JP2013067290A - Wheel for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheel for automobile having a pneumatic pressure detection sensor that can easily and reliably change a battery.SOLUTION: One of a plurality of decoration holes 6 formed in a disk part 3 is defined as a sensor fitting hole 10. The sensor fitting hole 10 is formed in a stepped hole consisting of a large diameter hole 11 and a small diameter hole 12 in this order from an outer surface side of the disk part 3. A pneumatic pressure detection sensor 20 includes a small diameter part 23 and a large diameter part 22 to be fitted to the small diameter hole 12 and the large diameter hole 11 of the sensor fitting hole 10, respectively, and a projecting piece part projected from an outer circumference of the large diameter part 22. The projecting piece part is fastened to and mounted on the disk part 3 by bolts while the small diameter part 23 and the large diameter part 22 are fitted to the small diameter hole 12 and the large diameter hole 11 of the sensor fitting hole 10, respectively, and the projecting piece part is brought into contact with the outer surface of the disk part 3, and connected to an air valve installed on a rim part 2 through a ventilation pipe.

Description

  The present invention relates to an automobile wheel, and more particularly, to detect a tire pressure in order to realize a tire pressure monitoring system (Tire Pressure Monitoring System, hereinafter referred to as “TPMS”) for notifying a significant decrease in tire pressure. The present invention relates to an automobile wheel provided with a sensor.

  Since the tire air pressure affects the running performance, safety, fuel consumption, etc. of an automobile, an appropriate reference pressure is defined. However, in a conventional automobile, even when the tire pressure is adjusted to the reference pressure in daily inspection, it is not possible to grasp a significant decrease in the tire pressure as well as a change during traveling. A significant decrease in tire air pressure during travel is largely due to tire punctures and can cause serious accidents. For this reason, from the viewpoint of safety, in recent years, various automobiles such as small automobiles such as passenger cars and large automobiles such as trucks, buses and trailers have been required to be equipped with TPMS. By the way, in the United States, it is obligated by law to equip TPMS for small cars such as passenger cars and minivans.

  TPMS is broadly divided into a direct system that directly measures tire air pressure and an indirect system that detects characteristics that change with changes in tire air pressure (eg, tire dynamic radius difference, tire resonance frequency). Among these, the direct type TPMS is composed of an air pressure detection sensor installed on a wheel of a tire and a receiving antenna, a receiver and a display installed on a vehicle body. The air pressure detection sensor sequentially detects the tire air pressure and wirelessly transmits the detection data. The receiving antenna receives data wirelessly transmitted from the air pressure detection sensor. The receiver processes the data from the receiving antenna, and the display unit receives a command signal from the receiver and displays the tire pressure state to notify the driver of the presence or absence of a significant decrease in the tire pressure.

  Prior art relating to a wheel equipped with an air pressure detection sensor includes the following.

  Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a wheel in which an air pressure detection sensor is attached to the rim portion while paying attention to the rim portion of the rim portion and the disk portion constituting the wheel. Specifically, the wheel disclosed in Patent Document 1 is for fitting the air pressure detection sensor to the outer peripheral surface that is the tire mounting surface of the thick portion between the flange portion and the drop portion constituting the rim portion. The air pressure detection sensor is fitted in the groove in a state where the sensor pressure receiving surface is disposed in the tire.

  In the wheel disclosed in Patent Document 2, a thick portion is formed in the tire mounting range of the rim portion, and a sensor mounting recess is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the thick portion opposite to the tire mounting surface. A small hole is formed between the mounting recess and the tire mounting surface, and the air pressure detection sensor is housed in the sensor mounting recess and the lid is screwed.

JP 2003-127624 A JP 2006-69485 A

  By the way, the air pressure detection sensor has a built-in battery in order to operate itself, and it is indispensable to replace the battery in preparation for running out of the battery. However, in the wheel disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the air pressure detection sensor is installed in the tire on the outer peripheral surface side of the rim portion, the wheel is removed from the vehicle body when the battery of the air pressure detection sensor is replaced, Furthermore, it is necessary to remove the tire from the wheel, which makes it extremely complicated. In addition, when the tire is attached or detached, the tire may come into contact with the air pressure detection sensor and the air pressure detection sensor may be damaged.

  Further, in the wheel disclosed in Patent Document 2, when the battery of the air pressure detection sensor is replaced, the tire does not need to be attached to or detached from the wheel, but the air pressure detection sensor is installed on the inner surface side of the disk portion. In such a case, the work of detaching the wheel from the vehicle body is inevitable. Furthermore, since the tire air pressure is constantly applied to the rim portion of the wheel, the rim portion may be gradually deformed as the vehicle travels over a long period of time. In this case, the lid of the air pressure detection sensor that is screwed into the rim portion. Cannot be removed and the battery cannot be replaced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and provides an automobile wheel provided with an air pressure detection sensor, which can easily and reliably perform battery replacement of the air pressure detection sensor. For the purpose.

  As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above object, the present inventors have obtained the following findings (a) to (c).

  (A) When replacing the battery of the air pressure detection sensor, the air pressure detection sensor is attached to the outer surface side of the disk portion that is exposed to the outside so that the work of removing the wheel from the vehicle body and the work of removing the tire from the wheel are not required. It is effective. However, when the air pressure detection sensor is directly attached to the outer surface of the disk part, the disk part itself becomes an obstacle, and the reception sensitivity of the radio wave transmitted from the air pressure detection sensor is lowered. For this reason, in order to ensure reception sensitivity, it is necessary to install an air pressure detection sensor in a space penetrating the disk portion. As a sensor installation location for that purpose, one of a plurality of decorative holes formed in the disk portion can be used.

  (B) As shown in the above (a), when one of the decorative holes is utilized as a sensor mounting hole and an air pressure detection sensor is attached to the sensor mounting hole, introduction of air in the tire into the air pressure detection sensor is as follows. This can be done by installing a dedicated air valve on the rim of the wheel and connecting this air valve and air pressure sensor with a vent pipe.

  (C) Vibration occurs in the disc portion of the wheel during traveling. For this reason, as shown in (a) above, when the air pressure detection sensor is installed in the sensor mounting hole of the disk portion, if it is installed by screwing, the screwed state gradually loosens due to vibration, and the air pressure detection sensor falls off. There is a risk. In order to prevent this, the sensor mounting hole is a stepped hole made up of a large diameter hole and a small diameter hole in order from the outer surface side of the disk portion, and the air pressure detection sensor is fitted into this sensor mounting hole from the outer surface side of the disk portion. This is because vibration can be allowed between the small diameter hole of the sensor mounting hole and the small diameter portion of the air pressure detection sensor that are fitted to each other, and between the large diameter hole of the sensor mounting hole and the large diameter portion of the air pressure detection sensor. Furthermore, if the projecting piece is projected from the outer periphery of the large-diameter portion of the air pressure detection sensor and fastened with a bolt while this projecting piece is in contact with the outer surface of the disk portion, the air pressure detection sensor can be firmly attached to the disk portion. In addition, the air pressure detection sensor can be easily detached by removing the bolt, and the battery can be replaced easily and reliably.

  This invention is completed based on the knowledge shown to said (a)-(c), and the summary exists in the wheel for motor vehicles shown below. That is, in an automobile wheel that includes a rim portion and a disc portion and includes an air pressure detection sensor that detects the tire air pressure, one of a plurality of decorative holes formed in the disc portion is attached with the air pressure detection sensor. This sensor mounting hole is formed in a stepped hole consisting of a large diameter hole and a small diameter hole in order from the outer surface side of the disk part. A small-diameter portion and a large-diameter portion that respectively fit into the diameter hole, and a projecting piece portion that protrudes from the outer periphery of the large-diameter portion and contacts the outer surface of the disk portion. An air bar installed on the rim, with the projecting piece being fastened to the disk by a bolt with the projecting piece being in contact with the outer surface of the disc while being fitted in the large-diameter hole. A vehicle wheel, characterized in that it is connected through a vent pipe to drive.

  The wheel is preferably made of aluminum.

  In the wheel described above, it is preferable that an outer shell of the air pressure detection sensor is made of a hard resin.

  The wheel preferably includes a pair of protruding piece portions protruding in the circumferential direction of the wheel.

  In the wheel, it is preferable that a contact surface of the projecting piece portion with the outer surface of the disk portion is formed along the shape of the outer surface of the disk portion.

  In the wheel, the air valve connected to the air pressure detection sensor is preferably installed diagonally across an air supply valve for supplying air to the tire and a central axis of the wheel.

  In the wheel described above, it is preferable that the sensor mounting hole is adjacent to a decorative hole that opens to face the air valve connected to the air pressure detection sensor.

  According to the automobile wheel of the present invention, when the battery of the air pressure detection sensor is replaced, the air pressure detection sensor is attached from the outer surface side of the disk portion, so that the wheel is removed from the vehicle body or the tire is removed from the wheel. No complicated work is required, and the battery can be easily and surely replaced by removing the air pressure detection sensor exposed to the outside from the disk portion.

It is a top view which shows an example of the wheel for motor vehicles which is 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is a figure explaining the attachment structure of the air pressure detection sensor to a sensor attachment hole. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of an air pressure detection sensor. It is a top view which shows an example of the wheel for motor vehicles which is 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. It is DD sectional drawing of FIG.

  Below, the embodiment is explained in full detail about the wheel for cars of the present invention.

1. First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of an automobile wheel according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. Here, FIG. 1 shows a state where the wheel is exposed to the outside when the wheel is attached to the vehicle body, that is, a state viewed from the side opposite to the vehicle body, and FIGS. It shows a state of being on the side exposed to the outside.

  The wheel 1 according to the first embodiment is a wheel having a size of, for example, 22.5 × 11.75, and is a double tire formed by connecting two tires as a rear wheel of a large vehicle such as a truck, a bus, or a trailer. Instead, it is used for a super single tire in which one ultra flat tire is mounted.

  The wheel 1 of the first embodiment has a disk portion 3 at the approximate center of the rim width of the rim portion 2. The wheel 1 is made of aluminum and can be formed by forging. As other materials, a light alloy such as magnesium can be adopted, and as a forming method, casting such as die casting can be adopted.

  A hub hole 4 is formed at the center of the disk portion 3, and a plurality of bolt holes 5 are formed at equal angular intervals around the hub hole 4. FIG. 1 shows an aspect in which ten bolt holes 5 are formed. The bolt hole 5 is used to fix the wheel 1 on which the tire is mounted to the axle of the vehicle body.

  A plurality of decorative holes 6 are formed at equiangular intervals on the outer edge of the disk portion 3. FIG. 1 shows a mode in which ten decorative holes 6 are formed. However, one of these decorative holes 6 is a sensor mounting hole 10 to which the air pressure detection sensor 20 is mounted (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The decorative hole 6 not only has a good design, but also reduces the weight of the wheel 1 and plays a role of radiating heat generated from a brake disposed inside the wheel 1, and is essential for the wheel 1.

  On the other hand, the rim portion 2 is provided with an air supply valve 7 for supplying air to the tire. The air supply valve 7 penetrates the rim portion 2 on the outer surface side (right side in FIG. 2) of the disk portion 3, and its tip projects to a position facing one of the decorative holes 6.

  The rim portion 2 is provided with an air valve 34 for introducing the air in the tire into the air pressure detection sensor 20 at a position diagonal to the air supply valve 7 across the central axis of the wheel 1. Similarly to the air supply valve 7, the air valve 34 also penetrates the rim portion 2 on the outer surface side (right side in FIG. 2) of the disk portion 3, and its tip protrudes to a position facing one of the decorative holes 6. A decoration hole adjacent to the decoration hole 6 is a sensor mounting hole 10.

  An air pressure detection sensor 20 is inserted into the sensor mounting hole 10 from the outer surface side of the disk portion 3 (the front side of the paper surface in FIG. 1 and the right side in FIGS. 2 and 3) and fastened by bolts 32. The details of the mounting structure of the air pressure detection sensor 20 in the sensor mounting hole 10 will be described later.

  The air pressure detection sensor 20 and the air valve 34 are connected to each other via a vent pipe 35. Specifically, the air introduction pipe 24 protrudes from the air pressure detection sensor 20, and one end of the ventilation pipe 35 is connected to the air introduction pipe 24 by a union joint 36. On the other hand, the other end of the vent pipe 35 is connected to the tip of the air valve 34 by a union joint 37. Here, the union joint 36 on the side connected to the air pressure detection sensor 20 incorporates a check valve. For this reason, when the air pressure detection sensor 20 is removed from the union joint 36, the check valve functions and air in the tire does not leak through the air valve 34 and the vent pipe 35. On the other hand, in a state where the air pressure detection sensor 20 is connected to the union joint 36, the valve core of the check valve is pushed by the air introduction pipe 24 to open the check valve, and the air pressure detection sensor 20 passes from the air valve 34 through the vent pipe 35. The air can be distributed over the entire range. Although the material of the vent pipe 35 is not specifically limited, metals, such as copper and stainless steel, are employable.

  FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the mounting structure of the air pressure detection sensor in the sensor mounting hole. FIG. 4A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the sensor attached, and FIG. 4B is the sensor removed. The enlarged cross-sectional view and the same figure (c) show the enlarged plan view of the state where the sensor is removed. FIG. 5 is a view showing the external appearance of the air pressure detection sensor, in which FIG. 5 (a) is a front view corresponding to a state viewed from the outer surface side with reference to the disk portion of the wheel, FIG. 5 (b) is a rear view, and FIG. FIG. 2C shows a side view. Here, FIGS. 4A and 4B show a state where the left side is the vehicle body side and the right side is the side that is exposed to the outside when the wheel is attached to the vehicle body, and FIG. It shows a state viewed from the side exposed to the outside, that is, the side opposite to the vehicle body.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor mounting hole 10 formed in the disk portion 3 of the wheel 1 is formed on the outer surface side of the disk portion 3 (the right side in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the paper surface in FIG. 4 (c)). A stepped hole including a large diameter hole 11 and a small diameter hole 12 in order from the front side). Such a sensor mounting hole 10 having a stepped hole shape can be formed by machining. Since the wheel 1 is made of aluminum, the thickness of the disk portion 3 is thicker than that of the steel wheel, and it is possible to form a stepped hole as the sensor mounting hole 10 in the disk portion 3. The diameter and depth of the large-diameter hole 11 and the small-diameter hole 12 of the sensor mounting hole 10 are set so as to ensure the balance of the entire wheel 1 including the air pressure detection sensor 20 and the air pipe 35 attached thereto. Is preferred.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) and FIG. 5, the air pressure detection sensor 20 is configured by a casing 21 and a lid 28. The housing 21 includes a small-diameter portion 23 that fits into the small-diameter hole 12 of the sensor attachment hole 10 and a large-diameter portion 22 that continues to the small-diameter portion 23 and fits into the large-diameter hole 11 of the sensor attachment hole 10. The housing 21 contains a pressure sensitive element, an IC chip, a substrate 30 on which a transmitting antenna is mounted, a battery 31, and the like, and is covered by a lid 28 screwed into an opening at the end of the small diameter portion 23. It is sealed. As shown in FIG. 5B, three small holes 29 are formed on the outer surface of the lid 28 on a concentric circle. The lid 28 can be removed by inserting a trident claw tool into these small holes 29 and rotating them.

  An air introduction tube 24 projects from the end face of the large diameter portion 22. The inner hole 25 of the air introduction pipe 24 communicates with the inside of the housing 21. As described above, the air introduction pipe 24 is connected to the ventilation pipe 35 connected to the air valve 34 shown in FIGS. Air in the tire can be introduced into the inside of the casing 21 through the air valve 34, the vent pipe 35, and the air introduction pipe 24, and the air pressure in the tire can be detected by the pressure sensitive element in the casing 21.

  A pair of protruding piece portions 26 protrude from the outer periphery of the large diameter portion 22. Each protrusion 26 is formed so as to protrude in the circumferential direction of the wheel 1 in a state where the air pressure detection sensor 20 is attached to the sensor attachment hole 10, and contacts the outer surface of the disk portion 3. It is preferable that the contact surface of each protruding piece portion 26 with the outer surface of the disk portion 3 is formed in a shape along the outer surface of the disk portion 3. This is because the mounting state of the air pressure detection sensor 20 is stabilized.

  Bolt insertion holes 27 are formed in each projecting piece portion 26. A screw hole 33 is formed around the sensor mounting hole 10 in the disk portion 3 corresponding to the position where each bolt insertion hole 27 is formed (see FIGS. 4B and 4C). With the air pressure detection sensor 20 attached to the sensor mounting hole 10, the bolt 32 is inserted into each bolt insertion hole 27 and further screwed into the screw hole 33, so that the air pressure detection sensor 20 is firmly attached to the disk portion 3. This is for fixing. It is preferable to use an enzato for the screw hole 33. This is because the fastening force with the bolt 32 can be secured and long-term durability can be secured.

  The casing 21 (the small diameter portion 23 and the large diameter portion 22) is an integrally molded product including the air introduction pipe 24 and the protruding piece portion 26. As the material of the casing 21 and the lid 28, it is preferable to employ a hard resin such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) or PPA (polyphthalamide). This is because radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna inside the casing 21 are transmitted, do not adversely affect the reception sensitivity, are lightweight and have excellent durability.

  With this configuration, the air pressure detection sensor 20 is inserted into the sensor mounting hole 10 from the outside of the disk portion 3, the small diameter portion 23 is fitted into the small diameter hole 12, and the large diameter portion 22 is the large diameter hole 11. At the same time, the projecting piece 26 comes into contact with the outer surface of the disk portion 3, and the projecting piece 26 is fastened with the bolt 32 in this state. Thereby, the air pressure detection sensor 20 is firmly fixed and attached to the sensor attachment hole 10 of the disk portion 3. And the wheel 1 provided with the air pressure detection sensor 20 is obtained by connecting the vent pipe 35 and the like.

  In such a wheel 1, one of the plurality of decorative holes 6 that are essential in the disk portion 3 is utilized as the sensor mounting hole 10, and the air pressure detection sensor 20 is inserted into the sensor mounting hole 10 that penetrates the disk portion 3. Since there is no obstacle to the radio wave transmitted from the air pressure detection sensor 20, the reception sensitivity can be ensured.

  Further, even when vibration is generated in the disk portion 3 during traveling, between the small-diameter hole 12 of the sensor mounting hole 10 and the small-diameter portion 23 of the air pressure detection sensor 20 that are fitted to each other, and the sensor mounting hole 10 Vibration can be allowed between the large-diameter hole 11 and the large-diameter portion 22 of the air pressure detection sensor 20, and the projecting piece portion 26 of the air-pressure detection sensor 20 is firmly fixed by the bolt 32 while contacting the outer surface of the disk portion 3. Therefore, the situation where the air pressure detection sensor 20 is inadvertently dropped does not occur.

  In addition, when replacing the battery 31 of the air pressure detection sensor 20, after removing the bolt 32 exposed to the outside, the air pressure detection sensor 20 is pulled out and removed from the disk portion 3, and the cover of the air pressure detection sensor 20 is further removed. By twisting and removing 28, battery replacement can be performed easily and reliably. At that time, since the air pressure detection sensor 20 is attached from the outer surface side of the disk portion 3, all the removal work can be performed from the outside, and it is troublesome to remove the wheel 1 from the vehicle body or to remove the tire from the wheel 1. No unnecessary work is required.

2. Second Embodiment FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of an automobile wheel according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. Here, FIG. 6 shows the state seen from the side exposed to the outside when the wheel is attached to the vehicle body, as in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are the same as FIGS. Similarly, the left side is the vehicle body side, and the right side is the side exposed to the outside.

  The wheel 1 of the second embodiment is a wheel having a size of, for example, 22.5 × 7.50, and is used for a normal single tire as a front wheel of a large automobile. If the wheel size is reduced, it can also be applied to small cars.

  The wheel of the second embodiment has the same basic configuration as the wheel of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 except that the wheel shape is different for a single tire. That is, the wheel 1 of the second embodiment has the disk portion 3 at the end of the rim portion 2. For this reason, the air supply valve 7 installed at a position facing one of the decoration holes 6 penetrates the rim part 2 in the vicinity of the disk part 3, and the tip thereof is disposed in the decoration hole 6. Similarly, an air valve 34 connected to the air pressure detection sensor 20 via a vent pipe 35 is installed at a position opposite to the air supply valve 7 across the central axis of the wheel 1.

  Also in the wheel 1 of the second embodiment, one of the decorative holes 6 is utilized as the sensor mounting hole 10 and the mounting structure of the air pressure detection sensor 20 to the sensor mounting hole 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the protruding piece portion 26 protruding from the outer periphery of the large diameter portion 22 of the air pressure detection sensor 20 is not limited to a pair, and may be a hook-shaped one protruding from the entire outer periphery of the large diameter portion 22.

  The automobile wheel of the present invention can be effectively used in any automobile equipped with TPMS.

1: Wheel, 2: Rim part, 3: Disc part, 4: Hub hole,
5: Bolt hole, 6: Decoration hole, 7: Air supply valve,
10: Sensor mounting hole, 11: Large diameter hole, 12: Small diameter hole,
20: Air pressure detection sensor, 21: Housing, 22: Large diameter part, 23: Small diameter part,
24: Air introduction pipe, 25: Inner hole, 26: Projection piece part, 27: Bolt insertion hole,
28: Lid, 29: Small hole, 30: Substrate, 31: Battery
32: Bolt, 33: Screw hole, 34: Air valve,
35: Vent pipe, 36, 37: Union joint

Claims (7)

In an automobile wheel comprising a rim part and a disk part, and equipped with an air pressure detection sensor for detecting the tire air pressure,
One of the plurality of decorative holes formed in the disk portion is a sensor mounting hole to which the air pressure detection sensor is mounted. The sensor mounting hole is composed of a large-diameter hole and a small-diameter hole in order from the outer surface side of the disk portion. It is formed in a stepped hole,
The air pressure detection sensor has a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion that fit into the small diameter hole and the large diameter hole of the sensor mounting hole, respectively, and a protruding piece portion that protrudes from the outer periphery of the large diameter portion and contacts the outer surface of the disk portion, With the small diameter part and large diameter part fitted in the small diameter hole and large diameter hole of the sensor mounting hole, respectively, with the protruding piece part in contact with the outer surface of the disk part, the protruding piece part is fastened to the disk part with bolts and attached. An automobile wheel characterized in that the vehicle wheel is connected to an air valve installed in a rim portion via a vent pipe.   The automobile wheel according to claim 1, wherein the wheel is made of aluminum.   The vehicle wheel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an outer shell of the air pressure detection sensor is made of a hard resin.   The automobile wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the projecting piece portion includes a pair projecting in a circumferential direction of the wheel.   5. The automobile wheel according to claim 1, wherein a contact surface of the projecting piece portion with an outer surface of the disk portion is formed along a shape of the outer surface of the disk portion.   The said air valve connected with the said air pressure detection sensor is installed diagonally across the air supply valve for supplying air to a tire, and the center axis | shaft of the said wheel. An automobile wheel according to any one of the above.   The automobile wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sensor mounting hole is adjacent to a decorative hole that opens to face the air valve connected to the air pressure detection sensor.

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