Wheel cover for a wheel of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11872844-B2
Application number	US-202016734535-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2020
Priority date	Jul 7, 2017
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A wheel of a vehicle has a rim, a hub section and at least two spokes which connect the hub section to the rim. At least one spoke intermediate space between the spokes is at least partially covered by a covering element mounted on the wheel from the outside of the wheel. The covering element is held in the installed position by a fastening device. The fastening device is mounted from the inside of the wheel and is connected to a wheel flange arranged in the inside of the wheel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wheel of a vehicle, comprising:
a rim;
a hub portion;
at least two spokes that connect the hub portion to the rim;
a covering element mounted on the wheel from outside the wheel, wherein
a spoke intermediate space between adjacent ones of the at least two spokes is at least partially covered by the covering element; and
a fastening device mounted from inside the wheel, wherein
the covering element is held in an installed position in the spoke intermediate space by a connection to the fastening device, the connection being located in the spoke intermediate space, and
the fastening device is fixedly connected directly to a wheel flange separately from the holding of the covering element, the wheel flange being on the inside of the wheel.

2. The wheel according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of covering elements are held in the installed position on the outside of the wheel by the fastening device.

3. The wheel according to claim 1 , wherein
the fastening device is connected to the wheel flange in a form-fitting, force-fitting and/or materially bonded manner.

4. The wheel according to claim 3 , wherein
the fastening device rests on the wheel flange and is clamped between the wheel flange and a component connected to the wheel flange.

5. The wheel according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one wing element of the fastening device at least partially overlaps the spoke intermediate space from the inside of the wheel,
the connection being located on a portion of the at least one wing element overlapping the spoke intermediate space.

6. The wheel according to claim 5 , wherein
the wing element of the fastening device projects into the spoke intermediate space from the inside of the wheel.

7. The wheel according to claim 5 , wherein
the wing element is connected to the covering element in a force-fitting, form-fitting and/or materially bonded manner.

8. The wheel according to claim 1 , wherein
the covering element is connected to at least one spoke and/or to the rim in a form-fitting manner.

9. The wheel of a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the rim has an undercut extending in a circumferential direction of the wheel, to which undercut the covering element is attached.

10. The wheel of a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
at least a part of the covering element and/or of the fastening device is made of a plastic and/or of a flexible material.

11. A method of mounting a wheel of a vehicle, the wheel having a rim, a hub portion, at least two spokes that connect the hub portion to the rim, and a covering element that at least partially covers an intermediate space between adjacent ones of the at least two spokes, the method comprising:
prepositioning a fastening device flat against a wheel flange arranged on an inner side of the wheel;
clamping the fastening device in a transverse vehicle direction between a component connected to the wheel flange and the wheel flange; and
connecting the covering element to the fastening device within the spoke intermediate space.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
connecting the covering element to the fastening device from outside of the wheel.

13. The wheel of a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the fastening device has a ring-shaped portion that bears against the wheel flange.

14. The wheel of a vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein
at least one wing element of the fastening device branches-off from the ring-shaped portion, and
the covering element is held by the wing element.

15. A wheel of a vehicle, comprising:
a rim;
a hub portion;
at least two spokes that connect the hub portion to the rim;
a covering element mounted on the wheel from outside the wheel, wherein
a spoke intermediate space between adjacent ones of the at least two spokes is at least partially covered by the covering element while leaving the at least two spokes exposed; and
a fastening device mounted from inside the wheel, wherein
the covering element is held in an installed position in the spoke intermediate space by a connection to the fastening device, the connection being located in the spoke intermediate space, and
the fastening device is connected to a wheel flange separately from the holding of the covering element, the wheel flange being on the inside of the wheel.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Broome Timothy
• Groth Kristian
• Krause Andreas
• Preyss Georg

Classifications

• B60B7/066 Primary

  to the hub · CPC title

• B60B7/04

  built-up of several main parts (B60B7/01, B60B7/20 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60B7/063

  to the rim · CPC title

• B60B7/14

  comprising screw-threaded means · CPC title

• B60B7/18

  simulating spoked or wire wheel · CPC title