JPH04176702A - Wheel cover installation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the versatile use performance by making a spring body for the installation support of a wheel cover from plastic and forming a narrow angle part for nipping a nut which corresponds to the quantity of the wheel nuts from a bulging-out ear part and a narrow angle side and connecting these members in an annular form, in a wheel cover installation device for automobile. CONSTITUTION:A spring body 33 is made of plastics and is constituted of a narrow angle part which is formed body connecting a pair of narrow angle sides 332 and 332 each of which has a triangular section 331 through a bulging- out ear 32, and one narrow angle side 332 is connected with the contiguous side by a connection part 334 having an elliptical shaped section 333, and constituted to an interlocked ring form as a whole. The bulging-out ear 32 is formed integrally with a cylindrical body 324 through a parallel part 322 and a turned-up part 323 from a pair of narrow angle sides 332. The weld 325 of the bulging-out ear 32 is enfolded by a cylindrical body 23 planted on a wheel cover board, and the turned-up part 323 is fitting-installed on a slitting 231.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a wheel cover mounting device for an automobile, and more particularly to a wheel cover mounting device of a type that is mounted on a wheel nut.

(Prior Art) There have been various types of hole cover mounting methods in which a wheel nut (or bolt) for fastening a disc wheel to a hub is selected as the mounting object, but all of these types have problems. The oldest type required a specially shaped wheel nut and was less versatile. Next, a bayonet type was proposed, and the rotary fit itself became a nuisance, causing it to fall off during sudden braking. As plastic wheel covers became more widespread, some models appeared that took advantage of their moldability and were integrally molded with the mounting device to attach to the nut, while others still had the drawbacks of following the above-mentioned model, and the drawbacks were that they were more complex and expensive. Furthermore, it was difficult to differentiate the molds and productivity was poor.

As a measure to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present applicant proposed Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-287601, and subsequently, Japanese Patent Application No. 1-1
No. 13295 was submitted. The basic format of both is to select an appropriate number from several standard cap nuts on the mounting pitch circle of the disc wheel, and discharge the nuts to - nuts using a spring with an included angle on two sides. The spring is integrally connected to a selected number of nuts in an annular shape, and is fitted over the nuts during the installation operation. Therefore, the problems of the conventional type have been solved, and since it has the double spring properties of the included angle and the connecting annular shape, it is easy to install and operate and will not fall off. Furthermore, in the latter application, simplification has been achieved to the utmost, resulting in excellent productivity and economy.

However, both the wheel cover and the disc in the disc hole have a wide variety of structural shapes. The wheel cover mounting device is required to be applicable to these various structural shapes, that is, to have wide versatility.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The problem of Japanese Patent Application No. 1-113295 arises in the following cases. FIGS. 2 and 3 are explanatory diagrams of the gist and problems of the publication.

Referring to both figures, the wheel nut 4 that attaches the disc wheel 5 to the hub is also used to attach the wheel cover 1, and the spring body 3 that fits into the nut 4 is attached to the wheel cover board 1 by the support plate 2. It has a suspended configuration. Depending on the type of vehicle, the wheel nuts 4 may be bolt heads or may be arranged in 4 to 10 pieces on a pitch circle, but an appropriate number (3 to 6 pieces) is selected from these numbers (4 pieces are selected in the illustration). On the other hand, the spring body 3 has this selected number of included angles .alpha., is connected on the outside with an overhanging ear 32, and on the inside with a base circle 300, and is closed at a joint 31. Spring body 3
The wheel cover board 1 is supported by fitting the outer shell of the projecting ear 32 into a fitting hole 201 provided in the support plate 2.

The spring body 3 also has a tapered or spherical contour line 4 that goes over the hexagonal part 42 guided by the head ball 41 of the wheel nut 4.
0 is fitted. At this time, when the hexagonal part 42 is moved over, there is an opening angle of the included angle α, an enlargement of the diameter of the base circle 300, and an opening angle and diameter expansion of the overhanging lugs 32 that assist in opening the included angle α. Afterwards, they work together to provide a strong fitting function.

However, in light of the above-mentioned versatility, several problems emerge.

The first one is related to the structure of the disc wheel.
There are two points. The disk 5 generally has a reason 51 for stress relaxation, but from this, the slope 52 that falls into the seat of the nut 4 is 52.
In some cases, the distance between the hub and the nut 4 is narrow (that is, the diameter of the hub mounting surface is small) as shown in the figure. This interval can be achieved within the limits since a socket wrench (JIS terminology) for tightening the nut 4 can be inserted in the basic function. Then, the length 320 of the overhanging lug 32 is shortened, and the opening/closing elasticity of the included angle α becomes stronger, which in turn makes it difficult for the spring body 3 to get over the nut 4. Next, if the stress of the vehicle weight is generated on the inner ring surface of the reason 51, the function of the reason 51 will be lost, so a reinforcing rod 53 is usually provided. The reinforcing rod 53 is most effective when connected to the hub hole edge 50 as shown by the dotted line 53°.

However, with this structure, there may be cases where the spring body 3 struggles with the base circle 300 (the three occupy the same space) and it is not possible to secure a gap.

The second problem concerns the fitting elasticity of the spring body 3 and the spring wire diameter 30. Fitting elasticity has three types, including angle opening/closing and expanding/contracting diameter, but depending on the vibration (frequency distribution) received by the vehicle,
Determined under the above dimensional restrictions. As a result, depending on the Young's modulus of the spring wire, the spring wire diameter can be as small as 30 mm (for example, 1 mm,
5 mm), it would be difficult for the nut 4 to ride over the hexagonal portion 42 from the head ball 41, which would significantly impede the feeling of attachment.

The third problem is that the degree of freedom in designing the spring body 3 is small. This is inextricably linked to the simplicity of the shape and is difficult to label as a defect, but when combined with the above problems, it can lead to serious functional deterioration.

The fourth problem relates to the strength with which the projecting ears 32 of the spring body 3 are fitted into the fitting holes 261 of the support plate 2. The elastic modulus of the plastic material of the support plate 2 is two orders of magnitude smaller than that of metal, and it also has creep properties, so the fitting force is not large.

If the above-mentioned difficulty in getting over is added to that area, there is a risk that the fitting will fall out due to insufficient fitting strength.

(Objective of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide a highly versatile wheel cover mounting device by presenting means for solving the above problems.

(Means for solving the problem) The main cause of the problem is that the spring body 3, which is made of spring steel wire,
(A) Young's modulus is too large. (B) There is a limit to a structure in which all cross sections of the connected ring are equal.

(C) If a complex shape is required, there will be a limit to productivity. It is limited by factors such as:

This invention constitutes a spring body by integrally molding a plastic material, and presents means for solving the problems at once.

[First embodiment]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention, showing the structure in a partially exploded view at the upper right. The figure is drawn from a perspective looking down on the back side of the wheel cover board, and the background is the back side of the wheel cover board 1.

On the back surface of the wheel cover board 1, the guide ribs 8 are constructed by erecting guide ribs 81 and 82 along the inner and outer peripheries of the pitch circle of the wheel nut group between the same number of cylinders 23 as the selected number of nuts 4. There is. The guide rib 8 may be either one or both of the guide ribs 81 and 82, and it is preferable to provide each with an arcuate downward angle of 81° and 82° in order to avoid the reinforcing rod 53, which also prevents functional problems. There isn't.

The spring body 33 constituting the spring body 3 has a pair of narrow angle portions 332, 3:12 having a triangular cross section 331 connected through the overhanging ears 32 to form a narrow angle portion, and one of the narrow angle portions 332 has a triangular cross section 331. By connecting adjacent narrow angle portions via connecting portions 334 of elliptical cross sections 333, the entire shape is constructed into a connected ring shape.

The overhanging lugs 32 are integrated from a pair of narrow angle portions 332 to a cylindrical body 324 via a parallel portion 322 and a folded portion 323.

This connected ring-shaped spring body 33 is manufactured by integrally molding a plastic material, and when the plastic material is a material containing a high percentage of long fiber glass or a liquid crystal polymer having similar properties, it has strength, elasticity, and creep resistance. The shape shown in the figure, which is suitable for its excellent properties, is especially taken into consideration when using a liquid crystal polymer material. The cylindrical body 3 prevents jetting and hits the tip of the overhanging ear 32.
24, a weld 325 is generated and the weak weld adhesion is compensated for by butting with a wide cross section, and furthermore, the wheel cover board 1
The welt 325 is held in by the cylindrical body 23 erected in the cylindrical body 23 and tightened by a machine screw 91 to prevent the welt 325 from peeling off. Cylindrical body 2
Is the slot 231 of No. 3 a groove through which the folded part 323 is passed?
Since it is located at the same direction angle away from IIJ, it does not affect the holding action of the cylindrical body 324, and if necessary, the rigidity can be strengthened with reinforcing ribs.

When installing a wheel cover with this configuration, as shown in Section 4, first align the outer diameters of the wheel cover and the disc wheel and place them against each other, the guide rib 8 will catch the head ball 41 of the wheel nut 4, and then If it is rotated, it will pass over the narrow angle part 332 and the wheel nut will fit into the narrow angle part, so that it will be engaged as shown at 41 and 332 degrees. Next, when the hole cover is pushed in, the included angle 332° has already been fixed to the wheel nut 4.
Since the ball head 41 is about to climb onto the hexagonal part 42, it smoothly climbs over the hexagonal part 42 and connects the tabular part 40 and the nut seat 5.
332'' into the undercut part formed by 4. When climbing over, the connecting part 334 is bent, and the parallel part 332 is bent at the projecting ear 32 part, so that the narrow angle part 332 is bent. is opened, and the bending of the folded portion 323 allows the connecting ring to open its diameter.
32", the above-mentioned deflection returns and mainly the connection part 3
The spring body 33 and, in turn, the wheel cover disc 1 are reliably fitted into the wheel nut 4 due to the tension force due to the elasticity of the spring 34 and the angular force mainly due to the elasticity of the overhanging lugs 32. The fitted spring body 33 has double resonant frequencies due to the double elasticity of tension force and angle force, so it has a strong attachment maintenance performance even against the vibration impact in a wide frequency range that is applied to the disc wheel 5 while the vehicle is running. have. Furthermore, the behavior of the quasi-static spring body 33 is also very complicated; for example, the connecting portion 334 not only generates the above-mentioned tension force, but also vertical movement accompanied by twisting, and the protruding ear 32 similarly has complicated movements. As a result, the spring body 33 appears to be entwined with the wheel nut 4,
The installation performance shows a particular characteristic.

The advantage of this example is that the spring body 33 can be shaped in a wide range of shapes. Since the spring body 33 is integrally molded from a plastic material, it can be freely manufactured in either a planar shape or a three-dimensional shape with good productivity, and each cross-sectional shape can also be set to correspond to the above-mentioned complex behavior.

Configurable means that it is technically easy to set, including specific dimensions, etc., and the conventional steel wire spring is 1
．． Since a diameter of about 5 to 2 φ is compatible with standard wheel covers, even if it were possible to freely change the cross-sectional shape of the steel material, it would fall into the realm of precision machining and would not be economically viable. On the other hand, plastic has a bending elastic modulus that is approximately two orders of magnitude smaller, so the average thickness is several times that of plastic, which is approximately 1
It will be around slightly less than 0+n+n. This area is in an area where the mold does not need to be of high precision and is easy to handle as it is not too large. Particularly when using a liquid crystal polymer, the thickness of the oriented surface layer is less than 1a+a+, so the distribution with the internal non-oriented layer is suitable, and the balance between elasticity and vibration absorption is also excellent. If I may add, the spring body 33 in this example
Although the elastic analysis of is difficult to understand as mentioned above, even a greatly simplified analysis has the effect of obtaining considerable characteristics.

Was the material of the spring body described assuming liquid crystal polymer?
By taking advantage of shape flexibility and designing with stress, elasticity, heat resistance, and creep resistance in mind, non-reinforced polymers such as polyacetal resin and reinforced polymers such as glass fiber reinforced polyamide resin can also be used. In particular, reinforced polymers containing glass fibers with a length of several mm at a high ratio of 1/3 to 1/2,
It is more economical (at present) than liquid crystal polymer, and the physical properties inside the cross section are the same as those of the surface layer, so even if the spring body is damaged by the 42 corners of the hexagonal part of the wheel nut, the deterioration of the spring elasticity is slight. be. Even with the long fiber reinforced polymer, the fibers are oriented along the longitudinal direction of the spring body and elastically strengthened in the molding flow shown in FIG. 1, and it is difficult to prevent the strength of the weld 325 from decreasing. has an effect.

Since the spring body 33 in this example is integrally molded, including the function of the support plate 2 in the conventional example, the wheel cover board 1, including the guide ribs 8, can be molded in the simplest hermaphroditic type. Furthermore, since the support portion 2 and the guide rib 8 are located away from the air hole portion, which is the main point of the wheel cover design, they do not at all impede the freedom of design, which is the first requirement for the wheel cover function. On the other hand, since the spring body 33 is attached to a wheel nut that has been standardized as the mounting standard for disc wheels, it can be made into a common component.
A little complexity is not a burden.

When installing the wheel cover, the spring body shown in Figure 1 will be on the opposite side of the wheel cover plate 1, so it will not be possible to see through it, but if you roughly match the outer diameter and place it on the disc wheel, the guide rib 8 will fit into the wheel nut. Since the head ball 41 is captured, the mounting position can be easily determined. If the guide ribs had reliefs for the reinforcing frame 53 at angles of 81° and 82°, some ups and downs would occur in the indexing of the wheel cover board 1, but this would not cause any trouble to the moving base.

[Second Embodiment] Figures 5 to 7 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which Figure 5 is a plan view of the back of the wheel cover, Figure 6 is a sectional view of the main parts, and Figure 6 is a sectional view of the main parts. FIG. 7 is a sectional view when the wheel cover is attached to the disc wheel.

In this example, the spring body 3 and the support plate 2 in the conventional example are integrally molded from plastic, and in addition, a new reinforcing frame body is presented that improves the impact strength of the wheel cover board 1. Furthermore, this embodiment also satisfies the function of the guide ribs 8 in the previous example.

In this example, the spring body 34 forming the spring body 3 has a narrow angle portion 341,
341 are connected by a connecting part 342 to form an interlocking ring shape, and a pair of narrow angle parts 341 and 34i that sandwich - nuts 4 are connected to the frame body through the parallel part 322 of the Harita ear 32 and the folded part 323. 24 and are integrated. The frame body 24 includes a mounting tube 241 directly connected to the folding part 323, a frame rib 242 which is a strength member of the frame body and also directly connected, and a frame supported by a frame edge 243 and a frame plate 244. The mounting cylinder 241 is inserted into the boss 12 of the wheel cover board 1 and the binding machine screw 9 is inserted.
It is tightened and fixed in step 2.

As shown in FIG. 6, the frame guide rib 83 is a single rib that warms the inside of the head ball 41 of the wheel nut 4.
If the rigidity is insufficient due to the distance from the frame bone 242, which is a strength member, it is possible to use the auxiliary mounting cylinder 245 and assist the mounting with machine screws 94. Irrespective of the illustration, the guide rib 83 may have a Miki configuration on the inside and outside of the wheel nut head ball 41, or may be a single piece only on the outside.
This selection is related to the shape, size, and brittleness of the wheel cover board 1, and will be described later. If the wheel cover board 1 has a large diameter and the air hole rows are arranged around the periphery, the frame guide rib 83 should be one along the outside, and the frame 24 should be arranged symmetrically inside and outside the frame rib 242 to improve rigidity. suitable for

A mounting tube 24 is provided between the frame body 24 and the wheel cover board 1.
1 or by utilizing the close contact of the mounting tube 245, an i-tight and minute gap 10 is provided. The function of the gap [10] is to significantly increase the impact resistance of the wheel cover board 1 against flying stones, and the gap size is determined as follows. Depending on the shape and material of the vehicle body of the wheel cover board 1, the amount of deflection that will result in breakage when a load is applied can be determined, so the dimension of the gap @10 should be specified to be smaller than the amount of deflection. For example, the wheel cover board 1 is received by the frame 24 before it breaks, and no breakage occurs. However, since most of the energy (kinetic energy) of the flying stones is absorbed by the deflection of the wheel cover board 1 until the gap 10 is reduced to zero, the energy that the frame 24 must absorb becomes small. More precisely, the frame body 24 is
Since this deflection amount is also added, the allowable deflection amount of the wheel cover board is calculated and the distance v410 is set.

If this gap does not exist, the frame body 24 will increase the rigidity of the wheel cover board 1, so the amount of deflection will be reduced and the time for impact deceleration will be significantly shortened, so the force caused by the impact will be extremely large. In other words, a double structure with a gap reduces deceleration time, and can significantly improve resistance to flying stones. It should be noted that the above-described process and results for setting the gap 10 can be determined under the worst-case conditions at low temperatures in the case of a material such as polypropylene, which has different elasticity and brittleness depending on the temperature environment, to obtain the desired results.

Furthermore, even if the point of impact is not on the frame, the propagation of deflection to the frame can be controlled by the rigidity distribution of the wheel cover board, so a similar effect can be obtained.

When installing the wheel cover installation device in this example.

The situation after installation is shown in Figures 6 and 7. The outline is the same as that explained using FIG. 4 in the previous example, but although there is only one frame kite rib 83 in FIG. Since they abut and guide, there is no inconvenience in the centering action. In addition, in this example, the connection part 342 of the spring rest 34 can be freely arranged, so that it can be attached to the hub edge from the reinforcing rod 53 or the reason 51 as shown in FIG. Even if it is connected to the hole 50 at 53 degrees, it can be arranged with a certain interval.

The first advantage of this example is that the right material is used in the right place, and the structure is simple with only two body molded products. The somewhat complicated spring body 34 and frame body 24 are realized by integral molding of engineering plastics, which provides mechanical reliability and versatility for various types of wheel covers. On the other hand, the wheel cover board 1 has a boss 12 for installation.
It is designed to be a simple hermaphroditic type that only requires a single piece, and can easily meet a wide variety of design requirements.

The second effect is that the gap 10 allows the wheel cover board 1 to be deflected in terms of impact resistance, and then the frame body 24 receives the deflection, thus using a material with poor physical properties as the material for the wheel cover board 1. It is in a place where it is possible. For example, although polypropylene resin is lightweight and has excellent chemical resistance, it has not been put to practical use in wheel covers because of its inability to overcome brittleness at low temperatures; however, this limitation can be eliminated in this example. Furthermore, when surface decoration is strongly desired, polystyrene blend resins can also be used.

The performance as a wheel cover mounting device is equivalent to that of the previous example, or the reliability is high due to the high performance of maintaining dimensional accuracy due to integration with the frame body 24.

('tS Third Embodiment) Figures 8 to 10 are diagrams showing a third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a plan view of the spring body 35, and the right side is a view from the wheel cover panel. , the lower side is shown as a view from the disk wheel side. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel cover after it has been attached to the disc wheel, and a portion of the wheel cover is also shown with an imaginary line showing how it looks when it is attached. Figure 10 shows the spring body 35
It is an exploded perspective view showing suspension of.

This example shows a measure to make the connection part of the spring body 3 function as the guide rib 8 in the previous example, and a measure to insulate the wheel cover board 1 from the stress of the spring body 3.

The spring body 35 of this example connects the pinched corner portions 351 and 351 that sandwich the wheel nuts 4 through the connecting portions 352 along the wheel nut pitch circle 49 at an interval d, and Between both sides 351.351 is an overhanging ear 3
2 to form a connected ring shape. Since the included angle part 351 and the connecting part 352 are at different heights, the included angle part 351 is provided with a scraped part 353 to make it easier to introduce the nut head ball 41 into the included angle part 351.351. 351
As shown in Fig. 9, the cross section is shaped vertically asymmetrically to improve the ability to pass over the nut and the tightness during fitting.

The projecting ears 32 are integrated from the parallel portion 322 through the folded portion 323 and at the combined portion 326. If the material of the spring body 35 is a liquid crystal polymer or a polymer highly filled with glass fibers, a weld line 327 will be formed in the combined part 326 and the adhesive strength will be weakened, so the cylindrical fastener 93 is used to hold it and strengthen it. The vertical cut provided on this will bite and prevent it from coming off.

The square hole 25 is connected from the wheel cover board 1 via the hinge 20.
A support 25 with a hole 1 is erected. The lateral undercut of the hinge 20 can be easily split by using an obliquely protruding die.

The suspension of the spring body 35 is achieved by firmly fitting the cylindrical fastener 93 into the square hole 251, and the cut of the cylindrical fastener 93 bites into the square hole 251, resulting in a semi-permanent attachment.

FIG. 9 shows the wheel cover in this example when it is installed and after it is installed. First, when the wheel cover is roughly aligned in diameter and placed against the disc wheel, the connecting portion 352' catches the wheel nut and is aligned.

Next, when the wheel cover is rotated with reference to the air valve position, the wheel nut head 41 is placed within the narrow angle part 351°, and when the wheel cover is subsequently pushed in, the wheel nut head 41 is already in the narrow angle part 3.
51 rests on the hexagonal portion 42, so it easily climbs over the wheel nut and is fitted into the undercut formed by the taper portion 40 and the nut seat 54. Since the undercut portion is finished with precision that can be relied upon to perform the function of the part (attaching the wheel to the hub), the narrow angle portion 351 also fits tightly with high precision.

The fitted spring body 35 exhibits strong mounting performance for the same reason as mentioned above.

In this example, the spring body 35 has three parts that serve as a connection part and a guide rib.
52, it has a simple configuration, and the wheel cover board 1 and the fasteners for suspension are simple. Nevertheless, it has an effect comparable to that of the Example.

Furthermore, since the spring body is suspended via the hinge 20, the stress from the spring body 35 does not reach the wheel cover board 1. Therefore, there is no need to choose a material with high strength for the wheel cover board.

The weld line 327 during injection molding of the spring body 35 is held by the metal cylindrical fastener 93, so there is no concern about strength dissatisfaction and liquid crystal polymer can be used, and the adhesion between the tapered surface 40 and the nut seat 54 is determined by It also has a dustproof effect.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The wheel cover mounting device of the present invention also serves as a wheel nut for fastening a disc wheel to a hub. For this reason, it has several advantages over the method of attaching it to the hump of the rim.

First, the depth of the hooking part (undercut amount) is thick and large, and the dimensions are clear. The rim hump is the back side of the bead seat that prevents the tire rim well from falling.
There are no set dimensions, and there are several shapes, some deep and some shallow, and there are large lot and individual differences. On the other hand, wheel nuts and nut seats are important safety parts, and their external shape and dimensions are accurate, the depth used for latching is clear, and the amount of undercut can be twice that of a general hang. Therefore, the attachment of the wheel cover is strong, and there is almost no variation in resistance to falling off.

Second, the pinch circle of the wheel nut has a smaller diameter than the rim and is not deflected. In addition to the radial deflection that occurs constantly in the rim as the wheel rotates, the rim also exhibits lateral deflection of 3 to 5+ nm during high-speed curves. With mounting devices for wheel nuts, there is no deflection, so the setting conditions are always satisfied, and any deflection to the side of the rim hits the outer edge of the wheel cover, so the wheel cover itself will adjust and return. Therefore, the effect on the mounting portion, which is small in diameter, is minimal. For this reason, the installation of the wheel cover is robust, unaffected by vehicle operating conditions, and highly reliable.

Thirdly, the outer edge of the wheel cover can be set in close contact with the rim flange. This effect arises from the same reason as the second effect mentioned above. With the method of mounting on the hump of the rim, if the cover comes into contact with the wheel cover during a vibration shock applied to the wheel, the cover will be knocked out, so it is necessary to maintain a distance between the cover and the flange. This spacing needs to be very large as it must be assumed that wheel balancer weights will be attached. Although the wheel cover is primarily a decoration or a main function, it is unsightly due to the large gaps that allow the inside to be scrutinized, and it also causes stains such as mud seeping in and adhering to it.

This method eliminates the above problems because it is placed in close contact and does not affect the attachment effect, and the decorative function is also perfect.

Fourthly, do not damage the inner surface of the rim. Instead, the wheel nuts will cause scratches, but wheel nuts are originally tightened with wrenches and leave scars, so this is not something to worry about.

Damage to the rim occurs even if the rim is mounted by pressing the plastic mounting claws, and it also occurs at the same location based on the air valve, and since it is located on the outer periphery of the wheel, it may soak in shallow water and cause rust, causing damage to the hole cover. Not only does this make it difficult to remove it, but it also impairs its resistance to falling off. With the installation method targeting wheel nuts, these causes of failure have been greatly improved.

Furthermore, since the wheel cover is attached by inserting the narrow corner of the spring body over the nut and snap-fitting the wheel cover, the wheel cover can be attached by simply pushing it in, making it easy to attach.

After installation, the nut surface is held by the included angle, which completely prevents the wheel cover from rotating and withstands moments of inertia such as during sudden braking.The wedge effect of the included angle also allows it to strongly withstand the pressure applied to the nut. It also has high shedding properties.

Since the spring body is attached to the wheel cover panel using a plastic hinge or the flexibility of the spring itself, the stress generated on the wheel cover panel is zero or very small. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a highly reliable wheel cover that is not affected by the creep phenomenon, which is a characteristic of plastics, and does not deform for many years.

The wheel nut, which the spring body is crimped against, becomes locally hot (a little less than 200℃) during braking, but this heat is only transferred to the spring body and is then air cooled and does not reach the wheel cover board. . Therefore, the material of the wheel cover board itself does not need to have heat resistance, and together with the feature of not requiring creep resistance, general-purpose resin materials (for example, polypropylene, etc.) can be used, and the material has wide applicability and is highly economical.

Brake heat dissipation is dealt with by providing air holes in both the disc wheel and the wheel cover, but the mounting device of the present invention does not prevent heat dissipation because it is located inside the air holes and has a small diameter.

Furthermore, the air holes in the wheel cover are the main feature of the design, which is the main function of the cover, but the mounting device of the present invention does not limit the design shape because of its small diameter. At the same time, in conjunction with the above-mentioned freedom in material selection, surface treatments such as painting and plating are also free, so the wheel cover design can be done completely freely.

Since wheel cover machines can be molded using only two male and female molds, productivity is good and mold costs are low. Therefore, it is suitable for both mass production and high-mix low-volume production. Furthermore, this point has a synergistic effect with the effects described above.

From the foregoing, the present invention provides a mounting device with wide versatility, high performance, high productivity, high economic efficiency, and an excellent product.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, partially exploded to show the structure. ′! fS2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 are explanatory diagrams of the conventional example, FIGS. It is an explanatory diagram showing an example. 1... Wheel cover board 2... Support tool 3... Spring body 4... Wheel nut 5... Disc wheel 8... Guide rib 9... Fastener parts
α...Four other people ￥2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 6] - Figure 7 Figure 10

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A wheel nut that tightens a disc wheel is selected as an attachment target, and a spring body suspended from the wheel cover via a support is fitted onto the wheel nut, thereby tightening the wheel cover to the disc. In the wheel cover mounting device that is mounted on the wheel, the spring body is integrally molded from a plastic material, and has a pinched corner portion that individually clamps an appropriate number of wheel nuts selected from the group of wheel nuts. However, both sides of this narrow angle part are connected through an overhanging ear, and one side is connected with adjacent sides through a connecting part, so that the entire shape is formed into a connected ring shape. , wheel cover mounting device. 2. A wheel cover that attaches the wheel cover to the disc wheel by selecting the wheel nut that tightens the disc wheel as the installation target and fitting the spring body suspended from the wheel cover via a support into the wheel nut. In the mounting device, the support body and the spring body are formed by integrally molding a plastic material, and the spring body has a pinched corner portion that individually clamps each wheel nut selected from the group of wheel nuts described above. Both sides of this narrow angle part are connected through overhanging ears, and one side is connected with adjacent sides through a connecting part, so that the entire shape is connected to form an annular shape, and the supporting body is A wheel cover mounting device comprising a frame connected to the spring body and extending along the back surface of the wheel cover, and assembled with a slight gap between the frame and the wheel cover. . 3. The wheel cover mounting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting portion is formed along a pitch circle of the group of wheel nuts. 4. The wheel cover mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the plastic material is a plastic material highly filled with long fiber glass. 5. The wheel cover mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the plastic material is a liquid crystal polymer material.