VEHICLE WHEEL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE VEHICLE WHEEL

• US 20200130409A1
• Filed: 10/22/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: KAMIYAMA, Youichi, SHIMAMURA, Yuta, NAKANISHI, Mikiharu, HAMA, Takuro
• Granted Patent: US 11,230,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 21/12 Appurtenances, e.g. lining bands
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2310/30 joining
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2310/3025 by thermal welding, e.g. friction, induction or ultrasonic welding
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/133 Noise
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/002 Noise damping elements provided in the tyre structure or attached thereto, e.g. in the tyre interior
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/172 using resonance effects

Abstract

A vehicle wheel includes: a pair of rail members configured as separate members from the rim and fixed to an outer circumferential surface of a well portion of a rim of a wheel; and a sub air chamber member serving as a Helmholtz resonator and disposed between and supported by the rail members. A method of manufacturing the vehicle wheel is also provided. The method includes the steps of: fixing the pair of rail members to the outer circumferential surface of the well portion; and attaching the sub air chamber member to the well portion through the pair of rail members such that the sub air chamber member is supported between the pair of rail members, wherein the rail member fixing step includes fixing the pair of rail members using a jig with the rail members spaced apart by the predetermined distance.

Claims

1. A vehicle wheel comprising:

a pair of rail members fixed to an outer circumferential surface of a well portion of a rim of a wheel, the pair of rail members being separate members from the rim; and

a sub air chamber member serving as a Helmholtz resonator, the sub air chamber member being disposed between the rail members and supported by the rail members.

2. The vehicle wheel according to claim 1, further comprising a restraint portion configured to adjust a distance between the rail members.

3. The vehicle wheel according to claim 2, wherein the restraint portion comprises a connecting portion configured to connect the pair of rail members.

4. The vehicle wheel according to claim 3, wherein the connecting portion is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the well portion.

5. The vehicle wheel according to claim 2, wherein the restraint portion comprises grooves or studs formed on the outer circumferential surface of the well portion and engageable with the rail members.

6. The vehicle wheel according to claim 1, further comprising a circumferential displacement restraint portion configured to restrain the sub air chamber member from being displaced in a circumferential direction of the wheel relative to the rail members.

7. The vehicle wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rail members are friction stir welded to the outer circumferential wall of the well portion of the rim.

8. A method of manufacturing a vehicle wheel according to claim 1, the method comprising:

a rail member fixing step of fixing to the outer circumferential surface of the well portion the pair of rail members that are separate members from the rim of the wheel such that the rail members are disposed parallel to and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance; and

a sub air chamber member attaching step of attaching the sub air chamber member to the well portion through the pair of rail members such that the sub air chamber member is supported between the pair of rail members,

wherein the rail member fixing step comprises a step of fixing the pair of rail members using a jig with the rail members spaced apart by the predetermined distance.