Vitreous device to change apparent density within a metal casting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11926174-B2
Application number	US-202117560466-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2021
Priority date	Dec 23, 2021
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A casting system includes a casting for an automobile vehicle having an interior section. Multiple central portions are individually positioned in one of multiple areas of the interior section completely encapsulated by a metal of the casting. An insert member is positioned in individual ones of the multiple central portions, the insert member having a higher melting point than a melting point of a metal of the casting the insert member displaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A casting system for a vehicle, comprising:
a casting of a wheel of the vehicle, the casting having an interior section;
multiple central portions individually positioned in one of multiple areas of the interior section completely encapsulated by a metal of the casting; and
an insert member positioned in individual ones of the multiple central portions, the insert member comprising a vitreous material having a higher melting point than a melting point of the metal of the casting the insert member displaces, and defining an internal bore, wherein a filler is disposed within the internal bore, the filler comprising a material different from the metal of the casting and different from the vitreous material of the insert member, wherein the filler is comprised of agricultural bio waste material.

2. The casting system of claim 1 , wherein:
the insert member includes a length which maximizes a volume of the multiple central portions; and
the insert member is spaced inwardly from a raised flange of the cast wheel at a spacing distance and is positioned at a depth from an outer surface of the cast wheel.

3. The casting system of claim 1 , wherein the insert member includes a first tapered end and an oppositely positioned second tapered end to help locate and retain the insert member within a casting mold cavity prior to a pour of the metal of the cast wheel.

4. The casting system of claim 3 , wherein the insert member includes a first wire rod extending outwardly from the first tapered end and a second wire rod extending outwardly from the second tapered end.

5. The casting system of claim 4 , wherein the first wire rod and the second wire rod are retained in place in a final as-cast condition of the cast wheel.

6. The casting system of claim 1 , wherein the filler has a density different from the metal of the casting the insert member displaces and a melting point higher than a melting point of the metal of the casting the insert member displaces to create a localized lower apparent density within the casting.

7. The casting system of claim 1 , wherein the insert member has a density less than or equal to a density of a same volume of the metal of the casting the insert member displaces.

8. The casting system of claim 1 , wherein the casting includes a cylindrical-shaped rim fixed to a spider section, and wherein the casting includes multiple spokes defining the interior section, individual ones of the multiple spokes having one of the multiple central portions.

9. A casting for a vehicle, comprising:
a cast wheel including multiple spokes, individual ones of the multiple spokes being substantially identical to the other ones of the multiple spokes and are equidistantly spaced from a successive one of the multiple spokes to maintain an even weight distribution of the cast wheel, the cast wheel comprising a metal;
the multiple spokes extending inwardly from a raised flange of a spider section to a centrally positioned axle receiving portion;
a central portion of individual ones of the multiple spokes completely encapsulated by a metal of the multiple spokes; and
an insert member positioned in individual ones of the central portions, the insert member having a vitreous body torus having a circular shaped body with a central bore and an enclosed cavity, the vitreous body torus having a higher melting point than a melting point of a metal of the cast wheel the insert member displaces, the vitreous material comprised of post-consumer glasses of mixed colors, wherein a filler is disposed within the enclosed cavity and not disposed within the central bore, the filler comprising agricultural bio content.

10. The casting of claim 9 , wherein the filler material has a density different from a density of the metal of the cast wheel to create a localized lower apparent density within the cast wheel.

11. The casting of claim 9 , wherein the insert member remains permanently in place for a life of the cast wheel and the insert member is retained in a specific location.

12. The casting of claim 11 , wherein the insert member includes at least one wire extending outwardly from an end of the insert member to act as a retention member retaining the insert member in the specific location.

13. The casting of claim 9 , wherein:
the insert member is sealed to ensure that a filler material within a cavity of the insert member cannot contaminate the metal of the cast wheel; and
air present within the insert member is evacuated prior to sealing to a lower internal pressure to allow for outgassing of the filler material due to a heat of casting.

14. A method for creating a localized lower apparent density within a cast wheel, comprising:
casting a wheel for an automobile vehicle including multiple spokes, individual ones of the multiple spokes being substantially identical to the other ones of the multiple spokes and are equidistantly spaced from a successive one of the multiple spokes to maintain an even weight distribution of the cast wheel, the cast wheel comprising a metal;
extending individual ones of the multiple spokes inwardly from a raised bead of a spider section to a centrally positioned axle receiving portion;
completely encapsulating a central portion of the individual ones of the multiple spokes by a metal of the multiple spokes; and
positioning an insert member in individual ones of the central portions, the insert member defining a vitreous material having a higher melting point than a melting point of the metal of the wheel the insert member displaces, having the insert member remaining permanently in place for a life of the wheel and is retained in a specific location, the insert member defining an internal bore, wherein a filler is disposed within the internal bore, the filler comprising agricultural bio content.

15. The method of claim 14 , further including extending at least one wire outwardly from an end of the insert member to act as a retention member retaining the insert member in the specific location after casting the cast wheel.

16. The method of claim 14 , further including:
positioning the filler material within the internal bore of the insert member;
sealing the insert member to ensure that the filler material within the internal bore cannot contaminate the metal of the wheel; and
evacuating air present within the insert member prior to sealing the insert member to a predetermined internal pressure to allow for outgassing of the filler material due to a heat of casting.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Risko Frank D
• Herron Lora Dawn

Classifications

• B60B3/06 Primary

  formed by casting · CPC title

• B22D19/00 Primary

  Casting in, on, or around objects which form part of the product (B22D23/04 takes precedence; alumino-thermic welding B23K23/00; coating by casting molten material on the substrate C23C6/00) · CPC title

• B60B1/08

  formed by casting · CPC title

• B60B2310/202

  by casting · CPC title

• B60B2360/32

  Plastic compositions · CPC title