Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – Compression wheel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2002-01-22
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
Compression wheel
C301S064201, C301S064301
Reexamination Certificate
active
06340210
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to a wheel for a vehicle and, more particularly, to a vehicular wheel which allows improvement of an external appearance thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art:
Conventionally, split rim wheels for vehicles have been known. These wheels comprise two wheel halves joined together, each wheel half being cup-shaped and having a disk portion forming a bottom thereof and a rim portion forming a peripheral wall thereof. Typical examples of such split rim wheels are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. SHO-62-2401 entitled “Composite Wheel of Light Alloy” and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-11-245602 entitled “Wheel for Vehicle”.
The wheel disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. SHO-62-2401 comprises two cup-shaped wheel members each having a flange at a bottom thereof, and a connector plate interposed between the flanges. An outer periphery of the connector plate is weld-connected to each wheel member, whereby the wheel members and the connector plate are unitarily connected together to provide the wheel.
Similarly, the wheel disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-11-245602 comprises cup-shaped outer and inner rims, and an insert plate interposed between the rims. The outer rim and inner rim are weld-connected together with the insert plate sandwiched therebetween to thereby provide the unitarily formed wheel.
In the wheel disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. SHO-62-2401, each of the flanges and connector plate is in a simple flat-plate form. This does not meet the diversified needs and liking of users. Wheels wherein flanges are designed to have curved planes and irregularities as found in a single-piece flange of a conventional steel wheel are more favored now.
However, in the prior art wheel just described, it is difficult to provide curved planes and irregularities on its flange alone, because the adjoining connector plate limits the freedom of design. In certain occasions, one may propose to provide curved planes and irregularities on both the flange and the connector plate but this requires high precision pressing work, thus resulting in an increased cost of production. The same applies to the prior art wheel disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-11-245602.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wheel for a vehicle, which is capable of increasing the degree of freedom of design of the wheel and facilitates the manufacture of the latter.
To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheel for a vehicle, which comprises: first and second wheel halves joined together, each of the wheel halves having a disk portion and a rim continuing from the disk portion; a center plate inter-posed between the disk portions of the wheel halves, the center plate being generally cross-shaped and having a diameter smaller than an outside diameter of each of the disk portions; and the first wheel half, the second wheel half and the center plate being unitarily connected together by means of a plurality of sockets each having a countersunk head and a cylindrical shank.
By virtue of the center plate being cross-shaped, it becomes possible to make the wheel light in weight compared to where the center plate is in the form of a circular plate. In addition, since those portions of the first and second wheel halves which are not opposed to four projections of the cross-shaped center plate become dual-structured, it becomes posible to provide those portions with recesses, inclined surfaces and windows which impart an improved external appearance to the wheel.
Desirably, the first and second wheel halves are connected together by a weld which is offset from the center plate in a direction toward that one of the first and second wheel halves which is positioned closer to the vehicle when the wheel is mounted to the vehicle. By thus displacing the weld from the center plate, it becomes possible to make each disk portion into a cup shape. This leads to the advantage that the wheel halves can be assembled and weld-connected together with improved precision and increased ease by fitting the cup-shaped disk portions together.
It is preferred that the rim of the one wheel half positioned closer to the vehicle has a flange at a top end thereof and that the flange has a flank formed on a side surface thereof so that a clearance is defined between the flange and a tie rod, connected to a knuckle provided in the wheel, when the tie rod is brought to a position closest to the one wheel half by turning a handlebar of the vehicle. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to avoid interferences between the rim flange and the tie rod.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheel for a vehicle, which comprises: first and second wheel halves joined together, each of the wheel halves having a disk portion and a rim continuing from the disk portion; a center plate inter-posed between the disk portions of the wheel halves, the center plate having a diameter smaller than an outside diameter of each of the disk portions; the first wheel half, the second wheel half and the center plate being unitarily connected together by means of a plurality of sockets each having a countersunk head and a cylindrical shank; and the second wheel halt being positioned closer to the vehicle when the wheel is mounted to a hub which in turn is connected to an axle of the vehicle, the disk portion of the second wheel half having recesses at portions thereof opposed to a peripheral edge of the hub.
By virtue of the recesses provided in opposed relation to the peripheral edge of the hub, interferences between the hut peripheral edge and the disk portion of the second wheel half can be avoided.
Preferably, at least one of the disk portions has a discharge hole for discharging water and a wheel surface treating liquid accumulated between the disk portions. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to prevent the disk portions from getting rusted and corroded.
In a desired form, the center plate has a hole formed centerally thereof while the disk portion of the second wheel half has a centrally-formed hole larger than the hole of the center plate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2148707 (1939-02-01), Notson
patent: 2559975 (1951-07-01), Lange et al.
patent: 3679266 (1972-07-01), Jenkins
patent: 3826538 (1974-07-01), Lipper
patent: 3909065 (1975-09-01), Main
patent: 4223952 (1980-09-01), Weld
patent: 4640330 (1987-02-01), Frassica
patent: 5188429 (1993-02-01), Heck et al.
patent: 5435629 (1995-07-01), Suzuki
patent: 6000762 (1999-12-01), Chang
patent: 62-2401 (1985-06-01), None
patent: 11-245602 (1998-03-01), None
Amaki Kiyoshi
Handa Akio
Maki Yuji
Sato Jun-ichi
Suzuki Shoji
Bellinger Jason R.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Morano S. Joseph
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