JPH0425530Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a blind cap for decorating an unused wheel mounting hole in an automobile wheel into a covered state.

<Prior art> Generally, automobile wheels are fastened and fixed to hub bolts protruding from the axle through nuts through wheel mounting holes opened in the disk surface of the wheels. It is customary for the wheel mounting holes to be five in total, and for small and medium-sized automobiles to have four wheel mounting holes in total, all of which are arranged in a radially symmetrical distribution pattern.

Therefore, when it comes to replacement wheel manufacturers, the total number of mounting holes for the wheel should be different.
Although it is necessary to manufacture and prepare two types of wheels in advance, wheels with a distribution arrangement and a large number of wheel mounting holes that are compatible with the two types have recently been commercially available.

Also, the above wheel mounting hole is located at its PCD (Pitch).
The circle diameter (Circle Diameter) also varies from car manufacturer to car manufacturer and car model to car model, but there are already wheels with a wide variety of wheel mounting holes that can be used interchangeably in response to these changes.
No. 55761 and US Pat. No. 3,788,705.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> However, in a wheel in which the extra wheel mounting holes are arranged in an open arrangement as described above, those that are not used for mounting on the axle side are exposed in the open state on the disk surface. As a result, when the wheel is sold at a store or installed on a car, the cosmetic effect of the wheel is significantly impaired, which actually defeats the purpose of using the replacement wheel.

<Means for solving the problem> The present invention is intended to solve the above problem, and for this purpose, a pair of wheel mounting holes that are opened on the disk surface of an automobile wheel are covered. It consists of a clamping plate, an elastic plate interposed between them, and a screw fastener that passes through the center of these plates. When the screw fastener is tightened after being fitted into the wheel mounting hole, the elastic plate expands to a larger diameter. It is characterized in that it is deformed and set to be press-fitted to the inner wall surface of the wheel mounting hole.

<Example> Hereinafter, the specific structure of the present invention will be described in detail based on the illustrated example. In FIGS. 1 to 3 showing the assembled state of the blind cap, 11 and 12 are a pair of front and back clamping plates. They are made of aluminum or other metal plate to have a circular shape when viewed from the front, and bolt receiving holes 15 and 16 having concave stepped surface portions 13 and 14 are opened in the center of each hole. In that case, the hole 1 in the back side clamping plate 12
It is preferable that the recessed stepped surface portion 14 of No. 6 is formed into a hexagonal groove that engages with a nut of a screw fastening body, which will be described later, or another square groove type. This is because when the cover is closed and the screw fastening body is tightened, the nut can be automatically prevented from turning around with respect to the bolt.

However, it goes without saying that the hollow holes 15 and 16 may not have the recessed stepped surface portions 13 and 14. It is also possible to apply a suitable color to the surface of the front side clamping plate 11, or to add characters or decorative patterns 17 indicating that the cap is a blind cap by engraving, printing, or other means. Further, both the holding plates 11 and 12 may have the same structure so that they can be used in common by turning them over.

Reference numeral 18 is a sponge or other elastic plate interposed between the opposing clamping plates 11 and 12, and is made in the shape of a disk that is considerably thicker than each clamping plate 11 and 12. A bolt receiving hole 19 is opened through the bolt. If the elastic plate 18 is preferably made of a material with a roughened surface, such as a sponge, when it is pressed against the inner wall surface of the wheel mounting hole, which will be described later, the frictional force with the inner wall surface will be reduced. This is extremely beneficial as it will increase further. Further, although the diameter D of the elastic plate 18 is set to be the same as that of both the clamping plates 11 and 12 in the illustrated example, it may be changed slightly in size.

Furthermore, 20 is a screw fastening body consisting of a headed bolt 21 and a nut 22, and both clamping plates 11 and 12
The elastic plate 18 is skewered through the entire elastic plate 18, and when the elastic plate 18 is tightened, the elastic plate 18 compresses and expands to a larger diameter as if escaping, compressing it to the inner wall surface of the wheel mounting hole. It's becoming like that.

In other words, as is clear from the usage condition shown in Fig. 4, the blind cap of the present invention can be smoothly inserted into and taken out of the wheel mounting hole as it is unless the screw fastener 20 is tightened. After fitting the bolt 21 into the nut 22, rotate the bolt 21 from the outside and tighten it with the nut 22.
Due to the deforming force of the elastic plate 18, the relationship is set so that the elastic plate 18 is crimped and integrated with the inner wall surface of the wheel mounting hole so that it cannot fall off.

Next, FIGS. 5 and 6 show a modification of the present invention, in which the circular outer peripheral surfaces of the pair of clamping plates 11 and 12 and the elastic plate 18 have concave curves when viewed from the front due to the structure of the blind cap. A relief notch 23 is provided. While the blind cap allows the wheel mounting hole to be covered, the relief notch 23 prevents interference with the hub bolt or nut in another wheel mounting hole that is adjacent to and communicates with the wheel mounting hole. It is designed to be prevented by still,
The shape of the relief notch 23 is not limited to the concave shape when viewed from the front as shown in the figure.

<Function> Figure 7 shows the difference in PCD, r1, r2, and r3.
The disc surface M of an automobile wheel is shown in which wheel mounting holes a, b, and c of each type are arranged and distributed in an overall radially symmetrical manner. Using hole a,
Assuming that the wheel is integrally attached to the automobile by tightening the nut 25 to the hub bolt 24 protruding from the axle side inside the wheel, the remaining two types of wheel attachment holes b and c are formed on the disk surface M. The entire opening will be exposed in an unsightly manner.

Therefore, as is clear from FIGS. 4 and 8, the blind caps of the present invention are fitted into the exposed wheel mounting holes b and c, and the bolts 21 of the screw fastening body 20 are tightened from the outside. , rotate the nut 2 with a suitable tool 26 such as a wrench.
It tightens up against 2.

By doing so, the elastic plate 18 is connected to the front and back pair of clamping plates 1
1 and 12, expands and deforms to a larger diameter of diameter D, and is crimped and integrated with the inner wall surfaces of wheel mounting holes b and c. This allows you to get a lid-covered state.

In addition, Fig. 9 shows that two types of wheel mounting holes d for medium and small-sized automobiles, which have a total of 4, and wheel mounting holes e, which have a total of 5 large-sized automobiles, are all made of the same PCD.
Although the disk surface M of an automobile wheel is shown arranged and distributed in the shape of r, the unused wheel mounting holes of such a wheel can also be elegantly covered and decorated using the same method as described above. .

However, in the wheel shown in FIG. 9, the wheel mounting holes d of one type and the wheel mounting holes e of the other type are partially close to each other, and due to the adjacent ones, the overall shape in front view is It is possible that there will be a communication opening in the shape of a Daruma hole. In such a case,
By using the blind cap provided with the relief notch 23, the wheel mounting hole e close to the wheel mounting hole d where the hub bolt 24 and the nut 25 are present is fixed using the same method described above.
The lid is put on as shown in Figure 0.

<Effects of the invention> In summary, the invention provides wheel mounting holes a, which are opened in the disc surface M of an automobile wheel.
It is made up of a pair of clamping plates 11 and 12, an elastic plate 18 interposed between them, and a screw fastening body 20 passing through the center of these plates. When the screw fastening body 20 is tightened after being fitted into the holes a to e, the elastic plate 18 expands and deforms to a large diameter and is set to be crimped to the inner wall surface of the wheel mounting holes a to e. , can reliably solve the problems of the prior art mentioned at the beginning, are extremely simple in terms of operations necessary for use, are simplified in overall configuration, and are highly suitable for mass production. It can be said that this is an extremely practical idea.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view of the blind cap according to the present invention, Figs. 2 and 3 are a rear view and a half-cut sectional view, Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the blind cap in use, and Fig. 5 is a modification of the blind cap. Figure 6 is a half-cut sectional view of the same, Figure 7 is a front view of an automobile wheel with three types of wheel mounting holes arranged and distributed depending on the PCD, and Figure 8 is its blind cap. 9 is a front view showing the wheel disc surface with the lid covered, FIG. 9 is a front view showing the disc surface of an automobile wheel in which two types of mutually identical wheel mounting holes of PCD are arranged and distributed, and FIG. It is a front view of the blind cap with the lid closed. 11, 12...Holding plate, 18...Elastic plate, 20
... Screw fastener, 23 ... Relief notch, a to e ...
Wheel mounting hole, M...Wheel disc surface.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. A pair of clamping plates, an elastic plate interposed between them, and a hole penetrating through the center thereof, as a means of covering a wheel mounting hole opened on the disk surface of an automobile wheel. It consists of a screw fastening body and is set so that when the screw fastening body is fitted into the wheel mounting hole and the screw fastening body is tightened, the elastic plate expands and deforms to a larger diameter and is crimped against the inner wall surface of the wheel mounting hole. A blind cap with wheel mounting holes featuring 2. The blind cap for a wheel mounting hole according to claim 1, wherein a relief notch is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the pair of clamping plates and the elastic plate interposed between them. 3. The blind cap for a wheel mounting hole according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the elastic plate is roughened.