JP2015174603A - Vehicular wheel inner cover - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve the saving of fuel consumption by blocking the outflow of air passing through a plurality of openings of a disc part and suppressing the air resistance in a vehicular wheel in which an in-wheel motor is incorporated.SOLUTION: A vehicular wheel inner cover 48 is disposed between a rotor bracket 26 and a disc part 14 in a columnar space S, and blocks all of a plurality of openings 46. The vehicular wheel inner cover 48 comprises: an attachment part 4802 attached to the rotor bracket 26; and a blockage part 4804 supported by the attachment part 4802 for blocking the openings 46 from an inner surface 1402 of the disc part 14. The blockage part 4804 has a uniform cross-sectional shape capable of abutting the inner surface 1402 of the disc part 14 and forms an annular plate shape which extends over the entire circumference of the inner surface. A width W1 of the blockage part 4804 is formed with a dimension larger than a width W2 of the openings 46.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle wheel inner cover.

When the vehicle travels, if air flows out from the vehicle width direction inner side to the vehicle width direction outer side through the plurality of openings between the spokes of the disk part of the vehicle wheel, the air flow flowing along the vehicle side surface is disturbed. Therefore, the air resistance of the vehicle body increases, which is disadvantageous in suppressing fuel consumption.
Therefore, the space surrounded by the rim portion and the disk portion of the vehicle wheel is closed by the vehicle wheel inner cover at the end of the rim portion that is farther inward in the vehicle width direction than the disk portion, so that the air is spoken. A technique for suppressing outflow from a plurality of openings in between has been proposed.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a vehicle wheel inner cover that is integrally attached to an end portion of a rim portion of a vehicle wheel. Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle wheel inner cover that is attached to a knuckle that is a non-rotating portion on the vehicle body side.

JP 2009-51248 A JP 2012-81908 A

However, in the above prior art, the vehicle wheel inner cover is located at a position displaced inward in the vehicle width direction from the disk portion.
Therefore, when the in-wheel motor is incorporated in the space surrounded by the rim portion and the disk portion of the vehicle wheel, the members constituting the in-wheel motor interfere with the vehicle wheel inner cover. Is difficult to provide.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a vehicle wheel incorporating an in-wheel motor, air flows from a vehicle width direction inner side toward a vehicle width direction outer side through a plurality of openings of the disk portion. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle wheel inner cover that can prevent outflow and that is advantageous in achieving fuel saving by suppressing air resistance.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle wheel in which a rotor bracket of an in-wheel motor is disposed opposite to an inner surface on a vehicle mounting side of a disk portion provided with a plurality of openings. A vehicle wheel inner cover attached to the rotor bracket, the vehicle wheel inner cover being attached to the rotor bracket, and a closure supported by the attachment portion and closing the opening from the inner surface It has the part.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the closing portion has an annular plate shape extending over the entire circumference of the inner surface with a uniform cross-sectional shape capable of contacting the inner surface of the disk portion, It protrudes toward the said rotor bracket from the several places spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the obstruction | occlusion part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the closing portion includes a contact portion that can contact the inner surface of the disk portion, and a protruding portion that protrudes from the contact portion and is fitted into each of the plurality of openings. And a plurality of convex portions having a top surface located on the same surface as the outer surface of the disk portion on the vehicle non-mounting side, and the mounting portion is spaced in the circumferential direction of the closing portion. It protrudes toward the rotor bracket from the place of the abutted portion or the raised portion, respectively.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, air is prevented from flowing out from the inner side in the vehicle width direction toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction through the opening of the disk portion of the vehicle wheel during vehicle travel. Therefore, the air flow flowing along the side surface of the vehicle is suppressed from being disturbed, and an increase in the air resistance of the vehicle body can be suppressed.
Further, the vehicle wheel inner cover is attached to the rotor bracket and closes the opening from the inner surface of the disk portion, so that the opening of the disk portion is not affected by the members on the vehicle body side such as an in-wheel motor or a knuckle. Can be blocked.
In addition, since the vehicle wheel inner cover is located on the inner surface of the disk portion, it is advantageous in realizing fuel saving without impairing the design of the vehicle wheel.
In addition, since the vehicle wheel inner cover is attached to the rotor bracket, the vehicle wheel inner cover should be installed in a large space in advance before attaching the vehicle wheel to the inner hub or before attaching the rotor bracket to the hub portion of the vehicle wheel. The vehicle wheel inner cover can be attached to the rotor bracket. Therefore, it is advantageous in improving the efficiency of the mounting operation of the vehicle wheel inner cover.
According to the second aspect of the invention, it is advantageous to easily attach the vehicle wheel inner cover to the data bracket.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the top surface is located on the same surface as the outer surface of the disk portion, and the outer surface of the disk portion is composed of a single surface, air generated by unevenness on the outer surface of the disk portion. This is even more advantageous in reducing resistance and reducing fuel consumption.

It is sectional drawing which fractured | ruptured the vehicle wheel with which the vehicle wheel inner cover which concerns on 1st Embodiment was mounted | worn by the surface which passes a spoke. It is sectional drawing which fractured | ruptured the vehicle wheel with which the vehicle wheel inner cover which concerns on 1st Embodiment was mounted | worn by the surface which passes along the opening part formed between spokes. (A), (B) is sectional drawing explaining the attachment to the rotor bracket of the vehicle wheel inner cover which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which fractured | ruptured the vehicle wheel with which the vehicle wheel inner cover which concerns on 2nd Embodiment was mounted | worn by the surface which passes a spoke. It is sectional drawing which fractured | ruptured the vehicle wheel with which the vehicle wheel inner cover which concerns on 2nd Embodiment was mounted | worn by the surface which passes along the opening part formed between spokes. It is a perspective view of the vehicle wheel inner cover which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the wheel for vehicles with which the wheel inner cover for vehicles concerning a 2nd embodiment was equipped.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle wheel inner cover according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle wheel 10 includes a rim portion 12 and a disc portion 14, and the pneumatic tire 2 is attached to the rim portion 12.
The disk part 14 is located on the radially inner side of the rim part 12, the outer peripheral part of the disk part 14 is connected to the rim part 12, and the hub part 16 is provided on the inner peripheral part of the disk part 14. .
An open columnar space S is formed on the vehicle mounting side of the disk portion 14 on the radially inner side of the rim portion 12 toward the vehicle mounting side.

An in-wheel motor 18 is incorporated in the cylindrical space S.
The in-wheel motor 18 includes a hub unit 20, a stator bracket 22, a stator 24, a rotor bracket 26, and a rotor 28.
The hub unit 20 includes an outer hub 20A connected to the knuckle 30 and the lower arm 32, and an inner hub 20C that is rotatably supported on the inner periphery of the outer hub 20A via a bearing 20B.
The inner hub 20 </ b> C has a plurality of wheel bolts 34 that are inserted into bolt insertion holes of the vehicle wheel 10, which will be described later, and is fastened to the hub portion 16 of the vehicle wheel 10 by nuts 36.
The stator bracket 22 has an annular plate shape, and an inner peripheral portion thereof is fastened to the outer hub 20A by a bolt.

The stator 24 is provided in a cylindrical wall shape along the entire outer periphery of the stator bracket 22, and a plurality of coils 38 are disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the stator 24.
The rotor bracket 26 is made of metal and has an annular plate shape, and an inner peripheral portion thereof is sandwiched between the inner hub 20C and the hub portion 16 of the vehicle wheel 10 via the wheel bolts 34. It is fixed integrally with.
The rotor 28 is provided in a cylindrical wall shape so as to surround the outside of the stator 24 along the entire outer periphery of the rotor bracket 26, and a plurality of magnets are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the rotor 28 facing the outer peripheral surface of the stator 24. 40 is arranged.
Therefore, the rotor bracket 26 and the vehicle wheel 10 rotate integrally with the knuckle 30 via the hub unit 20.
Then, when electric power is supplied to each coil 38 of the stator bracket 22 from an inverter (not shown), a rotational force is generated in the rotor bracket 26 based on a magnetic field generated between each coil 38 and each magnet of the rotor bracket 26. The vehicle wheel 10 is rotationally driven by this rotational force.
In the figure, reference numeral 42 denotes a brake rotor, which constitutes a brake in cooperation with a brake caliper (not shown).

The disk portion 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 includes a plurality of spokes 44 that connect the hub portion 16 and the rim portion 12 with an interval in the circumferential direction of the disk portion 14, and a plurality of openings formed between the spokes 44. Part 46 (decorative hole).
The disk portion 14 has an inner surface 1402 on the vehicle mounting side and an outer surface 1404 on the vehicle non-mounting side.
In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface 1402 is formed such that a portion near the inner peripheral portion is convex toward the outer surface 1404.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle wheel inner cover 48 is disposed between the rotor bracket 26 and the disk portion 14 in the columnar space S, and closes all of the plurality of openings 46.
The vehicle wheel inner cover 48 is desirably lightweight from the viewpoint of suppressing fuel consumption. In the present embodiment, the vehicle wheel inner cover 48 is formed of a synthetic resin material.
As such a synthetic resin material, various conventionally known synthetic resin materials such as ABS resin produced by polymerizing polypropylene, acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene can be used.

The vehicle wheel inner cover 48 has an attachment portion 4802 attached to the rotor bracket 26 and a closing portion 4804 supported by the attachment portion 4802 and closing the opening 46 from the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14.
The blocking portion 4804 has an annular plate shape that extends over the entire circumference of the inner surface with a uniform cross-sectional shape capable of contacting the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14.
As shown in FIG. 2, the width W <b> 1 of the closing portion 4804 is formed to be larger than the width W <b> 2 of the opening 46.
The closed portion 4804 abuts from the inner peripheral portion to the outer peripheral portion of the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14 at the location where the spoke 44 is located, and the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion of the closed portion 4804 at the location where the opening portion 46 is located. Are in contact with the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14 near the inner periphery of the opening 46 and the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14 near the outer periphery of the opening 46. In addition, it is also possible to provide a concave portion on the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14 with respect to the portion of the closing portion 4804. By doing so, positioning at the time of attachment becomes easy.

The attachment portions 4802 are spaced from each other in the circumferential direction of the closing portion 4804, are equidistant from the center in the wheel axis direction of the tire 2, and project from the plurality of locations located on the same circumference toward the rotor bracket 26. ing.
The projecting end 4802A of the substantially L-shaped attachment portion 4802 protruding from the closing portion 4804 is provided with a hole orthogonal to the rotor bracket 26 as shown in FIG. It is attached to the rotor bracket 26 by using screws 50 from the rotor bracket 26 having higher rigidity than the cover 48, or, as shown in FIG. 3B, in a hole formed in the protruding end 4802A and the rotor bracket 26. It is attached to the rotor bracket 26 by various conventionally known means such as attaching the clip 52. In addition, it is desirable that the protruding end 4802A of each attachment portion 4802 be directed in the same direction (outer peripheral side or inner peripheral side) in the radial direction of the wheel 10.
Therefore, the vehicle wheel inner cover 48 rotates integrally with the vehicle wheel 10. Moreover, the force applied to the attachment part 4802 can be equalized by arranging the attachment part 4802 concentrically and in the same direction.
With the attachment portion 4802 attached to the rotor bracket 26, the closing portion 4804 is kept in contact with the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14.

According to the present embodiment, the vehicle wheel inner cover 48 is located on the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14 and closes the plurality of openings 46, so that the disk portion 14 of the vehicle wheel 10 is traveling during vehicle travel. Air is prevented from flowing out from the inside in the vehicle width direction toward the outside in the vehicle width direction through the openings 46 between the spokes 44. Therefore, the air flow flowing along the side surface of the vehicle is suppressed from being disturbed, and an increase in the air resistance of the vehicle body can be suppressed.
Further, since the vehicle wheel inner cover 48 is attached to the rotor bracket 26, the vehicle wheel inner cover 48 includes the in-wheel motor 18, the knuckle 30 and the lower arm 32 constituting the suspension, the brake rotor 42, Does not interfere with vehicle body side members such as brake calipers.
Therefore, the opening 46 of the disk portion 14 can be closed without being affected by the in-wheel motor 18 or the vehicle body side member, which is advantageous in realizing air-saving and fuel saving.
Further, since the vehicle wheel inner cover 48 is located on the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14, it is advantageous in realizing fuel saving without impairing the design of the vehicle wheel 10.

In the present embodiment, since the vehicle wheel inner cover 48 is attached to the rotor bracket 26, the rotor bracket 26 is attached to the hub portion of the vehicle wheel 10 before the vehicle wheel 10 is attached to the inner hub 20C. The vehicle wheel inner cover 48 can be attached to the rotor bracket 26 in advance in a wide space before being attached to the rotor bracket 16.
Accordingly, this is advantageous in improving the efficiency of the mounting operation of the vehicle wheel inner cover 48.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and demonstrated about the location and member similar to 1st Embodiment.
Similarly to the first embodiment, the vehicle wheel inner cover 48 is configured such that the attachment portion 4802 is attached to the rotor bracket 26, so that the rotor bracket 26 and the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14 are separated from each other in the cylindrical space S. Arranged between.
The vehicle wheel inner cover 48 has an annular plate shape.
The vehicle wheel inner cover 48 includes a contact portion 4810 that can contact the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14, and a plurality of convex portions 4812 that protrude from the contact portion 4810.
In the present embodiment, the abutting portion 4810 includes an inner peripheral abutting portion 4810A that abuts on the entire inner periphery of the opening 46 with the inner surface 1402 of the disc portion 14 and an inner peripheral 1402 of the disc portion 14 with the inner periphery 1402 of the opening 46. A plurality of outer peripheral contact portions 4810B that contact the entire outer peripheral edge, and a plurality of inner contact portions 4810A that contact the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14 between the adjacent openings 46 and connect the outer peripheral contact portion 4810B. And a connecting portion 4810C.

The convex portions 4812 are provided at a plurality of locations spaced in the circumferential direction of the closing portion 4804.
Each of the convex portions 4812 is fitted into the opening 46 to close the opening 46.
The attachment portion 4802 protrudes from the location of the contact portion 4810 or the location of the convex portion 4812 spaced in the circumferential direction of the closing portion 4804 toward the rotor bracket 26, and the protruding end of the attachment portion 4802 has a first end. As in the first embodiment, it is attached to the rotor bracket 26 by various conventionally known means.
With the attachment portion 4802 attached to the rotor bracket 26, the closing portion 4804 is kept in contact with the inner surface 1402 of the disk portion 14.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, in this state, the convex portion 4812 is fitted into the opening portion 46 to close the opening portion 46, and the convex portion 4812 is positioned on the same plane as the outer surface 1404 of the disk portion 14. A top surface 4812A.
According to such 2nd Embodiment, the following effect is show | played besides the same effect as 1st Embodiment is show | played.
That is, since the top surface 4812A is located on the same surface as the outer surface 1404 of the disk portion 14 and the outer surface 1404 of the disk portion 14 is formed of a single surface, air resistance generated by unevenness of the outer surface 1404 of the disk portion 14 This is even more advantageous in reducing fuel consumption and reducing fuel consumption.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle wheel 14 Disc part 1402 Inner surface 1404 Outer surface 18 In-wheel motor 26 Rotor bracket 46 Opening part 48 Wheel inner cover 4802 for vehicles Wheel mounting part 4804 Close part 4810 Contact part 4812 Convex part 4812A Top surface

Claims (3)

A wheel inner cover for a vehicle mounted on a vehicle wheel, in which a rotor bracket of an in-wheel motor is arranged facing an inner surface on the vehicle mounting side of a disk portion provided with a plurality of openings,
The vehicle wheel inner cover includes an attachment portion attached to the rotor bracket, and a closing portion that is supported by the attachment portion and closes the opening portion from the inner surface.
A vehicle wheel inner cover characterized by that. The closing portion has an annular plate shape extending over the entire circumference of the inner surface with a uniform cross-sectional shape capable of contacting the inner surface of the disk portion,
The mounting portion is provided to project from the plurality of locations spaced in the circumferential direction of the closing portion toward the rotor bracket.
The vehicle wheel inner cover according to claim 1. The closing portion includes a contact portion capable of contacting the inner surface of the disk portion, and a vehicle projecting from the contact portion and fitted into the plurality of openings to close the opening, and the vehicle of the disk portion. A plurality of convex portions having a top surface located on the same surface as the outer surface on the non-wearing side,
The attachment portion is provided to project from the location of the contact portion or the location of the convex portion spaced from each other in the circumferential direction of the closing portion toward the rotor bracket.
The vehicle wheel inner cover according to claim 1.

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