JP2012158300A - Wheel cap - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheel cap capable of preventing any mounting mistake, and making the wheel cap not detached from a wheel.SOLUTION: A plurality of flexible first engaging pieces 5 are projected from a part connected to each spoke on a back side of an annular part 4 of a cap body 2. A wire ring 9 is abutted on an inner surface of each first engaging piece 5 to push the first engaging piece 5 outwardly. A cutout 41 for avoiding an air valve 10c is formed at one inner circumferential edge between adjacent spokes of the annular part 4. A curved part 91 for avoiding contact with the air valve 10c is formed in the wire ring 9. A pair of second engaging pieces 8 for regulating the movement of the curved part 91 so that a relative position in the circumferential direction of the curved part 91 with respect to the cutout 41 are projected on both parts adjacent to the cutout 41 at a back side of the annular part 4 in a holding manner of the curved part 91. A claw 82 engaged with an annular recess is provided at a tip of the second engaging piece 8.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wheel cap that can be attached to and detached from a wheel of a vehicle tire.

  Conventionally, when the wheel of a vehicle tire is made of steel, a wheel cap is attached from the side of the vehicle to cover the wheel with the wheel cap in order to enhance design. For example, a vehicle wheel cap disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a cap body having a panel shape, and the cap body includes a plurality of spoke portions extending radially from a rotation center of a tire in the circumferential direction and the spoke portions. It is provided with an annular portion that integrally connects the ends in the extending direction.

  A plurality of flexible engagement pieces that engage with an annular recess formed along the inner peripheral surface of the opening side of the wheel are integrally provided on the rigid portion connected to each spoke portion on the back surface of the annular portion. In order to firmly fix the wheel cap to the wheel, the inner side of the plurality of engagement pieces abuts on the inner surface side of the plurality of engagement pieces and presses the engagement pieces outward. A wire ring is provided.

  An air valve serving as an air supply port to the tire is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the opening side of the wheel, and contact between the adjacent spoke portions of the annular portion is avoided from contact with the air valve. The cutout portion is formed as a cutout. And generally, the said wire ring is arrange | positioned over the perimeter along the inner periphery of the said annular part back surface, and avoids a contact with the said air valve in the position corresponding to the notch part of the said wire ring. Thus, the bending portion is formed to be bent.

JP 2008-137511 A (paragraphs 0031 and 0032, FIG. 1)

  By the way, when a bending portion is provided in the wire ring, when an external force is applied to the wire ring, the force is absorbed around the bending portion, so that the periphery of the bending portion is more easily deformed than other portions. . Therefore, if an external force is unexpectedly applied to the wheel cap and the periphery of the curved portion of the wire ring is deformed inward of the wheel, the force that presses the engagement piece in the vicinity of the curved portion of the wire ring is weakened. Comes off from the annular recess, which causes a problem that the wheel cap comes off from the wheel.

  Moreover, since the said cap main body and the said wire ring are separate bodies, the relative position of the circumferential direction of the said notch part and the said curved part may shift | deviate. Therefore, if the wheel cap is attached to the wheel with the relative position in the circumferential direction of the notch and the wire ring being shifted, the wire ring comes into contact with the air valve, and the engagement piece does not engage well with the annular recess. It will be half a half.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, The place made into the objective is to provide the wheel cap which prevents attachment mistake and does not drop | omit from a wheel.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a pair of engaging pieces are provided on the back surface of the annular portion of the cap body so as to sandwich the curved portion of the wire ring, and the engaging pieces are engaged with the wheel. It is characterized by doing so.

  Specifically, the first invention is directed to a vehicle wheel cap that can be attached to and detached from the side of the vehicle on a wheel having an annular recess on the inner peripheral surface, and has taken the following solution.

  That is, in the first invention, a panel-shaped resin cap body having a plurality of spoke portions radially extending from the rotation center of the tire in the circumferential direction and an annular portion integrally connecting the extension direction ends of the respective spoke portions; A plurality of flexible first engaging pieces that are integrally projected at portions connected to the spoke portions on the back surface of the annular portion, and are engaged with the annular recess portion of the wheel, and disposed on the back surface of the annular portion over the entire circumference. And a wire ring that contacts the inner side surface of each first engagement piece and presses the first engagement piece outward, and one of the adjacent spoke parts of the annular part includes the above-mentioned An air valve serving as an air supply port to the tire is disposed, and a notch is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the annular portion at the location so as to avoid contact with the air valve, and the notch is formed on the wire ring. To correspond to and The curved portion is curved so as to avoid contact with the air valve, and the circumferential position between the curved portion and the notched portion is not shifted on both sides of the notched portion on the back surface of the annular portion. A pair of second engaging pieces for restricting the movement of the bending portion are integrally projected so as to sandwich the bending portion, and a claw portion engaging with the annular recess is formed at the tip of each of the second engaging pieces. It is provided.

  According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the wire ring is in contact with an inner surface of the second engagement piece.

  According to a third invention, in the first or second invention, the second engaging piece is integrally projected on an inner peripheral edge of the annular portion.

  According to a fourth invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, plate-like ribs project from the extension lines of the spoke portion side edges on the back surface of the annular portion, and the second The engagement piece is disposed close to the spoke portion, and the opposite notch portion side of the second engagement piece is integrally connected to the plate-like rib.

  According to the first invention, since the second engaging piece engages with the annular recess between the first engaging pieces close to the bending portion, the external force is unexpectedly applied to the wheel cap and the periphery of the bending portion. Even if the force for pressing the first engagement piece of the wire ring becomes weak, the wheel cap can be firmly attached to the wheel by maintaining the state where the second engagement piece is engaged with the annular recess. . In addition, since the curved portion of the wire ring is sandwiched between the pair of second engaging pieces projecting from the rear surface of the annular portion, the relative position in the circumferential direction of the curved portion with respect to the notch portion is not displaced, and the wheel cap When attaching to the wheel, it is possible to prevent an attachment error caused by the curved portion coming into contact with the air valve.

  According to the second invention, the wire ring supports the bending of the second engagement piece inward of the wheel even when a force inward of the wheel is applied to the second engagement piece. Disengagement of the piece from the annular recess can be prevented.

  According to the third invention, even if a sink caused by the second engagement piece occurs at the time of molding, the sink does not stand out from the wheel surface side because the sink occurs at the inner peripheral edge of the annular portion. The design of the cap can be improved.

  According to the fourth invention, the second engaging piece is reinforced by the plate-like rib, so that the rigidity becomes high and it is difficult to come off from the annular concave portion. The design is not impaired because it is arranged.

It is the figure which looked at the wheel cap which concerns on embodiment of this invention from the front side. It is an arrow A figure of FIG. It is an arrow B figure of FIG. It is the cross-sectional equivalent figure of CC line of FIG. 1, (a) shows the state in the middle of attaching the wheel cap to a wheel, or the state in the middle of removing, (b) shows a wheel cap. It is a figure which shows the state attached to the wheel. It is the cross-sectional equivalent figure of the DD line | wire of FIG. 1, (a) shows the state in the middle of attaching the wheel cap to the wheel, or the state in the middle of removing, (b) shows a wheel cap. It is a figure which shows the state attached to the wheel.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature.

  FIG. 1 shows a vehicle wheel cap 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. When the wheel 10a of the vehicle tire 10 is made of steel, the wheel cap 1 is attached to the wheel 10a from the side of the vehicle to enhance the design, and has a panel shape that covers the entire vehicle side of the wheel 10a. The resin-made cap main body 2 is provided.

  The cap body 2 has a plurality of spoke portions 3 having the same dimensions extending radially from the rotation center of the tire 10 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and an annular portion 4 that integrally connects the front ends of the spoke portions 3 in the extending direction. And the said spoke part 3 has comprised the cross-sectional substantially C shape open | released to the cap main body 2 back surface side, and the said cyclic | annular part 4 is curving gently on the back surface side as it goes to an inner peripheral edge side. The spoke portions 3 of the cap body 2 may not be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction from the rotation center of the tire 10, and furthermore, the spoke portions 3 may not have the same dimensions.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of flexible first plate-like engagement pieces 5 are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the cap body 2 at portions connected to the spoke portions 3 on the back surface of the annular portion 4. It is protruded integrally with a gap.

  The first engagement piece 5 is bent in the radial direction of the cap body 2, and a claw portion 5 a having a substantially triangular cross section is formed on the outer side on the front end side in the protruding direction of the first engagement piece 5. The bulge is formed. The claw portion 5a is detachably engaged with an annular recess (shown only in FIGS. 4 and 5) 10b formed on the inner peripheral surface of the wheel 10a. The wheel cap 1 can be attached to and detached from the wheel 10a by engaging and disengaging the portion 5a.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the plate thickness of the base portion 5c of the first engagement piece 5 is about one third of the plate thickness on the front end side. No sink marks occur in the

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of block pieces 5 b are provided on the inner surface of the first engaging piece 5 in the protruding direction at a predetermined interval in the protruding direction.

  On the first engagement piece 5, a standing wall 7 juxtaposed with a predetermined distance from the first engagement piece 5 is provided on the extension line of the edge of the spoke portion 3 side edge. A protrusion 7a is formed at the distal end of 7, and the base wall side of the standing wall 7 and the first engagement piece 5 are integrally connected by a connecting portion 7b.

  A plate-like rib 6 is projected on an extension line of both side edges of the spoke portion 3 on the back surface of the annular portion 4, and the plate-like rib 6 is integrally connected to the standing wall 7.

  An air valve 10c serving as an air supply port to the tire 10 is disposed at one of the spoke portions 3 adjacent to the annular portion 4, and the air valve 10c is disposed on the inner peripheral edge of the annular portion 4 at the location. A cutout portion 41 is formed so as to avoid contact with the cutout portion 41.

  A pair of second engagement pieces 8 are integrally projected at positions adjacent to both the cutout portions 41 on the back surface of the annular portion 4 and close to the spoke portions 3, and the second engagement pieces 8. Is inclined so as to be separated from the back surface of the annular portion 4 as it goes outward in the radial direction of the cap body 2, and the opposite notch portion 41 side is integrally connected to the plate-like rib 6 as shown in FIG. 3. Yes.

  The second engagement piece 8 projects to the plate-shaped main body 84 connected to the inner peripheral edge of the annular portion 4, the anti-annular portion 4 side at the tip of the main body portion 84, and extends over the entire width direction of the main body portion 84. The outer surface of the plate-like tip wall 81 is flush with the outer surface of the standing wall 7. As shown in FIG. 4, the thickness of the base portion 84a of the main body portion 84 is about one third of the thickness of the distal end side, so that no sink marks are generated on the surface side of the annular portion 4 during molding. It is like that.

  Further, a plate-like reinforcing rib 83 is provided in a projecting shape with a substantially F shape on the side of the main body 84 from the front end side in the projecting direction to the middle anti-annular part 4 side. It is connected to the rib 6 and the tip wall 81 to increase the rigidity of the second engagement piece 8.

  A claw portion 82 having a substantially triangular cross section that bulges outward is integrally formed on the side of the cutout portion 41 at the front end in the protruding direction of the front end wall 81, and the claw portion 82 is formed as an annular recess 10 b of the wheel 10 a. To be engaged.

  A metal wire ring 9 is arranged on the back surface of the annular portion 4 over the entire circumference.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the wire ring 9 is fixed to the cap body 2 by being sandwiched between the pair of block pieces 5 b, and is in contact with the inner surface of each first engagement piece 5. The first engagement piece 5 is pressed outward and is in contact with the inner surface of the claw portion 82 of each second engagement piece 8.

  The wire ring 9 is formed with a curved portion 91 so as to avoid contact with the air valve 10 c at a position corresponding to the notch 41. The curved portion 91 is sandwiched between the second engaging pieces 8 at a position close to the pair of second engaging pieces 8, whereby the circumferential direction between the curved portion 91 and the notch 41 is increased. The relative position is regulated by the second engagement piece 8 so that it does not shift.

  Next, attachment of the wheel cap 1 to the tire 10 will be described.

  First, the wheel cap 1 is made so that the notch 41 corresponds to the air valve 10c with the back surface of the wheel cap 1 facing the wheel 10a, and the notch 41 side of the wheel cap 1 approaches the wheel 10a. Is held in a posture inclined with respect to the opening surface of the wheel 10a, and from this state, as shown in FIG. 4A, the claw portion 82 of the second engagement piece 8 is engaged with the annular recess 10b. Let

  Next, in a state where the claw portion 82 is engaged with the annular recess 10b, a portion of the annular portion 4 far from the notch 41 is pushed toward the wheel 10a. Then, the wheel cap 1 rotates with the contact point of the claw portion 82 and the annular recess 10b as a fulcrum, and the claw portion 5a slidably contacts the opening side of the wheel 10a as shown in FIG. However, the first engagement piece 5 bends inward in the radial direction of the cap body 2, and the claw portion 5a moves toward the annular recess 10b. At this time, the claw portion 82 engages with the annular recess 10b so that the position of the claw portion 82 does not shift with respect to the annular recess 10b. It is possible to prevent the cutout portion 41 side of the annular portion 4 from being lifted from the wheel 10a by the reaction when the wheel is pushed toward the wheel 10a, and the wheel cap 1 can be easily attached to the wheel 10a.

  When the annular portion 4 is further pushed toward the wheel 10a, the second engagement piece 8 remains engaged with the annular recess 10b as shown in FIGS. 4 (b) and 5 (b). Thus, the claw portion 5a of the first engagement piece 5 engages with the annular recess 10b, and the wheel cap 1 becomes parallel to the opening surface of the wheel 10a, and the wheel cap 1 is attached to the wheel 10a. Ends.

  Next, removal of the wheel cap 1 from the tire 10 will be described.

  First, the spoke cap 3 is held at a location far from the notch 41 in the wheel cap 1, and the spoke cap 3 is pulled in a direction to separate the wheel cap 1 from the wheel 10a. Then, the wheel cap 1 rotates with the contact point of the claw portion 82 and the annular recess 10b as a fulcrum, and the claw portion 5a slidably contacts the opening side of the wheel 10a as shown in FIG. However, the first engagement piece 5 bends inward in the radial direction of the cap body 2, and the claw portion 5a moves toward the opening side of the wheel 10a.

  When the spoke portion 3 is further pulled, the claw portion 5a of the first engagement piece 5 is disengaged toward the opening side of the wheel 10a while the claw portion 82 remains engaged with the annular recess 10b. The spoke part 3 is pulled so that the claw part 82 is separated from the annular recess 10b, and the removal of the wheel cap 1 from the wheel 10a is completed.

  The movement of the first engagement piece 5 at the time of attachment / detachment has been described with respect to the first engagement piece 5 arranged at a position far away from the notch 41, but the first engagement piece arranged at other places. The movement at the time of attachment / removal is the same also in the piece 5.

  As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, since the second engagement piece 8 is engaged with the annular recess 10b between the first engagement pieces 5 close to the curved portion 91, the external force is unexpectedly applied to the wheel cap 1. Even if the force which presses the 1st engagement piece 5 of the wire ring 9 around the bending part 91 becomes weak by adding, the wheel by maintaining the state which the 2nd engagement piece 8 engaged with the annular recessed part 10b The cap 1 can be firmly attached to the wheel 10a. Further, since the curved portion 91 of the wire ring 9 is sandwiched between the pair of second engaging pieces 8 projecting from the back surface of the annular portion 4, the relative position in the circumferential direction of the curved portion 91 with respect to the notch portion 41 is shifted. In addition, when attaching the wheel cap 1 to the wheel 10a, it is possible to prevent an attachment error caused by the bending portion 91 coming into contact with the air valve 10c.

  Further, since the wire ring 9 is in contact with the inner surface of the claw portion 82, the wire ring 9 is not affected by the second engagement piece 8 even when a force inward of the wheel 10 a is applied to the second engagement piece 8. Thus, the second engagement piece 8 can be prevented from coming off from the annular recess 10b.

  Further, since the base end side of the second engagement piece 8 is connected to the inner peripheral edge of the annular portion 4, even if a sink caused by the second engagement piece 8 occurs during molding, the sink is annular. Since it occurs at the inner peripheral edge of the portion 4, it does not stand out from the surface side of the wheel 10a, and the design of the wheel cap 1 can be improved.

  In addition, the second engagement piece 8 is reinforced by the plate-like rib 6 so that the rigidity becomes high and it is difficult for the second engagement piece 8 to come off from the annular recess 10b. Because it is arranged, the design is not impaired.

  The present invention is suitable for a wheel cap that can be attached to and detached from a wheel of a vehicle tire.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheel cap 2 Cap main body 3 Spoke part 4 Annular part 5 1st engagement piece 6 Plate-like rib 8 2nd engagement piece 9 Wire ring 10 Tire 10a Wheel 10b Annular recessed part 10c Air valve 41 Notch part 82 Claw part 91 Curved part

Claims (4)

A wheel cap for a vehicle that can be attached to and detached from a vehicle side from a wheel having an annular recess on an inner peripheral surface,
A panel-shaped resin cap main body having a plurality of spoke portions extending radially from the rotation center of the tire in a circumferential direction and an annular portion integrally connecting the extension direction ends of the respective spoke portions;
A plurality of flexible first engaging pieces that are integrally projected at portions connected to the respective spoke portions on the back surface of the annular portion and engage with the annular concave portion of the wheel;
A wire ring that is arranged over the entire circumference of the annular portion back surface, abuts against the inner surface of each first engagement piece, and presses the first engagement piece outward;
An air valve that serves as an air supply port for the tire is disposed at one of the adjacent spoke portions of the annular portion, and a notch is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the annular portion so as to avoid contact with the air valve. Part is notched,
In the wire ring, a curved portion is curved so as to correspond to the notch and avoid contact with the air valve,
A pair of second engagement pieces that regulate the movement of the bending portion so that the circumferential relative positions of the bending portion and the notch portion are not shifted are adjacent to both sides of the notch portion on the back surface of the annular portion. Projecting together so as to sandwich the part,
A wheel cap characterized in that a claw portion that engages with the annular recess is provided at the tip of each of the second engaging pieces. The wheel cap according to claim 1,
The wheel cap, wherein the wire ring is in contact with an inner surface of the second engagement piece. The wheel cap according to claim 1 or 2,
The wheel cap according to claim 1, wherein the second engaging piece is integrally projected on an inner peripheral edge of the annular portion. The wheel cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
On the extension line of the spoke portion both side edges on the back surface of the annular portion, plate-like ribs are projected,
The second engagement piece is disposed close to the spoke part,
The wheel cap according to claim 1, wherein an anti-notch portion side of the second engagement piece is integrally connected to the plate-like rib.

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