Tools – Wrench – screwdriver – or driver therefor – Machine
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-27
2001-03-06
Smith, James G. (Department: 3723)
Tools
Wrench, screwdriver, or driver therefor
Machine
C081S057220
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196089
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hub nut fastener for connecting hub nuts to stud bolts formed on a wheel hub of a vehicle during manufacture. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hub nut fastener which can easily undergo pitch conversion to enable the fastening of hub nuts to either a four or five-bolt configuration.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Improvements are continuously being made in the automation of the vehicle manufacturing process to make the process faster and less complicated, and therefore less costly. The mounting of a tire-and-wheel assembly to the vehicle during vehicle manufacture is no exception.
Mounting holes are provided in the wheel, and stud bolts, formed in a wheel hub, are placed through the mounting holes, after which nuts are fastened to the stud bolts to securely mount the tire-and-wheel assembly to the vehicle. In more detail, the mounting holes are formed in the wheel such that a number and an angle thereof correspond to a number and angle of the stud bolts formed on the wheel hub. When mounting the wheel to the wheel hub, the mounting holes are aligned with the stud bolts then the wheel is directed toward the wheel hub such that an inner surface of the wheel is flush with the wheel hub and ends of the stud bolts protrude a predetermined distance from the mounting holes of the wheel. Following this procedure, the nuts are fastened to the stud bolts until the wheel is firmly mounted to the wheel hub of the vehicle.
In the case of small and compact vehicles, the stud bolts are provided on the wheel hub every 90° such that four stud bolts are formed on the wheel hub, whereas with medium and large-size vehicles the stud bolts are provided every 72° on the wheel hub, thereby providing a total of five stud bolts. Accordingly, a corresponding number of mounting holes, at corresponding positions, are formed in the wheel. Such different configurations for dissimilarly sized vehicles are used since larger vehicles receive more stress than do smaller vehicles, and therefore require a more sturdy attachment of the wheels to the wheel hub.
A hub nut fastener for providing a means of securing the nuts to the stud bolts is generally configured to match either the 4-bolt or 5-bolt configuration. This complicates the manufacturing process since both the hub nut fastener for the 4-bolt and the 5-bolt wheel hub must be provided on the assembly line to enable manufacture of all types of vehicles. This lack of uniformity can slow down the manufacturing process and increases overall manufacturing costs as two separate devices are needed.
With reference to
FIGS. 8 and 9
, there is provided a hub nut fastener enabling application to both the 4 and 5-bolt wheel hub to remedy such problems. Such a nut fastener includes a first, a second, a third, a fourth and a fifth nut runner
1
a,
1
b,
1
c,
1
d
and
1
e
initially provided at intervals of 72° to form a circle. Guide holes
2
are provided for the first, third, fourth and fifth nut runners
1
a,
1
c,
1
d
and
1
e
such that the nut runners
1
a,
1
c,
1
d
and
1
e
are able to slide within the guide holes
2
to change position. A direct cylinder
3
a
is provided at each of the first and third nut runners
1
a
and
1
c,
and an indirect cylinder
3
b
is provided in proximity to the fourth and fifth nut runners
1
d
and
1
e.
The indirect cylinder
3
b
operates a link
4
, which, in turn, operates the fourth and fifth nut runners
1
d
and
1
e.
When the cylinders
3
a
and
3
b
are in a nonoperating, retracted mode, the nut runners
1
a,
1
c,
1
d
and
1
e
are maintained at equidistant intervals of 72° as described above and as shown in
FIG. 8
(the second nut runner
1
b
is fixed in a single position). However, when the cylinders
3
a
and
3
b
operate by extending, the first, third, fourth and fifth nut runners
1
a,
1
c,
1
d
and
1
e
change positions to that shown in FIG.
9
. That is, with the operation of the cylinders
3
a
and
3
b,
the first, second, third and fourth nut runners
1
a,
1
b,
1
c
and
1
d
are positioned at angles of 90° to form a circle, and the fifth nut runner
1
e
is positioned away from the circle and is not operated for the fastening of nuts.
However, in the prior hub nut fastener as described above, severe wear occurs in both the link
4
and bolts supporting the cylinders
3
a
and
3
b
if the nut fastener is frequently changed from a 4-bolt to a 5-bolt structure. Further, by the positioning of the fifth nut runner
1
e
away from the circle formed by the remaining nut runners
1
a,
1
b,
1
c
and
1
d
in the case where the hub nut fastener is applied to a 4-bolt wheel hub, damage can occur to the outside surface of the wheel by contact of the fifth nut runner
1
e
thereon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above problems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hub nut fastener in which a pitch of the same is easily converted by using both a single nut cylinder to position a nut runner in any location along a predetermined pathway, and a servo motor to rotate an upper plate cam to move three nut runners to different angles such that configuration to correspond to either a 4-bolt or a 5-bolt wheel hub is simply realized.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hub nut fastener in which an indirect power transmission method is used to rotate a motor, a rotating plate, a connecting pin and a rotating panel such that overall structural strength of the hub nut fastener is improved.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a hub nut fastener including a plurality of nut runners for fastening hub nuts to stud bolts of a wheel hub; nut runner moving means for altering a pitch of the nut runners by drive power of a motor, the nut runner moving means being connected to some of the nut runners through another medium; support means for rotatably supporting the nut runner moving means and fixing one of the nut runners, the support means being fixedly provided within a casing defining an exterior of the hub nut fastener; runner guide means for guiding the nut runners moved by the runner moving means; and digressing nut runner operating means for moving a digressing nut runner away from and back to a circle formed by the remainder of the nut runners.
According to a feature of the present invention, the runner moving means includes a rotating plate having a center hole through which the nut runners pass through, the rotating plate being connected to the nut runners through another medium; a ring gear fixedly connected to and protruding from a circumference of the rotating plate; and a motor meshing with the ring gear and rotating the rotating plate.
According to another feature of the present invention, the rotating plate includes a guide groove integrally extending from the center hole a predetermined distance toward a circumference of the rotating plate, the digressing nut runner moving into the guide groove to digress from the circle formed by the remainder of the nut runners; and first, second and third pin holes formed at predetermined intervals partially surrounding the center hole, the first pin hole being circular, and the second and third pin holes being oblong and extending respectively 18° and 36° along an imaginary circle formed by centers of the first, second and third pin holes.
According to yet another feature of the present invention, a center of the first pin hole is formed 72° along the circle formed by the pin holes from a clockwise end of the guide groove, a counterclockwise end of the second pin hole is formed 90° from the center of the first pin hole and the second pin hole extends its 18° in the clockwise direction from its counterclockwise end, and a counterclockwise end of the third pin hole is formed 90° from the counterclockwise end of the second pin hole and the third pin hole extends its 36° in the clockwise direction from its counterclockwise end.
According
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Hyundai Motor Company
Smith James G.
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