JP2010083441A - Wheel cap fitting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheel cap fitting structure in which a space between an outer circumference of a rim and a flange part of a wheel cap is constant, and any squeaking noise is not generated during traveling. <P>SOLUTION: In the wheel cap fitting structure for fitting a wheel cap 4 to an outer side of a wheel disk 1, the wheel cap 4 abuts on a wheel disk at two points of an inside diameter part and an outside diameter part. Abutting on the inside diameter part is executed by the fastening by wheel nuts 3, and abutting on the outside diameter part is executed by an outer circumference positioning claw 6 provided on a back side of the wheel cap. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a structure for attaching a wheel cap to a wheel disc of an automobile.

  Conventionally, a wheel cap is attached to the outside of the wheel disk in order to protect the wheel disk of the automobile and improve the appearance.

  A structure that can attach a wheel cap with one touch has been proposed. In Patent Document 1, an engagement piece and a projection having a hinge portion are provided on the back side of the resin wheel cap, and the engagement piece is bent at the position of the hinge portion when mounted on the wheel disk, and formed in advance on the engagement piece. The engagement hole that has been fitted is fitted into the projection so that the tip of the engagement piece is strongly pressed against the inner peripheral portion of the rim and held.

  Patent Document 2 proposes a structure in which a flexible piece that elastically contacts the inner peripheral portion of the rim is provided on the rear surface side of the wheel cap, and a step portion is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the wheel cap.

  The structures disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not have wheel caps attached thereto by bolts, so that they can be easily removed, resulting in theft being damaged frequently.

Therefore, as disclosed in Patent Document 3, there is a type in which a wheel cap is attached to a wheel with a wheel nut (hub bolt). The attachment structure will be described with reference to FIG. 5. A wheel nut 102 is screwed onto a hub bolt 101 for attaching the wheel disc 100 to the hub, and the wheel cap 103 is attached to the wheel disc 100 by the wheel nut 102.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-270302 JP 2004-066694 A JP 2002-046405 A

  In the structure attached by the wheel nut 102 shown in FIG. 5, a part of the wheel disk 100 is brought into contact with the wheel cap 103 (contact point P) at a position radially outside the tightening position by the wheel nut 102. A constant gap g is formed between the outer periphery of the rim and the flange portion of the wheel cap 103.

  That is, when the tightening of the wheel nut 102 is strengthened, the gap g is increased by the lever principle with the contact point P as a fulcrum, and when the tightening of the wheel nut 102 is weakened, the gap g is decreased.

  However, since the structure shown in FIG. 5 is a cantilever structure, adjustment is difficult, the gap g cannot be made constant, and a squeak noise is generated when the tightening force of the wheel nut 102 is insufficient.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the wheel cap mounting structure according to the present invention is in contact with the wheel disc at two points, the inner diameter portion and the outer diameter portion on the back surface of the wheel cap, and the inner diameter portion is abutted by tightening with a wheel nut. The outer diameter portion is abutted by a peripheral positioning claw provided on the back surface of the wheel cap.

  Moreover, it is also possible to provide an inner circumference positioning claw at a location having an inner diameter further than a location where the wheel nut is tightened.

  In the wheel cap mounting structure according to the present invention, since the outer peripheral positioning claw is provided on the outer diameter portion of the back surface of the wheel cap, the wheel cap does not fall off while the line is being conveyed.

  In addition, by setting a contact surface in consideration of rotation on the outer peripheral positioning claw, the contact area with the rim surface can be ensured, the rotational torque due to the frictional force can be increased, and squeak noise can be reduced.

  In addition, since the wheel cap and the wheel disk have only two contact points, the tightening point by the wheel nut and the outer peripheral positioning claw, no squeak noise is generated and the rim outer periphery and the wheel cap flange part are not The gap can be made constant.

  The best mode of a cover wheel according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a wheel cap mounting structure according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the wheel cap, FIG. 3 (a) is a perspective view of a cutting claw, and (b) is another embodiment of the cutting claw. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an inner peripheral positioning claw.

  The wheel disc 1 is fixed to a hub bolt 2 planted on the hub via a wheel nut 3. The wheel cap 4 is fastened and fastened to the wheel disc 1 by a wheel nut 3.

  The wheel cap 4 is formed by press-molding a metal plate such as resin or aluminum, the cooling openings 5 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the radially outer portion (outer diameter portion) on the back side of the wheel cap 4. The outer peripheral positioning claws 6 are integrally formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and more radially inward (inner diameter portion) than the tightening portion by the wheel nut 3 on the back side of the wheel cap 4 in the circumferential direction. Inner circumference positioning claws 7 are integrally formed at equal intervals. The inner circumference positioning claw 7 may be a separate body or may be omitted.

  The outer peripheral positioning claw 6 has a tip portion 6a and a bifurcated connecting portion 6b, and a contact surface (abutment surface) 6c to the inner peripheral surface of the rim 1a is formed on the tip portion 6a. The contact surface 6c is formed with a bend (r1) along the circumferential direction of the rim 1a and a bend (r2) along the width direction, so that no gap is formed between the contact surface 6c and the inner peripheral surface of the rim 1a. In this way, abnormal noise is prevented.

  In another embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, the longitudinal dimension of the bifurcated connecting portion 6b is reduced so that the force required for temporary fixing can be reduced. The shape of the outer peripheral positioning claw 6 is not limited to the above and is arbitrary.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the inner peripheral positioning claw 7 has an M-shaped end surface, and the inner peripheral positioning claw 7 is elastically applied to the outer peripheral surface of the opening 1b formed at the center of the wheel disk 1. By contacting, the wheel disc 1 and the wheel cap 4 are aligned.

Sectional drawing which shows the attachment structure of the wheel cap which concerns on this invention Front view of wheel cap (A) is a perspective view of a cutting nail, (b) is a perspective view of another example of a cutting nail. Perspective view of inner circumference positioning claw Sectional view showing conventional wheel cap mounting structure

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Wheel disk, 1a ... Rim, 1b ... Opening, 2 ... Hub bolt, 3 ... Wheel nut, 4 ... Wheel cap, 5 ... Cooling opening, 6 ... Outer periphery positioning claw, 6a ... End part, 6b ... Connection part, 6c ... contact surface (abutting surface), 7 ... inner circumference positioning claw.

Claims (2)

The wheel cap is attached to the outside of the wheel disc. The wheel cap contacts the wheel disc at two points, an inner diameter portion and an outer diameter portion, and the inner diameter portion is contacted by tightening with a wheel nut. Attaching the wheel cap is characterized in that the contact of the part is made by an outer peripheral positioning claw provided on the rear surface of the wheel cap, and a contact surface for securing a contact area with the rim surface is formed on the outer peripheral positioning claw. Construction. 2. The wheel cap mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein an inner peripheral positioning claw is provided at a location having an inner diameter rather than a location tightened by the wheel nut.