Wheel Cover Apparatus, Vehicle Having a Wheel Cover Apparatus and Method for Operating Such a Vehicle

Abstract

A wheel cover apparatus for a vehicle includes an upper planar section for at least partially covering the wheel outer side of a steerable wheel, a lower planar section for at least partially covering the wheel outer side of the steerable wheel, an adjustment device for adjusting a position and/or orientation of the upper planar section and a positioning device for positioning the lower planar section. The upper planar section can be arranged on a body of a vehicle so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The upper planar section and the lower planar section are connected to each other so as to be pivotable about a second pivot axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The upper planar section is coupled to the adjustment device in such a manner that, in a functional installed state in the vehicle, the upper planar section is movable relative to the wheelhouse by means of the adjustment device. The positioning device is a traction means transmission.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A wheel cover apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: an upper planar portion for at least partially covering a wheel outer side of a steerable wheel, which is arranged at least partially in a wheel arch of the vehicle; a lower planar portion for at least partially covering the wheel outer side of the steerable wheel; an adjusting device for adjusting a position and/or orientation of the upper planar portion; and a positioning device for positioning the lower planar portion, the positioning device being a traction mechanism drive, wherein the upper planar portion is arrangeable on a body of the vehicle so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, the upper planar portion and the lower planar portion are connected to one another so as to be pivotable about a second pivot axis extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the upper planar portion is coupled to the adjusting device such that, in a functional installed state in the vehicle, the upper planar portion is movable relative to the wheel arch via the adjusting device.

12. The wheel cover apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the positioning device comprises a first shaft, a second shaft, and a traction mechanism, the first shaft is mountable on the body of the vehicle in a rotationally fixed manner, the second shaft is connected to the lower planar portion in a rotationally fixed manner, and the traction mechanism is arranged on the first shaft and the second shaft.

13. The wheel cover apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a diameter of the first shaft corresponds to a diameter of the second shaft.

14. The wheel cover apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the positioning device comprises a tensioning roller for tensioning the traction mechanism on the first shaft and the second shaft.

15. The wheel cover apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the tensioning roller is rotatably mounted on the upper planar portion.

16. The wheel cover apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the upper planar portion is pivotably mountable on the body of the vehicle via a connecting web, and the second shaft is rotatably arranged on the connecting web.

17. The wheel cover apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the connecting web is pivotably connectable at a first end to the body and the second shaft is arranged at the second end of the connecting web.

18. The wheel cover apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the adjusting device is connected to the connecting web.

19. A vehicle, comprising: a steerable wheel; and a wheel cover apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the wheel cover apparatus at least partially covers the wheel outer side of the steerable wheel, which is at least partially arranged in a wheel arch of the vehicle.

20. A method for operating a wheel cover apparatus of a vehicle, comprising: a) detecting an operating state of the vehicle, in which the wheel cover apparatus of the vehicle comprises: an upper planar portion for at least partially covering a wheel outer side of a steerable wheel, which is arranged at least partially in a wheel arch of the vehicle; a lower planar portion for at least partially covering the wheel outer side of the steerable wheel; an adjusting device for adjusting a position and/or orientation of the upper planar portion; and a positioning device for positioning the lower planar portion, the positioning device being a traction mechanism drive, wherein the upper planar portion is arrangeable on a body of the vehicle so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, the upper planar portion and the lower planar portion are connected to one another so as to be pivotable about a second pivot axis extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the upper planar portion is coupled to the adjusting device such that, in a functional installed state in the vehicle, the upper planar portion is movable relative to the wheel arch via the adjusting device; b) determining whether pivoting of the upper planar portion of the wheel cover apparatus is required in dependence on the detected operating state of the vehicle; and c) if yes, pivoting the upper planar portion by way of the adjusting device of the wheel cover apparatus.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheel cover apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention in a starting position with two steerable wheels of a motor vehicle which are oriented in the vehicle longitudinal direction;

[0025] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the wheel cover apparatus and of the steerable wheels from FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 3 is a further perspective view of the wheel cover apparatus and of the steerable wheels from FIG. 1, the wheel cover apparatus having been pivoted and the steerable wheels having been steered inward;

[0027] FIG. 4 is a side view of the wheel cover apparatus from FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the wheel cover apparatus from FIG. 1 without an adjusting device, the wheel cover apparatus having been pivoted; and

[0029] FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line VI-VI in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In FIGS. 1 to 3, a wheel cover apparatus 2 is illustrated together with two steerable wheels 12 of a vehicle (not illustrated).

[0031] FIGS. 4 to 6 show a subregion of the wheel cover apparatus 2 in an isolated illustration.

[0032] The wheel cover apparatus 2 comprises a left-hand wheel cover apparatus region, a right-hand wheel cover apparatus region and an adjusting device 22. The adjusting device 22 extends in a vehicle transverse direction and connects the left-hand wheel cover apparatus region to the right-hand wheel cover apparatus region.

[0033] The adjusting device 22 comprises a rotary actuator 24, a drive rod 26 and two drive-output rods 28. The drive rod 26 is arranged on the rotary actuator 24 in a rotationally fixed or rotationally rigid manner in such a way that it intersects an axis of rotation of the rotary actuator 24. A first of the drive-output rods 28 is rotatably connected at a first end to a first end of the drive rod 26. The second drive-output rod 28 is rotatably connected at a first end to the second end of the drive rod 26. Thus, forces which act in opposed fashion in the vehicle transverse direction are applied to the drive-output rods 28 by the drive rod 26. At the second end thereof, the drive-output rods 28 are connected to a connecting web 14 of the left-hand wheel cover apparatus region and, respectively, of the right-hand wheel cover apparatus region.

[0034] The left-hand wheel cover apparatus region and the right-hand wheel cover apparatus region are configured in a mirror-symmetrical manner with respect one another. The plane of symmetry extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction and in a vehicle vertical direction.

[0035] The left-hand wheel cover apparatus region and the right-hand wheel cover apparatus region each comprise an upper planar (areal) portion 4, a lower planar (areal) portion 6, the connecting web 14 and a positioning device 8.

[0036] The upper planar portion 4 is mounted on a body 30 of the vehicle by way of the connecting web 14 so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0037] The upper planar portion 4 and the lower planar portion 6 are connected to one another by way of hinges 10 so as to be pivotable about a second pivot axis.

[0038] The positioning device 8 comprises a first shaft 16, a second shaft 18 and a traction mechanism 20. The first shaft 16 is mounted on the body 30 in a rotationally fixed manner. The second shaft 18 is rotatably mounted on the upper planar portion 4 and connected to the lower planar portion 6 in a rotationally fixed manner. The traction mechanism 20 is arranged or tensioned on the first shaft 16 and the second shaft 18.

[0039] Upon actuation of the rotary actuator 24, the upper planar portions 4 are each subjected, by way of the connecting webs 14, to a force which acts in the vehicle transverse direction and which causes the connecting web 14 and the upper planar portion 4 to pivot about the first pivot axis. The force acting on the upper planar portion 4 of the left-hand wheel cover apparatus region acts in the opposite direction to the force acting on the upper planar portion 4 of the right-hand wheel cover apparatus region. The upper planar portion 4 of the left-hand wheel cover apparatus region is thus pivoted in a pivoting direction opposite to the pivoting direction of the upper planar portion 4 of the right-hand wheel cover apparatus region.

[0040] The pivoting of the upper planar portions 4 and of the connecting webs 14, on which a respective second shaft 18 is rotatably arranged, in turn causes, together with the first shafts 16, which are arranged on the body in a rotationally fixed manner, and the traction mechanisms 20, which are each tensioned on a respective one of the first shafts 16 and a respective one of the second shafts 18, a rotation of the second shafts 18. The second shafts 18 are each rotated in a direction of rotation opposite to the pivoting direction of the respective upper planar portion 4.

[0041] Due to the rotation of the second shafts 18, the lower planar portions 6, which are each arranged on a respective one of the second shafts 18 in a rotationally fixed or rigid manner, are also subjected to a pivoting action in the direction opposite to the pivoting direction of the respective upper planar portion 4.

[0042] The diameter of the first shafts 16 corresponds to the diameter of the second shafts 18. The pivot angle of the upper planar portions 4 is thus equal to the negative pivot angle of a respective one of the lower planar portions 6. In sum, a resulting pivot angle of zero degrees is therefore produced for the lower planar portions 6 in each case relative to the body.

LIST OF REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS

[0043] 2 Wheel cover apparatus [0044] 4 Upper planar (areal) portion [0045] 6 Lower planar (areal) portion [0046] 8 Positioning device [0047] 10 Hinge [0048] 12 Steerable wheel [0049] 14 Connecting web [0050] 16 First shaft [0051] 18 Second shaft [0052] 20 Traction mechanism [0053] 22 Adjusting device [0054] 24 Rotary actuator [0055] 26 Drive rod [0056] 28 Drive-output rod [0057] 30 Body