JP4820355B2 - Wheel cap and wheel assembly including the wheel cap - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wheel cap and a wheel assembly including the wheel cap.

  Conventionally, for example, appearance has been improved by attaching a decorative member formed of a lightweight material such as a resin to a wheel of an automobile. With regard to this type of decorative member, for example, in Patent Document 1, by providing a large number of fine through holes, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the appearance quality of the wheel without impairing the cooling performance of the brake. A wheel cap is disclosed.

4 and 5 of Patent Document 1 disclose a plurality of wheel caps 13 divided into six parts that are respectively attached to the opening portions 11 between the adjacent spoke portions 8 and 8. Further, in paragraph 0021 of Patent Document 1, “Each wheel cap 13 is attached to the wheel main body 2 so as to cover the opening portion 11, the end edge portion of the spoke portion 8 and a part of the rim 5. Is described.
JP-A-11-192801

  However, in Patent Document 1, it is unclear because the state in which each of the six wheel caps 13 is specifically attached to the opening portion 11 of the wheel body 2 is not shown. 4 and FIG. 5, the shape of the spoke portion 8 that is curved from the center plate 7 on the inner diameter side along the rim 5 on the outer diameter side, and the spoke portion 8 are engaged to form a straight line. Considering the shape of the side edge portion of the wheel cap 13 (see FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1), it is considered that a step is generated between the outer surface of the spoke portion 8 and the outer surface of the wheel cap 13. It is.

  In other words, each of the divided wheel caps 13 is estimated to be attached in a state where the wheel cap 13 is slightly sunk from the outer surface of the spoke portion 8 toward the inner side of the opening portion 11, and the corner ridge line of the spoke portion 8 is estimated. Is exposed and emphasized on the front surface of the wheel cap 13, and it seems that the spoke portion 8 and the wheel cap 13 are not in harmony.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its general purpose is to further improve the appearance and improve the appearance quality by harmonizing and coordinating the spoke and the wheel cap. And a wheel assembly including the wheel cap.

  A main object of the present invention is to provide a wheel cap capable of suppressing aerodynamic resistance and improving aerodynamic characteristics, and a wheel assembly including the wheel cap.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a rim on which a tire is attached to an outer peripheral portion, and a plurality of spokes arranged so as to extend along the radial direction between the rim and the central portion. A wheel cap attached to the wheel body, the wheel cap being attached to the wheel body so as to be adjacent to the spoke and extending from an inner end portion of the spoke to an outer end portion, and from an inner end portion of the spoke to an outer end portion is formed over a range of up parts have a side which is external surface plane and the surface leading to substantially flush provided of the spoke, the sides, the plane portion of the radially inner formed on the outer surface of the spoke A cap flat surface formed so as to be substantially flush with the flat surface, and a cap formed so as to be substantially flush with a radially outer inclined portion formed on the outer surface of the spoke so as to be connected to the flat portion. Characterized in that it have a and slope.

According to the present invention, the cap flat surface is formed so as to be substantially flush with the radially inner flat portion formed on the outer surface of the spoke, and is formed so as to be connected to the flat portion on the outer surface of the spoke. A cap inclined surface formed so as to be substantially flush with the radially outer inclined portion is provided on a side portion of the wheel cap so that the spoke extends radially from the inner end portion to the outer end portion. By making the entire length along the line visible and making the width of the spoke perpendicular to the spoke axis wider than it actually is, the volume and strength of the entire wheel is emphasized, and it looks good The appearance quality can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, the side part is constituted by a first side part and a second side part, and the first side part and the second side part are expanded in a substantially V shape with the central part side as a coupling point. provided to, may each of said second side and said first side is you to have said cap inclined surface and the cap planar surface. In this case, the outer diameter end portions of the first side portion and the second side portion expanded in a substantially V shape may not be connected to each other.

  According to the present invention, the first side portion and the second side portion are not arranged separately from each other, are expanded in a substantially V shape with the central portion side as a coupling point, and are radiused from the inner diameter end portion. By being provided so as to extend toward the outer diameter end portion in the outer direction, the number of parts can be reduced, the assembling work can be simplified, and the assembling property can be improved.

  Furthermore, the present invention is provided with a connecting portion for connecting the outer diameter end portions of the first side portion and the second side portion, respectively, and the connecting portion is an inner side of the rim flange of the wheel body in plan view. It is good to provide so that it may extend in arc shape along. In this case, the central portions of the first side portion and the second side portion may be in a separated state without being coupled.

  According to the present invention, the connecting portion that connects the outer diameter end portions of the first side portion and the second side portion widened in a substantially V shape is along the inside of the rim flange of the wheel body in plan view. Thus, for example, a concave region on the outer diameter side formed between adjacent spokes and the inside of the rim flange can be reduced. As a result, in the present invention, the air flow in the outer peripheral portion of the wheel body becomes smooth, and aerodynamic performance can be improved.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the cap flat surface and the cap inclined surface are formed in a substantially straight shape over a range from the inner end portion to the outer end portion of the spoke, and from the inner end portion to the outer end portion of the spoke. It is preferable that the width dimension substantially orthogonal to the spoke axis is gradually increased. In this case, the cap inclined surface is preferably set to have a larger increase rate of the width dimension than the cap flat surface.
According to the present invention, the volume feeling and strength of the entire wheel can be further emphasized by being configured in this way.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, a wheel assembly having an excellent design and aerodynamic performance can be obtained by the wheel assembly including the wheel cap.

  A wheel cap and a wheel assembly including the wheel cap that can further improve the appearance and improve the appearance quality and suppress the air resistance and improve the aerodynamic characteristics can be obtained.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a wheel assembly including a wheel cap according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the wheel assembly, and FIG. 3 is taken along the line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wheel cap, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the rear surface of the wheel cap, and FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wheel assembly 10 includes a wheel body 12 and a plurality of divided wheel caps 16 attached to the window portion 14 of the wheel body 12. The wheel body 12 is made of a metal material such as iron, aluminum, aluminum alloy, and magnesium, and the wheel cap 16 has a small specific gravity such as a resin material, a ceramic material, or a light metal material. It may be formed of a material.

  The wheel main body 12 has a substantially cylindrical shape, a rim 18 to which a tire (not shown) is attached to the outer peripheral portion, a center hole 20 formed through the center portion, and a plurality for attaching the wheel main body 12 to a hub (not shown). Between the rim 18 and the center disk portion 24 and extending along the radial direction and spaced apart at equal angles along the circumferential direction. And a plurality of spokes 26.

  In this case, the rim 18, the center disk portion 24, and the spoke 26 are integrally formed by, for example, casting or forging. The center hole 20 of the center disk portion 24 is closed by a cap member made of a bottomed cylindrical body (not shown) mounted from the outer side.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the rim 18 includes an outer rim flange 28a and an inner rim flange 28b that are bent in a substantially L-shaped longitudinal section and are spaced apart from each other by a rim width, and the outer rim. A bead of a tire (not shown) that is provided between the hump 30a that is spaced apart from the flange 28a along the axial direction by a predetermined distance and bulges outward in the radial direction, and the outer rim flange 28a and the hump 30a is fitted. A bead seat portion 32a, another hump 30b spaced apart from the inner rim flange 28b in the axial direction by a predetermined distance and bulging outward in the radial direction, the inner rim flange 28b and the other hump 30b. And another bead seat portion 32b to which a bead of a tire (not shown) is fitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the outer surface of the spoke 26 has a bulge portion 34 that bulges toward the outer side from the center hole 20 of the center disk portion 24, and a radius that is continuous with the bulge portion 34. A flat portion 36 formed so as to extend substantially flat toward the outer direction and an inclined surface extending from the flat portion 36 to the outer side rim flange 28a and gently inclined toward the inner side are provided. And an inclined portion 38. Further, both side portions of the spoke 26 have tongue pieces 44 formed with mounting holes 42 through which the bolts 40 (see FIG. 6) are inserted, and the bolts 40 are fastened to nuts 46 (see FIG. 6) described later. As a result, the wheel cap 16 is attached to the wheel body 12.

  Since each wheel cap 16 is formed by the same structure except for a through hole 48 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) for an air valve 68 described later, the wheel cap 16 having the through hole 48 will be described in detail. The description of the wheel cap 16 will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the wheel body 12 has one spoke 26 and the other spoke 26 arranged adjacent to each other in a substantially V shape, and the radially outer ends of the one spoke 26 and the other spoke 26. A plurality of substantially fan-shaped window portions 14 are arranged in the circumferential direction between the arc-shaped outer side rim flange 28 a that suspends the portion, and the wheel cap 16 corresponds to the shape of the window portion 14. It is comprised by the shape which carries out, and it arrange | positions corresponding to the number of the window parts 14.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, the wheel cap 16 includes a circular arc portion 50 having a curved surface surrounding a part of the mounting hole 22 adjacent to the center hole 20, and the circular arc. A first side portion 56a which is a side portion which expands from the inner diameter end portion 52 which extends in a substantially V shape starting from the portion 50 and continues to the arc portion 50 toward the outer diameter end portion 54 in the radially outward direction; It basically includes a second side portion 56b and a substantially arc-shaped connecting portion 58 that connects the outer diameter end portions of the first side portion 56a and the second side portion 56b.

  A substantially triangular opening 60 is formed on the inner side surrounded by the first side portion 56a, the second side portion 56b, and the connecting portion 58. In the present embodiment, a description will be given by using the arc portion 50, the first side portion 56a, the second side portion 56b, and the connecting portion 58 that are integrally formed of a resin material.

  The first side portion 56a and the second side portion 56b of the wheel cap 16 are adjacent to and substantially parallel to the axis of the spoke 26, and extend from the inner end portion 26a of the spoke 26 toward the outer end portion 26b. Attached to the spoke 26.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first side portion 56 a and the second side portion 56 b of the wheel cap 16 are substantially flush with the flat portion 36 formed on the outer surface of the spoke 26. The cap flat surface 62 is formed, and the cap inclined surface 64 is formed so as to be substantially flush with the inclined portion 38 of the spoke 26. In addition, the said cap flat surface 62 and the said cap inclined surface 64 function as a surface connected with the outer surface of the spoke 26 and substantially flush.

  In this case, the cap flat surface 62 and the cap inclined surface 64 are formed in a substantially straight line over the range from the inner end portion 26a to the outer end portion 26b of the spoke 26, and from the inner end portion 26a of the spoke 26 to the outer end. A width dimension substantially orthogonal to the axis of the spoke 26 is gradually increased toward the portion 26b so as to become wider. In addition, the cap inclined surface 64 is provided so that the increase in the width dimension is particularly remarkable as compared with the cap flat surface 62 (see FIG. 2).

  Inside the first side portion 56a, the second side portion 56b, and the connecting portion 58 facing the opening 60, first to third inclined surfaces 66a to 66c that are inclined at a predetermined angle toward the opening 60 are respectively provided. The first to third inclined surfaces 66 a to 66 c are provided so as to be continuous along the periphery of the opening 60 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). By providing the first to third inclined surfaces 66a to 66c facing the opening 60, it is possible to suppress the generation of turbulence and obtain even better aerodynamic characteristics.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 58 of the wheel cap 16 is formed to extend in an arc shape along the inner side of the outer side rim flange 28 a of the wheel body 12 in a plan view. One wheel cap 16 of the plurality of wheel caps 16 is formed with a through hole 48 through which one end portion of the air valve 68 is inserted into the connecting portion 58 as shown in FIGS. The air valve 68 is a mechanism provided integrally with a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System), so that the driver can be warned of insufficient air pressure in the tire.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the rear surface of the wheel cap 16 has a substantially U-shaped cutout portion 70 in a plan view, and engages with a groove portion 72 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the nut 46. A piece 74 is provided. A set of the engagement pieces 74 is disposed adjacent to the back surface side of the first side portion 56a, and a set of engagement pieces 74 is disposed adjacent to the back surface side of the second side portion 56b. In this case, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 5, the nut 46 is slid from the lateral direction so that the groove portion 72 of the nut 46 is engaged with the notch portion 70 of the engagement piece 74, thereby the nut 46. Is locked to the wheel cap 16.

  Further, on the back surface of the wheel cap 16, a pair of claw portions 76a and 76b are provided at portions corresponding to the outer diameter end portions of the first side portion 56a and the second side portion 56b, respectively. As shown in FIG. 6, the pair of claw portions 76 a and 76 b abut against the inner wall surface of the outer rim flange 28 a, and the connecting portion 58 of the wheel cap 16 and the inner wall surface of the outer rim flange 28 a It functions as a spacer that forms a gap portion between them.

  The wheel assembly 10 including the wheel cap 16 according to the present embodiment is basically configured as described above. Next, the function and effect will be described.

  In the present embodiment, the first side portion 56a and the second side portion 56b of the wheel cap 16 are adjacent to and substantially parallel to the axis of the spoke 26, and extend from the inner end portion 26a of the spoke 26 toward the outer end portion 26b. It is attached to the spoke 26 so as to exist (see FIG. 2), and further, the cap flat surface 62 of the wheel cap 16 is formed so as to be substantially flush with the flat portion 36 formed on the outer surface of the spoke 26. The cap inclined surface 64 of the wheel cap 16 is formed so as to be substantially flush with the inclined portion 38 of the spoke 26 (see FIG. 3).

  Therefore, in this embodiment, by comprising in this way, the spoke 26 and the wheel cap 16 can be integrated and coordinated, and the weight increase of the entire wheel assembly 10 can be minimized. The spokes 26 can be shown thick and impressed with a sense of volume and strength. As a result, in this embodiment, there is no baffle member that divides the spoke 26, and the entire region from the inner end portion 26a to the outer end portion 26b of the spoke 26 is exposed to the outside. Can be made larger than the actual size, which is preferable in appearance.

  In other words, in the present embodiment, the cap flat surface 62 and the cap inclined surface 64 that are substantially flush with the outer outer surface of the spoke 26 are provided on the first side portion 56 a and the second side portion 56 b of the wheel cap 16. The entire length along the radial direction of the spoke 26 from the inner end portion 26a to the outer end portion 26b of the spoke 26 can be seen, and the width of the spoke 26 perpendicular to the axis of the spoke 26 is wider than actual. By making it visible, the volume feeling and strength of the wheel main body 12 can be emphasized, and the appearance quality can be improved and the appearance quality can be improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the first side portion 56a and the second side portion 56b of the wheel cap 16 are not arranged separately, and the arc portion 50 close to the center hole 20 is substantially V as a coupling point. It is expanded in the shape of a letter and is provided so as to extend from the inner diameter end portion 52 continuous to the arc portion 50 toward the outer diameter end portion 54 in the radially outward direction, thereby reducing the number of parts and assembling work. Simplification can be achieved and assemblability can be improved.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the connecting portion 58 of the wheel cap 16 that connects the outer diameter end portions of the first side portion 56a and the second side portion 56b expanded in a substantially V shape is viewed in plan view, and the wheel It extends in an arc shape along the inner side of the outer side rim flange 28a of the main body 12 (the back side of the bead seat portion 32a) (see FIG. 2), and is substantially plane with the outer side rim flange 28a as viewed in a longitudinal section. The outer diameter side formed by, for example, the adjacent spokes 26, 26 and the inner side of the outer side rim flange 28a (the back side of the bead seat portion 32a) is formed by being formed to be one (see FIG. 3). It is possible to reduce the area of the recess.

  FIGS. 7A and 7B schematically show the flow of air blown from the front of the vehicle, assuming that the wheel assembly on which the tire is mounted is mounted on the vehicle.

  In the comparative example shown in FIG. 7A, the concave portion on the outer diameter side formed between the adjacent spokes of the wheel assembly and the outer rim flange serves as an air resistance to generate a wavy air flow. On the other hand, in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 7B, by providing the connecting portion 58 in the wheel cap 16, the recessed area on the outer diameter side between the spokes 26 and 26 is reduced, thereby suppressing the air resistance. A favorable aerodynamic characteristic can be obtained by smoothing the air flow along the outer periphery of the wheel assembly 10.

  Next, a wheel cap 16a according to another embodiment is shown in FIG.

  In the wheel cap 16a shown in FIG. 8, compared with the wheel cap 16 shown in FIG. 4, the arc portion 50 that connects the first side portion 56a and the second side portion 56b on the center side is not provided. The difference is that the inner diameter end portion 52 of the first side portion 56a and the inner diameter end portion 52 of the second side portion 56b are not connected, and are provided so as to be separated from each other by a predetermined distance.

  In the wheel cap 16a shown in FIG. 8, the inner diameter end portion 52 of the first side portion 56a and the inner diameter end portion 52 of the second side portion 56b are separated from each other, thereby affecting the influence of thermal energy generated by a brake device (not shown). By avoiding this, the durability of the wheel cap 16a can be improved.

  Next, a wheel cap 16b according to still another embodiment is shown in FIG.

  In the wheel cap 16b shown in FIG. 9, compared with the wheel cap 16 shown in FIG. 4, the connection part 58 which connects the outer diameter edge parts 54 of the 1st side part 56a and the 2nd side part 56b is provided. First, the outer diameter end portion 54 of the first side portion 56a and the outer diameter end portion 54 of the second side portion 56b are not connected to each other, and the outer diameter end portions 54 and 54 that are expanded in a substantially V shape are formed. They are different in that they are provided so as to be separated by a predetermined distance.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the wheel assembly provided with the wheel cap which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the wheel assembly. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the III-III line of FIG. It is a perspective view of the wheel cap. It is a perspective view which shows the back surface of the said wheel cap. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the VI-VI line of FIG. (A) is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the flow of the air of the comparative example which has a recessed part by the side of an outer diameter, (b) is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the flow of the air of this embodiment which reduced the said recessed part area | region. It is. It is a perspective view of the wheel cap concerning other embodiments. It is a perspective view of the wheel cap concerning other embodiments.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Wheel assembly 12 Wheel main body 16, 16a, 16b Wheel cap 18 Rim 26 Spoke 28a, 28b Rim flange 52 Inner diameter edge part 54 Outer diameter edge part 56a, 56b Side part 58 Connection part 62 Cap flat surface 64 Cap inclination surface

Claims (7)

A wheel cap attached to a wheel body having a rim to which a tire is attached to an outer periphery, and a plurality of spokes arranged so as to extend in a radial direction between the rim and a center part,
Together is attached to the wheel body so as to extend to the outer end portion from the inner end portion of the spoke adjacent to the spoke, the outer table is formed over a range of up to an outer end portion from the inner end of the spokes the spoke have a side which faces connected to the surface and substantially flush is provided,
The side portion is formed so as to be connected to the flat portion on the radially inner side formed on the outer surface of the spoke so as to be substantially flush with the flat portion, and to be connected to the flat portion on the outer surface of the spoke. wheel cap characterized by have a cap inclined surface formed so as to lead to the radially outer side of the inclined portion substantially flush being. The wheel cap according to claim 1,
The side portion includes a first side portion and a second side portion, and the first side portion and the second side portion are provided so as to expand in a substantially V shape with the central portion side as a coupling point. , hubcap each of the said first side a second side portion, characterized in Rukoto to have a said cap planar surface and said cap inclined surface. The wheel cap according to claim 1,
Said side comprises a first side and a second side, the connecting portion is provided to consolidated the radially outer end portions of said first side and a second side, said first side Each of the second side portions includes the cap flat surface and the cap inclined surface, and the connecting portion extends in an arc shape along the inner side of the rim flange of the wheel body in plan view. Wheel cap characterized by. The wheel cap according to claim 2,
Connecting portion for consolidation is provided a radially outer end portions of said first and second sides, wherein the connecting portion has in plan view, a circular arc shape along the inside of the rim flange of the wheel body A wheel cap characterized by extending. The wheel cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The cap flat surface and the cap inclined surface are formed in a substantially linear shape over a range from an inner end portion to an outer end portion of the spoke, and an axis of the spoke from the inner end portion to the outer end portion of the spoke. A wheel cap characterized by being formed so that a width dimension substantially orthogonal to the width gradually increases. The wheel cap according to claim 5,
  The wheel cap according to claim 1, wherein an increasing rate of the width dimension is set to be larger than the cap flat surface. A wheel assembly comprising the wheel cap according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .

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