WHEEL FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

A wheel (1) for a vehicle and a related method for manufacturing the wheel includes a rim (2) and a wheel center (3). The wheel center includes several spokes (4) extending from a hub (5), with a center opening (6), radially outwards to the rim (2). The hub (5) is made from a fiber-reinforced plastic material and is covered on the outboard side from a three-dimensionally shaped support cover (7) made from metallic material.

Claims

1. A wheel (1) for a vehicle comprising: a. a rim (2); and b. a wheel center (3) comprising i. several spokes (4) extending from a hub (5), comprising a center opening (6), radially outwards to the rim (2), wherein ii. the hub (5) is made from a fiber-reinforced plastic material and is covered on the outboard side from a three-dimensionally shaped support cover (7) made from metallic material.

2. The wheel (1) according to claim 1, wherein the hub (5) comprises fastening openings (8) which are arranged around the center opening (6) with the support cover (7) encompassing the fastening openings (8).

3. The wheel (1) according to claim 2, wherein the three-dimensionally shaped support cover (7) merges into at least one first bushing (9) which extends at least partially through the fiber-reinforced plastic material of the hub (5), wherein the at least one first bushing (9) is arranged in a respective bushing-opening (10) of the fiber-reinforced plastic material of the hub (5).

4. The wheel (1) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one first bushing (9) has a conical outer surface (11) which interacts in the mounted position with a corresponding inner surface (12) of the fiber-reinforced material of the hub (5).

5. The wheel (1) according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcing fibers arranged in the Fiber-reinforced plastic material encircle at least partially the at least one first bushing (9).

6. The wheel (1) according to claim 5, wherein the reinforcing fibers further extend in radial direction of the wheel (1) through at least one spoke (4) towards the rim (200).

7. The wheel (1) according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensionally shaped support cover (7) is integrated into the outer contour of wheel center (3).

8. The wheel (1) according to claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced material of the hub (5) comprises a recess (13) in which the three-dimensionally shaped support cover (7) is embedded.

9. The wheel (1) according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensionally shaped support cover (7) extends at least partially into at least one of the spokes (4).

10. The wheel (1) according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensionally shaped support cover (7) comprises channel-like recesses (14) in which fiber-reinforced material is arranged extending from the hub (5) into the spokes (4) and supporting the fiber-reinforced material from the outside.

11. The wheel (1) according to claim 10, wherein the three-dimensionally shaped support cover (7) comprises a center flange (15) at least partially encompassing the center opening (6) of the wheel (1) and which is set back with respect to the channel like recesses (14).

12. The wheel (1) according to claim 1, wherein the hub (5) is covered on the inboard side from an inboard support cover (16) made from metallic material.

13. The wheel (1) according to claim 12, wherein the inboard support cover (16) merges into at least one second bushing (17) which extends at least partially through the fiber-reinforced plastic material of the hub (5) into the bushing-opening (10).

14. A manufacturing process of a wheel (1) with support cover (7) according to claim 1, comprising the following method steps: a. providing a mold which corresponds at least partially to the outside of the wheel (1) and comprising a placeholder for the support cover (7); b. placing fibers inside the mold in a predefined manner such that the fibers at least partially encompass around the placeholder; c. closing the mold and introducing resin into the mold through injection openings; d. curing the resin and the therein embedded reinforcing fibers; e. opening the mold and removing the wheel from the mold; f. inserting the support cover (7) into a respective recess (13) in the wheel center (3).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The herein described invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, which should not be considered limiting to the invention described in the appended claims. The drawings schematically show:

[0033] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a variation of a wheel according to the present invention with an outboard and an inboard support cover partially disassembled;

[0034] FIG. 2 is the outboard and inboard support cover according to FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 3 is a front view of the wheel according FIG. 1 in an assembled state;

[0036] FIG. 4 is a cross-section H-H of FIG. 3;

[0037] FIG. 5 is detail I of FIG. 4 in the assembled state;

[0038] FIG. 6 is detail I of FIG. 4 in the partially disassembled state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all features are shown. Indeed, embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied in many different forms and should not be understood as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used to refer to like components or parts.

[0040] FIGS. 1 to 6 show a first variation of a wheel 1 according to the present invention. The wheel 1 comprises a rim 2 and a wheel center 3 having several spokes 4 extending from a hub 5, comprising a center opening 6, radially outwards to the rim 2. The wheel center 3 is made from several layers of fiber-reinforced plastic material. The rim 2 has a rim well extending in transversal direction between an inboard flange and an outboard flange suitable to receive a tire (not shown) to be mounted thereon. The hub 5 is partially made from a fiber-reinforced plastic material and is covered on the outboard side from a three-dimensionally shaped support cover 7 made from metallic material. The hub 5 is intended to be interconnected with a vehicle (not shown) on the inboard side by means of wheel bolts/screws or similar fastening means (not shown) extending in the mounted state of the wheel on the vehicle through fastening openings 8 of the wheel 1.

[0041] The (outboard) support cover 7 encompasses the fastening openings 8 as well as the center opening 6. The three-dimensionally shaped support cover 7 further merges into at least one first bushing 9 which extends at least partially through the fiber-reinforced plastic material of the hub 5 in the transversal direction of the wheel towards the inboard side of the wheel. In the depicted variation a total of five first bushings 9 can be seen. However, another amount of first bushings 9 can be chosen.

[0042] The first bushings are arranged in respective bushing-openings 10 of the fiber-reinforced plastic material of the hub 5. The first bushings 9 have a (fusto-) conical first outer surface 11 which interacts in the mounted position with a corresponding first inner surface 12 of the bushing-opening in the fiber-reinforced material of the hub 5.

[0043] Each first outer surface 11 is configured to apply an expanding force on the corresponding first inner surface 12 of the fiber-reinforced material of the hub 5 when the first bushing 9 is inserted into the bushing-opening 10. Thereby the bushing-openings 10 can be widened, which leads to a tensioning of the reinforcing fibers of the hub 5, partially encircling the at least one first bushing 9. Preferably, the reinforcing fibers arranged in the fiber-reinforced plastic material encircles the at least one first bushing 9 by at least 240°. The reinforcing fibers or fiber bundles 23 are schematically shown in FIG. 2. However, the fibers may also form a loop about the respective first bushing 9. The reinforcing fibers may further extend in radial direction of the wheel 1 through the spokes 4 towards the rim 2. The fibers may thereby extend in different spokes 4 or in the same spoke 4.

[0044] FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 illustrate, that the three-dimensionally shaped support cover 7 is integrated into an outer contour of the hub 5. Therefore, the fiber-reinforced material of the hub 5 comprises an outboard recess 13 in which the three-dimensionally shaped support cover 7 is embedded (compare FIG. 6). The outboard recess 13 and thus the support cover 7 extends over the hub 5 and at least partially over the spokes 4. The support cover 7 comprises a center flange at least partially encompassing the center opening 6 of the wheel 1 and which is set back with respect to the channel like recesses 14. The center flange 15 extends into the center opening of the wheel center 3. The three-dimensionally shaped support cover 7 further comprises channel-like recesses 14 in which fiber-reinforced material is arranged extending from the hub 5 into the spokes 4 and supporting the fiber-reinforced material from the outside.

[0045] The hub 5 is further covered on the inboard side from an inboard support cover 16 also made from metallic material. The inboard cover 16 merges into at least one second bushing 17 extending at least partially through the fiber-reinforced plastic material of the hub 5 into the bushing-opening 10. Each outboard and inboard support cover 7, 16 are configured to be inserted with the respective (first and second) bushings into the bushing-openings 10 from different sides (outboard and inboard side of the wheel center) respectively. The at least one second bushing 17 has a (fusto-) conical second outer surface 21 which interacts in the mounted position with the second inner surface 20 of the fiber-reinforced material of the hub 5, corresponding to the (first) bushing 9 as explained above. The reinforcing fibers or fiber bundles 23 are schematically shown in FIG. 2 partially encompassing each of the first and/or the second bushing. However, the fibers may also form a loop about the respective first and/or the second bushing 9, 17 (not shown).

[0046] FIG. 5 is a detail of the sectionized view of the wheel 1 according to FIG. 4 in the assembled state and FIG. 6 a detail of the corresponding disassembled state. As can be seen, each first outer surface 11 of the first bushings 9 has a frusto-conical shape, which preferably has a first outer opening angle of about 15°. The corresponding first inner surface 12 also has a frusto-conical shape with an inner opening angle that is essentially equal to the outer opening angle. As well, each second outer surface 21 of the second bushings 16 has also a frusto-conical shape with a second outer opening angle that is about 15°. Each second inner surface 20 of the bushing-opening also has a frusto-conical shape with a second inner opening angle that is essentially equal to the second outer opening angle. However other shapes of the first and second bushings 9, 17 are also possible, as explained above.

[0047] The first bushings 9 each comprise a first front face 18 that in the assembled state abuts against a respective front faces 18 of the second bushings 17 (compare FIG. 6). The depicted first and second bushings 9, 17 have a straight ending abutting each other with the respective front faces 18. The front faces 18 may however also have corresponding concave/convex shapes.

[0048] The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.