JP6781450B2 - How to manufacture vehicle wheels and vehicle wheels - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle wheel having high aerodynamic characteristics and a method for manufacturing the vehicle wheel.

Conventionally, as a technique for improving aerodynamic performance of a vehicle wheel, there has been mainly a wheel cover attached to the vehicle wheel. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wheel cover in which an annular guide surface for rectifying an air flow flowing out of a vehicle through a vent of a wheel body is attached to a vehicle wheel. On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, in a two-piece wheel manufactured by dividing a rim and a disc, an annular peripheral edge portion is formed on the radial outer side of the disc, and the surface of the outer peripheral edge portion of the peripheral portion is formed flat. As a result, those that reduce the air resistance when the vehicle is running are disclosed.

Japanese Patent No. 4892797 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-169842

In the vehicle wheel of Patent Document 1, the wheel cover is attached to the vehicle wheel by fitting the locking portion formed on the back surface into the inner circumference of the rim. Therefore, there remains a problem that the wheel cover may come off if it receives an impact or vibration such as contact with another object while the vehicle is running. Further, most of the wheel covers are made of resin, and it is difficult to exhibit a highly designed texture such as a vehicle wheel made of a light alloy.

On the other hand, in the two-piece wheel of Patent Document 2, a first protrusion and a second protrusion are formed on the back surface of the peripheral edge of the disc, and these first and second protrusions are joined to the outer end of the rim. By doing so, the disc is joined to the rim. Therefore, it is a structure that requires the formation of the first and second protrusions and the joining on the circumference at the first and second protrusions, which increases the man-hours for manufacturing and the manufacturing cost. Was high, and it was not suitable for mass production.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle wheel having a structure for improving aerodynamic performance without a risk of falling off or impairing design such as a wheel cover. To do. Another object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method capable of efficiently manufacturing a vehicle wheel having such a structure.

The vehicle wheel according to the present invention is
It has a wheel body with a rim and a disc, and a rectifying plate for rectifying the air flow on the wheel surface side when the vehicle is running.
The straightening vane is formed in a ring plate shape that covers the disc outer diameter region on the design surface side of the disc, and the outer edge portion of the straightening vane is friction stir welded to the outer rim flange of the vehicle outer portion of the rim in the circumferential direction. There is a pin hole by the rotary tool of the friction stir welding at the position of the start point or the end point of the friction stir welding, and this pin hole portion penetrates the straightening plate to be a drain hole, or the The pin hole is sealed and a separate drain hole is provided in the straightening vane .
The straightening vane is further formed with a window portion cut out from a part of the straightening vane so that accessories such as an air filling valve and air sensors can be attached to the rim or a disk from the outside.
The window portion is formed at a position of a start point or an end point of the friction stir welding, which is different from the position where the drain hole is formed.

Further, the method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel according to the present invention is as follows.
It has a wheel body with a rim and a disc, and a rectifying plate for rectifying the air flow on the wheel surface side when the vehicle is running.
In providing the separately formed ring plate-shaped straightening vane on the outer rim flange of the vehicle outer portion of the rim, the following steps are carried out from the design surface side of the disc.
A step of fitting the straightening vane to the outer rim flange so as to cover the disc outer diameter region on the design surface side of the disc.
The rectification is performed by pressing a rotary tool having a pin at the tip against the mating portion from the surface side of the rectifying plate and relatively moving it in the circumferential direction along the outer edge of the rectifying plate to perform friction stir welding. The process of joining the plate to the outer rim flange,
The pin hole position by the rotary tool at the start point or the end point of the friction stir welding is drilled, or the pin hole is sealed and separately drilled at a predetermined position of the straightening vane to penetrate the straightening vane. possess and forming a drain hole,
In the inner rim flange facing the outer rim flange, the purpose is to enhance the rectifying effect on the inner side of the vehicle wheel and to improve the rigidity of the inner rim flange, and to the inside of the vehicle of the rim. A ring plate-shaped rectifying plate having an inner diameter hole having a size that does not interfere with the arranged structure such as a brake is arranged, and a rotary tool is pressed from the surface side of the rectifying plate in the circumferential direction along the outer edge of the rectifying plate. Further, it has a step of joining the entire circumference of the outer edge portion of the rectifying plate to the inner rim flange by performing friction stir welding by moving the rim flange relative to the inner side.

According to the vehicle wheel according to the present invention, by providing the rectifying plate on the outer rim flange, it is possible to improve the aerodynamic performance without the risk of falling off or impairing the design like the wheel cover. Further, according to the method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel according to the present invention, such a vehicle wheel can be efficiently manufactured.

It is a front view which shows the wheel for a vehicle of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing of the wheel for a vehicle in XX line of FIG. It is a front view which shows the wheel body and a straightening vane respectively. It is a schematic diagram which enlarged the part of the straightening vane in order to explain the method of providing the straightening vane. It is a schematic diagram which enlarged the part of the rectifying plate at the time of friction stir welding. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state of the air flow flowing through the wheel surface. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state of the air flow flowing through the wheel surface. FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the straightening vane for explaining a method of providing the straightening vane in the vehicle wheel of the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion in which the straightening vane is fitted in order to explain a method of providing the straightening vane in the vehicle wheel of the third embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the straightening vane for explaining a method of providing the straightening vane in the vehicle wheel of the third embodiment. As a modification of the third embodiment, it is an enlarged schematic view of the part of the rectifying plate which shows the structure which provides the rectifying plate on the wheel for a vehicle. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of Examples and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 showing the shape of the inner rim flange in the vehicle wheel of the fourth embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle wheel 1 of the first embodiment is joined to the wheel body 10 in which the rim 2 and the disc 3 are integrally formed and the rim flange 20 of the wheel body 10 by friction stirring joining. It is provided with a ring plate-shaped rectifying plate 5. The wheel body 10 is made of a light alloy, for example, made of an aluminum alloy. The wheel body 10 is a forged wheel in which a cast billet is integrally molded by forging to form a rim 2 by a spinning process, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a cast wheel formed from a casting mold may be used. In the rim 2, rim flanges 20 extending radially outward are formed at both ends of the cylinder, and bead seat portions 23 are continuously formed at the cylindrical portions from the inner diameter side ends of the rim flange 20, and the outer portion of the vehicle is formed. Has a structure in which a well portion 24 is formed on the center side from the bead sheet portion 23. The disc 3 includes a hub hole 31 that fits into the vehicle hub, and a plurality of spoke portions 32 that are radially provided in the outer peripheral direction from the hub hole 31. The spoke portion 32 is connected to a portion of the well portion 24 on the inner peripheral surface of the rim 2. Therefore, the design surface on the front surface side of the disc 3 has a structure that is located behind the outer rim flange 21 and is arranged inside the wheel surface.

The straightening vane 5 is composed of a ring plate-like member having a radial width D1 (see FIG. 3B), is joined to the outer rim flange 21 of the vehicle outer portion of the rim 2 and is on the wheel surface side when the vehicle is running. It is provided to rectify the flowing air flow A. The straightening vane 5 is formed so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the axle direction, and the surface 51 of the straightening vane 5 is formed flat. Further, on the straightening vane 5, a window portion 56 for mounting an accessory 4 such as an air filling valve and an air sensor on the rim 2 or the disc 3 from the outside is provided with a part of the inner diameter portion of the straightening vane 5. It is formed by cutting out in a U shape. The straightening vane 5 has an outer diameter D substantially the same size as the inner diameter of the outer rim flange 21, and has a radial width D1 large enough to cover the disc outer diameter region on the design surface side of the disc 3 (FIG. 2). reference).

If the radial width D1 of the straightening vane 5 is narrow, the air rectifying effect is not exhibited, and if it is wide, most of the design surface is covered and the design is deteriorated. Therefore, 5 to 5 of the outer diameter D of the straightening vane 5. The dimensional width is preferably 15%. That is, as a result of wind tunnel analysis, when the radial width D1 of the rectifying plate 5 becomes 5% or more of the outer diameter D, the air flow A flowing on the side surface of the vehicle is suppressed from being separated on the wheel surface and flows as a laminar flow. The rectifying effect is exhibited well, and such aerodynamic characteristics (air rectifying effect) are improved until the radial width D1 of the rectifying plate 5 is 15% of the outer diameter D, but the radial width D1 is 15 of the outer diameter D. Even if it was larger than%, the improvement rate of aerodynamic characteristics was small. Therefore, if the radial width D1 of the straightening vane 5 is set to 5 to 15% of the outer diameter D of the straightening vane 5, the aerodynamic characteristics can be improved and the design of the disc 3 can be ensured.

Further, the rectifying plate 5 is formed separately from the wheel body 10 by a known method such as mold forming or press forming, and the outer edge portion 53 is friction stir welded to the outer rim flange 21 of the rim 2 in the circumferential direction. As a result, they are joined (joint portion 6). The material of the rectifying plate 5 is formed of a light alloy of the same material as the wheel body 10, but if it can be joined to the wheel body 10 by friction stir welding, various metals such as iron, which is a different material from the wheel body 10, Materials can be used.

Further, the straightening vane 5 is provided with a drain hole 12 penetrating the straightening vane 5 at the position of the start point 61 or the end point 62 of the friction stir welding. In forming the drainage holes 12, a plurality of holes to be drainage holes 12 are formed in advance in the straightening vane 5, and these holes are used as the start point 61 or the end point 62 of the friction stir welding to perform friction. After the stir welding, processing such as deburring may be performed to form the drain hole 12, and as in the present embodiment, the material of the rectifying plate 5 may be subjected to friction stir welding without forming the hole. Later, a hole may be machined at the start point 61 or the end point 62 of the friction stir welding to form the drain hole 12.

Further, the straightening vane 5 is provided with a window portion 56 for mounting an accessory 4 such as an air filling valve and an air sensor on the rim 2 or the disc 3 from the outside, and a part of the inner diameter portion of the straightening vane 5. It is cut out and formed in advance, and this window portion 56 can also be used at the position of the start point 61 or the end point 62 of the friction stir welding. The window portion 56 may be formed by cutting out a part of the outer diameter portion of the straightening vane 5. Further, the window portion 56 may not be formed on the straightening vane 5 in advance, but may be formed at a portion at the start point 61 or the end point 62 of the friction stir welding after the friction stir welding by cutting or the like.

Next, a method of providing the straightening vane 5 on the rim 2 of the wheel body 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.
As shown in FIG. 3, a wheel body 10 in which the rim 2 and the disk 3 are integrally formed and a ring plate-shaped rectifying plate 5 separately formed from the wheel body 10 are prepared in advance. These wheel bodies The 10 and the rectifying plate 5 may be made of an unpainted metal material, or may be pre-painted with a corrosion-proof and base color paint. By using the pre-painted wheel body 10 and the straightening vane 5, the design surface of the disc 3 covered by the straightening vane 5 and the back surface 54 of the straightening vane 5 can be easily painted, and the wheel for vehicles is used. The corrosion resistance performance of 1 is ensured well.

Then, the prepared wheel body 10 is set in the machining center, and the ring plate-shaped straightening vane 5 is fitted to the wheel body 10 (fitting step). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4A, the straightening vane 5 is fitted to the outer rim flange 21 so as to cover the disc outer diameter region on the design surface side of the disc 3. When fitting the straightening vane 5, the outer peripheral end surface 52 of the straightening vane 5 is placed flush with the surface 21a of the outer rim flange 21 so that the surface 51 of the straightening vane 5 is flush with the inner peripheral surface 21b of the outer rim flange 21. Try to match with.

When the pre-painted wheel body 10 and rectifying plate 5 are used, the coating of the fitting portion of the rectifying plate 5 and the outer rim flange 21 is cut by cutting or the like before fitting the rectifying plate 5 to the wheel body 10. Remove to expose the metal substrate. This is to prevent the paint component from being mixed into the joint portion 6 and causing a decrease in the joint strength during the next friction stir welding step. However, if the pre-painted wheel body 10 and rectifying plate 5 are used so that the fitting portion is not painted by masking at the time of painting, the painting removal work of the fitting portion as described above can be performed. It is unnecessary.

Next, the fitting portion of the straightening vane 5 is subjected to friction stir welding, and the straightening vane 5 is joined to the outer rim flange 21 (friction stir welding step). As shown in FIGS. 4A and 5A and 5B, in the friction stir welding, a rotary tool 7 having a pin at the tip is inserted from the design surface side of the disc 3, and the straightening vane 5 and the outer rim are inserted. The rotary tool 7 is pressed against the abutting portion of the flange 21 from the surface 51 side of the straightening vane 5 and relatively moved in the circumferential direction along the outer edge 53 of the straightening vane 5 to perform friction stir welding. At this time, when the pre-painted wheel body 10 and the straightening vane 5 are used, the friction stir welding is cooled by injecting a refrigerant such as water from the nozzle N onto the joint 6 between the straightening vane 5 and the outer rim flange 21. (See FIG. 5 (a)). As a result, it is possible to suppress the burning of the coating film on the wheel body 10 and the straightening vane 5 due to the frictional heat at the time of friction stir welding and prevent the deterioration of the coating film. The operation of the rotary tool 7 at the time of friction stir welding is such that the outer edge portion 53 of the straightening vane 5 is continuously made to go around and the entire circumference of the outer edge portion 53 of the straightening vane 5 is completely joined in one operation. Alternatively, the outer edge portion 53 of the straightening vane 5 may be intermittently made to go around, and the entire circumference of the outer edge portion 53 of the straightening vane 5 may be completely or partially joined by a plurality of operations.

Further, in the operation of the rotary tool 7, the position of the end point 62 of the friction stir welding is arranged slightly on the inner diameter side from the circumference of the joint portion 6 (see FIG. 5B). At this time, as an operation of the rotary tool 7, the start point 61 of the friction stir welding may be overlapped and then moved to the inner diameter side (see FIG. 5B), or the start point 61 of the friction stir welding may not be overlapped. You may do so. If the rotary tool 7 is operated so as to overlap the start points 61 of the friction stir welding, the joint portion 6 can be connected in the circumferential direction. As an operation of the rotary tool 7, the position of the start point 61 of the friction stir welding is also arranged slightly on the inner diameter side from the circumference of the joint portion 6, and further, friction is performed at the position of the start point 61 of the friction stir welding on the inner diameter side. The positions of the end points 62 of the friction stir welding may be substantially matched. Further, as the straightening vane 5, a plurality of holes to be drain holes 12 are formed in advance at positions in the circumferential direction before fitting to the wheel body 10, and these holes are formed at the start point 61 or the end point of friction stir welding. It may be used as 62. Further, the straightening vane 5 is provided with a window portion 56 of the straightening vane 5 in advance so that an accessory 4 such as an air filling valve can be attached to the rim 2 or the disc 3 from the outside before being fitted to the wheel body 10. A portion formed by cutting out a part of the inner diameter portion or the outer diameter portion may be used, and the window portion 56 may also be used as the start point 61 or the end point 62 of the friction stir welding.

Then, when the friction stir welding is completed, as shown in FIGS. 4 (b) and 5 (b), the pin hole 63 of the rotary tool 7 remaining at the position of the end point 62 of the friction stir welding by pulling out the rotary tool 7. A tool such as a drill 8 is inserted into the portion from the design surface side of the disc 3 to perform hole processing to form a drain hole 12 penetrating the rectifying plate 5 (drain hole forming step). At this time, since the position of the end point 62 of the friction stir welding is arranged on the inner diameter side slightly from the joint portion 6, the rim flange 20 is not damaged by a tool such as a drill 8 when drilling the drain hole 12. can do. The drain hole 12 may be formed by performing hole processing even at the position of the start point 61 of the friction stir welding.

Then, after the drain hole 12 is formed, a cutting tool or the like is inserted from the design surface side of the disc 3 to machine the joint portion 6 of the friction stir welding and the unevenness and burrs in the drain hole 12 to flatten the surface. Finish. After that, the friction stir welding joint portion 6 and the drainage hole 12 portion are coated with a clear coating or the like so as to cover the processed portion to ensure weather resistance.
Through the above steps, the vehicle wheel 1 in which the ring plate-shaped straightening vane 5 is integrally joined to the outer rim flange 21 is completed.

From the above, according to the vehicle wheel 1 of the first embodiment, the straightening vane 5 is joined to the outer rim flange 21 of the vehicle outer portion of the rim 2 and is formed so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the axle direction. The surface 51 is formed flat. The straightening vane 5 is provided so as to cover the disc outer diameter region on the design plane side of the disc 3, and is arranged at a position where the design plane of the disc 3 does not protrude to the front from the straightening vane 5. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the air flow A flowing on the side surface of the vehicle body when the vehicle is running has an air rectifying effect in which the rectifying plate 5 suppresses separation on the vehicle wheel surface and flows as a laminar flow. It will be demonstrated. Therefore, the air resistance on the wheel surface is reduced, and the vehicle wheel 1 having excellent aerodynamic characteristics can be obtained, and as a result, it is possible to contribute to the improvement of the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

Since the rectifying plate 5 is integrally joined to the outer rim flange 21 of the wheel body 10 by friction stir welding, there is no possibility that the rectifying plate 5 will fall off during vehicle running unlike the conventional wheel cover. Further, since the straightening vane 5 is formed in the shape of a ring plate and merely covers the outer diameter region of the design surface of the disc 3, the design of the design surface is not impaired.

Since the rectifying plate 5 is provided with a plurality of drain holes 12 along the circumferential direction on the outer edge portion 53, the water that has entered the back side of the rectifying plate 5 is discharged from these drain holes 12, so that the vehicle travels. The wheel balance inside can be maintained well. Moreover, since these drain holes 12 are formed at the positions of the start point 61 or the end point 62 of the friction stir welding, there is an advantage that they can also be used for concealing the pin holes 63 of the rotary tool 7 formed at the time of friction stir welding. is there.

Then, the work process of providing the straightening vane 5 on the wheel body 10 can be performed entirely from the design surface side of the disc 3 with respect to the wheel body 10 set in the machining center. Therefore, the work of providing the straightening vane 5 on the wheel body 10 can be easily performed. Further, since the friction stir welding step is performed at one place on the circumference along the outer edge 53 of the rectifying plate 5, it is similar to a conventional two-piece wheel (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-169842 (Patent Document 2)). Compared with the case of joining on the circumferences of the first and second protrusions, it is possible to efficiently manufacture the product without increasing the number of man-hours more than necessary, and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

Further, since the light alloy wheel body 10 is heat-treated to homogenize the metal structure, if the rectifying plate 5 is joined by general welding such as TIG, the wheel body 10, especially the rectifying plate, is joined. There are concerns about a decrease in strength due to the heat effect of high temperature such that the metal structure is denatured at the rim flange 20 to which 5 is joined, and discoloration of the metal surface due to high heat. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the rectifying plate 5 and the outer rim flange 21 are joined by friction stir welding, frictional heat at a lower temperature is applied than in the case of TIG welding or the like, so that the heat effect There is almost no concern that the metal structure of the wheel body 10 will be denatured by the heat, and the metal surface will not be discolored by heat. Further, by pressing the rotary tool 7 while cooling the joint portion 6 at the time of friction stir welding, it is possible to suppress the coating film burning even by using the pre-painted wheel body 10 and the straightening vane 5. For this reason, the straightening vane 5 can be retrofitted to the existing vehicle wheel 1.

(Embodiment 2)
With reference to FIG. 8, in the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the fitting of the straightening vane 5 to the outer rim flange 21 is such that the back surface 54 of the outer edge 53 of the straightening vane 5 is fitted to the outer rim flange. It is overlapped with the surface 21a of 21. Next, the rotary tool 7 is pressed against the surface 51 side of the outer edge portion 53 of the straightening vane 5 against the overlapped portion to perform friction stir welding, so that the straightening vane 5 is joined to the outer rim flange 21. Is to be.
From the above, according to the second embodiment, since the plate thickness of the straightening vane 5 is substantially added to the wall thickness of the outer rim flange 21, the effect that the rigidity of the outer rim flange 21 is strengthened is further obtained. Be done.

(Embodiment 3)
With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, in the third embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the spoke portion 32 of the disc 3 is from the rim flange 20 to the bead seat portion 23 on the inner peripheral surface of the rim 2. It has a structure that connects to the part of. Then, when the straightening vane 5 is provided on the wheel body 10, the width of the design surface including the surface 21a of the outer rim flange 21 of the rim 2 and the spoke portion 32 of the disc 3 matches the radial width D1 of the straightening vane 5. An annular fitting groove portion 11 having a depth that matches the plate thickness of the straightening vane 5 is formed by cutting or the like over the entire circumferential region in the circumferential direction (see FIGS. 9A and 9B). Next, the straightening vane 5 is fitted into the fitting groove 11 (see FIG. 9B), and the rotary tool 7 is pressed against the surface 51 side of the outer edge 53 of the straightening vane 5 at the fitting portion to rub. Friction stir welding is performed to join the straightening vane 5 to the outer rim flange 21 (see FIG. 10A). Further, the straightening vane 5 presses the rotary tool 7 from the surface 51 side of the straightening vane 5 against the inner edge portion 55 of the portion overlapping the spoke portion 32 to perform friction stir welding with the spoke portion 32. However, they are joined and integrated (see FIGS. 10A and 10B). The rectifying plate 5 is subjected to friction stir welding by pressing the rotary tool 7 from the surface 51 side of the rectifying plate 5 against the side edge contact portion of the spoke portion 32 that overlaps with the spoke portion 32. You may.

From the above, according to the third embodiment, the straightening vane 5 is arranged on the inner peripheral portion of the outer rim flange 21 as the wheel 1 for a vehicle having a full face design, and the spoke portion 32 is also provided on the inner peripheral portion of the straightening vane 5. The structure is connected and integrated. That is, the rectifying plate 5 constitutes a design surface integrated with the disc 3, and a vehicle wheel 1 having a sense of unity and high design can be obtained.

Further, as in the modified example shown in FIG. 11, even when the spoke portion 32 is connected to the well portion 24 on the inner peripheral surface of the rim 2, the straightening vane 5 is used in the same manner as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The outer edge portion 53 and the inner edge portion 55 are attached by friction stir welding to the outer side rim flange 21 and the spoke portion 32, and a cavity S is formed between the outer peripheral end portion of the spoke portion 32 and the rectifying plate 5. It is also possible to do. The reference numerals given in FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b) correspond to those in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b).
In the case of the modified example shown in FIG. 11B, the effect that the rigidity of the outer rim flange 21 is strengthened is further obtained by connecting the outer rim flange 21 to the spoke portion 32 via the straightening vane 5. Be done. Further, in this modified example, as shown in FIG. 11B, as compared with the structure shown in FIG. 10B, the spoke portion 32 has a cavity S between the spoke portion 32 and the straightening vane 5. , The weight can be reduced by the volume of the cavity S.

(Embodiment 4)
In each of the above embodiments, the straightening vane 5 is provided on the outer rim flange 21 of the rim 2, but in the fourth embodiment, the ring plate-shaped straightening vane 5a is also provided on the inner rim flange 22 (FIG. 12 (d)) is provided. In this case, the rectifying plate 5a provided on the inner rim flange 22 is assumed to have an inner diameter hole having a size that does not interfere with structures such as brakes and suspensions arranged inside the vehicle of the rim 2, and the vehicle is equipped with tires. It is necessary not to interfere with the mounting of the wheel 1 on the axle.
As a method of attaching the straightening vane 5a to the inner rim flange 22, the rotary tool 7 is attached from the surface side of the straightening vane 5a from the outside of the vehicle wheel 1 as in the case of attaching the straightening vane 5 to the outer rim flange 21. The rectifying plate 5a is provided on the inner diameter portion of the inner rim flange 22 by performing friction stir welding by relatively moving the pressing rectifying plate 5a in the circumferential direction along the outer edge portion.

By providing the rectifying plate 5a on the inner rim flange 22, the rectifying effect can be exerted on the flow of wind entering the tire house from the vehicle floor surface and the front air duct or the like. In recent years, the flow of low-flat tires and large-diameter wheels has been remarkable. In the case of low-flat tires, the rim flange surface and the tire side surface are close to flat, and the surface difference between the tire side surface and the rim flange surface is smaller than that of the high-flat tire. .. Therefore, the rectifying effect can be obtained by reducing the inner diameter of the inner rim flange 22 by using the rectifying plate 5a within a range where there is no interference with the brake size of the vehicle to be mounted and the structure such as the suspension.

At the same time, as the tires become lower flat and the wheels have a large diameter, the impact on the wheel of the vehicle tends to increase due to the step on the road, which is severe for the wheel of the vehicle. For example, in the case of a vehicle wheel that focuses on weight reduction, the rim rigidity tends to be low. To compensate for this, for example, it is conceivable to provide a protrusion T (see FIGS. 12 (b) and 12 (c)) to reinforce the inner diameter side of the inner rim flange, but the formation of the protrusion is considered in manufacturing. As a result, more excess wall material is required for the wheel material, and the amount of lathe cutting is also increased. On the other hand, by providing the rectifying plate 5a on the inner diameter side of the inner rim flange 22, the rim rigidity can be improved as a reinforcing ring that also has a rectifying effect on the inner side of the vehicle wheel 1, and is newly designed. It is possible to efficiently improve the rim rigidity not only for wheels but also for wheels of existing designs. The following analysis was performed to confirm the effect of this rigidity improvement.

Three-dimensional shape data of a vehicle wheel having four types of inner rim shapes shown in FIGS. 12 (a) to 12 (d) were created, and strength analysis was performed using analysis software. FIG. 12A shows a shape having no protrusion on the inner diameter side as Comparative Example 1 (no protrusion), and FIG. 12B shows Comparative Example 2 having a protrusion height h of 3.2 mm and a protrusion width w on the inner diameter side. A shape in which a small protrusion T of 6.41 mm is formed (small protrusion), FIG. 12 (c) shows a large protrusion with a protrusion height h of 4.2 mm and a protrusion width w of 9.25 mm on the inner diameter side as Comparative Example 3. The shape in which T is formed (large protrusion), and FIG. 12 (d) is a shape in which a rectifying plate 5a having a protrusion length L of 18.2 mm and a plate thickness t of 4 mm is provided on the inner diameter side as an embodiment of the present invention. It is a thing. The vehicle wheels of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 and Examples have the same shape (rim diameter) from the disc design and the outer rim to the inner rim flange, except for the shape of the inner diameter side of the inner rim. 18 inches, rim width 13 inches), and a rectifying plate 5 having the same shape is provided on the outer rim flange.
In the strength analysis, the vertical load applied in the rim radial direction (X direction) was set to 10 kN, and the lateral load applied in the rim width direction (Z direction) was set to 15 kN in the 90 ° range in the rotation circumferential direction of the vehicle wheel. .. The results are shown in Table 1 below. The camber rigidity in Table 1 is the camber angle in the case of a positive camber in which the upper end of the wheel tilts toward the outer side from the neutral position where the rotation axis direction of the vehicle wheel coincides with the horizontal direction due to the above vertical load and lateral load. It is shown.

From the results in Table 1, the wheel weight was naturally the lightest in Comparative Example 1, and increased in order from Comparative Example 2, Comparative Example 3, and Example, but the weight increase (420 g increase) in Example was 500 g or less. It was suppressed. Regarding the strength, the items assume the load in cornering when mounted on the vehicle and running, but both the camber rigidity and the inner rim displacement are compared based on Comparative Example 1 without protrusions, and Comparative Example 2 and comparison. In both Examples 3, the displacement amount decreased and the rigidity tended to improve, but the decrease in the displacement amount in the Examples was remarkably remarkable. That is, it can be seen that in the examples, the camber rigidity and the inner rim displacement in the X direction are almost halved, and the inner rim displacement in the Z direction is reduced by about 30% as compared with Comparative Example 1 without protrusions. Even in the examples, the difference in the displacement of the inner rim in the Z direction is not larger than that of other items. The shape in the wheel rim width direction (Z direction) is the same as that of Comparative Examples 2 and 3 except for the inner rim flange. Because of.
From this result, if the wheel is made of the same material for a vehicle, the flange shape contributes to the inner rim rigidity, and the shape that narrows the inner diameter side of the inner rim flange has higher rigidity, and the rectifying plate 5a is provided as in the embodiment. It turned out that the rigidity was the highest. In order to manufacture the protrusion T on the inner diameter side of the inner rim flange integrally with the wheel rim, the amount of material input from the material stage and the amount of processing in cutting will increase, but as in the example, a rectifying plate 5a should be prepared as a separate part. For example, although it is necessary to join to the inner rim flange, a significant improvement in rigidity can be realized with a material input amount and a processing process that are not much different from those of Comparative Example 1 without protrusions.
As with the straightening vane 5 of the outer rim flange 21, the straightening vane 5a of the inner rim flange 22 can also be appropriately provided with a drain hole to prevent imbalance during traveling due to a pool of water.
From the above, by providing the rectifying plate 5a on the inner rim flange 22, it is possible to enhance the rectifying effect on the inner side of the vehicle wheel 1 and improve the aerodynamic characteristics, and further, the inner rim flange 22 which tends to be fragile. It is possible to improve the rigidity of the vehicle, and thus it is possible to further stabilize the vehicle running performance.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

1 Wheel for vehicle 2 Rim 3 Disc 5, 5a Rim plate 6 Joint 7 Rotating tool 8 Drill 10 Wheel body 11 Fitting groove 12 Drain hole 20 Rim flange 21 Outer side rim flange 22 Inner side rim flange 23 Bead seat part 24 Well 31 Hub hole 32 Spoke 56 Window 61 Start point 62 End point 63 Pin hole A Air flow N Nozzle

Claims (2)

It has a wheel body with a rim and a disc, and a rectifying plate for rectifying the air flow on the wheel surface side when the vehicle is running.
The straightening vane is formed in a ring plate shape that covers the disc outer diameter region on the design surface side of the disc, and the outer edge portion of the straightening vane is friction stir welded to the outer rim flange of the vehicle outer portion of the rim in the circumferential direction. There is a pin hole by the rotary tool of the friction stir welding at the position of the start point or the end point of the friction stir welding, and this pin hole portion penetrates the straightening plate to be a drain hole, or the The pin hole is sealed and a separate drain hole is provided in the straightening vane .
The straightening vane is further formed with a window portion cut out from a part of the straightening vane so that accessories such as an air filling valve and air sensors can be attached to the rim or a disk from the outside.
The window portion is a wheel for a vehicle formed at a position of a start point or an end point of the friction stir welding different from the position where the drain hole is formed. It has a wheel body with a rim and a disc, and a rectifying plate for rectifying the air flow on the wheel surface side when the vehicle is running.
In providing the separately formed ring plate-shaped straightening vane on the outer rim flange of the vehicle outer portion of the rim, the following steps are carried out from the design surface side of the disc.
A step of fitting the straightening vane to the outer rim flange so as to cover the disc outer diameter region on the design surface side of the disc.
The rectification is performed by pressing a rotary tool having a pin at the tip against the mating portion from the surface side of the rectifying plate and relatively moving it in the circumferential direction along the outer edge of the rectifying plate to perform friction stir welding. The process of joining the plate to the outer rim flange,
The pin hole position by the rotary tool at the start point or the end point of the friction stir welding is drilled, or the pin hole is sealed and separately drilled at a predetermined position of the straightening vane to penetrate the straightening vane. possess and forming a drain hole,
In the inner rim flange facing the outer rim flange, the purpose is to enhance the rectifying effect on the inner side of the vehicle wheel and to improve the rigidity of the inner rim flange, and to the inside of the vehicle of the rim. A ring plate-shaped rectifying plate having an inner diameter hole having a size that does not interfere with the arranged structure such as a brake is arranged, and a rotary tool is pressed from the surface side of the rectifying plate in the circumferential direction along the outer edge of the rectifying plate. A method for manufacturing a wheel for a vehicle, further comprising a step of joining the entire circumference of the outer edge portion of the rectifying plate to the inner rim flange by relatively moving the wheel to the rim flange.

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