METHOD FOR COATING AND FORGING VEHICLE WHEEL

Abstract

In one aspect, a method for forging a vehicle wheel with three-dimensional features may include steps of utilizing toe-clamps and center collets to reduce chatter marks and the effects of vibrations and harmonics; employing a parametric CNC program which allows for feed rates and spindle RPM speeds that are specific to the process of the vehicle wheel design; utilizing end-mills, bull-nose end-mills, ball-mills, chamfer tools, V-tools, custom rivet tools, and other commonly used CNC milling tools to machine the sides of the spokes on the wheels; utilizing a coolant to operate the CNC machine; providing a tool to make the three-dimensional features on the wheel; cleaning the wheel to remove coolant and debris remaining on the wheel; and painting selected areas of the wheel.

Claims

1. A method for forging a vehicle wheel with three-dimensional features comprising steps of utilizing toe-clamps and center collets to reduce chatter marks and the effects of vibrations and harmonics; employing a parametric computer numerical control (CNC) program which allows for feed rates and spindle RPM speeds that are specific to the process of the vehicle wheel design; utilizing end-mills, bull-nose end-mills, ball-mills, chamfer tools, V-tools, custom rivet tools, and other commonly used CNC milling tools to machine the sides of the spokes on the wheels; utilizing a coolant to operate the CNC machine; providing a tool to form said three-dimensional features on the wheel; cleaning the wheel to remove coolant and debris remaining on the wheel; and painting selected areas of the wheel.

2. The method for forging a vehicle wheel with three-dimensional features of claim 1, wherein the tool to form said three-dimensional features on the wheel includes a main body, a functional head extending from one end of the main body, a movable drilling unit having a plurality of cutting edges, and a cutting unit.

3. The method for forging a vehicle wheel with three-dimensional features of claim 2, wherein the movable drilling unit has a center hole, and a rivet is inserted into the center hole to movably secure the drilling unit to the functional head.

4. The method for forging a vehicle wheel with three-dimensional features of claim 2, wherein the movable drilling unit is an artificial diamond configured to polish the wheel to increase the brightness thereof.

5. The method for forging a vehicle wheel with three-dimensional features of claim 2, wherein the tool to form said three-dimensional features on the wheel further includes a spiral head.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a prior art disclosing a conventional method for coating and forging a wheel.

[0016] FIG. 2 is also a prior art disclosing a conventional method for coating and forging a wheel.

[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram for a method for forging a vehicle wheel in the present invention.

[0018] FIGS. 4 to 4b illustrate different styles of bits used in the forging process in the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 5 is an exemplary embodiment of the wheel forging process in the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates wheels before being polished by the CNC machine with the artificial diamond drilling unit.

[0021] FIG. 7 illustrates wheels after being polished by the CNC machine with the artificial diamond drilling unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently exemplary device provided in accordance with aspects of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be prepared or utilized. It is to be understood, rather, that the same or equivalent functions and components may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0023] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the exemplary methods, devices and materials are now described.

[0024] All publications mentioned are incorporated by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the designs and methodologies that are described in the publications that might be used in connection with the presently described invention. The publications listed or discussed above, below and throughout the text are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

[0025] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of a, an, and the includes reference to the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the terms comprise or comprising, include or including, have or having, contain or containing and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of in includes in and on unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0026] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the embodiments. As used herein, the term and/or includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0027] In one aspect, a method for forging a vehicle wheel with three-dimensional features may include steps of utilizing toe-clamps and center collets to reduce chatter marks and the effects of vibrations and harmonics 310; employing a parametric CNC program which allows for feed rates and spindle RPM speeds that are specific to the process of the vehicle wheel design 320; utilizing end-mills, bull-nose end-mills, ball-mills, chamfer tools, V-tools, custom rivet tools, and other commonly used CNC milling tools to machine the sides of the spokes on the wheels 330; utilizing a coolant to operate the CNC machine 340; providing a tool to make the three-dimensional features on the wheel 350; cleaning the wheel to remove coolant and debris remaining on the wheel 360; and painting selected areas of the wheel 370.

[0028] In one embodiment, the step (330) utilizing end-mills, bull-nose end-mills, ball-mills, chamfer tools, V-tools, custom rivet tools, and other commonly used CNC milling tools to machine the sides of the spokes on the wheels may further include a step of utilizing a plastic portion which absorbs machine vibration and harmonics to reduce chatter marks on the wheel. In another embodiment, the step (350) of providing a tool to make rivets in the wheel may include a step of providing a peck-drill cycle tool to make rivets in the wheel without the need for forging the rivets.

[0029] In a further embodiment, a bit 410 as shown in FIG. 4 is used in step 350 to make the three-dimensional features on the wheel. The bit 400 may include a main body 410 and a spiral head 420, which can be used to machine the spokes on the wheels. In another embodiment, the angle of the spiral head 420 can be about 70 degrees as shown in FIG. 4a. In an exemplary embodiment, a functional head 430 extends from the main body 410 and has a movable drilling unit 440 having a plurality of cutting edges 441 and a cutting unit 442 as shown in FIG. 4b, which are configured to form a three-dimensional feature for the computer numerical control (CNC) machine. In one embodiment, the movable drilling unit 440 has a center hole 443 and a rivet 444 is inserted into the center hole 443 to movably secure the drilling unit 440 to the functional head 430.

[0030] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, a vehicle wheel 500 has a plurality of spikes 510 radially extending from a center of the vehicle wheel 500. With the movable drilling unit 440 and the cutting unit 442, the CNC machine can generate a three-dimensional feature like the spikes 510. Comparing with a periphery portion 520 of the vehicle wheel 500, the spikes 510 are protruding from the surface of the periphery portion 520 to form a three-dimensional feature. It is noted that a slanted periphery 521 that is slantedly extending from the periphery portion 520 toward the center of the vehicle wheel 500 can also be formed by the movable drilling unit 440 and the cutting unit 442.

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment, the movable drilling unit 440 is an artificial diamond, which can be used to polish the wheel to increase the brightness thereof with predetermined parameters set in the CNC machine. FIG. 6 shows the wheels before being polished by the CNC machine with the artificial diamond, and FIG. 7 shows the same wheels after being polished by the CNC machine, the brightness of which is significantly increased.

[0032] Having described the invention by the description and illustrations above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description, but includes any equivalent.