Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc.

Robert Raymond

Alan Coleman

Thomas E Heck

Michael Miller

This invention relates to an improved fabricated vehicle wheel and method for producing the same. The method for producing the fabricated vehicle wheel includes the steps of: (a) providing a wheel rim defining a rim axis and including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, a generally axially extending well portion, an outboard tire bead seat and an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange; (b) providing a wheel disc blank; (c) subjecting the wheel disc blank to a metal forming operation to produce a partially formed wheel disc having a plurality of outwardly extending spoke portions which are spaced circumferentially about the disc blank; (d) subjecting the partially formed wheel disc to a metal forming operation to produce a wheel disc preform, the wheel disc preform including an inner mounting portion, a plurality of outer spoke portions, and an intermediate spoke portion defined in the region between the inner mounting portion and outer spoke portions, the intermediate spoke portion including a plurality of generally globe shaped spoke portions; (e) subjecting the wheel disc preform to one or more metal forming operations to produce a finished wheel disc, the finished wheel disc including a centrally located wheel mounting surface and a plurality of outwardly extending spokes; and (f) securing the wheel disc and the wheel rim together to produce the fabricated vehicle wheel.

Fabricated vehicle wheel and method for producing the same

This invention relates to an improved fabricated vehicle wheel. According to one embodiment of the invention, the vehicle wheel includes a wheel rim having a plurality of holes formed therein; a wheel disc having a central mounting surface and a plurality of outwardly extending spokes, each of the spokes having at least one hole formed therein; at least one rim to disc interface area provided along each of the spokes wherein some portion of a surface of the rim and some portion of a surface of the spoke contact one another; and at least one fastener extending through the holes of the rim and the spokes to secure the rim and disc together; wherein the mounting surface includes a section which extends between each pair of the spokes, the section including a first wall and a second wall, the first wall extending generally radially outwardly at an angle in the range from about 5 degrees to about 85 degrees with respect to the back wall of the mounting surface, the second wall extending at an angle in the range from about 0 degrees to about 30 degrees with respect to the back wall of the mounting surface.

Growing community of inventors

Novi, MI, United States of America

Robert Raymond