Patent Application
20240165990
The present disclosure relates to a dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus, a vehicle wheel, a powered vehicle, and a related method for manufacture.
Vehicle wheels comprising undesired mass distributions can cause vibrations and/or reduce fuel mileage during operation of a wheeled vehicle. Additionally, the mass of the vehicle wheels can affect the fuel mileage of the vehicle. Balancing a vehicle wheel's mass and achieving desirable vehicle fuel mileage present challenges.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus is provided. The dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus comprises a vehicle wheel cover and a dynamic vehicle wheel balance ring. The vehicle wheel cover comprises a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter surface connecting the first surface to the second surface. The vehicle wheel cover is configured to removably attach to a flange of a vehicle wheel with the second surface opposing the vehicle wheel. The dynamic vehicle wheel balance ring is attached to the second surface of the vehicle wheel cover.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle wheel is provided. The vehicle wheel is connected to a dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus. The dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus comprises a vehicle wheel cover and a dynamic vehicle wheel balance ring. The vehicle wheel cover comprises a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter surface connecting the first surface to the second surface. The vehicle wheel cover is configured to removably attach to a flange of a vehicle wheel with the second surface opposing the vehicle wheel. The dynamic vehicle wheel balance ring is attached to the second surface of the vehicle wheel cover. The dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus dynamically balances the vehicle wheel during rotation of the vehicle wheel and reduces aerodynamic drag.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a powered vehicle is provided. The powered vehicle wheel comprises a dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus installed on a vehicle wheel of the powered vehicle. The dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus comprises a vehicle wheel cover and a dynamic vehicle wheel balance ring. The vehicle wheel cover comprises a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter surface connecting the first surface to the second surface. The vehicle wheel cover is configured to removably attach to a flange of the vehicle wheel with the second surface opposing the vehicle wheel. The dynamic vehicle wheel balance ring is attached to the second surface of the vehicle wheel cover. The dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus dynamically balances the vehicle wheel of the powered vehicle during rotation of the vehicle wheel of the powered vehicle and reduces aerodynamic drag of the powered vehicle resulting in an increased fuel savings of the powered vehicle.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacture is provided. The method comprises operatively coupling a snap ring of a dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus to a vehicle wheel, wherein clips of the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus are pinned between the snap ring and a flange of the vehicle wheel. The dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus comprises a vehicle wheel cover, a dynamic vehicle wheel balance ring, a snap ring, and at least two clips. The vehicle wheel cover comprises a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter surface connecting the first surface to the second surface. The vehicle wheel cover is configured to removably attach to the flange of the vehicle wheel with the second surface opposing the vehicle wheel. The dynamic vehicle wheel balance ring is attached to the second surface of the vehicle wheel cover. The vehicle wheel cover defines at least two first openings proximal to the perimeter surface. Each of the at least two first openings extends from the first surface to the second surface and is configured to receive a fastener to operatively couple the vehicle wheel cover to the flange of a vehicle wheel. The snap ring is configured to operatively couple to the flange of the vehicle wheel. Each clip comprises a first portion configured to mount to the snap ring and a second portion comprising a bore configured to be aligned with one of the first openings and receive a respective fastener and thereby connect the clip to the vehicle wheel cover. The method comprises operatively coupling the vehicle wheel cover to the clips utilizing fasteners.
It is understood that the inventions disclosed and described in this specification are not limited to the aspects summarized in this Summary. The reader will appreciate the foregoing details, as well as others, upon considering the following detailed description of various non-limiting and non-exhaustive aspects according to this specification.
The features and advantages of the examples, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent, and the examples will be better understood, by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate certain embodiments, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the appended claims in any manner.
Various embodiments are described and illustrated herein to provide an overall understanding of the structure, function, and use of the disclosed articles and methods. The various embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limiting and non-exhaustive. Thus, an invention is not limited by the description of the various non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments disclosed herein. Rather, the invention is defined solely by the claims. The features and characteristics illustrated and/or described in connection with various embodiments may be combined with the features and characteristics of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of this specification. As such, the claims may be amended to recite any features or characteristics expressly or inherently described in, or otherwise expressly or inherently supported by, this specification. Further, Applicant reserves the right to amend the claims to affirmatively disclaim features or characteristics that may be present in the prior art. The various embodiments disclosed and described in this specification can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the features and characteristics as variously described herein.
Any references herein to “various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or like phrases mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” or like phrases in the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Thus, the particular features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment may be combined, in whole or in part, with the features, structures, or characteristics of one or more other embodiments without limitation. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present embodiments.
As used herein, a referenced element or region that is “intermediate” two other elements or regions means that the referenced element/region is disposed between, but is not necessarily in contact with, the two other elements/regions. Accordingly, for example, a referenced element that is “intermediate” a first element and a second element may or may not be immediately adjacent to or in contact with the first and/or second elements, and other elements may be disposed between the referenced element and the first and/or second elements.
Typically, aerodynamic covers and wheel balance rings are independently attached to an axle of a powered vehicle and, therefore, require independent removal. A balance ring is typically mounted between two vehicle wheels in a dual wheel arrangement, or between the axle hub and the vehicle wheel in a single wheel arrangement. Attaching additional components to the hub of the vehicle wheel increases the number of interfaces in the clamped joint at the hub, which can increase the potential for joint loosening. Also, attaching both aerodynamic cover and balance ring components to the hub can increase the mass of the vehicle wheel assembly. Since components such as aerodynamic covers and vehicle wheel balance rings are typically attached to the hub of the axle, removing those components may require removing the nuts and/or bolts that attach the vehicle wheel to the hub. The components may have to be individually removed from the axle each time a vehicle wheel is replaced. The apparatus described in WO 2008/023216 A1 and WO 2003/023252A1, for example, may suffer from one or more of the foregoing disadvantages.
The present disclosure provides a dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus comprising a vehicle wheel cover and a dynamic vehicle wheel balance ring. The vehicle wheel cover can comprise a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter surface connecting the first surface to the second surface. The vehicle wheel cover can be adapted to removably attach to a flange of a vehicle wheel with the second surface opposing the vehicle wheel. The dynamic vehicle wheel balance ring can be attached to the second surface of the vehicle wheel cover. Embodiments of the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus according to the present disclosure can: reduce the number of interfaces in the vehicle wheel/axle joint; reduce the mass required to attach a vehicle wheel cover and a vehicle wheel balance ring to the vehicle wheel; enable installation and/or removal of the vehicle wheel to/from an axle of a powered vehicle without the need to remove the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus from the vehicle wheel; and increase fuel efficient and/or battery life of a vehicle that powers the vehicle wheel.
Referring to
Referring again to
The vehicle wheel cover 102 can define at least two first openings proximal to the perimeter surface 108, such as first openings 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, and 110e as shown in
Referring again to the rear plan view of
Referring to
The configuration of clips 244a-e will now be described with reference to clip 244a, but it is understood that any of clips 244b-e may or may not, also have the features of clip 244a described herein. Referring to
The second portion 448 can comprise a bore 450 configured to be aligned with one of the first openings 110a-110e and receive a fastener 456 and thereby connect the clip 244a to the vehicle wheel cover 102. In various non-limiting embodiments, the bore 450 can be threaded, comprise a quick attachment feature, and/or comprise an alternative fastening feature configured to couple to the fastener 456.
In the depicted non-limiting embodiments, the second portion 448 can be positioned offset from the first portion 446. Positioning the second portion 448 offset from the first portion 446 can lessen a distance that the vehicle wheel cover 102 extends from the vehicle wheel 230 when mounted thereto. For example, in various non-limiting embodiments, when the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus 100 is installed on the vehicle wheel 230, the vehicle wheel cover 120 can protrude a distance, d1, no greater than 10 mm from a flange of the vehicle wheel (as illustrated in
Referring to the non-limiting embodiments illustrated in
Referring again to
Because the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus 100 can be adapted to couple to the flange 232 of the vehicle wheel 100, the first openings 110a-e can be misaligned with the stud-receiving bore 354 defined in the vehicle wheel 230 when the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus 100 is installed on the vehicle wheel 100. In various non-limiting embodiments, the vehicle wheel 230 can comprise a nominal rim diameter, d2, in a range of 1 inch (2.54 mm) to 200 inches (5080 mm), such as, for example, 14 inches (406.4 mm) to 25 inches (635 mm), or 19 inches (482.6 mm) to 25 inches (635 mm). In various non-limiting embodiments, the vehicle wheel 230 can comprise a nominal rim width, d3, in a range of 1 inch (2.54 mm) to 100 inches (2540 mm), such as, for example, 6 inches (152.4 mm) to 24 inches (609.6 mm), or 6 inches (152.4 mm) to 12 inches (304.8 mm).
In various non-limiting embodiments, the vehicle wheel balance apparatus 100 can comprise a polymer, a metal, a metal alloy, or a combination of two or more of those materials. In various non-limiting embodiments, the vehicle wheel balance apparatus 100 can comprise rigid materials.
A powered vehicle can comprise the vehicle wheel 230 and the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus 100. During rotation of the vehicle wheel 230 on the powered vehicle, the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus 100 can dynamically balance the vehicle wheel 230 and reduce aerodynamic drag of the powered vehicle, resulting in increased fuel mileage for the powered vehicle. In situations in which the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus of the present invention is mounted on an electrically powered vehicle, the resultant reduced aerodynamic drag that can be achieved with the present invention may increase the distance the vehicle can travel on a single vehicle battery charge.
The powered vehicle can comprise a vehicle weight class in a range of 1 to 8, such as, for example, 3 to 8, as defined by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. For example, in various non-limiting embodiments the gross weight of the vehicle can be at least 10,001 lbs. (4536.48 kg) or at least 26,000 lbs. (11,798.4 kg). The powered vehicle can be, for example, a light-duty, medium-duty, or heavy-duty vehicle, such as, for example, a medium-duty or heavy-duty vehicle. In various non-limiting embodiments, the powered vehicle can be a truck (e.g., pick-up, full-sized, tractor (e.g., semi-truck)), a van, or a bus. The powered vehicle can comprise at least two axles, such as, for example, at least three axles, at least four axles, at least five axles, or at least six axles. In various non-limiting embodiments, the powered vehicle can comprise no greater than ten axles such as, for example, no greater than six axles, no greater than five axles, no greater than four axles, or no greater than three axles. In various non-limiting embodiments, the powered vehicle can comprise a quantity of axles in a range of two to ten. In various non-limiting embodiments, the powered vehicle can be powered by a combustion engine, one or more electric batteries, or a combination thereof.
Referring to
At step 604, the vehicle wheel cover 102 can be operatively coupled to clips 244a-e utilizing fasteners 456. For example, a fastener 456 can be inserted through each of the first openings 110a-e and into the bores 450 of the clips 244a-e. The fasteners 456 can be secured to each of clips 244a-e by rotating the fasteners 456. For example, in various non-limiting embodiments where the bores 450 comprises threads, the fasteners 456 can be screws and can be threaded into the bores 450. In certain non-limiting embodiments in which the bores 450 comprise a quick attachment feature, the fasteners 456 can comprise a quick attachment feature fastener and can be secured to the bores 450 by rotating the fasteners 456. For example, in various embodiments where a quick attachment feature is used, the fasteners 456 can be secured to the bores 450 by rotating each fastener 456 no more than 180 degrees of rotation.
At step 606, the vehicle wheel 230 can be attached to an axle of a powered vehicle while the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus 100 is coupled to the vehicle wheel 230. The axle may be, for example, a steer axle, a drive axle, or a trailer axle of the powered vehicle. Attaching the vehicle wheel 230 can comprise aligning the bores 354 with the lug bolts on a hub of the axle of the powered vehicle and inserting the lug bolts into the bores 354. Thereafter, lug nuts can be inserted through the second opening 112 of the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus 100 and threaded onto the lug bolts, thereby securing the vehicle wheel 230 to the axle.
At optional step 608, the vehicle wheel 230 can be removed from the axle of the powered vehicle while the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus 100 remains coupled to the vehicle wheel 230. In various non-limiting embodiments, the dynamic vehicle wheel balance apparatus 100 can be removed from the vehicle wheel 230 prior to attaching the vehicle wheel 230 to the axle and/or prior to removing the vehicle wheel 230 from the axle. In various non-limiting embodiments, the vehicle wheel 230 can be attached to the axle prior to mounting the dynamic wheel balance apparatus 100.
Various aspects of the invention include, but are not limited to, the aspects listed in the following numbered clauses.
In this specification, unless otherwise indicated, all numerical parameters are to be understood as being prefaced and modified in all instances by the term “about,” in which the numerical parameters possess the inherent variability characteristic of the underlying measurement techniques used to determine the numerical value of the parameter. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter described herein should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.
Also, any numerical range recited herein includes all sub-ranges subsumed within the recited range. For example, a range of “1 to 10” includes all sub-ranges between (and including) the recited minimum value of 1 and the recited maximum value of 10, that is, having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10. Also, all ranges recited herein are inclusive of the end points of the recited ranges. For example, a range of “1 to 10” includes the end points 1 and 10. Any maximum numerical limitation recited in this specification is intended to include all lower numerical limitations subsumed therein, and any minimum numerical limitation recited in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limitations subsumed therein. Accordingly, Applicant reserves the right to amend this specification, including the claims, to expressly recite any sub-range subsumed within the ranges expressly recited. All such ranges are inherently described in this specification.
The grammatical articles “a,” “an,” and “the,” as used herein, are intended to include “at least one” or “one or more,” unless otherwise indicated, even if “at least one” or “one or more” is expressly used in certain instances. Thus, the foregoing grammatical articles are used herein to refer to one or more than one (i.e., to “at least one”) of the particular identified elements. Further, the use of a singular noun includes the plural and the use of a plural noun includes the singular, unless the context of the usage requires otherwise.
One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein described articles and methods, and the discussion accompanying them, are used as examples for the sake of conceptual clarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated. Consequently, as used herein, the specific examples/embodiments set forth and the accompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their more general classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended to be representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specific components, devices, operations/actions, and objects should not be taken to be limiting. While the present disclosure provides descriptions of various specific aspects for the purpose of illustrating various aspects of the present disclosure and/or its potential applications, it is understood that variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention or inventions described herein should be understood to be at least as broad as they are claimed and not as more narrowly defined by particular illustrative aspects provided herein.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2021/024074 | 3/25/2021 | WO |
