US 4,572,260 A · Vehicle wheel with internally located emergency wheel

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle wheel with internally located emergency wheel, which is composed of a plurality of segments, preferably four segments. The segments have a substantially double T-shaped cross-section. Each segment is clamped in the well-base channel of the wheel rim by means of two clamp screws. In order to facilitate assembly of the emergency wheel, a clear space kept totally free from other installations is provided between the segments and the tire beads supported at the wheel rim. This space permits easy alignability and mobility of the segment pieces in the circumferential direction. Axial grooves on the radial inner sides of the segments, at an interval corresponding approximately to the diameter of the clamp screws, permits the circumferential alignment of the segments during the assembly by means of a screwdriver or the like. The segments are fastened with two screws each. All of the screw are distributed uniformly on the circumference in the fully assembled emergency wheel, thus the displacement distances of the segments in the circumferential direction for proper alignment with a set of holes in the rim is relatively small. A relieved countersunk section at the screw threaded bores permits a reliable mechanical retention of a sealing ring and the screws, and a comfortable and damage-free introduction of same into the sealing position before the assembly of the segments in the tire or the rim.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A vehicle wheel arrangement comprising a wheel rim formed to include a pair of radially outwardly facing tire support surfaces, the tire support surfaces being situated in axially spaced apart relation one to another, and a rim channel therebetween, the rim channel being formed to include at least one bolt-receiving aperture,

an inflatable vehicle tire including an interior surface and tire bead means for engaging the tire support surfaces in sealing relation,
a plurality of emergency wheel segments including foot means for engaging the rim channel to permit each wheel segment to be attached to the wheel rim and head means for engaging a portion of the interior surface of the vehicle tire during deflation thereof, the foot means being formed to include at least one bore for receiving a threaded bolt and seal retaining recess means for retaining a resilient sealing ring at an outer edge of each bore to permit preassembly of the sealing ring to accommodate subsequent assembly of each wheel segment to the wheel rim, said seal retaining recess means including a relief section means for retaining the sealing ring means in position on the segments during assembly, said relief section means including segment portions extending radially inwardly of the maximal radial width of the sealing ring means to overlap and retain the sealing ring means in position, and
attachment means for detachably attaching each wheel segment to the wheel rim, the attachment means including a threaded bolt for sequential reception in the bolt-receiving aperture, the resilient sealing ring, and the wheel segment bore to attach rigidly a companion emergency wheel segment in a mounted position on the wheel rim.

A vehicle wheel arrangement comprising

a wheel rim formed to include a pair of radially outwardly facing tire support surfaces, the tire support surfaces being situated in axially spaced-apart relation one to another, and a rim channel therebetween, the rim channel being formed to include at least one bolt-receiving aperture,
an inflatable vehicle tire including an interior surface and tire bead means for engaging the tire support surfaces in sealing relation,
a plurality of emergency wheel segments wherein each wheel segment is formed to include at least one bore for the reception of a threaded clamp screw and a frusto-conical radially inwardly flared countersunk section at an outer edge of the bore, sealing means for providing an airtight seal between the rim and the clamp screws on the wheel segment contact side of the rim, said sealing means include a loop-ring formed of rubber elastic material and positioned in the countersunk section of the wheel segment wherein the countersunk section includes a relief for retaining the loop-ring such that it overlaps the maximum radial width of the loop-ring radially inwardly,
said plurality of emergency wheel segments including foot means for engaging the rim channel to permit each wheel segment to be attached to the wheel rim and head means for engaging a portion of the interior surface of the vehicle tire during deflation thereof, the foot means including an annular radially inwardly facing wheel rim-engaging surface formed to include a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, adjustment accommodating grooves for receiving an adjustment tool so that the adjustment tool is advanceable through the bolt-receiving aperture of the rim channel to engage the adjustment accommodating grooves to permit a tool-user to move a wheel segment relative to the wheel rim to position the wheel segment in a proper attachment position within the rim channel while the wheel segment is contained inside the vehicle tire.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vehicle wheel with internally located emergency wheel

Life of this patent

Vehicle wheel with internally located emergency wheel

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11