The subject matter of the present invention is a trim element on an automobile wheel rim according to the preamble of claim 1.
Such a trim element is disclosed in U.S. 2011/0101766 A1, in which the trim element comprises a disk-shaped decorative panel that is attached to two dedicated recesses in the respective spokes of the automobile rim using two retaining plates that can be interconnected. The first retaining plate is inserted through radial slots in the decorative panel from the front and wedged into radial slots in the rim lying behind them, wherein the slots in the rim must be flush with the slot in the decorative panel. The second retaining plate is placed on the decorative panel, passes through the radial slot in the decorative panel, and is connected to the second retaining plate wedged into the slot in the rim.
The wedging of the first retaining plate in the slot in the rim cannot accommodate large forces and is susceptible to moisture and dirt.
A further disadvantage is that it is not possible to attach a trim element comprised of numerous segments, e.g. numerous segmented decorative panels extending along the circumference, which have no circumferential connections on their undersurfaces.
A further disadvantage of the known attachment system for a trim panel on an automobile rim is that the production tolerances in producing the rim result in a reciprocal offset of the slots in the rim that cannot be controlled with the type of attachment depicted therein.
In particular, it may be the case that the radial slots in the disk-shaped trim element are not precisely flush with the dedicated radial slots in the spokes of the automobile rim, such that the retaining elements that are used cannot be connected, thus attaching the trim panel to the wheel.
Another automobile rim is known from DE 10 2015 206 831 A1, in which a disk element is screwed onto a rim ring, and the disk element is overlaid with additional decorative elements that are substantially circular and have only simple retaining pins, which are intended to engage in dedicated retaining holes in the disk element.
This is also accompanied by the problem that it is not possible to adjust the retaining connection because the retaining pins must be precisely flush with the opposing disk element of the rim, such that it is otherwise impossible to attach these elements.
The object of the invention is therefore to attach a trim element of the type specified in the introduction, preferably in the form of a circular panel, to the front or visible surface of an automobile rim such that the tolerances of the rim no longer affect the attachment of the trim element.
The invention is characterized by the technical teachings of claim 1 for achieving this objective.
Accordingly, one feature of the invention is that in each case, a fastening plate bears on the back surface of the at least one spoke in a load transferring manner, and can be connected at the edge to the trim element. As a result, there is the advantage that the back surface of the spoke is only used as a load bearing surface, without the need for holes, projections, or slots for transferring loads.
As a result, the load transfer takes place on the entire back surface of the spoke, and the load bearing surface is not directed toward isolated attachment points, as is the case with the prior art.
Accordingly, a fastening plate is located on the back surfaces of the spokes of the automobile rim, which spans at least the space between two adjacent spokes, and forms a retaining connection in each case to a mount located on the trim element acting along the circumference.
It is preferred that these retaining connections acting along the circumference are obtained with a retaining slider that can be displaced and locked in place along the circumference of the fastening plate, which engages at its free end in a lateral retaining connection to the mount formed on the undersurface of the trim element.
This results in the advantage that by displacing the retaining slider, which is retained in dedicated slider tracks on the surface of the fastening plate such that it can be displaced and locked in place therein, the decorative panel can be locked in place on the undersurface of the spoke.
Depending on how the respective retaining slider is displaced along the circumference of the rim on the fastening plate, the retaining slider pushes the mount, which is more or less longitudinally flexible, under the undersurface of the respective spoke of the automobile rim, in order to thus compensate for any play between the attachment of the trim element and the fastening elements on the rim.
This therefore comprises a retaining connection that can be tightened without tools, which compensates for the production tolerances of automobile rims and the connecting spokes therein with respect to the fastening elements on the trim, in that lateral retaining mounts are located on the undersurfaces of the respective trim elements, which engage behind the respective spokes on at least one side, and bears on a dedicated stop surface on the undersurface of the spoke.
The aforementioned retaining sliders are used to stabilize and secure this stop surface on the undersurface of the spoke, which can be displaced on the fastening plate located beneath the spokes in one direction, wherein the base of the retaining slider is tightened down in a retaining manner in a dedicated fastening groove, and forms a tensioning arm with its free arm, which is longitudinally flexible and has a retaining hole in the middle.
The tensioning slider can therefore be pushed against the mount on the undersurface of the trim element because of the fluked retaining connection acting in only one direction, which locks in place in the other direction, and presses it tightly, with a slight bending thereof, with its bearing surface against the undersurface of the spoke.
As a result, any production tolerances between the spokes can be compensated for by the retaining slider that can be displaced and locked in place along the circumference.
In a preferred exemplary embodiment, the invention distinguishes between large surface first trim elements and smaller trim elements that have smaller covering surfaces.
The larger, basically curved, trim elements also have a retaining connection in the middle, in the space between opposing spokes facing the underlying fastening plate.
Such a retaining connection is not necessarily needed for the smaller trim elements, which can likewise be secured in smaller spaces in the rim.
In a preferred embodiment, the larger and smaller trim elements are made of plastic, and the aforementioned mount is formed in an integral manner on the back surfaces of these plastic elements.
The invention is not limited thereto.
The retaining mounts can also be attached in another manner to the plate-shaped trim elements, e.g. via releasable fasteners, such as screws, clamps or rivets, or via other material bonded connections, e.g. adhesives, joints or welds.
The trim elements can also be made of any material, e.g. plastic, glass, metal, wood, or metal/plastic composites, or wood/plastic composites.
The specified retaining slider, which can be displaced in dedicated retaining tracks in the region of the lower fastening plate, and only lock in place in one direction, preferably function with retaining ribs in the form of flukes, that only allow movement in one direction, such that movement in the other direction is blocked.
Instead of retaining tracks with dedicated retaining ribs, each of which have guide grooves, other longitudinal guides can, as a matter of course, be used according to the present invention.
Such a longitudinal guide can also comprise other tightening means instead of the retaining ribs that engage in a fluked manner in dedicated, opposing retaining grooves, e.g. eccentric clamping levers or the like.
As explained in the introduction, the assembly requires no tools, and geometric modifications to the rim are not necessary, i.e. this comprises a “plug & play” process.
For the assembly, the larger trim elements are first inserted in the spaces. The fastening plate is then inserted into the space between the spokes from below, and the large trim element is subsequently secured to the fastening plate with the retaining connections.
After the fastening plate has been inserted from below, the smaller trim element is placed on the other side thereof on the space between the spokes of the automobile rim from the front, and secured to the dedicated retaining hooks of the fastening plate.
This requires that the retaining slider is already secured in the retaining tracks on the fastening plate in a specific preassembled state, and if there are any production tolerances in the automobile rim, and the spacings between the spokes are no longer uniform, the retaining slider can then be displaced along the circumference of the automobile rim, such that retaining hooks of the trim element bearing on the undersurfaces of the spokes then press with an additional tensioning force against the spokes in the rim due to the tensioning arms of the retaining slider bearing on the retaining mounts.
This comprises an assembly requiring no tools, which can be assembled particularly easily, and in which any radial and circumferential tolerances between the spokes of an automobile rim can be compensated for with regard to the attachment of the decorative trim element.
In a further development of the invention, so-called locking sliders are used for radially securing the retaining connection between the trim elements on the front and the fastening plates on the back obtained in this manner, which then act against the centrifugal forces acting on the overall assembly, because such a locking slider is basically T-shaped, and the T-shape cross bar bears in a load transferring manner on the flange of the rim, and engages behind the internal fastening plate with its retaining hooks located on the free end of the T-leg, thus securing it in place.
A locking slider is not necessary in all of the embodiments, as other securing measures can also be applied to the spokes themselves.
In another embodiment of the present invention, another design of a novel retaining connection is claimed, in which the fastening plate 12 described comprehensively above in accordance with
This displacement in only one direction, which tightens the retaining connection, is obtained through fluked plates that are oriented accordingly, such that the retaining slider in the retaining gap can only be displaced and secured in the one direction, this being the direction perpendicular to the plane of the trim element.
It is advantageous that the retaining slider itself has a socket or some other type of attachment for receiving a locking slider therein, which preferably bears on the back surfaces of the spokes of the motor vehicle rim in a load transferring manner. As a result, the retaining slider serves a double function, specifically to stabilize the retaining force of the support mount and also to form the receiver for the locking slider bearing on the rim in a load transferring manner.
As a result, an entirely novel and simplified retaining attachment of the trim element according to the invention to a motor vehicle rim is obtained, because the counter-plate can then be eliminated, and by tightening the locking slider in the retaining gap that can be adjusted vertically, this retaining connection can be readjusted in a force transferring manner, in order to tighten the trim element to the motor vehicle rim.
It is particularly advantageous when the retaining gap is conical and lies in the region between the lateral retaining mount serving for retention, because the tightening of the lateral retaining mounts that can be attached to the rim can also be adjusted therewith. The deeper the retaining slider is inserted into the conical retaining gap toward the plane of the underlying trim element, the more it is tightened against the respective retaining mount, such that it is pressed (or bent) further radially outward, thus improving the retaining connection to the rim.
This comprises a double effect through the placement of a retaining gap in the region behind the lateral retaining mounts, which is achieved in that a retaining gap is formed at a spacing to the lateral retaining mount, directly behind which there are further counter retainers—attached to the trim element—in the form of hooks that can be secured from one side, which form fluked plates on their inner surface, in which the aforementioned retaining slider engages with a dedicated fluke plate, and can only be displaced downward therein toward the plane of the trim element, but is blocked in the opposite direction, upward, and remains there such that it cannot be displaced.
In another embodiment, which is not illustrated, it should be noted that the locking slider, which bears in a load transferring manner on the back surfaces of the spokes, does not necessarily need to be located in the region of a retaining connection between the lateral retaining mounts. The retaining connection can also be formed outside the retaining mounts in another region of the trim element by placing other retaining elements thereon.
For purposes of simplicity, and for structural reasons, the double function of the lateral retaining mounts is preferred, however, which serve to retain the trim element on the rim, and also form a retaining gap in conjunction with the counter retainers lying behind it, in that the locking slider is received such that it can be displaced in one direction, and bears on the back surfaces of the spokes in a force transferring manner.
The locking sliders referred to as a locking sliders in the exemplary embodiments according to
It should also be noted that the invention does not necessarily relate to the placement of the locking slider in the two embodiments (
The invention is therefore not limited to the presence of locking sliders. Such an embodiment, with locking sliders, is preferred, however.
The subject matter of the present invention can be derived not only from the subject matter of the individual claims, but also from combinations of the individual claims.
All of the information and features disclosed in the documents, including the abstract, in particular the spatial design illustrated in the drawings, are claimed as substantial to the invention, as long as they are novel over the prior art, individually or in combinations thereof.
The invention shall be explained in greater detail below based on drawings illustrating just one embodiment. Further features and advantages substantial to the invention can be derived from the drawings and the descriptions thereof.
Therein:
An automobile rim 1 in the form of a cast rim is illustrated in
In any case, a cast rim is illustrated in
The object of the invention is to attach the trim elements 9, 10 in the spaces 5, 6 of the rim 1 such that they can also withstand high centrifugal forces, can be installed without tools, can be easily installed in a plug-in process, and can also withstand high levels of contamination, cold temperatures and other harmful environmental effects, without becoming dislodged.
This object is achieved according to the features shown in
Segmented fastening plates 12 are located opposite these trim elements in the interior space of the automobile rim, extending longitudinally along the circumference of the rim 1, each of which retain the trim elements 9, 10 on the front at their edges with load transferring retaining connections 63, 64.
The invention is not limited to the positioning of smaller trim elements 9 and larger trim elements 10. It may be the case that there are only smaller trim elements 9 or only larger trim elements 10.
Likewise, the trim elements 9, 10 do not have to be in the shape of arc segments; they can also have other shapes, e.g. rectangular, and they can be segmented, and they can support lighting elements, etc.
The advantage with the invention is that the spokes 2-4 themselves are not clamped, i.e. they are not clamped laterally by the trim elements and the corresponding fastening means, and instead engage behind the trim elements with corresponding retaining mounts 14 on the spokes 2-4, such that a certain amount of play arising along the circumference can be compensated for that would not be able to be compensated for with the other means provided by the prior art. Accordingly, spot attachment to the spokes of the rim 1 is not needed, and instead, a planar, load transferring retaining connection 63, 64 between the trim elements 9, 10 located on the front surface of the rim 1 and the fastening plates 12 engaging behind the spokes 2-4 is obtained.
As a result, the invention makes it possible for the first time to span a spacing, resulting from production tolerances, over the circumference between the spokes 2, 3, with the novel tensioned retaining connection of the trim elements 9, 10 according to the invention.
As a result, there is no direct and spot tensioning of the spokes 2-4, as is the case with the prior art, but instead, merely an engagement behind the respective spokes 2-4 by the corresponding retaining mounts 14 on the trim elements 9, 10, which bear on the undersurfaces of the respective spokes 2, 4 with bearing surfaces 61, as shall be explained below based on
The front surface of the annular, segmented annular panel 11 is shown in
For a further fastening of the larger trim elements 10, there is also a further retaining mount 15 in the middle, which bears on a stop surface 17 on the flange 67 of the rim.
The sides of the retaining mounts 14 facing inward have retaining lugs 16, the function of which shall be explained below.
The components shown in
A fastening element 21 is formed on the back surface of the trim element 9, as shown in
A support web 24 is formed directly behind it along the circumference, which engages with a form fitting connection in a dedicated socket 35 in the region of a supporting frame 26 of the fastening plate 12 (see
It can be seen in accordance with
According to
The installation of the smaller trim elements 9 involves a form fitting and retaining connection, as can be clearly seen in
The invention is not limited to two parallel retaining tracks 31, 32. There can also be only one retaining track, or more than two retaining tracks.
In any case, retaining tracks 31, 32 are formed on the lateral surfaces of the fastening plates 12 following the circumference thereof, each of which forms a retaining element 30 with dedicated retaining sliders 40 that can only be displaced in one direction.
The two retaining tracks 31, 32 in
The radial grooves 29 can be either conical at the ends, in order to form a clamping lock for the locking sliders 41 that can be inserted therein, or they can be parallel to one another.
It can be seen in
As a result, all radial centrifugal forces are accommodated in an optimal manner.
The corresponding stop surfaces 68 are shown in
The retaining plate 39 also has two lateral projections 49 extending beyond the outer periphery of the base element 43, and the upper surface of the base element 43 forms a stop surface 44.
As a result, the retaining plate 39 with the lateral projections 49 can be inserted into the dedicated guide grooves 50 in the region of the retaining tracks 30, 31.
A free arm is formed as an integral part of the base element 43, which forms a tightening arm, and is elastically flexible.
The retaining hole 46 for retaining the retaining lugs 16 of the retaining mounts 14 is formed in the region of the tightening arm 65. The free end of the tightening arm 65 is in the form of a curved diagonal surface 47.
On the whole, the tightening arm 65 thus forms a retaining tab 45, which shall be explained in greater detail below.
The tightening arm thus has a tensioning capacity in the direction of the arrow 62.
A locking slider 41 is shown in
The leg 56 of the T-profile has a retaining hook on its front free end, which engages behind the fastening plate 12, as is shown in
The locking slider 41 bears with the lateral support bolts 58 on an end support surface 69 on the fastening plate 12 (see
This results in perfect, load transferring seating, because the crossbar 57 bears on the rim flange 67 of the rim 1, and the support bolt 58 bears on the outer surface or the supporting surface 69 of the fastening plate, and at the same time, the retaining hook engages behind the fastening plate 12.
The retaining mount 14 with the dedicated bearing surfaces 61 formed on the undersurfaces of the decorative plates 13 of the trim element 10 engages behind the undersurfaces of the spokes 2, 3, and bears in a force fitting manner thereon.
If there is any play there, or the spacing between the spokes 2, 3 is altered due to production tolerances, the retaining mount 14 can then be tightened in the direction of the arrow 62 using the retaining slider connection according to the invention. This takes place in that the retaining slider 40, which is connected to the retaining mount 14 with a retaining connection 64, is then displaced in a retaining manner on the fastening plate 12 along the circumference in the direction of the arrow 62, and thus bends the retaining mount 14 in the direction of the arrow 62 at the same time, such that the bearing surface 61 bears directly on the undersurface of the spokes 2, 3.
As a result, a form fitting and force fitting connection between the trim element 10 and the respective spokes 2, 3 is obtained, wherein the spokes themselves do not need to be clamped or penetrated, drilled, or mechanically altered in any way. This therefore forms a universal retaining slider connection, which is obtained solely through the retaining sliders 40 according to the invention, each of which can be displaced on the dedicated fastening plate 12 along the circumference, specifically in the direction of the arrow 52, and thus secure the retaining mounts 14 on the undersurfaces of the spokes 2, 3 in a force fitting an form fitting manner.
According to
A further embodiment of a retaining connection is shown in
As a result, a simplified attachment to the spokes 2-4 is obtained.
The aforementioned support mounts 18 provide additional positional securing, particularly for positioning the trim element 10 for installation purposes, such that it is ensured that the trim element 10 bears on the inner circumference of the rim ring.
As soon as this bearing is obtained, the novel retaining connection 74 can be established.
According to
The further retaining connection on the back surface of the rim is obtained through the retaining mounts 14, which have retaining heads that bear on the spokes 2-4 and are locked in place there.
It is particularly advantageous that the retaining force of the hook heads of the retaining mounts 14 can be pre-set by means of a special formation of a retaining gap 72 that shall be explained below, with a retaining slider 80 that can be displaced therein in one direction, and the clamping effect of the hook heads of the retaining mounts 14 on the spokes can be further reinforced therewith.
This special feature shall be explained in greater detail below in conjunction with the retaining gap 72.
Further details can be derived from
It is advantageous that the retaining connection 74 according to the invention takes place in the spaces between parallel pairs of spaced apart retaining mounts 14, opposite which and at a slight spacing thereto are two parallel counter retainers 75 forming an identical reciprocal spacing.
The components 14 and 75 form the conically tapered retaining gap 72 between them in which a retaining slider 80 can only be displaced in one direction, specifically toward the plane of the trim element 10, but is blocked in the other direction.
It is advantageous that according to
As in the first exemplary embodiment, the locking slider 41 is composed of the longer base leg 56, which is connected via a crossbar 57 at a right angle thereto to the retaining plate 81 which has a retaining surface 82 thereon.
As is shown schematically in
The socket is indicated schematically by lines in
When displaced downward in the direction of the arrow 83, the long leg 57 of the locking slider 41 thus bears in a load transferring manner on the back surfaces of the spokes 2-4, as is shown in
It is also advantageous that the retaining slider 80 according to
The aforementioned fluked plate 79 is located on the socket 79.
The fluked plates 77 adjoining the middle part 73 then engage laterally in the two parallel retaining gaps 72, each of which are formed—see
It can thus be derived from
In addition, the locking slider 41 can be displaced in the direction of the arrow 83 in its socket 79 in conjunction with the fluked plate 78 formed therein, which likewise results in a stabilization of the bearing of the locking slider 41 on the back surfaces of the spokes.
It should also be noted that there is a fluked plate 76 located on each of the counter retainers 75 forming mounts, at the side where the retaining gap 72 is located.
The back surfaces of the of the surfaces of the retaining mounts 14 forming the retaining gap can be smooth.
1 automobile rim
2 spoke
3 spoke
4 spoke
5 space (small)
6 space (large)
7—
8—
9 trim element (small)
10 trim element (large)
11 annular panel
12 fastening plate
13 decorative plate
14 retaining mount (lateral)
15 retaining mount (middle)
16 retaining lug
17 stop surface
18 supporting mount
19 retaining tab
20 retaining hole
21 fastening element
22 retaining mount
23 decorative plate (small)
24 support web (small)
25 support web (large)
26 supporting frame
27 retaining lug
28 plate element
29 radial groove
30 retaining element
31 retaining track
32 retaining track
33 retaining hole
34 socket (large)
35 socket (small)
36 decorative element spacing
37 receiving space
38 plate element
39 retaining plate (on 40)
40 retaining slider
41 locking slider
42 retaining groove (on 40)
43 base element
44 stop surface
45 retaining tab
46 retaining hole
47 diagonal surface
48 stop surface
49 projection (for 50)
50 guide groove (for 49)
51 retaining rib
52 direction of arrow
53 insertion groove (for 41)
54 guide groove
55 retaining hook (on 41)
56 base leg
57 crossbar
58 supporting bolt
59 stop surface (on 14)
60 tightening surface (horizontal)
61 bearing surface
62 direction of arrow
63 retaining connection (middle)
64 retaining connection (lateral)
65 tightening arm
66 direction of arrow
67 rim flange
68 stop surface
69 supporting surface
70 direction of arrow
71 projection to the front
72 retaining gap (conical)
73 middle part
74 retaining connection
75 counter retainer
76 fluked plate (on 75)
77 fluked plate (on 80)
78 fluked plate (on 80)
79 socket (on 80)
80 retaining slider
81 retaining plate (on 41)
82 retaining surface
83 direction of arrow
84 direction of arrow
85
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
102018102904.7 | Feb 2018 | DE | national |
102018108149.9 | Apr 2018 | DE | national |