Fabricated vehicle wheel having spokes and stiffening ribs

US7464995B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Montgomery D. Csapo · Livonia, US
• Thomas Czarniecki · Dearborn, US
• John Holm · Superior Charter Township, US
• Thomas Heck · Wooster, US
• Günter Stelzer · Bad Honnef, DE
• Karl Rode · Rübhausen, DE
• Werner Kermelk · Much, DE
• Alan Coleman · Southgate, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 13, 2006
• Grant date: Dec 16, 2008
• Expiry date: Jun 13, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60B3/10
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

According to the invention, the fabricated vehicle wheel includes a conventional full wheel rim and a unique wheel disc joined to the wheel rim. The wheel disc includes an inner wheel mounting pad, an outer annular rim connecting flange and a plurality of radial spokes connecting the inner wheel mounting pad to the rim connecting flange. The rim connecting flange extends in an axial direction and defines a side edge surface extending between each pair of adjacent spokes. A plurality of windows are formed in the wheel disc. Each of the windows has a predetermined shape defined by the adjacent spokes and the side edge surface of the rim connecting flange. The rim connecting flange and the side edge surface are configured such that the window extends to an outermost periphery of the wheel disc. The inner wheel mounting pad includes at least one rib provided therein. The rib has an outer surface and an inner surface, at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface is provided with a flat planar surface.