WHEEL SPACER DISC FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

Abstract

A wheel spacer disc for motor vehicles having a plurality of wheel bolt openings, a rim centering element for centering a rim relative to the wheel spacer disc, and a wheel hub centering element for centering the wheel spacer disc relative to a wheel hub.

The plurality of wheel bolt openings are designed in each case as stepped openings for the respective partial reception of shaft nuts, wherein a section of the stepped openings having a greater diameter is arranged on a side of the wheel spacer disc on which the rim centering element is arranged.

Claims

1. A wheel spacer disc for motor vehicles comprising: a plurality of wheel bolt openings, a rim centering element for centering a rim relative to the wheel spacer disc, and a wheel hub centering element for centering the wheel spacer disc relative to a wheel hub, wherein the plurality of wheel bolt openings are designed in each case as stepped openings for the respective partial reception of shaft nuts, wherein a section of the stepped openings having a greater diameter is arranged on a side of the wheel spacer disc on which the rim centering element is arranged.

2. The wheel spacer disc as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel spacer disc has a thickness along a central longitudinal axis of the wheel spacer disc which is less than 15 mm, in particular 2 mm, in particular 3 mm, 5 mm, 8 mm or 10 mm, in particular is between 2 mm and 15 mm.

3. The wheel spacer disc as claimed in claim 1, wherein a section of the stepped openings having a smaller diameter has a thickness along a central longitudinal axis of the wheel spacer disc which is between 2 mm and 5 mm.

4. The wheel spacer disc as claimed in claim 3, wherein the section of the stepped openings having the smaller diameter has at least a difference in diameter relative to the section of the stepped openings having the greater diameter which corresponds to twice the wall thickness of the shaft nuts.

5. The wheel spacer disc as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rim centering element and the wheel hub centering element are configured in each case integrally with the wheel spacer disc.

6. The wheel spacer disc as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rim centering element and the wheel hub centering element are configured as a separate component, in particular as an annular component.

7. The wheel spacer disc as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rim centering element is arranged circumferentially around a center opening of the wheel spacer disc and extends out of the wheel spacer disc along the central longitudinal axis of the wheel spacer disc.

8. The wheel spacer disc as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel hub centering element is configured as a circumferential wall around the center opening.

9. The wheel spacer disc as claimed in claim 1, wherein all of the wheel bolt openings are designed as stepped openings for partially receiving shaft nuts.

10. An arrangement for motor vehicles comprising: a wheel hub, a rim, a wheel spacer disc, the wheel spacer disc comprising: a plurality of wheel bolt openings, a rim centering element for centering the rim relative to the wheel spacer disc, a wheel hub centering element for centering the wheel spacer disc relative to the wheel hub, wherein the plurality of wheel bolt openings are designed in each case as stepped openings for the respective partial reception of shaft nuts, wherein a section of the stepped openings having a greater diameter is arranged on a side of the wheel spacer disc on which the rim centering element is arranged, and wherein: the wheel hub has at least one centering element and a plurality of stud bolts for fastening the rim, the wheel spacer disc is centered relative to the wheel hub, the rim is centered by means of the rim centering element relative to the wheel spacer disc, the plurality of wheel bolt openings of the wheel spacer disc are oriented so as to be aligned with a plurality of wheel bolt openings of the rim and the plurality of stud bolts of the wheel hub are arranged in each case at least partially in the plurality of wheel bolt openings of the wheel spacer disc, a plurality of shaft nuts are provided for fastening the rim and the wheel spacer disc to the wheel hub, the plurality of shaft nuts are screwed in each case onto the plurality of stud bolts of the wheel hub, wherein the shaft nuts project through the plurality of wheel bolt openings of the rim and in that the plurality of shaft nuts in the region of the stepped openings project at least partially into the section of the stepped openings of the wheel spacer disc having the greater diameter.

11. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shaft length of the plurality of shaft nuts depends on a thickness of the wheel spacer disc.

12. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein a step height of the stepped bores depends on the thickness of the wheel spacer disc.

13. An arrangement comprising a wheel hub, a wheel spacer disc and a rim for motor vehicles, wherein the wheel hub has at least one centering element and has a plurality of stud bolts for fastening the rim, the wheel spacer disc is centered relative to the wheel hub, the rim is centered by the rim centering element relative to the wheel spacer disc, a plurality of wheel bolt openings of the wheel spacer disc are oriented so as to be aligned with a plurality of wheel bolt openings of the rim and the plurality of stud bolts of the wheel hub are arranged in each case at least partially in the plurality of wheel bolt openings of the wheel spacer disc, a plurality of shaft nuts are provided for fastening the rim and the wheel spacer disc to the wheel hub, the plurality of shaft nuts are screwed in each case onto the plurality of stud bolts of the wheel hub, wherein at least one stud bolt is provided with a sleeve, wherein the sleeve projects into the wheel bolt opening of the wheel spacer disc from a bearing surface of the wheel hub and ensures a spacing between a lateral surface of the stud bolt from a circumferential wall of the wheel bolt opening of the wheel spacer disc, and the shaft nuts project through the wheel bolt openings of the rim, wherein the shaft nuts in the region of the wheel bolt openings project at least partially into the wheel bolt openings of the wheel spacer disc.

14. The arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein in each case a sleeve is pushed onto each stud bolt.

15. The arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the spacing between the lateral surface of the stud bolt from the circumferential wall of the wheel bolt opening corresponds at least to a wall thickness of the shaft nut.

16. The arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the sleeve has a thickness along the central longitudinal axis of the wheel spacer disc which is between 2 mm and 5 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Further advantages and aspects of the invention are disclosed in the claims and in the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention which are described hereinafter with reference to the figures, in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view obliquely from above of a wheel spacer disc of FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view obliquely from below of the wheel spacer disc of FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the wheel spacer disc of FIG. 1;

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the wheel spacer disc of FIG. 1;

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a view from below of the wheel spacer disc of FIG. 1;

[0038] FIG. 6 shows a partial sectional isometric view obliquely from above of an arrangement with a wheel hub, a rim and the wheel spacer disc of FIG. 1;

[0039] FIG. 7 shows a partial sectional side view of the arrangement according to FIG. 6 with the wheel hub, the rim and the wheel spacer disc of FIG. 1;

[0040] FIG. 8 shows an isometric view obliquely from below of a wheel spacer disc according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[0041] FIG. 9 shows a sectional side view of the wheel spacer disc of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0042] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view obliquely from above of a wheel spacer disc 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0043] The wheel spacer disc 10 has a center opening 102 and five wheel bolt openings 104. The wheel bolt openings 104 are configured in each case as stepped openings. The wheel bolt openings 104 have a first section 1040 with a greater diameter and a second section 1042 with a smaller diameter. Furthermore, the five wheel bolt openings 104 are located on a diameter which is located between an external diameter of the wheel spacer disc 10 and a diameter of the center opening 102.

[0044] Moreover, a wheel hub centering element 106 is provided, said wheel hub centering element being arranged along a central longitudinal axis A of the wheel spacer disc 10 shown in FIG. 3 and a rim centering element 108 shown in FIG. 1. Both the wheel hub centering element 106 and the rim centering element 108 extend at least partially out of a circumferential wall of the center opening 102.

[0045] More specifically, the wheel hub centering element 106 is configured from the circumferential wall of the center opening 102 and has a wheel hub centering surface 1060. The wheel hub centering surface 1060 may be configured to be slightly conical in order to compensate for tolerances, in particular for manufacturing tolerances, when positioning the wheel spacer disc 10 on a centering element 202 of the wheel hub 20, not shown. A surface 1062 of the wheel hub centering element 106 running conically to the central longitudinal axis A of the wheel spacer disc 10 adjoins the wheel hub centering surface 1060.

[0046] Moreover the rim centering element 108 extends out of a rim bearing surface 100. In this case, a rim centering surface 1080 of the rim centering element 108 is conical so that a compensation of manufacturing tolerances and a centering of a rim 30, not shown, on the wheel spacer disc 10 is possible. Moreover a surface 1082 of the rim centering element 108 running from the rim bearing surface 100 conically to the rim centering surface 1080 is provided.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view obliquely from below of the wheel spacer disc 10 according to the first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 substantially shows the features which have already been shown and described in FIG. 1. In comparison with FIG. 1, FIG. 2 shows the wheel hub bearing surface 101 which in a mounted state bears against a wheel hub 20, not shown, see FIGS. 6 and 7 relative thereto. Moreover, in FIG. 2 the center opening 102, the five wheel bolt openings 104, the wheel hub centering element 106 comprising the wheel hub centering surface 1060 and the surface 1062 may be identified.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the wheel spacer disc 10 according to the first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 shows substantially the features which have already been shown and described in FIGS. 1 and 2. The rim centering element 108 and the rim bearing surface 100, the wheel hub bearing surface 101 and the central longitudinal axis A are shown. Moreover, the rim centering surface 1080 and the surface 1082 of the rim centering element 108 are visible.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the wheel spacer disc 10 according to the first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 substantially shows the features which have already been shown and described in FIGS. 1 to 3. The rim bearing surface 100, the center opening 102 and the five wheel bolt openings 104 in the form of stepped openings are shown. In this case, it is possible to see a difference in diameter between the first section 1040 having the greater diameter and the second section 1042 having the smaller diameter of the wheel bolt openings 104. The rim centering element 108 shown in plan view shows both the circumferential rim surface 1080 and also the surface 1082 of the rim centering element 108.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a view from below of the wheel spacer disc 10 according to the first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 shows substantially the features which have already been shown and described in FIGS. 1 to 4. The wheel hub bearing surface 101, the center opening 102 and the five wheel bolt openings 104 designed as stepped openings are shown. In this case, in the view from below shown in FIG. 4 of the wheel spacer disc 10 merely the second section 1042 having the smaller diameter of the wheel bolt openings 104 is visible. The wheel hub centering element 106 with the wheel hub centering surface 1060 and the surface 1062 are also illustrated.

[0051] FIG. 6 shows a partial sectional isometric view obliquely from above of an arrangement with a wheel hub 20, a rim 30 and the wheel spacer disc 10 according to the first embodiment of the invention. The wheel spacer disc 10 is located between the wheel hub 20 and the rim 30 and bears both against the wheel hub 20 and against the rim 30. The rim 30 is fastened by a plurality of shaft nuts 40 to stud bolts 200 of the wheel hub 20 so that the wheel spacer disc 10 is clamped between the rim 30 and the wheel hub 20. Only three shaft nuts 40 of the actual five shaft nuts 40 and a shaft nut 40 in section are illustrated in the detail of FIG. 6. It may be identified that the wheel spacer disc 10 is centered relative to the centering element 202 of the wheel hub 20, since the wheel hub centering surface 1060 bears against the centering element 202 of the wheel hub 20. The rim 30 is centered relative to the wheel spacer disc 10 on the rim centering element 108 of the wheel spacer disc 10 since the rim centering surface 1080 bears against the centering surface 300 of the rim 30.

[0052] FIG. 7 shows a partial sectional side view of the arrangement according to FIG. 6 comprising the wheel hub 20, the rim 30 and the wheel spacer disc 10 according to the first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 7 substantially shows the features which have already been described and shown in FIG. 6.

[0053] FIG. 8 shows an isometric view obliquely from below of a wheel spacer disc 400 according to a second embodiment of the invention. The wheel spacer ring 400 is configured in two parts and has a wheel spacer ring 402 and a wheel spacer centering element 404.

[0054] The wheel spacer ring 402 is provided with a total of six wheel bolt openings 406, 408, wherein four wheel bolt openings 406 are configured as stepped bores with a circular cross section and two wheel bolt openings 408 are configured as stepped bores in the shape of a curved slot. The wheel bolt openings 406, 408 are configured and arranged such that different hole patterns of rims and wheel hubs may be covered by one and the same wheel spacer ring 402. The stepped bores are also configured as has been described with reference to the first embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0055] The wheel spacer centering element 404 is fastened by latching elements, not identifiable in FIG. 8, in a center opening of the wheel spacer ring 402 and is provided with a wheel hub centering surface and a rim centering surface. By changing the wheel spacer centering element 404 different wheel hub diameters and rim opening diameters may be covered. The wheel spacer centering element 404 may consist, for example, of plastics.

[0056] FIG. 9 shows a sectional side view of the wheel spacer disc 400 of FIG. 8. The wheel spacer centering element 404 is fastened by means of latching arms 414 to the wheel spacer ring 402. To this end, latching lugs at the free ends of the latching arms 414 engage in a circumferential groove in the center opening of the wheel spacer ring 402. The rim centering surface 410 and the wheel hub centering surface 412 may be identified on the wheel spacer centering element 404. Both the rim centering surface 410 and the wheel hub centering surface 412 may be slightly conical so that they widen upwardly in the view of FIG. 9, in order to compensate for tolerances of the rim and the wheel hub and to ensure a reliable centering.