Wheel having covering parts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724962-B2
Application number	US-201414767847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2014
Priority date	Feb 13, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a wheel, in particular for vehicles, such as motor vehicles, with a rim ring having an opening defined there through, and with a main support at least partially arranged in the opening in the rim ring. The wheel, despite having a low weight, provides adequate rigidity and strength and can be produced in a simple manner, while maintaining design flexibility. The main support of the wheel has a plurality of spokes, and a plurality of covering parts for at least partially covering the spokes, wherein the main support and the covering parts support the rim ring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wheel for vehicles, comprising:
a rim ring having a central ring opening defined there through;
a main support at least partially disposed in the opening of said rim ring, said main support having a plurality of spokes extending outwardly therefrom;
a plurality of covering parts each disposed locally in a region of said plurality of spokes and configured such that one of said plurality of covering parts at least partially covers one of said spokes, said covering parts each being integrally bonded to both of said main support and said rim ring such that said main support and said covering parts support said rim ring.

2. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein said covering parts are of identical or different design.

3. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said covering parts is provided for each spoke.

4. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein said covering parts form at least partially closed profile cross sections with the main support.

5. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein said covering parts are produced from sheet metal as at least one of formed or folded parts.

6. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein said covering parts are produced by a bend forming process.

7. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said main support and said rim ring are produced from sheet metal.

8. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein a wall thickness of said main support is ≦5 mm.

9. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of covering parts, said rim ring, and said main support are produced from one or more of a tailored blank and a tailored strip.

10. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein a radial outer region of said main support has said plurality of spokes extending therefrom.

11. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein said radial outer region of said main support includes an encircling ring.

12. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein said rim ring comprises a shoulder integrally connected to a drop base, and wherein said main support and said rim ring are coupled to each other in at least one of a region of said drop base or a region of said shoulder of said rim ring.

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe Ag

Inventors

• Pieronek David
• Grüneklee Axel
• Zörnack Markus

Classifications

• B60Y2200/11

  Passenger cars; Automobiles · CPC title

• B60B2310/312

  by hemming or seaming, e.g. by folding of the rim · CPC title

• B60B3/10

  apertured to simulate spoked wheels · CPC title

• B60B2310/311

  by riveting · CPC title

• B60B7/04 Primary

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