Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc.

Todd Duffield

Thomas E Heck

Patrick McCorry

Alan Coleman

Joseph W Wolf

John Holm

Robert J Wendt

Tom Czarniecki

Christopher A Putz

Monty Csapo

Matthias Grutgen

Frank Kramer

A method for producing a multi-piece vehicle wheel retention system comprising the steps of: (a) providing a wheel having a wheel disc defining and axis and an outboard facing wheel surface and including an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange; (b) providing a first outer wheel cover formed from a first material, the first outer wheel cover covering at least a portion of outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the wheel disc; (c) providing a second inner wheel cover formed from a second material, the second inner wheel cover covering at least a substantial portion of the outboard facing wheel surface of the wheel disc, the second wheel cover including an outboard surface and an inboard surface; (d) securing the first outer wheel cover and the second inner wheel cover together by at least an interference fit therewith; and (e) non-permanently securing the assembled wheel covers of step (d) and the wheel to one another by a non-permanent mechanical attachment feature to produce the multi-piece vehicle wheel retention system.

Multi-piece vehicle wheel cover retention system and method for producing same

A full face fabricated euroflange vehicle wheel comprises a full face wheel disc defining an axis and formed from a suitable material, the wheel disc having an outer end; and a wheel rim formed from a suitable material and having an outer end joined to the outer end of the wheel disc by at least one weld to produce the fabricated euroflange vehicle wheel; wherein the fabricated euroflange vehicle wheel includes only a generally radially outwardly extending outer end formed by a combination of at least a portion of two of the outer end of the wheel disc the outer end of the wheel rim and the at least one weld.

Fabricated vehicle wheel and method for producing same

A method for producing a multi-piece vehicle wheel retention system comprises the steps of: (a) providing a wheel having a wheel disc defining and axis and an outboard facing wheel surface; (b) providing a first outer wheel cover formed from a metal material, the first outer wheel cover covering at least a portion of the an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the wheel disc; (c) providing a second inner wheel cover formed from a plastic material, the second inner wheel cover covering at least a substantial portion of the outboard facing wheel surface of the wheel disc; (d) providing an insert formed from a foam material and which generally corresponds to at least the shape of a space which formed between the outboard facing wheel surface and the inboard surface of the second wheel cover; (e) securing the first and second inner wheel covers together by at least an interference fit therewith; and (f) permanently securing the assembled wheel covers of step (e), the insert and the wheel to one another by adhesive to produce the multi-piece vehicle wheel retention system.

A multi-piece vehicle wheel retention system includes a wheel disc, a first wheel cover and a second wheel cover. The first wheel cover is secured to the wheel disc and includes a generally U-shaped outer end, a first leg which extends generally parallel with respect to the axis, and a second leg which extends generally perpendicular to the first leg. The first wheel cover covers the entire portion of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the wheel disc. The second wheel cover is secured to the first wheel cover and covers at least a portion of the outboard facing wheel surface of the wheel disc. The second wheel cover includes an outboard surface and an inboard surface. At least a portion of the second leg of the first wheel cover extends behind the second wheel cover so as to be adjacent the inboard surface of the second wheel cover and such portion of the second leg is at least secured to the second wheel cover by such portion of the second leg being disposed within a surface feature provided only on the inboard surface of the second wheel cover.

This invention relates to a fabricated vehicle wheel and method for producing the same. The wheel includes a rim and a disc secured to the rim. The disc includes a plurality of outwardly extending spokes, an outer rim connecting flange defining a side edge surface and a window formed therein between adjacent pairs of spokes and having a predetermined shape defined by the adjacent pairs of spokes and the side edge surface of the rim connecting flange such that each of the windows extends to an outermost periphery of the wheel disc, at least one of the windows includes at least a first window portion and a second window portion, the first window portion being formed by a first piercing operation and the second window portion being formed by a second piercing operation.

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 two holes 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 a fastener extending through each of the at least two holes of each of the spokes and through an associated at least two holes of the plurality of holes of the rim to secure the rim and disc together.

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Westland, MI, United States of America

Todd Duffield