Vehicle wheel

• US 20010011842A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 08/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Smith, Paul, Rockl, Michael
• Application Number:
  US09/773,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20010011842A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 301/35.632
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 3/12 Means of reinforcing disc bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 3/145 using washers or distance bushes

Abstract

A vehicle wheel includes a wheel rim for mounting a tire thereon and a wheel disc attached to the rim. The wheel disc has an axle mounting flange having a set of wheel bolt holes extending therethrough and arranged in a first inner bolt hole circle for attachment to an axle flange. A reinforcement disc is attached to the wheel disc by bolts. The reinforcement disc has an outer diameter which is larger than an outer diameter of the mounting flange. The wheel disc also includes a mounting ring which is attached to an outer portion of the mounting flange and which projects radially outwardly therefrom. The reinforcement disc has a radial width which is at least twice as large as a radial width of the mounting flange. The wheel bolt holes are used to attach the reinforcement disc to the wheel disc. A further set of bolt holes are formed in the mounting ring, and the reinforcement disc is also attached to the wheel disc by means of bolts which pass through both sets of bolt holes. An annular spacer ring is clamped between the wheel disc and the reinforcement disc.

Claims

1. A vehicle wheel, having a wheel rim (12) for mounting a tire thereon and a wheel disc (14), attached to the rim, the wheel disc having an axle mounting flange 16 having a set of wheel bolt holes extending therethrough and arranged in a first bolt hole circle for attachment to an axle flange, characterized by:

a reinforcement disc (26) attached to the wheel disc (14) by bolts, the reinforcement disc having an outer diameter which is larger than an outer diameter of the mounting flange.

2. The vehicle wheel of

claim 1

, wherein:

the disc 14 also includes a mounting ring 36 which is attached to an outer portion of flange 16 and which projects radially outwardly therefrom; and

the reinforcement disc (26) has a radial width which is at least twice as large as a radial width of the mounting ring (36).

3. The vehicle wheel of

claim 1

, wherein:

the wheel bolt holes are used to attach the reinforcement disc (36) to the wheel disc (14).

4. The vehicle wheel of

claim 1

, wherein:

a further set of bolt holes are formed in the mounting ring; and

the reinforcement disc (26) is attached to the wheel disc (14) by means of bolts which pass through both sets of bolt holes.

5. The vehicle wheel of

claim 4

, wherein:

the further set of bolt holes are arranged in a further bolt hole circle; and

the further bolt hole circle has a diameter which is larger than a diameter of the first bolt hole circle.

6. The vehicle wheel of

claim 1

, wherein:

a further set of bolt holes are formed in the mounting ring;

the reinforcement disc (26) is attached to the wheel disc (14) by means of bolts which pass through said further set of bolt holes, said bolts also being capable of connecting to wheel weights.

7. The vehicle wheel of

claim 4

, wherein:

the further bolt hole circle has a diameter which is between 20% and 150% larger than a diameter of the first bolt hole circle.

8. The vehicle wheel of

claim 1

, wherein:

the reinforcement disc (26) has a shape which is similar to a shape of the wheel disc.

9. The vehicle wheel of

claim 1

, wherein:

both the wheel disc (14) and the reinforcement disc (26) have a concave shape, and the spacer ring (22) is positioned in a hollow space formed between the wheel disc (14) and the reinforcement disc (26).

10. The vehicle wheel of

claim 10

, wherein:

the wheel bolt holes are used to attach the spacer ring (22) and the reinforcement disc (26) to the wheel disc (14).