ADAPTIVE RIM, RIM SYSTEM, VEHICLE AND ASSEMBLY METHOD

Abstract

An adaptive rim has a disk wheel center and a central wheel flange, which are arranged concentrically to one another and are connected to one another. Between the disk wheel center and the wheel flange a detachable connection is formed, wherein the disk wheel center and the wheel flange can be separated from one another after the connection is released. Thus, the wheel flange in the case that it is incompatible with a wheel suspension, can easily be exchanged for another compatible wheel flange. Accordingly, a rim system has at least one rim and a first wheel flange detachably connected to said disk wheel center, and at least one second wheel flange, in which, after the disk wheel center and the first wheel flange have been separated from one another, the second wheel flange instead of the first wheel flange can be detachably connected to the disk wheel center.

Claims

1. An adaptive rim (1) with a disk wheel center (3) and a central wheel flange (4, 12, 14, 17, 19), which are arranged concentrically to one another and are connected to one another, characterized in that a detachable connection is formed between the disk wheel center (3) and the wheel flange (4, 12, 14, 17, 19) and the disk wheel center (3) and wheel flange (4, 12, 14, 17, 19) can be separated from one another after the connection has been released.

2. The adaptive rim (1) according to claim 1, in which the disk wheel center (3) and the wheel flange (4, 12, 14, 17, 19) are connected to one another by means of screws and/or a clamping device and/or a latching device and/or a positive connection and/or by means of bolts and nuts screwed on to them.

3. The adaptive rim (1) according to claim 1 with at least one device, which is configured to prevent the tire and the rim (1) from shifting or twisting relative to one another when a tire is arranged on the rim (1).

4. The adaptive rim (1) according to claim 1, in which the wheel flange (14, 19) is designed with a recess (16, 21) for receiving a hub of a wheel suspension and/or in which the disk wheel center (3) is designed as a spoke wheel center or as a wheel disk.

5. A rim system with at least one adaptive rim (1) according to claim 1, which has a disk wheel center (3) and a first wheel flange (4) detachably connected to said disk wheel center, and at least one second wheel flange (12, 14, 17, 19), wherein after the disk wheel center (3) and the first wheel flange (4) have been separated from one another the second wheel flange instead of (12, 14, 17, 19) the first wheel flange (4) can be detachably connected to the disk wheel center (3).

6. The rim system according to claim 5, in which at least two or all wheel flanges (4, 12, 14, 17, 19) are designed differently and/or in which at least two of the wheel flanges (4, 12, 14, 17, 19) are identical.

7. A vehicle with at least one adaptive rim (1) with a disk wheel center and a central wheel flange, which are arranged concentrically to one another and are connected to one another, characterized in that a detachable connection is formed between the disk wheel center and the wheel flange and the disk wheel center and wheel flange can be separated from one another after the connection has been released and/or with at least one adaptive rim (1) at least of one rim system according to claim 5.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, in which it is a land vehicle, an aircraft or a spacecraft or a model vehicle or a toy vehicle.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7, which can be operated either by muscle power and/or by at least one internal combustion engine and/or by at least one electric motor and/or by means of hydrogen.

10. A mounting method for mounting an adaptive rim (1) with a disk wheel center and a central wheel flange, which are arranged concentrically to one another and are connected to one another, characterized in that a detachable connection is formed between the disk wheel center and the wheel flange and the disk wheel center and wheel flange can be separated from one another after the connection has been released or an adaptive rim (1) of a rim system according to any one of claim 5 or 6 on a vehicle according to claim 7, in which a disk wheel center (3) and a wheel flange (4, 12, 14, 17, 19) are joined together to form the rim (1), the disk wheel center (3) and the wheel flange (4, 12, 14, 17, 19) are detachably connected to one another, and the rim (1) is mounted on a wheel suspension of the vehicle.

11. The mounting method according to claim 10, in which a connection between the disk wheel center (3) and a first wheel flange (4) of a rim (1) of a rim system is released, the disk wheel center (3) and the first wheel flange (4) are separated from one another, a second wheel flange (12, 14, 17, 19) instead of the first wheel flange (4) is joined together with the disk wheel center (3) to form the rim (1), the disk wheel center (3) and the second wheel flange (12, 14, 17, 19) are detachably connected to one another, and the rim (1) having the second wheel flange (12, 14, 17, 19) and the disk wheel center (3) is mounted on the wheel suspension of the vehicle.

Description

[0019] The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments and with the aid of figures.

[0020] FIG. 1a) shows a front view of an adaptive rim;

[0021] FIG. 1b) shows a cross section through the rim of FIG. 1a);

[0022] FIG. 1c) shows a rear view of the rim of FIG. 1a);

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a wheel flange;

[0024] FIG. 3a)-d) shows several differently designed wheel flanges.

[0025] FIG. 1a) shows a rim 1 or adapter rim for a passenger car in a front view or from the front, while FIG. 1b) shows a cross section through the rim 1. In contrast, the rim 1 can be seen in FIG. 1c) in a rear view or from the rear. The rim 1 has a peripheral outer ring 2, a disk wheel center 3 and a wheel flange 4.

[0026] The outer ring 2 is designed in a known manner with a circumferential and outwardly open depression 5 for receiving a tire not shown in the figures. After mounting a tire on the ring 2, the combination of the circumferential tire and the rim 1 forms a wheel, which is provided for mounting on a wheel suspension of the passenger vehicle. In principle, however, the rim 1 can also be mounted on a wheel suspension without a tire mounted on it. In particular, the rim 1 or the wheel can be equipped with a beadlock device.

[0027] In the present case, the disk wheel center 3 is a bowl-like sprocket wheel rim with design-related openings 6. At its outer periphery, the disk wheel center 3 is connected to the outer ring 2, which extends around the entire circumference of the disk wheel center 3. The exact shape of the disk wheel center 3 is irrelevant, so that the disk wheel center 3 could alternatively also be designed as a spoke wheel center, with one or more spokes or as a smooth wheel disk without openings 6. A through hole 7 is also formed in the center of disk wheel center 3, wherein the disk wheel center 3 has a reduced thickness along an end section 8 extending circumferentially around the through hole 7 or surrounding or enclosing the through hole 7. As can be seen in the cross section of FIG. 1b), the disk wheel center 3 has a recess along the end section 8 and is designed step-like as a result of this or it has a step as a result, wherein when the rim 1 is mounted on the wheel suspension of the passenger car the recess is facing the latter. A plurality of bores 9 are provided at regular intervals along the end section 8.

[0028] The wheel flange 4 is arranged within the through hole 7 of the disk wheel center 3 or the wheel flange 4 is arranged to close the through hole 7. As can be seen in FIG. 2, in which the wheel flange 4 is shown in a top view and in a side view, the wheel flange 4 is essentially disk-shaped. It has a stepped end section 10 complementary to the step-like recess of the end section 8 of the disk wheel center 3, wherein the end section 8 is received in the recess of the end section 10 and vice versa. The end sections 8 and 10 thus rest against one another or they come into contact. In particular, threaded bores 11 are formed along the end section 10, which correspond to the bores 9 of the end section 8 of the disk wheel center 3. The wheel flange 4 is thereby detachably connected to the disk wheel center 3 by means of screws, wherein in each case a screw extends through each of the bores 9, which screw engages with a respective threaded bore 11 and is screwed into it.

[0029] By means of the wheel flange 4, the rim 1 can now be mounted on the wheel suspension. For this purpose, the wheel flange is designed with corresponding bores for screw connections, which in turn are compatible with threaded bores of the wheel suspension and which are indeed not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for reasons of clarity but also for generality, but which FIGS. 3a) -d) show for four differently designed wheel flanges.

[0030] Thus, a front view of a wheel flange 12 with five bores 13 arranged symmetrically about the central axis of the wheel flange 12 can be seen in FIG. 3a). FIG. 3b) shows a wheel flange 14, which also has five symmetrically arranged bores 15. In addition to the bores 15, the wheel flange 14 is provided with a recess 16 for receiving hubs of wheel suspensions, in order to facilitate the mounting of the rim 1. In contrast, the wheel flange 17 of FIG. 3c) has six bores 18 arranged symmetrically about the central axis, while the wheel flange 19 of FIG. 3d) has, in addition to six symmetrically arranged bores 20, a central recess for a hub 21 of a wheel suspension.

[0031] It is obvious that each of the wheel flanges 12, 14, 17 and 19 of FIGS. 3a)-d) can only be connected to a respectively compatible wheel suspension. Only the wheel flange 12 can be mounted on a wheel suspension with five symmetrical threaded bores that does not have a central hub, while only the wheel flange 19 can be mounted on a wheel suspension with six symmetrical threaded bores and a central hub. The same applies to the wheel flanges 14 and 17. However, like the wheel flange 4, each of the four wheel flanges 12, 14, 17, 19 can be connected to the disk wheel center 3, since all five wheel flanges 4, 12, 14, 17, 19 have circumferential bores 9, which are arranged in accordance with the threaded bores 11 of the disk wheel center 3.

[0032] If the disk wheel center 3 were permanently or non-detachably connected to one of the wheel flanges 4, 12, 14, 17 and 19, as is the case with known rims, the rim 1 could not be mounted on a vehicle without an additional adapter, which has a wheel suspension not compatible with its wheel flange 4 , 12, 14, 17, 19. Or else the rim 1 would have to be completely replaced by another rim.

[0033] However, since in the case of rim 1 the disk wheel center 3 and the wheel flange 4 are detachably connected to one another, they can be separated after releasing and removing the screws extending through the bores 9 and screwed into the threaded bores 11. The wheel flange 4, which is not compatible with the wheel suspension, can now be exchanged for a suitable one of the wheel flanges 12, 14, 17 and 19. After connecting the respectively matching wheel flange 12, 14, 17 and 19 to the disk wheel center 3, which is done by means of screws as with the replaced wheel flange 4, the rim 1 now adapted to the wheel suspension, with which it was previously incompatible or with which its original wheel flange 4 is not compatible, can be mounted on the wheel suspension.

[0034] Thus, the rim 1 in combination with the wheel flanges 12, 14, 18 and 19 forms a rim system which allows the rim 1 to be adapted to a plurality of different wheel suspensions or to make it compatible with them.

[0035] It goes without saying that the rim system is not only limited to four additional wheel flanges and in particular also not to the wheel flanges 12, 14, 18 and 19 shown in FIGS. 3a)-d), but rather that the rim system can have any number of wheel flanges and also wheel flanges compatible with any number of different wheel suspensions.

[0036] In addition, the rim system can also have two or more identically designed wheel flanges so that, in the event of damage to a wheel flange, it can be quickly exchanged for a new or undamaged wheel flange for the same wheel suspension.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0037] 1. rim [0038] 2. ring [0039] 3. disk wheel center [0040] 4. wheel flange [0041] 5. depression [0042] 6. opening [0043] 7. through hole [0044] 8. end section [0045] 9. bore [0046] 10. end section [0047] 11. threaded bore [0048] 12. wheel flange [0049] 13. bore [0050] 14. wheel flange [0051] 15. bore [0052] 16. recess [0053] 17. wheel flange [0054] 18. bore [0055] 19. wheel flange [0056] 20. bore [0057] 21. recess