Wheel cap

Details Wheel cap Wheel cap

2001-10-25

2004-02-17

Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)

Land vehicles: wheels and axles

Wheel

With drive or brake attachment

C301S037101, C188S2640AA

Reexamination Certificate

active

06692084

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wheel cap which is capable of preventing rise in temperatures of a brake pad, a disc wheel, a wheel cap and so forth.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Applications No. Hei. 10-194085 and 10-198853, which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional wheel cap having air discharge openings
99
formed in the outer periphery thereof is shown in FIG.
20
.
After the wheel cap
9
has been joined to the disc wheel
2
, outside air is allowed to flow from the inside portion of the disc wheel
2
to the air discharge openings
99
. Thus, rise in the temperature of a brake pad caused from the operation of a brake unit is prevented so that wear of the brake pad
31
is reduced.
However, the conventional wheel cap
9
has the following problems.
As shown in
FIG. 20
, the wheel cap
9
is not provided with any openings in a region between the hub nut
21
and the center of wheel cap
9
.
That is, the air discharge openings
99
are formed further out than the hub nut
21
of the disc wheel
2
.
Therefore, airflow
4
occurring after the wheel cap
9
has been joined to the disc wheel
2
do not substantially pass through the hub nut
21
.
That is, when the wheel cap
9
has been joined as described above, air
4
is sucked from the inside portion of the disc wheel
2
as indicated with an arrow shown in FIG.
20
. Then, air
4
is allowed to pass through holes
22
provided for the disc wheel
2
, and then discharged to the outside through the air discharge openings
99
formed in the periphery of the wheel cap
9
.
As described above, a major portion of air
4
is allowed to pass through the outer portion of a brake disc
32
, the disc wheel
2
and the wheel cap
9
. That is, air
4
is not allowed to pass through the central portion including the hub nut
21
and the axle hub
33
when air
4
is discharged to the outside.
Therefore, the central portion of each of the brake disc
32
, the disc wheel
2
and the axle hub
33
is not sufficiently cooled down. Also the hub nut
21
is not cooled down sufficiently.
As a result, the temperatures of the central portions of the brake disc
32
, the axle hub
33
and the disc wheel
2
are raised. Further, an interior space
5
between the wheel cap
9
and the disc wheel
2
is narrow and no forcible air discharge means is provided therein, as shown in FIG.
20
. Therefore, even if a small amount of air
4
is introduced into the interior space
5
, circulation of air
4
sucked into the interior space
5
through the through holes
22
cannot smoothly be performed. Thus, stagnation of air
4
easily occurs in the interior space
5
.
Therefore, the axle hub
33
, the hub nut
21
, the disc wheel
2
, the wheel cap
9
and so forth cannot sufficiently be cooled down. Therefore, there is a possibility that the rise in the temperatures cannot be prevented.
The rise in the temperature of the disc wheel
2
is caused from conduction of heat of the brake disc
32
through the axle hub
33
and the hub nut
21
.
Therefore, the rise in the temperature of the hub nut
21
causes the temperatures of the disc wheel
2
and the wheel cap
9
joined to the disc wheel
2
to be raised. As a result, there is a possibility that the brake pad is quickly worn and the wheel cap is deformed.
If the hub nut
21
is not cooled down sufficiently, the rise in the temperatures of the disc wheel
2
and the wheel cap
9
cannot easily be prevented.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a wheel cap which is capable of preventing rise in the temperatures of the disc wheel, the wheel cap and so forth after the wheel cap has been joined to the disc wheel.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheel cap detachably joined to a disc wheel and having air discharge openings formed in the outer periphery thereof, the wheel cap comprising: a plurality of radial fins provided for the reverse side of the wheel cap and formed from the wheel cap center toward the outside.
An essential portion of the present invention is the structure that the plural radial fins are provided for the reverse side of the wheel cap and formed from the wheel cap center toward the outside.
The operation and effect of the present invention will now be described.
As described above, the plural fins are provided for the reverse side of the wheel cap. As a result, centrifugal force is imparted to air sucked into the interior space between the wheel cap and the disc wheel owning to rotations of the wheel. Thus, air is sent to the air discharge openings formed at the outer periphery of the wheel cap along the fins.
That is, the centrifugal force is generated when air is rotated as a result of rotations of the wheel. Since the fins are provided for the reverse side of the wheel cap as described above, air can efficiently be rotated. Thus, great centrifugal force is imparted to air.
As a result, air in the interior space can efficiently be sent to the air discharge openings.
Therefore, the quantity of air which is circulated in the interior space can be enlarged. As a result, the efficiency of cooling the disc wheel and so forth can be improved.
As described above, according to the present invention, a wheel cap can be obtained which is able to prevent a rise in the temperatures of the disc wheel, the wheel cap and so forth after the wheel cap has been joined to the disc wheel.
It is preferable that the plural fins are formed from the wheel cap center to the outer end of the wheel cap.
As a result, air existing from the wheel cap center to the outer periphery of the wheel cap can be rotated when the wheel has been rotated. Therefore, greater centrifugal force can be imparted.
Therefore, the quantity of air which is circulated in the interior space can furthermore be enlarged. Thus, the efficiency of cooling the disc wheel can furthermore be improved.
It is preferable that when an assumption is made that the radius of the wheel cap is R, the plural fins are formed on straight lines, which connect the wheel cap center and the outer end of the wheel cap to each other, in regions from about R/2 from the wheel cap center to the outer end of the wheel cap. As a result, the quantity of air which is circulated in the interior space can be increased(refer to experiment 1). Moreover, a wheel cap having a reduced weight can be obtained.
It is preferable that when an assumption is made that the radius of the wheel cap is R, the plural fins are formed on straight lines which connect the wheel cap center and the outer end of the wheel cap to each other, in regions from positions of distance 3R/4 from the wheel cap center to the outer end of the wheel cap.
As a result, the quantity of air which is circulated in the interior space can be increased(refer to experiment 1). Moreover, a wheel cap having an even more reduced weight can be obtained.
It is preferable that when an assumption is made that the radius of the wheel cap is R, the plural fins are formed on straight lines which connect the wheel cap center and the outer end of the wheel cap to each other in regions from positions about R/2 from the wheel cap center to positions about 3R/4.
As a result, a wheel cap having a small weight can be obtained.
It is preferable that the number of the fins provided for the wheel cap is 20 to 30.
As a result, air in the interior space between the wheel cap and the disc wheel can be efficiently rotated. Therefore, the quantity of air which is circulated in the interior space can be increased (refer to experiment 2).
If the number of the fins is smaller than 20, the effects of the fins may not sufficiently increase the quantity of air which is circulated in the interior space. If the number of the fins is larger than 30, the effect required to improve the air circulation by enlarging the number of the fins becomes unsatisfactory. Thus, there arises a problem in that the weight of the wheel cap is

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