Vehicle wheel trim ring assembly
AssigneeInternational Telephone and Telegraph Corporation
InventorsDesmond J. Toal, John Matthew McKenzie, Franklin Delano Hemby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wheel trim ring assembly for a motor vehicle including a retaining ring having retaining fingers circularly disposed at the axially inner edge of the retaining ring for engaging a generally radially facing flange of the wheel. The axially and radially outer edge of the retaining ring is terminated in a reinforced edge or bead residing in the plane of the outer edge and formed from a single thickness of the material. The outer annular edge of the trim ring is rolled and clinched over the reinforced edge of the retaining ring and is provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed indentations to grippingly engage the axially inner side of the reinforced edge.
Claims5
A wheel cover assembly comprising a retaining ring member having a circle of radially resilient teeth at one end thereof and an initially radially directed and axially facing margin at the other end thereof and terminating in a sharp terminal edge, and a trim ring member having an outer annular and axially facing margin;
- wherein said margin of said retaining ring is provided with a reinforced portion formed from the initial plane of said margin of said retaining ring member and of a single thickness of the material of said margin of said retaining ring member, wherein the sharp terminal edge of said margin is spaced and extends radially outwardly from said reinforced portion;
- and
- wherein said annular margin of said trim ring member includes a portion which is folded over the axially inwardly and outwardly facing sides of said terminal edge and clinched about said reinforced portion of said retaining ring member, and wherein said folded over portion is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced indentations on the axially inwardly facing side of said folded over portion which indentations project axially outwardly to grippingly engage the axially inwardly facing side of said reinforced portion of said retaining ring member.
A method for producing a wheel cover assembly comprising a retaining ring member having a circle of radially resilient teeth at one end thereof and an initially radially directed and axially facing margin at the other end thereof and terminating in a sharp terminal edge, and a trim ring member having an outer annular and axially facing margin, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming a reinforced portion from the initial plane of said margin of said retaining ring and of a single thickness of the material of said margin of said retaining ring member wherein the sharp terminal edge of said margin projects generally radially outwardly and is spaced radially outwardly of said reinforced portion;
- folding a portion of said annular margin of said trim ring member over said terminal edge and said reinforced portion of said retaining ring member;
- and
- indenting the folded portion of said annular margin axially outwardly and into gripping engagement with the axially inwardly facing side of said reinforced portion of said margin of said retaining ring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.