INTEGRATED VEHICLE WHEEL SYSTEM OF MODULAR DESIGN

Abstract

A vehicle wheel system for motor vehicles includes a central wheel disc having an attachment flange for arrangement on a chassis component, and having a brake rotor which is provided coaxially with respect to a central rotational axis Ax and whose external circumference is secured to the wheel disc but is otherwise freely oriented in the radially inward direction. An aspect is a vehicle wheel system which is of lightweight construction and easy to maintain. The aspect is based on the brake rotor being secured in an exchangeable fashion by a plurality of support sections at its outer circumference with a detachable attachment and, for the purpose of conducting away heat, is secured in a thermally conductive fashion to a plurality of abutment sections on the circumference of the wheel disc, with the result that overall a modular design (MAB) is obtained.

Claims

1. A vehicle wheel system for motor vehicles comprising a central wheel disk having an attachment flange for arrangement on a chassis component and having an integrated brake rotor which is provided coaxially with respect to a central rotational axis Ax, and whose outer circumference is secured to the wheel disk and is otherwise freely oriented in the radially inward direction, wherein the brake rotor is secured in an exchangeable fashion by a plurality of support sections on its outer circumference with detachable attachment means and, for the purpose of conducting away heat, is secured in a thermally conductive fashion to a plurality of abutment sections on the circumference of the wheel disk.

2. The vehicle wheel system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake rotor is configured with the support sections in a circular and planar manner, such that the support sections are designed as projections which are shaped radially outwardly on the circumference and which comprise through-bores for receiving components of the attachment means.

3. The vehicle wheel system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the abutment sections of the wheel disk and the support sections of the brake rotor are clamped relative to one another by attachment means which are oriented axially.

4. The vehicle wheel system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the attachment means in each case comprise a retaining bush with an internal thread for a screw bolt with an external thread, and wherein additionally a bearing bush is interposed between the brake rotor and the screw bolt.

5. The vehicle wheel system as claimed in claim 4, wherein each retaining bush is positively axially secured with a collar on the end side, integrally in an adapted receiving bore of the wheel disk, such that the retaining bush has a hollow wall portion which is designed in one piece, comprising the internal thread for the external thread of the screw bolt, and wherein the hollow wall portion at least partially penetrates the through-bore in the support section of the brake rotor.

6. The vehicle wheel system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the screw bolt and/or the retaining bush is configured to be deformable in a reversible, resilient manner.

7. The vehicle wheel system as claimed in claim 1, wherein attachment interfaces are defined between the abutment sections of the wheel disk and the support sections of the rim ring, said attachment interfaces containing centering seats between the relevant components and the detachable attachment elements.

8. The vehicle wheel system as claimed in claim 7, wherein each interface on the rim ring comprises a retaining claw which is bent radially inwardly at right angles and which cooperates with a centering seat of the wheel disk which is configured in a radially stepped manner.

9. The vehicle wheel system as claimed in claim 8, wherein each retaining claw comprises through-bores for attachment elements arranged so as to be oriented in a detachable and axial manner, and in that the attachment elements are screwed into the wheel disk.

10. The vehicle wheel system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the abutment sections of the wheel disk and the support sections of the brake rotor are clamped relative to one another by attachment means which are oriented axially.

11. The vehicle wheel system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the screw bolt and/or the retaining bush is configured to be deformable in a reversible, resilient manner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Further features and details of the invention are revealed from the following description with reference to the drawing. In the drawing:

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an exploded drawing of the vehicle wheel system including the wheel brake actuator system;

[0020] FIG. 2 shows the attachment means between the rim ring and wheel disk as in FIG. 1 in an enlarged exploded view,

[0021] FIG. 3 shows the attachment means between the brake rotor and wheel disk as in FIG. 2 in section,

[0022] FIG. 4 shows a side view from the right of the vehicle wheel system as in FIG. 1,

[0023] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the vehicle wheel system as in FIG. 1, and

[0024] FIG. 6 shows a side view from the left of the vehicle wheel system according to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] A vehicle wheel system 1 of lightweight construction comprises the following components which are able to be assembled in a modular manner: p wheel disk 2 (optionally with spokes and preferably produced from a light metal material such as aluminum),

[0026] rim ring 3 (preferably produced in one piece from carbon composite material), in particular the entire rim ring 3 may comprise an extremely lightweight and mechanically load-bearing fiber composite material,

[0027] internally-encompassed brake rotor 4 without a pot and with external attachment (preferably produced in one piece from a light metal material such as aluminum),

[0028] internally-encompassing brake actuator 5 (preferably of fixed caliper construction and preferably produced from aluminum material with the carrier 15),

[0029] attachment means 6 for clamping between the brake rotor 4 and the wheel disk 2 with associated components such as a screw bolt 7, bearing bush 8 and retaining bush 9in each case arranged so as to be axially oriented,

[0030] attachment elements 10 between the rim ring 3 and wheel disk 2 comprising the components, such as a screw bolt 11 and a pressure piece 12 integrated in a seat in the rim ring 3in each case arranged so as to be axially oriented,

[0031] attachment means 13 arranged between the wheel disk 2 and the chassis component (hub) 14in each case axially oriented, i.e. parallel to the rotational axis Ax.

[0032] The brake actuator 5 is connected fixedly in terms of rotation via a carrier 15 to a chassis component 14 and transmits the acting braking forces to the vehicle. Preferably, the carrier 15 is structurally integrated on or in a hub 14 in one piece.

[0033] The brake rotor 4 is clamped by means of attachment means 6 onto the wheel disk 2 at abutment 17. The attachment means 6 comprise a plurality of components, as follows. A screw bolt 7 is arranged so as to be axially oriented and penetrates a through-bore 18 in the support sections 16 of the brake rotor 4. For the pretensioning, each screw bolt 7 has a head portion, a bearing bush 8 acting thereon. Each bearing bush 8 has a centering collar and is inserted into the through-bore 18 of the brake rotor. In the wheel disk 2 positively stepped receivers 20 for retaining bushes 9 with a collar 19, hollow wall portion 21, and internal threads 22 are arranged, said receivers in each case being engaged with the external threads 23 of the screw bolts 7 at a defined axial pretensioning force (being screwed with a predetermined torque). The retaining bushes 9 or screw bolts 7 which are configured to be substantially rotationally symmetrical may be provided to be axially resilient in order to compensate for the loss of pretensioning force. For producing the attachment means, a light metal material or a heavy metal material may be used as a thin sheet metal initial product from the coil or as a solid material portion for the purpose of chip-removal machining or chipless machining. By means of the through-bores 18 integrated in the support section 16, the brake rotor 4 is centered relative to the wheel disk 2 and at the same time transmits the braking torque produced via the brake actuator 5 reliably to the wheel disk 2. At the same time, by means of screw bolts 7 and the bearing bush 8, the brake rotor 4 is held axially securely in thermally conductive contact. This ensures the optimal function of the heat sink wheel disk 2, i.e. an optimal transmission of heat from the brake rotor 4 to the wheel disk 2.

[0034] Defined stepped interfaces 24/a centering seat 26 with attachment elements 10 serve for an (axial/radial) attachment which is flat and centered and without imbalance between the rim ring 3 and the wheel disk 2, said attachment elements being attached in an axially oriented manner and comprising a pressure piece 12 and an associated screw bolt 11 which comprises a head and shank, and with an external thread portion, said pressure piece is screwed into an integral internal thread portion of the wheel disk 2. Each pressure piece 12 is arranged so as to be recessed together with the head of the screw bolt 11 in a stepped receiver of the retaining claw 25 of the rim ring 3.

[0035] The pressure pieces 12 are preferably already positively incorporated during the production of a rim ring 3 made of carbon material. The radially and axially centered securing takes place by means of the axially oriented screw bolt 11 and using the interface 24 between the retaining claw 25 and the wheel disk which is configured to be positively stepped and overlapping. Mating threads for the screw bolts 11 are integrated in the wheel disk 2. A detachably secured cover 28 may conceal the wheel attachment means 13, the centering collar between the wheel disk and the hub or the like.

[0036] The novel vehicle wheel system 1 permits a novel, advantageous and simplified concept for variation and maintenance in the case of servicing and also in the case of logistics, relative to summer or winter tires. Accordingly, in addition to the novel vehicle wheel concept it is proposed that the wheel disk 2 according to the invention is provided for remaining substantially permanently on the chassis component 14 (hub) of the vehicle, whereas only the rim ring 3 which is detachably mounted on the wheel disk 2 is replaced in each case. This reduces the cost of logistics and additionally permits a novel concept for maintenance.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0037] 1 Vehicle wheel system [0038] 2 Wheel disk [0039] 3 Rim ring [0040] 4 Brake rotor [0041] 5 Brake actuator [0042] 6 Attachment means [0043] 7 Screw bolt [0044] 8 Bearing bush [0045] 9 Retaining bush [0046] 10 Attachment element [0047] 11 Screw bolt [0048] 12 Pressure piece [0049] 13 Attachment means [0050] 14 Chassis component [0051] 15 Holder [0052] 16 Support section [0053] 17 Abutment section [0054] 18 Through-bore [0055] 19 Collar [0056] 20 Receiving bore [0057] 21 Hollow wall portion [0058] 22 Internal thread [0059] 23 External thread [0060] 24 Attachment interface [0061] 25 Retaining claw [0062] 26 Centering seat [0063] 27 Attachment flange [0064] 28 Cover [0065] Ax Rotational axis/axial direction [0066] R Radial direction