Vehicle wheel applique system
AssigneeDel-Met Corporation
InventorBjorn Baccman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A metal applique is configured to conform to the shape of the outer face of a stock vehicle wheel. The face of the applique is finished with a selected surface treatment such as chrome plate, brushed metal, paint, machining etc. A stratum comprising an acrylic adhesive coated foam core is adhered to the inner face of the applique. The applique is bonded to the outer face of the vehicle wheel after removing a release film to expose the acrylic adhesive. The bond is achieved by registering the applique with the face of the wheel and applying compressive force.
Claims20
A composite decorative vehicle wheel, the wheel comprising a hub, a rim for mounting a vehicle tire, the rim including an annular ring and an axial peripheral lip, and structural means interconnecting the hub and the rim, the structural means and the annular ring defining a wheel face surface, the composite wheel further including sheet applique means, the sheet applique means covering the entire wheel face surface and not covering the axial peripheral lip, the sheet applique means having an outer face and a surface treatment applied to the outer face, the sheet applique means further including an inner face and foam stratum means having an acrylic adhesive for permanently bonding substantially the entire inner face of the sheet applique means to the wheel face surface.
A wheel applique suitable for permanent bonding to an axially outwardly convexly contoured face surface of a vehicle wheel having a rim with an axial peripheral lip to provide a decorative wheel finish, the wheel applique comprising a metal panel, the panel being dimensioned and convexly contoured to conform to the convex contoured shape of the face surface of the stock vehicle wheel without overlying the peripheral lip, the panel having an outer face, the outer face carrying a surface treatment, the panel having an inner face, the applique further including means for permanently adhesively bonding substantially the entire inner face of the panel to the face surface of the wheel, the means for permanently adhesively bonding the applique to the face surface of the stock wheel being adhered to substantially the entire inner face of the panel, the means for permanently adhesively bonding comprising a stratum, the stratum including a foam core and a proximal substratum, the proximal substratum comprising an acrylic adhesive coat covering the core, the proximal substratum being positioned between and adhering the inner face of the panel and the foam core, the stratum further comprising a distal substratum, the distal substratum comprising an acrylic adhesive coat covering the foam core, the applique further including a release film covering the distal substratum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.