Device designed to prevent a tire cover fitted onto a one-piece wheel rim from rolling off its rim, process for manufacturing this device and fitted assembly incorporating it

• US 20060096684A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hutchinson (Welltower, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hutchinson (Welltower, Inc.)
• Inventors: Heuze, Olivier, Duffy, Joe, Post, Cliff
• Granted Patent: US 7,469,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 152/381.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 21/12 Appurtenances, e.g. lining bands

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device designed to be fitted into a well of a one-piece wheel rim so as to prevent a tire cover fitted onto said rim from rolling off this rim, to a process for manufacturing this device and to a fitted assembly for a motor vehicle comprising said rim, said cover and said device. A device according to the invention comprises a belt having two ends and a connecting means for connecting said ends together, which means is intended to clamp said belt of annular shape around the rim well, and this device is such that said belt includes a plurality of filling elements, spaced apart between said ends, which elements are designed to at least partly fill said well and are connected together via at least one flexible linking element intended to form an annular sector around said well.

Claims

1. Device (1, 101, 201, 301) designed to be fitted into a well (15) of a one-piece wheel rim (10) so as to prevent a tire cover fitted onto said rim from rolling off this rim, said device comprising a belt (2,102, 202, 302) having two ends (131, 132 or 331, 332) and a connecting means (140, 340) for connecting said ends together, which means is intended to clamp said belt of annular shape around said well, characterized in that said belt includes a plurality of filling elements (20, 120, 220, 320), spaced apart between said ends, which elements are designed to at least partly fill said well and are connected together via at least one flexible linking element (30, 130, 230, 330) intended to form an annular sector around said well.

2. Device (1, 101, 201, 301) according to claim 1, characterized in that said or each linking element (30, 130, 230, 330) extends over the entire perimeter of said belt (2, 102, 202, 302) and terminates at said two ends (131, 132 or 331, 332).

3. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said or each linking element (30) comprises a substantially inextensible textile and/or metal cable.

4. Device (101, 201, 301) according to claim 1, characterized in that said linking element (130, 230, 330) comprises a flexible band, such as a metal band, which can be deformed in a radial direction.

5. Device (1, 101, 201, 301) according to claim 1, characterized in that each of said filling elements (20, 120, 220, 320) is penetrated right through it by said or each linking element (30, 130, 230, 330) and is fastened to the latter.

6. Device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said mechanical fastening is of the crimping type.

7. Device (101) according to claim 4, characterized in that said mechanical fastening is of the nut-and-bolt type.

8. Device (201) according to claim 4, characterized in that said filling elements (220) are respectively attached by transversely guiding them in upper slideways (222) that are formed on supports (221) that are integral with said flexible band (230), so as to adjust the filling of said well (15) both in its width and depth directions.

9. Device (201) according to claim 8, characterized in that each upper slideway (222) has a back-tapered trapezoidal cross section, such as a dovetail cross section.

10. Device (201) according to claim 8, characterized in that said belt (202) includes a plurality of bases (223) which are respectively attached beneath said supports (221) that receive said filling elements (220) and which are designed to be fitted into the bottom (18) of said rim well (15) so as to adjust the radial height of said belt in said well.

11. Device (201) according to claim 10, characterized in that each of said bases (223) is attached beneath said corresponding support (221) by being transversely guided in lower slideways formed in said support.

12. Device (201) according to claim 11, characterized in that each filling element (220) and each corresponding base (223) are both provided with positioning and retaining means (224 and 225) that cooperate with said corresponding support (221) so as to position and retain said filling element and said base on and beneath said support, respectively.

13. Device (301) according to claim 8, characterized in that said belt (302) includes several U-sections (321), spaced apart between said ends (331 and 332), which sections form said respective supports and each have a web (321a) fastened beneath said flexible band (330) and two machined flanges (321b and 321c) that face each other, so as to define said slideways (322).

14. Device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said connecting means comprises two catching blocks in which the two respective ends or groups of ends facing said cable or cables (30) are fastened, which catching blocks are joined together by a bolt that passes through them, the degree of tensioning of said device being regulated by a nut fitted onto said bolt against one of said blocks.

15. Device (301) according to claim 4, characterized in that said connecting means (340) comprises a T-shaped rod (341) with a threaded end (341a), which terminates in a first transverse bar (343), and a T-shaped sheath (342) that is mounted coaxially around said rod and terminates in a second transverse bar (344) designed to be at an adjustable distance from said first bar in order to tighten said belt (302), said bars (343 and 344) being designed to be respectively locked against two turn-over regions (331a and 332a) of said flexible band (330) that form said ends (331 and 332) of said belt (302).

16. Device (301) according to claim 15, characterized in that said clamping element (345) comprises a lock nut mounted on said threaded end (341a) of said rod (341), against one end of said sheath (342).

17. Device (301) according to claim 15, characterized in that said connecting means (340) further includes a tab (346) provided with a security stop (347) that extends from one of the ends (332) of said flexible band (330) and is designed to pass through an opening (331b) in said adjacent turn-over region (331a) being elastically returned in abutment against one edge of said opening.

18. Device (101) according to claim 4, characterized in that said connecting means (140) includes a transverse finger (141) that is designed to be locked reversibly onto a stop catch (142) in the form of a bent-over tab covering said band (130) at one of said ends (131) of said belt (102) and that binds together two arms (145 and 146) mounted so as to pivot on a fixed transverse pivot pin (144), which pin is integral with said band on the other end (132) of said belt, said connecting means further including a control lever (143) mounted so as to pivot on a movable transverse pivot pin (147) which is off-center relative to said fixed pin, in such a way that said belt is tightened or slackened, respectively, by moving said movable pin further away from or closer to said finger when pivoting said lever.

19. Device (1, 101, 201, 301) according to claim 1, characterized in that said filling elements (20, 120, 220, 330) are each made of a plastic, such as a 6 polyamide or a 6,6 polyamide.

20. Process for manufacturing a device (1, 101, 201) according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes the overmolding of said filling elements (20,120, 220) or of their respective supports (221) onto said or each linking element (30, 130, 230).

21. Fitted assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising a one-piece wheel rim (10), a tire cover having two beads fitted respectively onto two axially internal and external seats (11 and 12) of said rim, and a device (1, 101 i 201, 301) fitted into a well (15) in said rim so as to prevent said cover from rolling off said rim, characterized in that said device is as defined in claim 1.

22. Fitted assembly according to claim 21, characterized in that said rim (10) is of asymmetric type, said rim well (15) being adjacent said axially external seat (12).

23. Fitted assembly according to claim 21, characterized in that said axially external seat (12) is bounded axially by an external flange (14) of said rim (10) and by a circumferential hump (16) that extends radially outward and is extended axially and radially inward by an axially external edge (19) of said rim well (15), said hump being designed to prevent said bead fitted onto said axially external seat (12) from sliding in said well.