METHOD FOR PRODUCING A MOTOR VEHICLE RIM FROM ALUMINUM OR AN ALUMINUM ALLOY FOR A WHEEL OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND CORRESPONDING MOTOR VEHICLE RIM

Abstract

A method for producing a motor car rim made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy for a wheel of a motor vehicle. The motor car rim has a rim well delimited on opposite sides by an outer flange and an inner flange, a hub with a center recess and a pitch circle diameter, as well as a rim center connecting the rim well and the hub to one another and engaging the rim well off-center in the longitudinal section. The rim center is formed with several spokes spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction as relates to a center longitudinal axis of the motor car rim.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for producing a motor car rim made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy for a wheel of a motor vehicle, wherein the motor car rim has a rim well delimited on opposite sides by an outer flange and an inner flange, a hub with a center recess and a pitch circle diameter, as well as a rim center connecting the rim well and the hub to one another and engaging the rim well off-center in the longitudinal section, wherein the rim center is formed with several spokes spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction as relates to a center longitudinal axis of the motor car rim, wherein the motor car rim is produced as one piece and contiguously in a casting mold by vacuum casting of a casting material, wherein, by means of the vacuum casting, at least one of the spokes has a slight wall thickness of at most 15 mm, at least in sections, and/or a curvature with a slight curvature radius of at most 4 mm, and/or a demolding surface extending in the axial direction and in the radial direction and/or in the axial direction and in the tangential direction as relates to the center longitudinal axis of the motor car rim, which demolding surface lies completely in an imaginary plane, wherein the plane forms an angle with the center longitudinal axis of more than 0° and at most 4°.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the spokes is produced with a first wall thickness of more than 5 mm and with a second wall thickness corresponding to the slight wall thickness in sections.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the spokes is formed, through the vacuum casting, with a support wall having the greater, first wall thickness and at least one ornamental wall having the lesser, second wall thickness.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the support wall and the ornamental wall are formed at an angle with respect to one another.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the spokes has several bars, which have the slight wall thickness and/or are arranged parallel to one another respectively or merge into one another via the curvature.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the bars are formed originating from a wall formed by the support wall or the ornamental wall.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the bars are formed having a free end.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the bars are formed spaced apart from one another originating from the wall such that the bars and the wall jointly form a U-shape enclosing a cavity.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the cavity is formed having a depth which corresponds at least to the wall thickness of the wall.

20. A motor car rim made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy for a wheel of a motor vehicle, comprising: a rim well delimited on opposite sides by an outer flange and an inner flange, a hub with a center recess and a pitch circle diameter, as well as a rim center connecting the rim well and the hub to one another and engaging the rim well Off-center in the longitudinal section, wherein the rim center has several spokes spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction as relates to a center longitudinal axis of the motor car rim, wherein the motor car rim is produced as one piece and contiguously in a casting mold by vacuum casting of a casting material, wherein, by means of the vacuum casting, at least one of the spokes has a slight wall thickness of at most 15 mm, at least in sections, and/or a curvature with a slight curvature radius of at most 4 mm, and/or a demolding surface extending in the axial direction and in the radial direction and/or in the axial direction and in the tangential direction as relates to the center longitudinal axis of the motor car rim, which demolding surface lies completely in an imaginary plane, wherein the plane forms an angle with the center longitudinal axis of more than 0° and at most 4°.

21. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the spokes is formed, through the vacuum casting, with a support wall having the greater, first wall thickness and at least one ornamental wall having the lesser, second wall thickness.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein the support wall and the ornamental wall are formed at an angle with respect to one another.

23. The method according to claim 13, wherein the support wall and the ornamental wall are formed at an angle with respect to one another.

24. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the spokes has several bars, which have the slight wall thickness and/or are arranged parallel to one another respectively or merge into one another via the curvature.

25. The method according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the spokes has several bars, which have the slight wall thickness and/or are arranged parallel to one another respectively or merge into one another via the curvature.

26. The method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the spokes has several bars, which have the slight wall thickness and/or are arranged parallel to one another respectively or merge into one another via the curvature.

27. The method according to claim 12, wherein the bars are formed originating from a wall formed by the support wall or the ornamental wall.

28. The method according to claim 13, wherein the bars are formed originating from a wall formed by the support wall or the ornamental wall.

29. The method according to claim 14, wherein the bars are formed originating from a wall formed by the support wall or the ornamental wall.

30. The method according to claim 15, wherein the bars are formed originating from a wall formed by the support wall or the ornamental wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0044] The invention is explained in more detail in the following by means of exemplary embodiments, without limiting the invention. The following is shown:

[0045] FIG. 1 a schematic longitudinal sectional view through a motor car rim along a center longitudinal axis of the motor car rim;

[0046] FIG. 2 a sectional view through a spoke of a rim center of the motor car rim in a first embodiment;

[0047] FIG. 3 a schematic sectional view of the spoke in a second embodiment;

[0048] FIG. 4 a schematic sectional view of the spoke in a third embodiment;

[0049] FIG. 5 a schematic sectional view of the spoke in a fourth embodiment; and

[0050] FIG. 6 a schematic sectional view of the spoke in a fifth embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a motor car rim 1 for a wheel of a motor vehicle. The motor car rim 1 has a rim well 2, a rim center 3, and a hub 4 as essential components. The motor car rim 1 is shown in the longitudinal section as relates to a center longitudinal axis 5 of the motor car rim 1. The rim well 2 is delimited in the axial direction by an outer flange 6 on one side and by an inner flange 7 on the other side, which extend outwardly starting from the rim well 2 in the radial direction as relates to the central longitudinal axis 5. It should be noted in a supplementary manner that the axial extension of the rim well 2 extends up to a respective outer-side end of the outer flange 6 or the inner flange 7. The axial extension of the rim well 2 thus includes the axial extensions of the outer flange 6 and of the inner flange 7.

[0052] The rim well 2 and the hub 4 are connected to one another via the rim center 3. Thus, the rim center 3 engages both the rim well 2 as well as the hub 4 and extends from the hub 4 up to the rim well 2. The hub 4 has a center recess 8, which is situated centrally in the hub 4 as relates to the central longitudinal axis 5 and which fully engages the hub in the axial direction. In addition, the hub 4 has a pitch circle diameter 9 with several drilled holes 10, each of which serve for accommodating an attachment means, by means of which the motor car rim 1 is or can be attached to a wheel hub of the motor vehicle.

[0053] In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the rim center 3 has several spokes 11 (not shown), which are arranged spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction. Each of the spokes 11 extends from the hub 4 up to the rim well 2. There is an intermediate spoke region between the spokes 11 in the circumferential direction, which intermediate spoke region is delimited inwardly by the hub 4 in the radial direction and delimited outwardly by the rim well 2 in the radial direction, in the circumferential direction of the spokes 11.

[0054] In the embodiment shown, an intermediate spoke element 12, which fills out the intermediate spoke region, for example, completely or merely partially, is formed in this intermediate spoke region. At a minimum, the intermediate spoke element 12 has a slight wall thickness of at most 5 mm In particular in order to implement this, the motor car rim 1 is produced as one piece and contiguously in a casting mold by means of vacuum casting of a casting material. Aluminum or an aluminum alloy is used as the casting material. However, the intermediate spoke element 12 is completely optional.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows one of the spokes 11 in a schematic cross-sectional view along a center longitudinal axis of the spoke 11. The center longitudinal axis in this case extends from the rim well 2 up to the hub 4. Preferably, it intersects the center longitudinal axis 5 of the motor car rim 1; in particular, it is perpendicular thereto. As seen in the cross-section, the spoke 11 consists essentially of bars 13, 14, and 15, wherein bars 14 and 15 are connected to one another solely via bar 13. Bars 14 and 15 each have a free end 16 on the side thereof facing away from bar 13. Bars 13, 14, and 15 are each embodied with the slight wall thickness of at most 15 mm, at least in sections or even completely. For example, bar 13 is embodied with a wall thickness of at most 5 mm and bars 14 and 15 with a wall thickness of more than 5 mm, particularly more than 10 mm.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the spoke 11, in the cross-section here. The spoke 11 consists of two support walls 17 and 18, which are connected to one another via an ornamental wall 19. As seen in the cross-section, support walls 17 and 18 are arranged parallel or at least approximately parallel to one another, while the ornamental wall 19 is perpendicular to both support wall 17 and support wall 18 or the corresponding center longitudinal axes. The ornamental wall engages support walls 17 and 18 in the center, as seen in the cross-section. As a whole, the spoke 11 consequently has the shape of an I-beam in the cross-section. It is clearly obvious that support walls 17 and 18 have a greater wall thickness than ornamental wall 19. For example, the wall thickness of the ornamental wall 19 corresponds to the slight wall thickness of at most 5 mm, while the wall thickness of support walls 17 and 18 is greater than the wall thickness of the ornamental wall 19, for example, by a factor of at least 1.5, at least two, at least three, at least four, or at least five.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the spoke 11 in the cross-section. In this case, the spoke 11 has a support wall 17, an ornamental wall 19 perpendicular thereto, as well as bars 13, 14, 15, and 20. The support wall 17, in turn, has a greater wall thickness than the ornamental wall 19. Bars 13, 14, 15, and 20 are embodied, for example, with the same wall thickness as the ornamental wall 19. Alternatively, the wall thickness thereof can also be smaller. As seen in the cross-section, bars 13, 14, 15, and 20 extend in the same direction as the support wall 17. Thus, they also are perpendicular to the ornamental wall 19, but on the side of the ornamental wall 19 opposite the support wall 17. Bars 13, 14, 15, and 20 extend from the ornamental wall 19 parallel or at least approximately parallel to one another, so that they each have a free end 16. Two of bars 13, 14, 15, and 20 as well as the ornamental wall 19 jointly delimit a cavity 21, wherein such cavities 21 are formed in the exemplary embodiment 3 shown here.

[0058] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the spoke 11 in a fourth embodiment. This embodiment has support walls 17 and 18 as well as two ornamental walls 19. Support walls 17 and 18 are connected to one another only via the two ornamental walls 19, wherein the two ornamental walls 19 are angled with respect to one another and preferably form an acute angle between each other. In other words, the ornamental walls 19 are arranged in a V shape as relates to one another. Support wall 17 and 18 can extend parallel to one another or—as shown here—can be angled as relates to one another or have angled central longitudinal axes as relates to one another, as seen in the cross-section. As a whole, support walls 17 and 18 as well as the ornamental walls 19 are in the shape of an M, as seen in the cross-section.

[0059] FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the spoke 11 in a schematic cross-sectional view. The spoke 11 has the support wall 17 as well as the ornamental wall 19, which are angled as relates to one another, particularly which are perpendicular to one another. The support wall and the ornamental wall 19 merge with one another forming a curvature 22, which has a slight curvature radius of at most 4 mm

[0060] The described embodiment of the motor car rim 1 realizes an extremely intricate appearance and simultaneously ensures an economical and fast production of the motor car rim 1 due to the production of the motor car rim 1 using vacuum casting. In addition, excellent strength values are achieved by means of vacuum casting of the aluminum or of the aluminum alloy.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS:

[0061] 1 Motor car rim [0062] 2 Rim well [0063] 3 Rim center [0064] 4 Hub [0065] 5 Center longitudinal axis [0066] 6 Outer flange [0067] 7 Inner flange [0068] 8 Center recess [0069] 9 Pitch circle diameter [0070] 10 Drilled hole [0071] 11 Spoke [0072] 12 Intermediate spoke element [0073] 13 Bar [0074] 14 Bar [0075] 15 Bar [0076] 16 End [0077] 17 Support wall [0078] 18 Support wall [0079] 19 Ornamental wall [0080] 20 Bar [0081] 21 Cavity [0082] 22 Curvature