1 with the cover is constituted by covering a part of the disc part 3 including the lightening parts 31, 32 with the cover 35. Additionally, an outer surface 35b of the cover 35 is constituted so as to be flush with an outer surface 3a of the disc part 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle wheel, and more particularly to a wheel with a cover for a vehicle that is lightweight and has low air resistance when the vehicle is running.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, steel wheels and wheels made of light metal such as aluminum are used as vehicle wheels. Since the steel wheel has a large specific gravity, there is little freedom in design, and if you want to improve the design, a wheel cap made of lightweight resin was attached separately. This wheel cap was attached so as to cover the entire disk portion of the steel wheel. On the other hand, in the case of a wheel made of a light metal, since the specific gravity is small, the degree of freedom in design is high, and the design can be made of the wheel material itself such as aluminum. Therefore, in general, a separate member such as a wheel cap is not attached, but in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-65601, a flat transparent synthetic resin wheel cover is attached so as to cover the entire disk portion of an aluminum wheel. It is disclosed. And, according to this wheel cover, it is said that the unevenness of the wheel is prevented from being scratched or the dirt is attached, and the air resistance is also reduced. As described above, the conventional wheel to which the covers are attached is configured to cover the entire disc portion of the wheel like the above-described wheel cap and wheel cover.

[0003]

In view of the design of the wheel, it is sometimes desired to make the spokes (struts) thicker to some extent to give an image of high rigidity. But,
In the case of a design that is too thick in view of the rigidity actually required for the wheel, if all of it is made of the material of the wheel body, for example, light metal, the weight of the wheel will be heavy,
It adversely affects the acceleration performance and fuel efficiency of the vehicle. On the other hand, when the spokes are thickened to reduce the weight, the weight can be reduced, but the designability may be impaired and the rigidity may be low.

Further, in order to reduce the fuel consumption of a vehicle in recent years, it is important to reduce the air resistance when the vehicle is running. However, in order to reduce the air resistance near the wheel, the disk portion of the wheel is uneven. It is desirable that it is flat and flat. However, if the disc portion is made completely flat with the material of the wheel body, it is desirable for reducing the air resistance, but the weight becomes heavy, and eventually there is a problem that sufficient fuel efficiency cannot be expected. On the other hand, if only the required rigidity is taken into consideration and the spokes are made thin or the number of lightening parts is increased, the unevenness of the wheel disk will increase and the acceleration performance of the vehicle will improve, but the air around the wheel will increase. There is a problem that the resistance increases and it is not possible to expect sufficient fuel efficiency improvement. In this case, it is conceivable to cover the entire surface of the disk portion like the wheel cover of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-65601, but it is wasteful in terms of weight to cover the entire surface of the disk portion. However, there was a problem that it could not be expected to improve fuel efficiency sufficiently.

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides
An object of the present invention is to provide a wheel with a cover that has a necessary and sufficient rigidity, a low air resistance, and a high degree of freedom in design.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the wheel with a cover according to claim 1, a thinned portion is formed in the disc portion of the wheel body, and the wheel body is made of a material having a specific gravity smaller than that of the material of the wheel body. It is characterized in that a cover capable of covering the lightening portion is configured, and a part of the disk portion including the lightening portion is covered with the cover.

According to such a wheel with a cover, the wheel is made lighter by forming the lightening portion on the disc portion of the wheel body, and the lightening portion is a cover having a smaller specific gravity than the wheel body. By being covered, the irregularities of the disk portion are eliminated, and the air resistance during running of the vehicle is reduced. In order to reduce the air resistance, it is desirable that the cover be as flat and smooth as possible. In order to reduce the weight of the wheel, it is desirable to form a thin cover with a material having a specific gravity as small as possible. The material of the wheel body is not particularly limited, but when it is composed of a light metal such as an aluminum alloy or a magnesium alloy, it is effective because it can have a variety of designs because of its small specific gravity. . Further, since the lightening portion is covered with the cover, dirt and the like are less likely to enter the lightening portion, and the wheel can be cleaned efficiently because there are few irregularities.

Further, in the cover-equipped wheel of claim 2,
The disk portion is formed by spanning a plurality of columns from the center of the wheel toward the outer rim, and the lightening portion is formed on the columns.

By constructing the wheel with a cover in this way, it is possible to reduce the air resistance by reducing the unevenness of the disk portion while making it look like the rigidity as a thick pillar (spoke), while showing high rigidity. it can.

Further, in the wheel with a cover according to a third aspect, the outer surface of the cover is flush with the outer surface of the disk portion.

By constructing the wheel with a cover in this way, there is no step between the outer surface of the cover and the outer surface of the disk portion, and the air resistance during running of the vehicle becomes smaller.

Further, in the cover-equipped wheel of claim 4,
The lightening portion is a through hole formed in the disc portion.

By thus forming the lightening portion as the through hole formed in the disk portion, the weight can be further reduced and water can be prevented from collecting between the wheel body and the cover.

Further, in the wheel with cover according to claim 5,
The cover is transparent.

As described above, by making the cover transparent, it is possible to visually confirm the state of the mechanical parts such as the brake disc and the brake pad. The term “transparent” means that the other side of the cover can be seen with the naked eye, and the cover may be colored, matted, or otherwise provided with a little hard-to-see decoration.

Further, in the wheel with cover according to claim 6,
The cover is made of resin, and the surface thereof is decorated.

By thus forming the cover with resin, the weight of the aluminum wheel and the like can be reduced, and the surface of the cover can be decorated to enhance the design. The surface of the cover includes both the outside and the inside of the vehicle. For example, if the cover is made of transparent resin and the inside is decorated by painting etc., if stones or mud gets on the wheel, However, the decoration does not come off. In addition, decoration means coloring by coating or vapor deposition, or mat processing with small irregularities on the surface, etc. It corresponds to the decoration mentioned in the claims.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheel with a cover according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A wheel body 20 of a wheel 1 with a cover (hereinafter also simply referred to as “wheel”) shown in FIG. 1 has five spokes (struts) 30 radially from a center thereof to an outer rim 2 to which a tire is attached. The five disk-shaped spokes 30 form the side surface of the disk portion 3. The spokes 30 are each formed in a wide plate shape having a thickness, and are formed so that the width thereof becomes gradually narrower from the center toward the outer periphery. Each spoke 30 is formed by arranging five square-shaped lightening portions 31 and 32 in a radial pattern at the center in the width direction to ensure necessary wheel rigidity and reduce weight. Among the five lightening portions, the innermost lightening portion 31 has a circular through hole through which the seat surface 31a and a wheel mounting bolt (not shown) can be inserted at a predetermined depth as shown in FIG. 31b is formed. When the wheel with cover 1 is attached to the axle, the wheel attachment bolt protruding from the axle is inserted and fixed by fastening with the nut 31c.
The four lightening portions 32 on the outer peripheral side are through holes (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). And the meat removal portion 3
1, 32 are covered with a cover 35 made of a rectangular resin plate as shown in FIG. The lightening portion 32
It is also possible to form a bottomed recess instead of forming a through hole.

The cover 35 has two mounting holes 35a formed at both the outer peripheral end and the inner peripheral end of the wheel body 20. Screw holes 22 are formed on the outer peripheral side and the inner peripheral side of the lightening portions 31, 32 of the wheel body 20 at positions corresponding to the mounting holes 35a. The cover 35 is fastened and fixed to the screw hole 22 with a hexagon socket head cap screw 36. When the cover 35 is fixed to the wheel body 20, the cover outer surface 35b, which is the outer surface thereof, and the disc surface 3a, which is the outer surface of the disc portion 3, are positioned flush with each other, that is, on the same plane.

Further, the center of the wheel body 20 is formed with a center hole 23 for centering the axle, and a center cap 25 shown in FIG. 2 is attached so as to close the center hole 23. . The center cap 25 is made of injection-molded resin and is composed of a designed disc portion 25a and two hooks 25b protruding from the back side of the disc portion 25a. When the center cap 25 is inserted into the center hole 23, the hook 25
The locking portion 23a inside the center hole 23 is fixed to the wheel body 20 by b.

According to the cover-equipped wheel having the above-described structure, the disk portion 3 of the wheel body 20 has the lightening portion 3
By forming the parts 1 and 32, the weight can be reduced, and the unevenness of the disk portion 3 can be reduced to reduce the air resistance when the vehicle is traveling. In particular, as compared with the case where the wheel cap is attached to the entire surface of the wheel, the cover 35 covers only a part of the disk portion 3 in which unevenness occurs, so that the weight increase due to the covering member can be minimized. Further, since the outer surface 35b of the cover and the disk surface 3a are flush with each other, the unevenness of the disk portion 3 is further reduced, and the air resistance during traveling of the vehicle can be reduced to improve the fuel consumption. Further, while the cover 35 is fixed to the wheel body 20, the lightening portion 32 is in a state in which the outside of the wheel body 20 is closed. However, since the lightening portion 32 is a through hole, the inside is Since it is open, water does not collect in the lightening portion 32.

In the above structure, the cover 35 may be made of a transparent resin or an opaque resin. When the cover 35 is made of transparent resin, the inside of the wheel 1 with the cover can be seen, so that the mechanical parts in the wheel such as the brake pad can be visually inspected. Further, when the cover-equipped wheel 1 is made of an opaque resin, by hiding the lightening portions 31 and 32, it is possible to give the cover-equipped wheel 1 a high sense of rigidity. In particular, the same color as the wheel body 20, for example, the wheel body 20
When is made of a magnesium alloy, the cover 35 is colored silver white, so that it can be seen that the cover 35 is integrally made of a magnesium alloy and has high rigidity.

The cover 35 is not limited to resin and may be made of other materials. For example, the wheel body 20
When is made of steel, the cover 35 may be made of an aluminum alloy having a smaller specific gravity than steel, ceramics, glass, or a composite material such as fiber-reinforced resin.

Further, it is possible to enhance the design of the wheel with a cover by decorating the surface of the cover 35 by painting, vapor deposition or the like. At this time, the cover 35
If a transparent resin is used and characters are written or colored on the inner surface of the cover 35, the decoration will not drop due to external stones or mud splashes. Further, the decoration can be performed by matte processing for removing the gloss of the surface, sticking a seal, or the like.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of a spoke, FIG. 4A shows a second embodiment having a triangular lightening shape, and FIG. 4B shows a third embodiment having a circular lightening shape.

The cover-equipped wheel 40 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 (a) is an example in which the shape of the lightening portion 41 is changed from the cover-equipped wheel 1 of the first embodiment. The lightening portion 41 is formed by connecting one diagonal of a square through hole with a rib 42, and a unit of the square hole and the rib is repeatedly formed from the center of the wheel body 20 toward the outer rim 2. Has been done. In this way, the meat removal portion 4
Since 1 has a structure in which triangular members are connected, a lightweight structure similar to a truss structure and centering on an axial force can be obtained.

The cover-equipped wheel 50 of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 4 (b) is an example in which the shape of the lightening portion 51 is changed from the cover-equipped wheel 1 of the first embodiment. is there. In the lightening portion 51, a unit of a circular through hole is repeatedly formed from the center of the wheel body 20 toward the outer rim 2. By forming the lightening portion 51 with the circular through-holes in this manner, the curvature of the corners can be maximized to prevent stress concentration. Therefore, the circular through-holes are arranged with an appropriate diameter and pitch. As a result, a lightweight wheel with a cover can be provided.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a wheel with a cover according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the covered wheel 60 of the fourth embodiment is different from the covered wheel 1 of the first embodiment only in that five covers 35 and a center cap 25 are integrally formed. To do. That is, the cover 61 has a shape in which five rectangular flat plate cover portions 61b radially extend from the circular cap portion 61a at equal intervals. The cover 61 is fixed to the wheel body 20 with the hexagon socket head cap bolts 36 to form the wheel with cover 60. As described above, by integrally forming the center cap and the cover, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and the man-hour for mounting the cover.

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a wheel with a cover according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the cover-equipped wheel 70 of the fifth embodiment is different from the cover-equipped wheel 60 of the fourth embodiment in that a fan-shaped opening 71 between the spokes 30 has a second wheel cover. The difference is that 72 is attached. The second wheel cover 72 is a resin flat plate that matches the shape of the opening 71, and
It is made of a material having a specific gravity smaller than 0.

Mounting holes 72a are formed in the second wheel cover 72 near the center of the sector and both ends of the outer periphery. Then, the hexagon socket head cap screw 36 is inserted into the mounting hole 72a and screwed into a screw hole of the wheel body 20 (not shown), whereby the second wheel cover 72 is fixed to the wheel body 20. The outer surface 72m of the second wheel cover 72 and the disk surface 3a are flush with each other.

The second wheel cover 72 is shown in FIG.
As shown in, a plurality of small vent holes 72b are formed at appropriate intervals so as to penetrate from the outer surface 72m to the inner surface 72n. The ventilation hole 72b is opened obliquely with respect to the outer surface 72m so that the opening on the outer surface 72m side is oriented in the rotation direction so that air easily flows from the outside to the inside of the cover wheel 70 by the rotation of the covered wheel 70. Has been done.

According to such a wheel 72 with a cover, since the opening 71 is covered, the entire wheel becomes substantially flat, and the air resistance during traveling of the vehicle can be further reduced. Further, air is introduced into the second wheel cover 72 from the outside of the wheel with cover 70 to the inside by the rotation of the wheel with cover 70 due to the traveling of the vehicle by the ventilation hole 72b that is opened obliquely with respect to the outer surface 72m.
The brake inside the covered wheel 70 can be cooled.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. That is,
The present invention can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0034]

As described in detail above, the present invention has the following remarkable effects. According to the invention described in claim 1, the weight reduction of the wheel can be achieved by the lightening portion, and at the same time, the air resistance can be reduced, and the fuel consumption can be improved. According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the weight of the wheel while reducing the air resistance while improving the fuel efficiency while making the wheel look high in rigidity. Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to further reduce the unevenness of the disk portion, reduce the air resistance, and improve the fuel consumption. Further, according to the invention described in claim 4, it is possible to prevent water from collecting in the lightening portion even by attaching the cover. Further, according to the invention described in claim 5, it becomes possible to perform a visual inspection by making the mechanical parts inside the wheel visible. According to the invention of claim 6, it is possible to reduce the weight of the wheel and improve the design.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheel with a cover according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a mounted state of a cover and a center cap.

3A is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is FIG.
3 is a sectional view taken along line YY of FIG.

4A is an enlarged front view of a lightening portion of a wheel with a cover according to a second embodiment, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged front view of a lightening portion of a wheel with a cover according to the third embodiment. is there.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a wheel with a cover according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a wheel with a cover according to a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a second wheel cover.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Wheel with cover 2 rims 3 disk part 20 wheel body 30 spokes 31, 32 Thinning section 35 cover

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A disc having a lightening portion formed on a disc portion of a wheel body, and a cover capable of covering the lightening portion with a material having a smaller specific gravity than the material of the wheel body, the disc including the lightening portion. A wheel with a cover, wherein a part of the portion is covered with the cover. 2. The disc portion is formed by a plurality of columns extending from the wheel center toward the outer rim, and the lightening portion is formed on the columns. Wheel with cover. 3. The outer surface of the cover is flush with the outer surface of the disk portion.
Alternatively, the cover-equipped wheel according to claim 2. 4. The wheel with a cover according to claim 1, wherein the lightening portion is a through hole formed in the disc portion. 5. The wheel with a cover according to claim 1, wherein the cover is transparent. 6. The wheel with a cover according to claim 1, wherein the cover is made of resin, and the surface thereof is decorated.