METHOD FOR PRODUCING A MOTOR VEHICLE RIM MADE OF AN ALUMINUM ALLOY FOR A WHEEL OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND CORRESPONDING MOTOR VEHICLE RIM

Abstract

A method for producing a motor vehicle rim made of an aluminum alloy for a wheel of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle rim having a rim base limited on opposite sides by an outer horn and an inner horn, a hub with a central recess and a hole circle, and a rim center connecting the rim base and the hub to one another. The motor vehicle rim is produced in one piece and continuously in a casting mold by die casting of a casting material, the casting material being the aluminum alloy.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for producing a motor vehicle rim made of an aluminum alloy for a wheel of a motor vehicle, comprising: a rim base limited on opposite sides by an outer horn and an inner horn, a hub with a central recess and a hole circle, and a rim center connecting the rim base and the hub to one another, wherein the motor vehicle rim is produced in one piece and continuously in a casting mold by die casting of a casting material, the casting material being the aluminum alloy with the constituents 6.5% by weight to 12.0% by weight of silicon, a maximum of 0.80% by weight of manganese, 0.25% by weight to 0.60% by weight of magnesium, 0.08% by weight to 0.50% by weight of zinc, a maximum of 0.30% by weight of zirconium, a maximum of 0.025% by weight of strontium, a maximum of 0.5% by weight of unavoidable impurities, and the remainder being aluminum, and the motor vehicle rim is heat-treated after the die casting, wherein the heat treatment includes a single-stage or multi-stage solution annealing, a subsequent quenching and a subsequent single-stage or multi-stage artificial ageing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein an aluminum alloy with at least 0.35% by weight and at most 0.50% by weight of magnesium is used.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein an aluminum alloy with a maximum of 0.05% by weight of copper, a maximum of 0.002% by weight of phosphorus, a maximum of 0.002% by weight of calcium, a maximum of 0.002% by weight of sodium and/or a maximum of 0.30% by weight of iron in impurities is used.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the aluminum alloy additionally contains a maximum of 0.2% by weight of vanadium, a maximum of 0.2% by weight of molybdenum and a maximum of 0.3% by weight of tin, a maximum of 0.3% by weight of cobalt and/or a maximum of 0.2% by weight of titanium.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the single-stage solution annealing takes place at a temperature of at least 510° C. and at most 540° C. over a period of at least 25 minutes and at most 180 minutes.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the multi-stage solution annealing includes a first solution annealing and a second solution annealing, the first solution annealing being carried out at a first temperature over a first period of time and the second solution annealing being carried out at a second temperature over a second period of time, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature and/or the second period of time is shorter than, equal to or longer than the first period of time.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the quenching takes place with a temperature gradient of at least 20 K/s.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the single-stage artificial aging takes place at a temperature of at least 135° C. to 230° C. over a period of at least 90 minutes and at most 420 minutes.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the multi-stage artificial aging includes a first artificial aging and a second artificial aging, the first artificial aging taking place at a first temperature over a first period of time and the second artificial aging taking place at a second temperature over a second period of time, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature and/or the second period of time is shorter than the first period of time.

20. A motor vehicle rim made of an aluminum alloy for a wheel of a motor vehicle, in particular produced according to claim 11, wherein the motor vehicle rim has a rim base limited on opposite sides by an outer horn and an inner horn, a hub with a central recess and a hole circle, and a rim center connecting the rim base and the hub to one another, wherein the motor vehicle rim is produced in one piece and continuously in a casting mold by die casting of a casting material, the casting material being the aluminum alloy with the constituents 6.5% by weight to 12.0% by weight of silicon, a maximum of 0.80% by weight of manganese, 0.25% by weight to 0.60% by weight of magnesium, 0.08% by weight to 0.50% by weight of zinc, a maximum of 0.30% by weight of zirconium, a maximum of 0.025% by weight of strontium, a maximum of 0.5% by weight of unavoidable impurities, and the remainder being aluminum, and the motor vehicle rim is heat-treated after the die casting, wherein the heat treatment includes a single-stage or multi-stage solution annealing, a subsequent quenching and a subsequent single-stage or multi-stage artificial ageing.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein an aluminum alloy with a maximum of 0.05% by weight of copper, a maximum of 0.002% by weight of phosphorus, a maximum of 0.002% by weight of calcium, a maximum of 0.002% by weight of sodium and/or a maximum of 0.30% by weight of iron in impurities is used.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the aluminum alloy additionally contains a maximum of 0.2% by weight of vanadium, a maximum of 0.2% by weight of molybdenum and a maximum of 0.3% by weight of tin, a maximum of 0.3% by weight of cobalt and/or a maximum of 0.2% by weight of titanium.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the aluminum alloy additionally contains a maximum of 0.2% by weight of vanadium, a maximum of 0.2% by weight of molybdenum and a maximum of 0.3% by weight of tin, a maximum of 0.3% by weight of cobalt and/or a maximum of 0.2% by weight of titanium.

24. The method of claim 12, wherein the single-stage solution annealing takes place at a temperature of at least 510° C. and at most 540° C. over a period of at least 25 minutes and at most 180 minutes.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein the single-stage solution annealing takes place at a temperature of at least 510° C. and at most 540° C. over a period of at least 25 minutes and at most 180 minutes.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the single-stage solution annealing takes place at a temperature of at least 510° C. and at most 540° C. over a period of at least 25 minutes and at most 180 minutes.

27. The method of claim 12, wherein the multi-stage solution annealing includes a first solution annealing and a second solution annealing, the first solution annealing being carried out at a first temperature over a first period of time and the second solution annealing being carried out at a second temperature over a second period of time, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature and/or the second period of time is shorter than, equal to or longer than the first period of time.

28. The method of claim 13, wherein the multi-stage solution annealing includes a first solution annealing and a second solution annealing, the first solution annealing being carried out at a first temperature over a first period of time and the second solution annealing being carried out at a second temperature over a second period of time, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature and/or the second period of time is shorter than, equal to or longer than the first period of time.

29. The method of claim 14, wherein the multi-stage solution annealing includes a first solution annealing and a second solution annealing, the first solution annealing being carried out at a first temperature over a first period of time and the second solution annealing being carried out at a second temperature over a second period of time, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature and/or the second period of time is shorter than, equal to or longer than the first period of time.

30. The method of claim 15, wherein the multi-stage solution annealing includes a first solution annealing and a second solution annealing, the first solution annealing being carried out at a first temperature over a first period of time and the second solution annealing being carried out at a second temperature over a second period of time, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature and/or the second period of time is shorter than, equal to or longer than the first period of time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

[0057] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing, without the invention being restricted.

[0058] In particular:

[0059] The FIGURE shows a schematic longitudinal section through a motor vehicle rim along a longitudinal central axis of the motor vehicle rim.

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section through a motor vehicle rim 1 for a wheel of a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle rim 1 has a rim base 2, a rim center 3 and a hub 4 as essential components. The motor vehicle rim 1 is shown in longitudinal section with respect to a longitudinal central axis 5 of the motor vehicle rim 1. The rim base 2 is delimited in the axial direction by an outer horn 6 on the one hand and by an inner horn 7 on the other hand, which extend outwards from the rim base 2 in the radial direction relative to the longitudinal central axis 5. In addition, it should be noted that the axial extent of the rim base 2 extends to a respective outside end of the outer horn 6 or of the inner horn 7. The axial extent of the rim base 2 thus includes the axial extents of the outer horn 6 and the inner horn 7.

[0061] The rim base 2 and the hub 4 are connected to one another via the rim center 3. The rim center 3 therefore engages both the rim base 2 and the hub 4 and extends from the hub 4 to the rim base 2. The hub 4 has a central recess 8 which is located centrally in the hub 4 with respect to the longitudinal central axis 5 and extends completely through it in the axial direction. In addition, the hub 4 has a hole circle 9 with a plurality of holes 10, each of which serves to receive a fastening means by means of which the motor vehicle rim 1 can be fastened or is being fastened to a wheel hub of the motor vehicle.

[0062] In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the rim center 3 has a plurality of spokes 11, which are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction. Each of the spokes 11 extends from the hub 4 to the rim base 2. In the circumferential direction between the spokes 11 there is an intermediate spoke region which is delimited in the circumferential direction by the spokes 11 in the radial direction inwards by the hub 4 and in the radial direction outwards by the rim base 2. An optional intermediate spoke element can be formed in this intermediate spoke region, which, for example, completely fills the intermediate spoke region. At least the intermediate spoke element has a small wall thickness of at most 5 mm. In particular, in order to realize this, the motor vehicle rim 1 is produced in one piece and continuously in a casting mold by die-casting a casting material. Aluminum or an aluminum alloy is used as the casting material.

[0063] In the embodiment shown here, a cavity 12 is formed in the inner horn 7. In addition or as an alternative, such a cavity 12 can be present in the outer horn 6. The cavity 12 extends in the circumferential direction, for example it is continuous in the circumferential direction. This means in particular that the cavity 12 has the same depth throughout in the circumferential direction. The cavity 12 is limited by a rim horn wall 13 in the axial direction with respect to the longitudinal central axis 5, the rim horn wall 13 being arranged in the axial direction between a tire receiving region 14 of the motor vehicle rim 1 and the cavity 12. In the radial outward direction, the cavity 12 is delimited by a rim horn extension 15 and in the radial direction inward by a rim horn extension 16. The cavity 12 is formed in the inner horn 7 in such a way that the rim horn wall 13 has a reduced wall thickness of at most 10 mm immediately after the die-casting.

[0064] A hump 17 is also formed on the rim base 2 and is in the form of a radial projection extending outward in the radial direction. The hump 17 delimits the tire receiving region 14 in the axial direction, so that the tire receiving region 14—also viewed in the axial direction—is present between the hump 17 and the inner horn 7.

[0065] The described configuration of the motor vehicle rim 1 achieves an extremely delicate appearance and at the same time ensures that the motor vehicle rim 1 can be manufactured quickly and cost-effectively by means of die casting. In addition, excellent strength values are achieved by die-casting the aluminum or aluminum alloy.

REFERENCE LIST

[0066] 1 motor vehicle rim [0067] 2 rim base [0068] 3 rim center [0069] 4 hub [0070] 5 longitudinal central axis [0071] 6 outer horn [0072] 7 inner horn [0073] 8 central recess [0074] 9 hole circle [0075] 10 bore [0076] 11 spoke [0077] 12 cavity [0078] 13 rim horn wall [0079] 14 tire receiving region [0080] 15 rim horn extension [0081] 16 rim horn extension [0082] 17 hump