JPH0728001Y2 - Wheel cap - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a wheel cap for an automobile, and more particularly, to a wheel center cap detachably attached to a center portion of a light alloy wheel.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a light alloy wheel, for example, an aluminum wheel is superior in design to a sheet metal wheel. Therefore, the wheel made of sheet metal is generally equipped with a wheel cover that covers the outer surface of the wheel. However, in the aluminum wheel, the wheel itself has a decorative surface, and it is necessary to install the wheel cover. There is no. However, even in the case of an aluminum wheel, a cap-shaped decorative cap, that is, a wheel center cap, is generally attached to the outer center portion of the wheel for attaching the wheel to the axle of an automobile.

The shape of the wheel center cap differs depending on the shape of the wheel outer surface on the locking side, but basically,
It has the following configuration. That is, the wheel center cap is a cap body that includes a decorative wall that covers the center of the wheel and a cylindrical outer peripheral wall that supports the decorative wall,
It comprises a locking means for locking the cap body to the wheel.

The wheel center cap is detachably attached to the wheel like the wheel cover described above. On the other hand, the center side of the aluminum wheel on the mounted side is a part to be mounted on the axle side of the automobile, and the periphery of the center part is the decorative surface of the wheel. The central portion is recessed toward the axle side from the decorative surface, and a wheel nut for locking the wheel on the axle side is arranged on the bottom surface of the recess. The wheel center cap is placed in this recess. The use of the wheel center cap is mainly for decoration, and generally, the outer surface of the wheel is located at a position where the upper surface of the decorative wall of the wheel center cap substantially coincides with the outer surface of the wheel.

By the way, the wheel center cap is detachably attached to the wheel, but its attaching force is such that it cannot be pulled out by hand so as not to be easily detached from the wheel. Therefore, when removing the wheel center cap from the wheel, generally, the removing lever is used to prune the wheel cap. In addition, the prying position of the removal lever is a position less noticeable than the outside, that is, the prying wheel center cap body member near the bottom surface of the recessed portion of the wheel.
Further, in order to facilitate the prying operation, a notch is provided in the lower end portion of the cylindrical outer peripheral wall of the wheel center cap body, that is, the tip portion, and the tip portion of the detaching lever is inserted into the notch, and the wheel side is properly attached. Prying work is performed by using another member, for example, a wheel nut as a fulcrum. However, when the wheel center cap is removed from the wheel by using the notch, the tip of the detaching lever slips out of the notch, and the corner between the notch and the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall including the notch is removed by the lever. It is often damaged or the outer peripheral surface near the corner is scratched. In this way, when a scratch is generated at a position visible from the outside of the wheel, the design value of the wheel center cap provided for design purposes is impaired.

Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that, when the wheel cap is removed from the wheel, the outer peripheral surface of the wheel cap that is visible from the outside is damaged by prying work of the removal lever. An object of the present invention is to provide a wheel cap that is attached to the center of a wheel and has a structure that does not interfere with it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION (Structure) In order to achieve the above technical problems, the present invention has the following structure.

That is, the wheel cap of the present invention has a recess in the center of the outside of the wheel, that is, the outside of the vehicle when the wheel is mounted on the vehicle body, and a plurality of wheel nuts for mounting the wheel in the recess. The light-alloy wheel arranged in the periphery is provided with a locking means that is detachably locked, and is configured to be detachably fitted in the recess and inside the wheel nut. Further, the wheel cap is for removing the wheel cap from the wheel at the end of the outer peripheral wall of the wheel cap main body facing the wheel nut and corresponding to the position on the center line connecting the centers of the wheel and the wheel nut. It has a notch. Moreover, the notch has at least two steps and is formed so that its radial cross section has a stepped shape. Further, the inner step of the step has a distal end side of the outer peripheral wall more than the outer step, That is, it is formed so as to be located on the side opposite to the decorative wall.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, the wheel cap is fitted into the recess of the wheel and is detachably locked to the wheel by the locking means of the wheel cap. When removing the locked wheel cap from the wheel, insert the tip of the removal lever into the opening of the notch located at the end of the outer peripheral wall of the wheel cap body, and use the lever to move the wheel cap body to the outside of the wheel. I will be scolding. Moreover, the notch is located at a position facing the wheel nut located in the recess of the wheel. Therefore, when the wheel cap main body is lifted up to the outside of the wheel, the work of removing the wheel cap can be efficiently performed by using the head of the wheel nut as the fulcrum of the lever. This is because, as described above, the notch is arranged at the position on the center line connecting the centers of the wheel and the wheel nut on the outer peripheral wall end of the wheel cap body. Thus, the term "on the centerline" as used herein does not mean strictly above the centerline. That is, when the removal lever is used for removal, the notch can be used as the point of action into which the tip is inserted, and the wheel nut head can be used as the point of action of the removal lever. The positions of the cutouts, that is, the positions near the center line are all included in the term "on the center line". further,
The notch is formed in a step shape along the radial direction.
That is, if the tip of the removal lever is inserted into the notch toward the center in the radial direction, it abuts on the step sidewall located inside the stepped step, and then the wheel cap body is removed from the wheel. If the removal lever is tilted with the wheel nut head as a fulcrum so as to correspond to the pulling direction, the tip of the lever comes into contact with the stepped step, and the wheel cap body can be pulled out to the outside of the wheel. Further, the notch of the present invention has a step shape having at least two steps, and as one aspect of the present invention,
By making the depth of the step surface of the step portion located outside the wheel cap body short and making the depth of the step surface of the step portion subsequent thereto relatively long, the step surface of the latter step portion is not covered by the detachable lever. It is relatively easy to make it the point of action.

(Effect) In the above structure, the wheel cap main body is provided with a notch having a stepwise radial cross section, and the step surface of the stepped portion located inside the wheel cap main body of the notch is the removal lever. If it becomes the operated point of the lever corresponding to the tip of the wheel cap, scratches due to the tip of the removal lever accompanying the removal work of the wheel cap occur on the outer peripheral surface of the wheel cap body, that is, at the position visible from the outside of the wheel cap. Absent. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent a reduction in the design value of the wheel cap. because,
It is not necessary to make the position in contact with the outer surface the operated point of the removal lever, and even if the step surface is damaged by the tip of the lever, the damage cannot be visually recognized from the outside of the wheel cap. This is because it does not reduce the design value of the wheel cap.

That is, the notch having a simple structure enables the wheel cap removal work without causing a scratch on the outer periphery of the wheel cap body when the wheel cap body is removed. Therefore, it can be said that the wheel cap provided with such a notch is a preferable example that can effectively prevent a decrease in design value due to external damage caused by removal of the wheel cap.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 show a wheel cap according to an embodiment of the present invention, more specifically, a state in which a wheel center cap is attached to a wheel. In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a wheel center cap, and the wheel center cap 10 faces a wheel 2 from a decorative wall 1a having a substantially star-shaped planar shape whose surface is a decorative surface and a rear surface of the decorative wall 1a. The wheel center cap main body 1 is integrally formed with the extending cylindrical member 1b, and the locking means 3 for locking the cap main body 1 to the mounted portion of the wheel 2. On the other hand, the wheel 2 to which the wheel center cap 10 is attached is an aluminum wheel,
A first recess 2a into which the cap body 1 is fitted is provided at the center of the outside thereof, that is, the outside of the vehicle body when the wheel is mounted on the vehicle body, and the locking means 3 is provided at the center of the first recess 2a. Is provided with a second recess 2b.
Further, five wheel nuts 4 are annularly arranged at equal intervals in the first recess 2a so that the wheel 2 can be mounted on the axle (not shown) side. The wheel nut 4
Is located in the counterbore 2c in which a part of the peripheral wall of the first recess 2a is countersunk to enable the tightening work. Further, 6 indicates a shaft end portion from which an axle (not shown) projects.

Further, in detail, the decorative wall 1a is cut out in a semicircular shape at a position corresponding to the arrangement of the wheel nut 4 so as not to hinder the attachment / detachment work of the wheel nut 4.
As a result, it has a substantially star-shaped planar shape. And a cylindrical member extending from the rear surface of the decorative wall 1a to the wheel side.
The locking means 3 is attached to the lower end of the inner peripheral surface of 1b.
The locking means 3 includes an annular portion 3a fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member 1b, and the second concave portion of the wheel 2 from the annular portion 3a.
The elastic body is integrally provided with a plurality of locking claws 3b extending into 2b. The tip of each locking claw 3b is provided with a convex portion that projects outward in the radial direction, and the convex portion elastically fits into an annular locking groove 2d formed on the peripheral wall of the second concave portion. It is supposed to be stopped. In this manner, when the wheel center cap body 1 is locked by the wheel 2 by the locking means 3, the cap 10 has the surface of the decorative wall 1a substantially aligned with the surface of the wheel 2. Is dimensioned. It should be noted that, in view of the design, the counterbore 2c in which the wheel nut 4 is arranged has approximately half the counterbore 2c so that the inside of the wheel center cap body 1 is not visually recognized from the outside of the wheel. A shield wall 1d extending from the surface of the wheel center cap body 1 to the bottom surface of the first recess 2a is provided.

By the way, the locked wheel center cap 10
The wheel center cap body 1 is provided with a notch 1c for removing the wheel from the wheel 2 using the lever 5. The notch 1c includes a wheel 2 and a wheel nut 4
And the wheel nut 4 on the center line connecting the centers of
It is provided on the outer periphery of the lower end of the shielding wall 1d of the cap body 1 facing the above. FIG. 3 is a radial cross-sectional view of the notch 1c formed at the lower end of the shielding wall. As well shown in the drawing, the notch 1c is formed in a step shape from the outer surface of the shielding wall 1d toward the inner side in the radial direction. That is, the first step portion 1f is provided radially inward from the outer surface, and the second step portion is further provided on the tip side of the shielding wall 1d from the first step portion 1f, that is, on the bottom surface side of the first recess 2a. It is equipped with 1g. The depth of the first step portion 1f of the notch 1c is the second step portion 1g.
It is dimensioned so that it is shorter than the depth and the remaining wall surface 1h of the shielding wall 1d is located in front of the second step portion 1g. Furthermore, the end portion 1e on the radially outer side of the second step portion 1g has an appropriate rounded shape.

According to the above configuration, the wheel center cap body 1
Is detachably locked to the wheel 2 by the locking claws 3b of the locking means 3 provided on the cap body 1. In order to remove the locked cap body 1 from the wheel, as shown in FIG.
The cap body 1 may be pryed outward (to the left in the drawing). That is, the tip of the lever 5 is inserted into the notch 1c, and the lever 5 is tilted downward in the drawing at the position where the tip of the lever 5 abuts on the remaining wall surface 1h of the notch 1c. At this time, the head portion of the wheel nut 4 can be used as a fulcrum of the lever 5, so that the wheel center cap body 1 can be removed efficiently. Furthermore, since the notch 1c has the above shape, the work of removing the cap body 1 can be performed more efficiently. That is, since the notch 1c is formed so as not to penetrate the shield wall 1d, the positioning of the tip of the detaching lever 5 in the notch 1c becomes easy. Furthermore, when the tip portion is inserted into the notch 1c, the end portion 1e of the second step portion 1g has an appropriate rounded shape so that the tip portion of the detaching lever 5 comes into contact with the remaining portion wall surface 1h. It will be easier. Therefore, the removal lever 5
It becomes possible that the operated point of the lever 5 in the prying operation is always located on the step surface of the second step portion 1g.

According to the above configuration, when the wheel center cap body 1 is detached from the wheel 2, the problem that the tip of the detaching lever 5 damages the outer peripheral surface of the cap body 1 is effectively reduced. This is because the tip of the lever 5 has the inside of the outer peripheral wall of the wheel center cap body 1 as the acted point. Moreover, even if the point of action, more specifically, the step surface of the second step portion 1g of the notch 1c is damaged, from the outside of the wheel center cap 10,
It is difficult to visually recognize it, and therefore, the decorative design value which is the purpose of the wheel center cap 10 is not impaired.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 show a state in which a wheel cap according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a wheel. FIG. 1 is a front view, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. The drawing is an enlarged sectional view of a portion A in FIG. 1 …… Wheel center cap body, 1a …… Decorative wall,
1b …… Cylindrical member, 1c …… Notch, 1d …… Shielding wall, 1e ……
Edge, 1f ... 1st step, 1g ... 2nd step, 1h ... Remaining part wall surface, 2 ... Wheel, 2a ... 1st recess, 2b ... 2nd recess, 2c ... Counterbore Part, 2d ... locking groove, 3 ... locking means,
3a-annular part, 3b-locking claw, 4-wheel nut, 5-remove lever, 6-axle end part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A recess (2a) in the outer center of the wheel (2).
And a plurality of wheel nuts (4) for mounting the wheel (2), the locking means (3) being removably locked to the light alloy wheel arranged around the inside of the recess (2a). And is detachably fitted into the recess (2a) and inside the wheel nut (4), and the cap is attached to the outer peripheral wall (1d) of the wheel cap body (1) located in the recess. A wheel cap is provided with a notch (1c) into which the tip of a detaching lever (5) for detaching the main body (1) from the wheel (2) is inserted, and the notch (1c) is the wheel. It is provided at the end of the outer peripheral wall (1d) of the wheel cap body (1) facing the nut (4) and corresponding to the position on the center line that connects the centers of the wheel (2) and the wheel nut (4), When It is formed stepwise along the radial cross section so as to have two step portions (1f, 1g), and the inner step portion (1g) of the above step portion is the outer peripheral wall more than the outer step portion (1f). A wheel cap, which is formed so as to be located on the tip side of (1d).