WHEEL TRIM

Abstract

The wheel trim (1) comprises a base element (2) provided with holes (3) and a cover element (4) placed on said base element (2), the cover element (4) being linked with the base element (2) by a speed activation element (5) and said cover element (4) being movable between a rest position, in which the holes (3) are not covered, and an active position, in which the holes (3) are completely or partially covered, when the rotating speed of the wheel is higher than a preset speed, and it is characterized in that the cover element (4) is also linked with the base element (2) by a temperature activation element (6), so that when the temperature sensed by said temperature activation element (6) is higher than a preset temperature, the temperature activation element (6) moves the cover element (4) to said rest position.

Claims

1. Wheel trim (1) comprising a base element (2) provided with holes (3) and a cover element (4) placed on said base element (2), the cover element (4) being linked with the base element (2) by a speed activation element (5) and said cover element (4) being movable between a rest position, in which the holes (3) are not covered by the cover element (4), and an active position, in which the holes (3) are completely or partially covered by the cover element (4), when the rotating speed of the wheel is higher than a preset speed, characterized in that the cover element (4) is also linked with the base element (2) by a temperature activation element (6), so that when the temperature sensed by said temperature activation element (6) is higher than a preset temperature, the temperature activation element (6) moves the cover element (4) to said rest position.

2. Wheel trim (1) according to claim 1, wherein the temperature activation element (6) is a spring made of a shape memory alloy.

3. Wheel trim (1) according to claim 1, wherein the speed activation element (5) is a metallic spring or a gas cylinder.

4. Wheel trim (1) according to claim 1, wherein a first end of the temperature activation element (6) and/or of the speed activation element (5) is fixed to the base element (2) and a second end of the temperature activation element (6) and/or of the speed activation element (5) is fixed to the cover element (4), said second end being movable inside a groove (7) provided in the base element (2).

5. Wheel trim (1) according to claim 1, wherein the cover element (4) is attached to the base element (2) by a central bearing (8) that permit the rotation of the cover element (4) with respect to the base element (2).

6. Wheel trim (1) according to claim 1, wherein the base element (2) comprises a plurality of retaining elements (9) for attaching the trim (1) to a wheel.

7. Wheel trim (1) according to claim 1, wherein the speed activation element (5) comprises a body (50) at one of its ends, so that when the rotating speed of the wheel trim (1) is higher than a preset speed, the speed activation element (5) moves said cover element (4) to said active position.

8. Wheel trim (1) according to claim 1, wherein said speed activation element (5) is linked to said cover element (4) by an arm (10).

9. Wheel trim (1) according to claim 1, wherein said temperature activation element (6) is linked to said cover element (4) by an arm (10).

10. Wheel trim (1) according to claim 1, wherein a first end of the temperature activation element (6) and/or the speed activation element (5) is fixed to the base element (2) and a second end of the temperature activation element (6) and/or the speed activation element (5) is linked to the cover element (5) by an arm (10), the second end of the arm being movable inside a groove (7) provided in the base element (2).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] For a better understanding of what has been disclosed, some drawings are attached in which, diagrammatically and only as a non-limitative example, one embodiment is shown.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a frontal view of a first embodiment of the wheel trim according to the invention in its rest position or in the position when the vehicle is stopped or runs at low speed or when the brakes are a temperature higher than a preset temperature;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a frontal view of the first embodiment of the wheel trim according to the invention in its active position when the vehicle runs at high speed;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the first embodiment of the wheel trim according to the invention in its rest position or in the position when the vehicle is stopped or runs at low speed or when the brakes are a temperature higher than a preset temperature; and

[0023] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the first embodiment of the wheel trim according to the invention in its active position when the vehicle runs at high speed;

[0024] FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the wheel trim according to a second embodiment of the invention in the rest and active positions, respectively;

[0025] FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the wheel trim according to a third embodiment of the invention in the rest and active positions, respectively; and

[0026] FIGS. 9 and 10 are perspective views of the wheel trim according to a fourth embodiment of the invention in the rest and active positions, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0027] The wheel trim according to the invention, identified generally by numeral 1, comprises a base element 2 that is fixed to a wheel (not shown) of a vehicle by a plurality of retaining elements 9, and a cover element 4 that is placed in the base element 2 and is movable (e.g. rotatable) with respect to this base element 2. To permit this movement, the base element 2 and the cover element 4 are preferably linked by a central bearing 8.

[0028] The base element 2 comprises a plurality of holes 3, preferably distributed around the periphery of the base element 2, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0029] The cover element 4 is movable between a rest position, shown in FIG. 1, in which the cover element 4 does not cover the holes 3, and an active position, shown in FIG. 2, in which the cover element 4 covers the holes 3.

[0030] It must be pointed out that the cover element 4 can also be placed in any intermediate position between these rest and active position. However, for simplicity reasons, in this description and in the claims, the active position must be considered any position in which the holes 3 are completely or partially covered by the cover element 4.

[0031] The cover element 4 is placed automatically in its rest position when the vehicle is stopped or runs at low speed or when the brakes are a temperature higher than a preset temperature, as will be described hereinafter.

[0032] For moving the cover element 4, the wheel trim 1 according to the invention comprises a speed activation element 5 that moves the cover element 4 from the rest position to the active position when the vehicle runs above a preset speed. According to alternative embodiments, the speed activation element 5 is a spring, such as a helical metallic spring, or a gas cylinder.

[0033] The wheel trim 1 according to the invention also comprises a temperature activation element 6 that moves the cover element 4 from the active position to the rest position when the temperature sensed by this temperature activation element 6 is above a preset temperature. According to a preferred embodiment, this temperature activation element 6 is a spring made from a shape memory alloy, such as a two-way shape memory alloy, i.e. a spring that can adopt two different shapes, one shape when the temperature is above a preset temperature and another shape when the temperature is below said preset temperature.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the speed activation element 5 and the temperature activation element 6 comprises two ends, a first end fixed to the base element 2 and a second end fixed to the cover element 4, said second end being movable inside a curved groove 7 provided in the base element 2.

[0035] In the rest position, shown in FIG. 3, this second end each of the speed activation element 5 and the temperature activation element 6 is placed in a middle portion of the groove 7, and in the active position, shown in FIG. 4, this second end each of the speed activation element 5 and the temperature activation element 6 is placed in an end portion of the groove 7.

[0036] The operation of the activation elements 5, 6 is the following.

[0037] When the vehicle is stopped, the cover element 4 is its rest position by the action of the speed activation element 5. When the vehicle runs at a speed above a preset speed, the centrifugal force of the wheel itself will overcome the force exerted by the activation element 5 and will be rotated to the active position, covering the holes 3.

[0038] Furthermore, when the vehicle returns to a speed below said preset speed, the cover element 4 will return to its rest position.

[0039] In any case, if the temperature of the temperature activation element 6 is above a preset temperature, thanks to the features of the shape memory alloy, this activation element 6 will move the cover element 4 to its rest position 4, not covering the holes 3. The main reason of the increase of the temperature of the temperature activation element 6 is the heat from the brakes of the vehicle, and the holes 3, not covered by the cover element 4 will permit the cooling of the brakes.

[0040] A second embodiment of the wheel trim according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. For simplicity reasons the same numeral references than in the previous embodiment are used for indicating the same or equivalent elements.

[0041] In this second embodiment, the speed activation element 5 comprises a body 50 at one of its ends, so that when the rotating speed of the wheel trim 1 is higher than a preset speed, the speed activation element 5 moves said cover element 4 to said active position. This body 50 has a weight that is enough to permit the movement of the cover element 4 from the rest position to the active position when the vehicle runs above said preset speed.

[0042] For moving the cover element 4, said speed activation element 5 is linked with the cover element 4 by an arm 10, as shown in the drawings.

[0043] A third embodiment of the wheel trim according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in which each of the speed activation element 5 and the temperature activation element 6 comprises two ends, a first end fixed to the base element 2 and a second end linked to the cover element 4 by said arm 10, being the second end of the arm 10 movable inside a curved groove 7 provided in the base element 2.

[0044] In this embodiment, the cover element 4 is in the face of the wheel and the activation elements 5, 6 behind the base element 2.

[0045] A fourth embodiment of the wheel trim according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in which the activation elements 5, 6 are seen, but they are under the level of the base element 2.

[0046] Even though reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is apparent for a person skilled in the art that the wheel trim discloses is susceptible of numerous variations and modifications, and that all the details mentioned can be substituted by other technically equivalent ones, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.