Wheel for a motor vehicle and method of making same
AssigneeDr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
InventorJens Stach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rim for a motor vehicle has several radial hollow spokes in a wheel disk which is manufactured in a die tool and is connected with a rim well. The cast wheel disk is connected with a deformed rim well by friction welding in the area of a rim flange. On an interior side, the wheel disk has at least one flat welding surface which extends around as an annulus and which is arranged so that it corresponds with another opposite flat welding surface of the rim well. In at least one of the hollow spokes, one reinforcing rib is arranged which extends radially from the wheel center axis toward the outside and connects two opposite walls of the spoke with one another.
Claims48
A process for the manufacturing of an aluminum rim with a wheel disk comprising a plurality of hollow spokes in a diecasting tool, the wheel disk being connected with a rim well consisting of a formed part, the wheel disk having an interior side with at least one plane welding surface which extends around the rim in a ring-shaped area, and the rim well having a corresponding plane welding surface, the process comprising:
- arranging the plane welding surface of the wheel disk opposite the plane welding surface of the rim well;
- and
- connecting the wheel disk with the rim well by friction welding in an area of a rim flange of the aluminum rim.
An aluminum wheel comprising:
- a diecast wheel disk having a plurality of hollow spokes and an interior side with at least one plane welding surface which extends around the rim in a ring-shaped area of a rim flange;
- and
- a formed rim well having a plane welding surface, the plane welding surface of the wheel disk opposing the plane welding surface of the rim well, wherein the wheel disk is connected to the rim well by a frictional weld at the plane welding surfaces of the wheel disk and the rim well at the ring-shaped area of the rim flange.
An aluminum wheel comprising:
- a diecast wheel disk having plurality of hollow spokes and an interior side with at least one plane welding surface which extends around the rim in a ring-shaped area of a rim flange;
- a formed rim well having a plane welding surface, the plane welding surface of the wheel disk opposing the plane welding surface of the rim well, wherein the wheel disk is connected to the rim well by a friction weld at the plane welding surfaces of the wheel disk and the rim well at the ring-shaped area of the rim flange;
- a hollow space within at least one of the hollow spokes and having at least two opposite walls;
- and
- a reinforcing rib arranged in the hollow spokes to extend radially from a wheel center axis toward the outside of the wheel rim, wherein the reinforcing rib connects the two opposite walls with one another.
A metal wheel comprising:
- a wheel disk portion having a plurality of hollow spokes and an interior side with at least one plane welding surface which extends around the rim in a ring-shaped area of a rim flange;
- a formed rim well portion having a plane welding surface, the plane welding surface of the wheel disk portion opposing the plane welding surface of the rim well portion, wherein the wheel disk portion is connected to the rim well portion by a friction weld at the plane welding surface of the wheel disk portion and the rim well portion at the ring-shaped area of the rim flange;
- a hollow space within at least one of the hollow spokes and having at least two opposite walls;
- and
- a reinforcing rib arranged in said at least one hollow spoke which connects the two opposite walls with one another.
A vehicle wheel comprising:
- a wheel disk portion having a plurality of hollow spokes and at least one ring shaped friction welding surface,
- and a rim well portion having a corresponding at least one ring shaped friction welding surface,
- wherein said wheel disk portion and said rim well portion are connected by friction welding said at least one ring shaped friction welding surface to said corresponding at least one ring shaped friction welding surface.
A vehicle wheel comprising:
- a wheel disk portion having a plurality of hollow spokes and a pair of concentric ring shaped friction welding surfaces,
- and a rim well portion having a corresponding pair of concentric ring shaped friction welding surfaces,
- wherein said wheel disk portion and said rim well portion are connected by friction welding said pair of concentric ring shaped friction welding surfaces to said corresponding pair of concentric ring shaped friction welding surfaces.
A vehicle wheel comprising:
- a wheel disk portion having a plurality of hollow spokes and at least one ring shaped friction welding surface,
- and a rim well portion having a corresponding at least one ring shaped friction welding surface,
- wherein said wheel disk portion and said rim well portion are connected by friction welding said at least one ring shaped friction welding surface to said corresponding at least one ring shaped friction welding surface, and
- wherein each of said hollow spokes is provided with a reinforcing rib extending radially with respect to a wheel disk hub portion.
A process for the manufacturing of a vehicle wheel, with a wheel disk portion having a plurality of hollow spokes connected with a rim well portion, the wheel disk portion having an interior side with at least one plane welding surface which extends annularly around a center axis in a ring-shaped area, and the rim well portion having a corresponding at least one plane welding surface, the process comprising:
- arranging the at least one plane welding surface of the wheel disk portion opposite the at least one plane welding surface of the rim well portion;
- and
- connecting the wheel disk portion with the rim well portion by friction welding along the respective plane welding surfaces.
A method of manufacturing a vehicle wheel comprising:
- providing a wheel disk portion having a plurality of hollow spokes and at least one ring shaped friction welding surface,
- providing a rim well portion having a corresponding at least one ring shaped friction welding surface,
- and connecting said wheel disk portion and said rim well portion by friction welding said at least one ring shaped friction welding surface to said corresponding at least one ring shaped friction welding surface.
A method of manufacturing a vehicle wheel comprising:
- providing a wheel disk portion having a plurality of hollow spokes and a pair of concentric ring shaped friction welding surfaces,
- providing a rim well portion having a corresponding pair of concentric ring shaped friction welding surfaces,
- and connecting said wheel disk portion and said rim well portion by friction welding said pair of concentric ring shaped friction welding surfaces to said corresponding pair of concentric ring shamed friction welding surfaces.
A method of manufacturing a vehicle wheel comprising:
- providing a wheel disk portion having a plurality of hollow spokes and at least one ring shaped friction welding surface,
- providing a rim well portion having a corresponding at least one ring shaped friction welding surface,
- and connecting said wheel disk portion and said rim well portion by friction welding said at least one ring shaped friction welding surface to said corresponding at least one ring shaped friction welding surface,
- wherein each of said hollow spokes is provided with a reinforcing rib extending radially with respect to a wheel disk hub portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.