JP4062248B2 - Wheel cap for vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle wheel cap that is mounted so as to cover an axle mounting portion of a vehicle road wheel such as an automobile, and more particularly to a vehicle wheel that is suitable for mounting on a road wheel having a hollow portion on its side surface for weight reduction. It is about the cap.

  FIG. 7A is an exploded perspective view showing a road wheel and a wheel cap in a vehicle such as an automobile. The wheel cap 1 is attached so as to cover the axle mounting portion 3 of the road wheel 2 from the outside in the axle direction. The road wheel 2 is formed in a disk shape from a metal such as aluminum, light alloy, or iron, and a tire 4 is attached to the periphery. Such a road wheel 2 is mounted so that the axle of the vehicle is inserted into the mounting hole 5, and a mounting bolt is inserted into the fixing hole 6 and a nut is tightened to fix it. A wheel cap 1 is attached to the axle mounting portion 3 in order to protect the axle mounting portion 3 of the road wheel 2 and to have a decorative property. The road wheel 2 in FIG. 7 (a) is a load that is made of aluminum or other light alloy and is excellent in design of the outer surface, which has been adopted in place of the conventional steel plate road wheel. An example of a wheel is shown.

  FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view showing a wheel cover attached to the conventional steel plate road wheel described in Patent Document 1. A conventional steel plate road wheel 2 is composed of a wheel rim 2a and a wheel disc 2b, and a wheel cover 20 is configured to cover almost the entire region of the road wheel 2 including these. A plurality of protruding piece-like mounting members 11 protrude in an arc shape on the same circumference on the back surface of the wheel cover 20, and a locking projection 12 that protrudes in an arc shape is provided on the tip of the mounting member 11. A concave receiving portion 13 is formed inside the locking convex portion 12, and a pressing ring 14 made of an annular wire is engaged therewith. The wheel rim 2a of the road wheel 2 is formed with a locking portion 15 for locking the locking projection 12 and a hump portion 16a with which the locking projection 12 is engaged. The hump portion 16a protrudes radially outward of the road wheel 2 so that a tire (not shown) attached along the wheel rim 2a does not fall inward of the road wheel 2 in the axial direction. Formed. Therefore, a concave portion is formed on the inner peripheral side of the hump portion 16a, and the locking convex portion 12 of the wheel cover is engaged with the concave portion (hump portion 16a).

  In the wheel cover 20, the pressing ring 14 is engaged with the receiving portion 13, the attachment member 11 is bent from the base portion and inserted into the wheel rim 2 a of the road wheel 2, and is engaged with the hump portion 16 a of the wheel rim 2 a. The stopper 12 is engaged with the stopper 12 and attached to the stopper 15. At this time, the pressing ring 14 presses the locking projection 12 to prevent the wheel cover 20 from falling off the road wheel 2. In the conventional load wheel 2 made of a steel plate, the front end portion of the engagement convex portion 12 and the outer surface in the radial direction are brought into contact with and engaged with the hump portion 16a. Therefore, the engagement convex portion 12 that receives the pressing force of the pressing ring 14 is The wheel cover 20 was restricted by the hump portion 16a in both the axial direction and the radial direction of the wheel cover 20, the engagement state was stabilized, and the wheel cover 20 was not deformed.

  The weight of the road wheel 2 has also been reduced due to the demand for weight reduction of the vehicle. From the conventional steel plate road wheel 2 shown in FIG. 7B, the weight reduction made of aluminum or other light alloy shown in FIG. The road wheel 2 made is adopted. As shown in FIG. 7 (a), such a weight-reduced road wheel 2 has a wheel rim 2a and a wheel disc 2b integrally formed, and the axle mounting portion 3 is formed small at the center of the wheel disc 2b. Has been. Further, not only the material but also the structurally useless portion is removed, and the road wheel 2 is formed with a wide hollow portion or a concave portion. The wheel cap 1 attached to such a road wheel 2 is also configured in a smaller shape than the wheel cover 20 attached to a conventional road wheel 2 made of steel plate.

  The mounting structure for attaching the miniaturized wheel cap 1 to the road wheel 2 that has been reduced in weight and changed in structure is substantially the same as the mounting structure of the wheel cover 20 that is attached to the conventional road wheel 2 made of steel plate. It is adopted as it is. FIG. 8 shows such a wheel cap, (a) is a rear view of the wheel cap, (b) is a partial perspective view, (c) is a sectional view taken along the line BB of (a) showing the mounting state, d) is a BB sectional view showing a use state.

  In the wheel cap mounting structure of FIG. 8, a plurality of arc-shaped mounting members 11 project on the same circumference on the back surface of the cap body 10 of the wheel cap 1, and a locking projection projecting outward in an arc shape on the tip. A portion 12 is provided. A concave receiving portion 13 is formed inside the locking convex portion 12, and a pressing ring 14 made of an annular wire is engaged therewith. The axle mounting portion 3 of the road wheel 2 is formed with a locking portion 15 that locks the locking projection 12. Neither the part 12b is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the road wheel 2 or both. Reference numeral 17 denotes a position regulating rib.

  In the wheel cap 1, the pressing ring 14 is engaged with the receiving portion 13, the mounting member 11 is bent from the base portion, inserted into the axle mounting portion 3 of the road wheel 2, and locked to the locking portion 15. And attach. At this time, the pressing ring 14 presses the locking projection 12 radially outward, the locking projection 12 is inserted into the hollow portion 16 and locked to the locking portion 15, and the wheel cap 1 Prevent falling out.

  However, generally, when the mounting member 11 of the wheel cap 1 runs for a long time, the temperature rises to 110 ° C. to 140 ° C. due to the heat from the brake drum / road wheel due to heat generated by continuous use of the brake. However, in the conventional mounting structure of the wheel cap 1 as described above, the pressing force of the pressing ring 14 is configured to act on the outer side in the radial direction of the wheel cap 1 via the locking projection 12. As shown in FIG. 8C, the radial maximum protrusion 12a of the locking portion 12 that receives the pressing force of the pressing ring 14 is not subject to any restriction on the outside in the radial direction. Due to the softening, the locking projection 12 is deformed radially outward. Further, since the attachment member 11 is pulled inward in the axial direction along with the deformation of the distal end portion of the locking convex portion 12, a distortion 19 is generated in a portion corresponding to the back side of the attachment member 11 base portion on the surface of the cap body 10. was there. In particular, in a wheel cap in which a bright metal layer is formed on the outer surface by plating, sputtering, vapor deposition, or the like, slight distortion of the outer surface portion of the cap body 10 that becomes a substantially flat surface is easily visually recognized, and the appearance quality is improved. It causes a significant decrease. The wheel cap 1 in which a decorative plate or the like is attached to the surface of the cap body 10 does not deform the surface of the plate, but there is also a problem that it is difficult to remove the wheel cap 1 itself due to the deformation of the attachment member 11. It was. Further, depending on the deformed shape of the attachment member 11, there is a problem that the wheel cap 1 is more likely to drop off than the road wheel 2.

  FIG.7 (c) is sectional drawing which shows the attachment structure of the conventional wheel cap shown by patent document 2. FIG. The wheel cap 1 of FIG. 7C is configured in substantially the same way as that of FIG. It is illustrated as being formed in a portion opposite to the locking surface 18 of FIG.

  The wheel cap 1 of FIG. 7C is attached in substantially the same manner as that of FIG. 8, but the receiving portion 13 is formed at a portion facing the locking surface 18 of the locking portion 15, so that the pressing ring The pressing force of 14 acts on the outer side of the wheel cap 1 in the radial direction and is not subject to any restriction, and the locking projection 12 is deformed at a high temperature, resulting in distortion 19 on the surface of the cap body 10. However, there is a problem that it becomes difficult to remove due to the deformation of the mounting member 11 or it is easy to drop off.

In the wheel cap 1 described above, there are cases where the attachment member 11 can be prevented from being deformed by increasing the rigidity of the attachment member 11 to increase the rigidity. However, the attachment member 11 is caused by uneven shrinkage of the resin during molding. There was a problem that deformation such as sink marks occurred on the back side of the base portion (the surface of the cap body 10), and the decorativeness was impaired.
Japanese Utility Model Sho 63-155804 Utility model registration No. 3041008

  The object of the present invention is to easily attach the wheel cap to the road wheel, maintain a stable attachment state to prevent the wheel cap from falling off, and when the temperature becomes high due to continuous use of the brake, etc. However, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle wheel cap that can prevent deformation of the wheel cap and distortion of the outer surface, and can prevent deformation such as sink marks during molding.

The present invention is the following vehicle wheel cap.
(1) A wheel cap attached to an axle mounting portion having a locking portion protruding in the center direction so as to form a hollow portion in the center portion of the road wheel,
A wheel cap body that covers the axle mounting portion of the road wheel;
A plurality of support members formed at intervals on the inner side in the axle direction from a position along the circumferential direction on the back surface of the wheel cap body;
A plurality of mounting members projecting inward in the axial direction from the support member and having a pressing portion at a position corresponding to the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel;
A locking projection formed on the tip side of the pressing portion of the mounting member so as to be locked to the locking portion of the road wheel;
A pressing ring formed in an annular shape so as to elastically press the pressing portion of the mounting member radially outward toward the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel;
Holding means for holding the pressing ring at a position facing the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel ;
The pressing ring is a vehicle wheel cap configured to press the mounting member radially outward at a position facing the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel in a state where the wheel cap is mounted on the road wheel .
(2) The wheel cap according to (1), wherein the support member is maintained at a distance from the wheel cap body by a support leg.
(3) The wheel cap according to (1) or (2), wherein a thin portion is formed on a part of the support member and / or the support leg.
(4) The wheel cap according to (2) or (3), wherein a position restricting member that comes into contact with the road wheel is formed on an extension portion extending from the support leg portion toward the radially outer side of the wheel cap body.
(5) The wheel cap according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein a position restricting member that contacts the road wheel is formed on an extension that extends from the support member toward the radially outer side of the wheel cap body.
(6) The wheel cap according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the support member has a reinforcing rib between the support member and the wheel cap body.

The wheel cap for vehicles in this invention is a wheel cap attached so that the axle mounting part of the road wheel in vehicles, such as a motor vehicle, may be covered. The road wheel to which such a wheel cap is attached is suitable for the above-mentioned light-weight road wheel made of aluminum or other light alloy. mounting portion is exposed to the axle outwardly, road wheel to have a locking portion which projects in the central direction so as to form a hollow portion in the center of the road wheels can be targeted.

  The axle mounting portion of the road wheel is generally small and partially formed at the center of the road wheel as described above, but may be formed large. The axle mounting portion is normally formed in a circular shape, but may have other shapes. The axle mounting portion of the road wheel is formed with a hollow portion into which the wheel cap mounting member is inserted, and a locking portion having a shape for locking the locking projection of the mounting member.

The vehicle wheel cap according to the present invention has a plurality of support members formed at intervals on the inner side in the axial direction from a position along the circumferential direction on the back surface of the wheel cap body covering the axle mounting portion of the road wheel. A plurality of mounting members project toward the inner side in the axial direction from the front, and the mounting member has a pressing portion at a position corresponding to the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel, and the road wheel on the distal end side of the pressing portion of the mounting member A locking projection is formed in a shape that is locked to the locking portion, and the pressing ring elastically presses the pressing portion of the mounting member radially outward toward the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel. is formed as, by holding means holding the inner peripheral surface opposite to the position of the locking portion of the load wheel pressing ring, with the wheel cap is attached to the load wheel, the pressing ring Rodohoi An inner peripheral surface opposed to the position of the locking portion of, and is configured to press the mounting member radially outwardly.

  The wheel cap body has a shape that can cover the axle mounting portion of the road wheel, and is generally disk-shaped corresponding to the shape of the axle mounting portion, but may have other shapes. The wheel cap body only needs to cover at least a part of the axle mounting portion, and may cover the whole. The outer surface of the wheel cap body has a flat shape, a spherical shape, and other decorative shapes, and a decoration such as an emblem or a marking member can be attached.

  A plurality of support members are formed so as to support the mounting member at a distance from the position along the circumferential direction of the rear surface of the wheel cap body to the inner side in the axle direction. The support member is preferably one that is maintained at a distance from the wheel cap body by the support leg, and particularly preferably one that is supported by the plurality of support legs in a bridging manner. The support member and / or the support leg part preferably has a thin part formed on a part thereof. Further, it is preferable that the support leg portion has an abutting portion that abuts on the outer side in the axle direction of the locking portion of the road wheel. Alternatively, the support member preferably has an abutting portion that abuts on the outer side in the axle direction of the locking portion of the road wheel. Further, the support member preferably has a plurality of reinforcing ribs between the wheel cap body.

A plurality of mounting members protrude from the support member toward the inner side in the axle direction. The mounting member is preferably a projecting piece having a width, and in this case, it may be an arc-shaped piece or a plate-shaped piece along the circumferential direction.
The locking projection is formed in a shape that is locked to the locking portion of the road wheel on the tip end side of the mounting member. The locking projection is preferably formed in a claw shape that engages with the locking portion of the road wheel, but may have other shapes.

  The wheel cap body, support member, mounting member and locking projection are preferably integrally formed by injection molding of synthetic resin such as ABS resin, polycarbonate resin, polyamide resin (nylon), or other molding, but partly Alternatively, all materials and molding methods may be other. The wheel cap body can be formed with an independent position restricting member that comes into contact with the road wheel. However, the position restricting member is preferably formed on an extension of the support member and / or the support leg.

  The pressing ring is formed in an annular shape so as to elastically press the mounting member radially outward, but faces the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel when the wheel cap is mounted on the road wheel. It is preferable that the mounting member is formed so as to press the mounting member radially outward. The pressing ring is preferably formed in an annular shape having elasticity in the radial direction by a wire made of steel such as iron or stainless steel, but may be made of other materials. The shape of the pressing ring may be circular or an annular shape with a part of the circumference receding, but the portion that presses the mounting member radially outward is preferably arcuate. In the present invention, an annular pressure ring including a circular shape and a shape having a radially reduced portion in part is referred to.

The holding means, in the pressed state of the pressing ring, pressure ring is to press the mounting member radially outward, Ki out adopting holds the pressing ring, wheel cap is attached to the road wheels In the state, the pressing ring presses the mounting member radially outward at a position facing the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel . As such a holding means, an engagement portion that protrudes inward in the axial direction from a position along the circumferential direction radially inward of the rear surface of the wheel cap body or the mounting member of the support member, and engages with the pressing ring. The holding member which has may be sufficient. Further, the holding means may be a holding rib formed on the mounting member so as to engage with the pressing ring. These can be employed alone or in combination. In addition, as the holding means, a similar effect can be obtained by providing a recess in the attachment member as in the conventional case or providing a rib so as to sandwich the pressing ring on the back surface of the attachment member.

The wheel cap of the present invention bends the support member or the mounting member, inserts the mounting member into the hollow portion of the axle mounting portion of the road wheel, locks the locking convex portion to the locking portion of the road wheel, Cover the axle mounting part with the wheel cap body, and at the position where the pressing ring faces the inner peripheral surface of the locking part of the road wheel, the pressing part of the mounting member faces the inner peripheral surface of the locking part of the road wheel in the radial direction. The pressing ring is held and attached by the holding means so as to press outward. At this time, the wheel cap can be attached in a state where the pressing ring is held by the holding means, and the wheel cap can be easily attached to the road wheel.

When the wheel cap is attached to the road wheel in this manner, the pressing ring is the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel while the locking projection of the mounting member is locked to the locking portion of the road wheel. The pressing portion of the mounting member is pressed radially outward toward the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel at the position opposite to, and the pressing ring is opposed to the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel by the holding means. By holding at the position where the wheel cap is held, it is possible to prevent the locking convex portion from being detached from the locking portion of the road wheel, and to maintain a stable mounting state of the wheel cap. Dropout can be prevented.

  When the wheel cap is attached to the road wheel, the attachment member is supported by a support member that is spaced from the back surface of the wheel cap body, so even if a tensile force inward in the axial direction acts on the attachment member, this tensile force The force is absorbed by deformation of the mounting member and the support member. For this reason, even when the temperature becomes high due to continuous use of the brake, it is possible to prevent the wheel cap body, particularly the outer surface of the wheel cap body from being deformed or distorted. Moreover, since it can connect to a wheel cap main body back surface by a thin part like the support leg part which supports a supporting member, it can prevent that deformation | transformation, such as a sink mark, at the time of shaping | molding generate | occur | produces.

  If the support member is formed so as to maintain a gap between the support leg and the wheel cap body, the support member can be easily deformed, and deformation or distortion occurs on the outer surface of the wheel cap body. Can be prevented. In particular, when the support member is formed in a cross-linked manner on the plurality of support legs, the support member can be deformed in a stable state. If the thin portion is formed on a part of the support member and / or the support leg, the support member and / or the support leg can be further easily deformed, and the outer surface of the wheel cap body is deformed or distorted. Can be prevented. If the position restricting member that contacts the load wheel is formed integrally with the extension of the support leg, the stability of the support member and the position restricting member can be increased.

  When the position restricting member that contacts the load wheel is formed integrally with the extension portion of the support member, the support member can be prevented from being deformed, and the outer surface of the wheel cap body can be prevented from being deformed or distorted. be able to. When the support member is formed with a reinforcing rib between the wheel cap body and the support member, the support member can be reinforced to further increase the stability, and deformation and distortion of the outer surface of the wheel cap body can be prevented. Since the reinforcing rib is thinner than the support leg, the outer surface will not be damaged even when standing with the same thickness from the wheel cap body, but when setting the thickness of the reinforcing rib thick, it is the same as the support leg It is preferable to connect the wheel cap body with a thin portion.

In a state where the wheel cap is attached to the road wheel, a pressing ring is formed so as to press the pressing portion of the mounting member radially outward at a position facing the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel , and holding means Since the pressing ring is held at a position opposite to the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel, it is possible to prevent the tensile force from acting inward in the axial direction on the mounting member and maintain the wheel cap mounting state. This can further enhance the effect of preventing deformation and distortion of the wheel cap body. In this case, use is made of a holding means in which the pressing ring presses the mounting member radially outward at a position more than the distance corresponding to the radius of the cross-section of the pressing ring than the locking surface of the locking portion. Thus, the mounting state can be further stabilized, and the component force in the pulling direction generated in the mounting member can be substantially eliminated, and the effect of preventing the deformation and distortion of the wheel cap can be enhanced.

  As described above, the support member is provided on the back surface of the wheel cap body at a distance, and the attachment member is provided on the support member, so that the length of the attachment member can be shortened. Can be high. In addition, since the mounting member is provided on the cross-linked body instead of the wheel cap body, the base of the mounting member can be thickened and rigidity can be increased without worrying about deformation such as sink marks on the surface of the wheel cap body. Thereby, even if the temperature of a wheel cap becomes high temperature, an attachment member does not deform | transform by the urging | biasing force of a press ring. Even if the mounting member is deformed, only the support member is deformed, and the outer surface of the wheel cap is not deformed. Further, by providing a thin portion on a part of the support member, even if the mounting member is deformed, the thin portion absorbs the deformation of the mounting member, only the support member is deformed, and the outer surface of the wheel cap is not deformed. . Moreover, by making the extension part of a support member contact | abut to a road wheel, a deformation | transformation of a support member is prevented, only an attachment member deform | transforms and a wheel cap outer surface does not deform | transform.

According to the vehicle wheel cap of the present invention, from the position along the circumferential direction on the back surface of the wheel cap body that covers the axle mounting portion of the road wheel, a plurality of support members are formed at intervals on the inner side in the axle direction. A plurality of mounting members project inward in the axial direction from the support member, the mounting member has a pressing portion at a position corresponding to the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel, and on the distal end side of the pressing portion of the mounting member A locking projection that is locked to the locking portion of the road wheel is formed, and the pressing ring elastically moves the pressing portion of the mounting member radially outward toward the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel. is formed so as to press, the holding means holds the inner peripheral surface opposite to the position of the locking portion of the load wheel pressing ring, with the wheel cap is attached to the load wheel, the pressure ring is loaded An inner peripheral surface opposed to the position of the locking portion of the eel, because it is to press the mounting member radially outward, a simple mounting of the wheel cap on the road wheel, a stable mounting state It can be maintained to prevent the wheel cap from falling off, and even when the temperature rises due to continuous use of the brake, it can prevent deformation of the wheel cap and distortion of the outer surface, and deformation such as sink marks during molding Can be prevented.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 3 show the wheel cap mounting structure of the first embodiment, FIG. 1 (a) is a rear view of the wheel cap, (b) is a partial perspective view, and (c) is a view in the Y direction, 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1A showing the mounting state, FIG. 2B is a perspective view seen from the opposite side of FIG. 1B, and FIG. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA, and FIG. 1B is a view in the Y direction showing a deformed state.

  1 to 3, a wheel cap 1 is a synthetic resin injection-molded product made of an alloy of ABS resin and polycarbonate resin, and is configured to be attached so as to cover the axle mounting portion 3 of the road wheel 2. Yes. The road wheel 2 is a light weight road wheel made of aluminum or other light alloy. The axle mounting portion 3 is formed in a circular shape at the center of the road wheel 2, and the locking projection 12 of the mounting member 11 of the wheel cap 1. And a hollow portion 16 into which the attachment member 11 is inserted. 7 is a mounting bolt to the hub, and 8 is a mounting nut.

  In the wheel cap 1, a plurality of support members 21 are formed at a distance D on the inner side in the axial direction from a position along the circumferential direction on the back surface of the wheel cap body 10 that covers the axle mounting portion 3 of the road wheel 2. . A plurality of mounting members 11 project from the support member 21 toward the inner side in the axial direction, and are claw-shaped that are locked to the locking surface 18 on the inner side in the axial direction of the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2 on the distal end side of the mounting member 11. Is formed so as to protrude outward in the radial direction, and the annular pressing ring 14 has a radius with the pressing portion 24 of the mounting member 11 directed toward the inner peripheral surface 23 of the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2. It is configured to press outward in the direction and is configured to hold the pressing ring 14 by holding means.

  The wheel cap body 10 has a disk shape that can cover the entire axle mounting portion 3 of the road wheel 2. Although the outer surface of the wheel cap body is flat, it may be spherical or other decorative shape, and a decoration such as an emblem or a marking member can be attached. On the back surface of the wheel cap body 10, the position restricting ribs 17 protrude on both sides of the support member 21 so as to contact the position restricting surface 22 on the outer side in the axial direction of the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2, and prevent the wheel cap from rotating. The rib 29 for protrusion protrudes. In FIG. 2A, the position regulating rib 17 and the position regulating surface 22, the inner peripheral surface 23 and the pressing portion 24, and the locking member 11 and the pressing ring 14 are separated for easy understanding of the configuration. In the actual use, there is no gap due to pressing.

  A plurality of support members 21 are formed so as to support the attachment member 11 and the holding member 25 at a distance D on the inner side in the axle direction from a position along the circumferential direction of the back surface of the wheel cap body 10. The support member 21 is configured to maintain a distance D between the support leg portions 26 and the wheel cap body 10 and is supported in a bridging manner between the plurality of support leg portions 26. The support member 21 is formed with a thin portion 21 a at a connection portion with the support leg portion 26, and the support leg portion 26 is formed with a thin portion 26 a at a connection portion with the wheel cap body 10.

  The mounting member 11 is formed in the shape of a protruding piece having a width, and a plurality of mounting members 11 protrudes inward in the axial direction from the support member 21. The locking convex portion 12 is formed in a claw shape that engages with the locking surface 18 of the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2 on the distal end side of the mounting member 11. A thick pressing portion 24 is formed at a position facing the inner peripheral surface 23 of the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2 on the base side from the locking projection 12 of the mounting member 11. A holding rib 27 as a holding means is formed on the base side opposite to the locking projection 12 of the mounting member 11 and is engaged so that the pressing ring 14 does not move to the base side.

  The wheel cap body 10, the support member 21, the mounting member 11, the locking projection 12, the holding member 25, the holding rib 27, the position regulating rib 17, and the wheel cap rotation preventing rib 29 are made of an injection molding of synthetic resin having elasticity. Is integrally molded.

  The pressing ring 14 is formed in an annular shape so as to have elasticity in the radial direction from a steel material (stainless steel) or the like. The shape of the pressing ring 14 is an annular shape in which a part of the circular circumference is retreated, and the mounting member 11 is disposed radially outward. The portion to be pressed is formed in an arc shape. This is because, when the pressing ring 14 is made into a perfect circle shape, the mounting nut 8 on the road wheel 2 side and the pressing ring 14 interfere when the wheel cap 1 is mounted, so that the circumferential portion corresponding to the mounting nut 8 does not interfere. It has been retreated. Whether or not a part of the circumference of the pressing ring 14 is retracted is generally determined by the diameter of the wheel cap 1. When the diameter of the wheel cap 1 is increased, the pressing ring 14 is disposed on the radially outer side of the mounting nut 8. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a retracted portion as in this embodiment. In a state where the wheel cap 1 is attached to the road wheel 2, the pressing ring 14 moves the pressing portion 24 of the mounting member 11 radially outward at a position facing the inner peripheral surface 23 of the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2. A holding member 25 and a holding rib 27 as holding means hold the pressing ring 14 at a pressing position.

  The holding means for the pressing ring 14 prevents the pressing ring 14 from falling off, and the pressing point of the pressing ring 14 (contact point with the pressing portion 24) is outside the locking surface 18 of the locking portion 15 in the axle direction, preferably. More than a distance corresponding to the radius of the cross section of the pressing ring 14, the position is closer to the outer side in the axle direction than the position restricting surface 22 of the locking portion 15, preferably the radius of the cross section of the pressing ring 14. The pressing ring 14 is held so as to be positioned at the inner side in the axle direction over a corresponding distance. As such a holding means, the holding member 25 is employed for preventing the pressing ring 14 from falling off and restricting the inner side in the axial direction, and the holding rib 27 is employed for restricting the outer side in the axial direction.

The holding member 25 protrudes inward in the axial direction from a position along the circumferential direction on the radially inner side than the protruding position of the mounting member 11 of the support member 21, and restricts movement of the pressing ring 14 in the axial direction. It has the engaging part 28 engaged so. The holding member 25 is configured such that one holding member 25 is disposed between the two mounting members 11, and the pressing ring 14 is held between the two mounting members 11 and the one holding member 25. These are one set, and a plurality of sets are arranged in the circumferential direction.
The holding rib 27 is formed on the mounting member 11 so as to restrict the movement of the pressing ring 14 to the outside in the axle direction.

  The wheel cap 1 has the locking projection 12 of the mounting member 11 as a base while the pressure ring 14 is inserted and held between the mounting member 11 and the holding member 25 and between the holding rib 27 and the engaging portion 28. And is inserted into the hollow portion 16 of the axle mounting portion 3 of the road wheel 2, and the locking convex portion 12 is locked to the locking surface 18 of the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2. 10 is attached so as to cover the axle mounting portion 3. At this time, in a mounted state, the pressing ring 14 is mounted so as to press the pressing portion 24 of the mounting member 11 radially outward at a position facing the inner peripheral surface 23 of the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2. The position regulating rib 17 abuts on the position regulating surface 22 of the locking portion 15 to regulate the mounting position. Thus, the wheel cap 1 can be attached to the road wheel 2 with the pressing ring 14 held by the holding means, and the wheel cap 1 can be easily attached to the road wheel 2.

  When the wheel cap 1 is attached to the road wheel 2 in this way, the engaging projection 12 of the attachment member 11 is engaged with the engaging surface 18 of the engaging portion 15 of the road wheel 2 as shown in FIG. In a stopped state, the pressing ring 14 presses the pressing portion 24 of the mounting member 11 radially outward toward the inner peripheral surface 23 of the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2. It is possible to prevent the locking projections 12 from being detached from the 15 locking surfaces 18 and maintain a stable mounting state of the wheel cap 1, thereby preventing the wheel cap 1 from falling off the road wheel 2. Can do.

  At this time, the holding member 25 as the holding means protrudes inward in the axial direction from a position along the circumferential direction on the inner side in the radial direction with respect to the mounting member 11 on the rear surface of the wheel cap body 10, and engages with the pressing ring 14. Since the attachment member 11 is formed with the holding rib 27 that has the joint portion 28 and engages with the pressing ring 14, the pressing ring 14 can be held more stably. Thus, the pressing ring 14 can be held in a predetermined position, the position where the mounting member 11 is pressed can be stabilized, and the deformation and distortion of each part of the wheel cap 1 can be reliably prevented.

  In the state where the wheel cap 1 is attached to the road wheel 2, the attachment member 11 is supported by the support member 21 in a state in which the distance D is maintained from the rear surface of the wheel cap main body 10. Therefore, in FIGS. As shown, even if a tensile force inward in the axial direction acts on the attachment member 11 due to variations in shape, dimensions, etc., the tensile force is absorbed by the deformation of the attachment member 11 and the support member 21. For this reason, even when the attachment member 11 and its peripheral part become high temperature due to continuous use of the brake or the like, it is possible to prevent the wheel cap body 10, particularly the outer surface of the wheel cap body 10 from being deformed or distorted. . Moreover, since it can be connected to the rear surface of the wheel cap body 10 by a thin portion 26a like the support leg portion 26 that supports the support member 21, it is possible to prevent deformation such as sink marks during molding.

  In this embodiment, the support member 21 is formed so as to maintain a distance D between the support leg portion 26 and the wheel cap body 10, so that the support member 21 is deformed together with the support leg portion 26 and thus is easily deformed. Therefore, the effect of preventing the deformation and distortion of the wheel cap body 10 is high. Since the support member 21 is formed in a bridge shape on the plurality of support legs 26, the force can be dispersed and deformed in a stable state. Further, since the thin portions 21 a and 26 a are formed in part of the support member 21 and the support leg portion 26, the support member 21 and the support leg portion 26 are further easily deformed, and are formed on the outer surface of the wheel cap body 10. Deformation and distortion are prevented from occurring.

  As described above, with the wheel cap 1 attached to the road wheel 2, the pressing ring 14 presses the attachment member 11 radially outward toward the inner peripheral surface 23 of the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2. In the normal state, the mounting member 11 is not substantially pulled inward in the axial direction in the normal state, and therefore, the mounting member 11 and its peripheral portion become hot due to continuous use of the brake. Even in such a case, it is possible to prevent deformation and distortion from occurring in each part of the wheel cap 1 such as the wheel cap body 10, the mounting member 11, the locking projection 12, and the holding member 24. By forming the pressing portion 24 of the attachment member 11 to be thick, it is possible to further increase the effect of preventing deformation and distortion.

  At this time, the pressing point of the pressing ring 14 is a position closer to the outer side in the axle direction than the locking surface 18 of the locking portion 15, preferably more than the distance corresponding to the radius of the cross section of the pressing ring 14. Thus, the pressing portion 24 of the mounting member 11 has a radius at a position closer to the inner side in the axle direction than the position restricting surface 22 of the locking portion 15, preferably closer to the inner side in the axial direction than the distance corresponding to the radius of the cross section of the pressing ring 14. When pressed outward in the direction, the mounting state is stabilized and the locking projections 12 can be prevented from being detached, and the component force in the pulling direction generated in the mounting member 11 can be substantially eliminated. 1 is less likely to be deformed or distorted.

  As described above, the vehicle wheel cap 1 is formed with a plurality of support members 21 at intervals from the position along the circumferential direction on the back surface of the wheel cap body 10 to the inner side in the axle direction. A plurality of mounting members 11 project toward the inner side in the direction, and a locking projection 12 having a shape that is locked to the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2 is formed on the distal end side of the mounting member 11, and the pressing ring 14 is mounted. Since the member 11 is elastically pressed outward in the radial direction, it is easy to attach the wheel cap 1 to the road wheel 2, and the wheel cap 1 is prevented from falling off while maintaining a stable attachment state. Even when the brakes become hot due to continuous use of the brake, deformation of the wheel cap 1 and distortion of the outer surface can be prevented. Deformation can be prevented.

  4A and 4B show a wheel cap mounting structure according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1A, and FIG. In FIG. 4, the support leg portion 26 extends outward in the radial direction of the wheel cap body 10, the extension portion 26 b is formed as a position restricting member, and has the same function as the position restricting rib 17. Other configurations are the same as those in FIGS. Thus, if the extension part 26b of the support leg part 26 is integrally formed as a position restriction member that contacts the position restriction surface 22 of the locking part 15 of the road wheel 2, the stability of the support member 21 and the position restriction member is improved. Even if the attachment member 11 is deformed, only the support member 21 is deformed, and the outer surface of the wheel cap body 10 is not deformed.

  5A and 5B show a wheel cap mounting structure according to the third embodiment. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1A, and FIG. In FIG. 5, the support member 21 and the support leg portion 26 extend outward in the radial direction of the wheel cap body 10, and the extension portions 21 b and 26 b are formed as position restriction members, and have the same function as the position restriction rib 17. Is held. Other configurations are the same as those in FIGS. Thus, when the extension portions 21b and 26b of the support member 21 and the support leg portion 26 are integrally formed as a position restriction member that contacts the position restriction surface 22 of the locking portion 15 of the road wheel 2, the axle of the support member 21 is formed. The deformation inward in the direction is regulated by the position regulating surface 22, and even if the mounting member 11 is deformed, the support member 21 is not deformed and the outer surface of the wheel cap body 10 is not deformed.

6A and 6B show a mounting structure of the wheel cap according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1A, and FIG. In FIG.
The support member 21 and the support leg portion 26 extend outward in the radial direction of the wheel cap body 10, and the extension portions 21 b and 26 b are formed as position restriction members, and have the same function as the position restriction rib 17. In addition, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 32 are formed between the support member 21 and the wheel cap body 10. Other configurations are the same as those in FIGS. When the reinforcing rib 32 is formed between the support member 21 and the wheel cap body 10 as described above, the support member 21 is reinforced to prevent further deformation, and the area of the connection portion with the wheel cap body 10 increases. The outer surface of the wheel cap body 10 is not deformed.

  It can be used as an attachment structure of a vehicle wheel cap for attaching an axle mounting portion of a road wheel in a vehicle such as an automobile so as to protect the axle mounting portion and to impart decorativeness.

The wheel cap attachment structure of Example 1 is shown, (a) is a rear view of the wheel cap, (b) is a partial perspective view, and (c) is a view in the Y direction. The wheel cap attachment structure of Example 1 is shown, (a) is AA sectional drawing of Fig.1 (a) which shows an attachment state, (b) is the perspective view seen from the other side of FIG.1 (b). is there. The wheel cap attachment structure of Example 1 is shown, (a) is AA sectional drawing of Fig.1 (a) which shows a deformation | transformation state, (b) is a Y direction arrow directional view which shows a deformation | transformation state. The wheel cap attachment structure of Example 2 is shown, (a) is AA sectional drawing of Fig.1 (a), (b) is a one part perspective view of a wheel cap back surface. The wheel cap attachment structure of Example 3 is shown, (a) is AA sectional drawing of Fig.1 (a), (b) is a perspective view of a part of wheel cap back surface. The wheel cap attachment structure of Example 4 is shown, (a) is AA sectional drawing of Fig.1 (a), (b) is a one part perspective view of a wheel cap back surface. (A) is a disassembled perspective view which shows the road wheel and wheel cap in vehicles, such as a motor vehicle, (b) shows the attachment structure of the wheel cover attached to the conventional road plate made from a steel plate described in patent document 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing, (c) is sectional drawing which shows the attachment structure of the conventional wheel cap described in patent document 2. As shown in FIG. The conventional wheel cap attachment structure is shown, (a) is a rear view of the wheel cap, (b) is a partial perspective view, (c) is a sectional view taken along the line BB of (a) showing the attachment state, (d) ) Is a cross-sectional view along the line BB showing the state of use.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheel cap 2 Road wheel 2a Wheel rim 2b Wheel disk 3 Axle mounting part 4 Tire 5 Mounting hole 6 Fixing hole 7 Mounting bolt 8 Mounting nut 10 Wheel cap main body 11 Mounting member 12 Locking convex part 12a Radial direction largest protrusion part 12b Axis line Directional most distal portion 13 Receiving portion 14 Press ring 15 Locking portion 16 Hollow portion 16a Hump portion 17 Position restricting rib 18 Locking surface 19 Distortion 20 Wheel cover 21 Support member 21a Thin portion 21b Extension portion 22 Position restricting surface 23 Inner circumference Surface 24 Pressing portion 25 Holding member 26 Supporting leg portion 26a Thin portion 26b Extension portion 27 Holding rib 28 Engaging portion 29 Wheel cap rotation preventing rib 32 Reinforcing rib

Claims (6)

A wheel cap attached to an axle mounting portion having a locking portion protruding in the center direction so as to form a hollow portion in the center portion of the road wheel,
A wheel cap body that covers the axle mounting portion of the road wheel;
A plurality of support members formed at intervals on the inner side in the axle direction from a position along the circumferential direction on the back surface of the wheel cap body;
A plurality of mounting members projecting inward in the axial direction from the support member and having a pressing portion at a position corresponding to the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel;
A locking projection formed on the tip side of the pressing portion of the mounting member so as to be locked to the locking portion of the road wheel;
A pressing ring formed in an annular shape so as to elastically press the pressing portion of the mounting member radially outward toward the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel;
Holding means for holding the pressing ring at a position facing the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel ;
The pressing ring is a vehicle wheel cap configured to press the mounting member radially outward at a position facing the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion of the road wheel in a state where the wheel cap is mounted on the road wheel .   The wheel cap according to claim 1, wherein the support member is spaced from the wheel cap body by a support leg.   The wheel cap according to claim 1, wherein a thin portion is formed on a part of the support member and / or the support leg.   The wheel cap according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a position restricting member that abuts the road wheel is formed on an extension portion extending from the support leg portion toward the radially outer side of the wheel cap body.   The wheel cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a position restricting member that abuts on the road wheel is formed on an extension that extends from the support member toward the radially outer side of the wheel cap body.   The wheel cap according to claim 1, wherein the support member has a reinforcing rib between the support member and the wheel cap body.

Images