RIOS CROCCO, Pablo (Via Cipriano Facchinetti 6, Milano, I-20138, IT)
CLAIMS
1. A device (1) for fixing a wheel disc (2) of a vehicle wheel to a supporting surface, characterised in that it comprises at least, in combination with each other: - a flange (3), adapted to be fixed to the supporting surface, which comprises a flat annular area (4) having a plurality of protrusions (5) and a hollow cylindrical area (6), situated at the centre of the annular area (4) of the flange (3) and protruding from said annular area (4);
- a wheel disc (2), having a plurality of recesses (7) formed in the surface thereof facing towards the supporting surface and having a shape matching that of the protrusions (5) of the flange (3), adapted to receive said protrusions (5); and
- a locking nut (8), adapted to be screwed onto a threaded end of the cylindrical area (6) of the flange (3) to lock the wheel disc (2) against the flange (3).
2. A device (1) as in claim 1, characterised in that the flat area (4) of the flange (3) has holes (10), corresponding to threaded holes or to studs present in the supporting surface, wherein the bolts (11) adapted to fix the flange (3) to the supporting surface are inserted.
3. A device (1) as in claim 1, characterised in that the wheel disc (2) further has a central hole (15) adapted to receive the locking nut (8) screwed onto the threaded end of the cylindrical area (6) of the flange (3).
4. A device (1) as in claim 1, characterised in that the protrusions (5) of the flange (3) have sides inclined by 3 °- 15° with respect to the vertical.
5. A device (1) as in claim 4, characterised in that the protrusions (5) of the flange (3) have sides inclined by 7.5° with respect to the vertical.
6. A device (1) as in claim 1, characterised in that the protrusions (5) of the flange (3) have a thickness between about 10 and about 100 mm.
7. A device (1) as in claim 6, characterised in that the protrusions (5) of the flange (3) have a thickness of about 20 mm.
8. A device (1) as in claim 1, characterised in that the locking nut (8) has on its inside a cavity (14) having a threaded area adapted to engage with the threaded end of the cylindrical area (6) of the flange (3).
9. A device (1) as in claim 1, characterised in that the hollow cylindrical area (6) of the flange (3) has an area (12) for the centring of the flange (3) on a centring hub belonging to the supporting surface and an area (13) on the outer part of which a threaded area, whereon the threaded area of the locking nut (8) engages, is formed.
10. A device (1) as in claim 9, characterised in that the centring area (12) is adapted to receive the centring hub of the largest size among those present on the vehicles to which the device (1) can be applied.
11. A device (1) as in claim 9, characterised in that it further comprises at least one spacer ring to be mounted on the centring hub to adapt the outside diameter of the centring hub to the inside diameter of the centring area (12) of the hollow cylindrical area (6) ofthe flange (3).
12. A device (1) as in at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it can be adapted to a specific vehicle by modifying, if necessary, the number and/or the position of the holes (10) and of the protrusions (5) on the area (4) of the flange (3) and that of the recesses (7) on the wheel disc (2). |
DEVICE FOR FIXING A VEHICLE WHEEL TO THE SUPPORTING SURFACE
DESCRIPTION
The present invention refers to a device for fixing the wheel disc of a vehicle wheel to the supporting surface.
The wheel disc of a wheel is normally fixed to the supporting surface by means of a plurality of bolts, which are inserted in holes formed in the wheel disc and screwed onto corresponding threaded holes formed in the supporting surface.
In the specific technical field, the expression "supporting surface" indicates the body (for example a brake drum), destined to carry a wheel, which has threaded holes (or studs) for the wheel fixing bolts.
The wheel disc is centred with respect to the threaded holes (or studs) made in the supporting surface by means of a centring hub situated in the centre of the supporting surface.
The number, the size, the pitch and the thread of the fixing bolts and the diameter and the length of the centring hub differ (or can differ) from model to model of the same vehicle and from manufacturer to manufacturer. This means that the wheels provided (or recommended) by the manufacturer cannot be replaced freely with other wheels chosen on a case-by-case basis by the user.
Furthermore the fixing bolts must be unscrewed and screwed according to a precise procedure to obtain an adequate fixing of the wheel disc to the supporting surface, which makes the removal and/or the (re-)fitting of a vehicle wheel to be a long and laborious process.
Object of the present invention is a fixing device adapted to overcome the limits presented by the fixing devices of the prior art; this object is achieved by means of a fixing device which presents at least the characterising features illustrated in claim 1.
Further advantageous characteristics of the invention form the subject matter of the dependent claims.
The invention will now be described with reference to a purely exemplifying (and therefore non limiting) embodiment thereof, illustrated in the appended figures, wherein:
- Figure 1 shows diagrammatically an exploded perspective view, partially in section, of a fixing device according to the invention;
- Figure 2 shows diagrammatically the device of Figure 1 sectioned along a plane passing through the axis of the wheel;
- Figure 3 shows diagrammatically the device of Figure 2 assembled;
- Figure 4 shows diagrammatically the surface of a wheel disc facing towards the supporting surface.
In the appended figures corresponding elements will be identified by the same reference numerals.
A fixing device according to the invention, adapted to fix the wheel disc of a wheel to the supporting surface, comprises at least:
- a flange, adapted to be fixed to the supporting surface, which comprises a flat annular area having a plurality of protrusions and a hollow cylindrical area, situated at the centre of the annular area of the flange and protruding from said annular area; - a wheel disc, having a plurality of recesses situated on the surface thereof facing the supporting surface and having a shape matching that of the protrusions of the flange, adapted to receive said protrusions; and
- a locking nut, to be screwed onto the threaded end of the cylindrical area of the flange to lock the wheel disc against the flange.
In the appended figures the numeral 1 indicates the device according to the invention, the numeral 2 indicates the wheel disc, the numeral 3 indicates the flange, the numeral 4 indicates the annular area of the flange 3, the numeral 5 indicates the protrusions present on the area 4, the numeral 6 indicates the hollow cylindrical area of the flange 3, the numeral 7 indicates the recesses formed in the wheel disc 2, the numeral 8 indicates the locking nut, the numeral 10 indicates the holes (formed in the area 4 of the flange 3) wherein the fixing bolts 11 are inserted, the numeral 11 indicates a fixing bolt and the numeral 15 indicates a hole situated in the centre of the wheel disc 2.
Figure 1 shows diagrammatically an exploded perspective view, partially in section, of a fixing device according to the invention.
There can be seen in Figure 1 :
- the flange 3, which comprises the flat annular area 4 having the protrusions 5 and the hollow cylindrical area 6, situated at the centre of the annular area 4 and protruding from said annular area;
- a wheel disc 2, having a plurality of recesses 7 formed in the surface thereof facing the supporting surface and having a shape matching that of the protrusions 5 of the flange 3, adapted to receive said protrusions 5; and
- the locking nut 8, to be screwed onto the threaded end (not indicated in Figure 1) of the cylindrical area 6 of the flange 3 to lock the wheel disc 2 against the flange 3.
As can be seen from Figure 1 , the protrusions 5 have almost vertical sides and are of such a thickness as to withstand the stresses to which they are subjected when the vehicle is in motion; the protrusions 5 preferably have their sides inclined by 7.5° with respect to the vertical (and in any case between 3° and 15°) and a thickness of about 20 mm and in any case between about 10 and about 100 mm.
The recesses 7 of the wheel disc 2, which have a shape matching that of the protrusions 5, have the same characteristics as the protrusions 5.
The wheel disc 2 further presents a central hole 15 (seen better in Figures 2 and 4) wherein the locking nut 8 screwed onto the threaded end of the cylindrical area 6 of the flange 3 is inserted.
The flange 3 is fixed to the supporting surface by means of the bolts 11 (only one of which is shown in Figure 1) inserted in the holes 10 of the flat area 4 of the flange 3, which correspond to the threaded holes present in the supporting surface.
The fixing device 1 made according to the invention presents numerous advantages with respect to the fixing devices of the prior art, among which:
- it can be adapted to a specific vehicle by modifying, if necessary, only the number and/or the position of the holes 10 and of the protrusions 5 on the area 4 of the flange 3 and that of the recesses 7 on the wheel disc 2, whereas the area 6 of the flange 3, the hole 15 in the wheel disc 2 and the locking nut 8 remain unchanged: this allows the wheels (or the type of wheels) preferred on a case-by-case basis to be mounted on the vehicle;
- the wheel can be removed and/or (re)mounted by unscrewing/screwing only the locking nut 8, instead of four or more locking bolts as required by the fixing devices of the prior art: this makes simpler and faster to mount and to replace a wheel;
- it confers on the vehicle the typical appearance of a sports vehicle and/or of a vehicle of the top range.
In the appended figures the wheel disc 2 is of the "spoked" type but, without departing from the scope of the invention, the wheel disc 2 can be of the type preferred on a case- by-case basis, provided that it has the recesses 7 and the central hole 15.
Figure 2 shows diagrammatically the device 1 of Figure 1 sectioned along a plane passing through the axis of the wheel.
Visible in Figure 2 are the flange 3 (which comprises the annular area 4 presenting the protrusions 5 and the cylindrical hollow area 6), the wheel disc 2 (which has the recesses 7, only one of which is visible in section in Figure 2, and the central hole 15) and the locking nut 8, which has inside it a recess 14 bearing a threaded area (not indicated in Figure 2) adapted to engage with the threaded end of the cylindrical area 6 of the flange 3.
Figure 2 shows that the hollow cylindrical area 6 of the flange 3 has an area 12 for the centring of the flange 3 on the centring hub of the supporting surface (not shown in the appended figures) and an area 13 on the outer part of which the thread on which the locking nut 8 engages is formed.
The centring area 12 is adapted to receive the largest sized centring hub, in terms of length and of diameter, among those present on the vehicles to which the device 1 can be applied.
If necessary, at least one spacer ring (omitted in the appended figures) is mounted on the centring hub to adapt the outside diameter of the centring hub to the inside diameter of the area 12.
Also visible in section in Figure 2 is one of the holes 10 of the flange 3 wherein the bolts 1 1 for fixing of the flange 3 to the supporting surface are inserted.
Figure 3 shows diagrammatically the device 1 of Figure 2 assembled; visible in Figure 3 are at least the wheel disc 2, the flange 3 bearing the protrusions 5 (only one of which is visible, in section, in Figure 3) and the locking nut 8 screwed onto the threaded end of the cylindrical area 6 of the flange 3.
The recesses 7 in the wheel disc 2 are not visible in Figure 3 because they are occupied by the corresponding protrusions 5 of the flange 3.
Figure 4 shows diagrammatically the surface of the wheel disc 2 facing towards the supporting surface; visible in Figure 4 are the recesses 7 wherein the protrusions 5 of the flange 3 engage and the central hole 15 wherein the locking nut 8 screwed onto the threaded end of the cylindrical area 6 of the flange 3 is inserted.
Without departing from the scope of the invention, a person skilled in the art can make to the fixing device previously described those changes or improvements suggested by normal experience and/or by the natural evolution of the art.
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