Patent ID: 6554371
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: B60B

Abstract:
A vehicle wheel assembly comprising:a vehicle wheel including an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange and a wheel disc, said outboard tire bead seat retaining flange and said wheel disc cooperating to define an outboard surface of the vehicle wheel, said wheel disc having a plurality of windows formed therein; and a wheel cover joined to said vehicle wheel, said wheel cover having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of decorative openings formed therein, said wheel cover being formed so as to cover at least the portion of said wheel disc which includes said windows, at least some of said decorative openings in said wheel cover corresponding to said windows in said wheel disc; wherein said wheel cover is secured to said vehicle wheel by an adhesive applied to one of said vehicle wheel outboard surface and said wheel cover inner surface in a preassembly pattern which functions to secure said wheel cover to said vehicle wheel, said preassembly adhesive pattern including separate portions consisting of an inner portion of adhesive spaced inwardly from said windows for contact with an inner peripheral portion of said wheel cover, an outer portion of adhesive spaced outwardly from said windows for contact with an outer peripheral portion of said wheel cover, and at least one portion of adhesive between at least one pair of adjacent windows in said wheel disc for contact with an adjacent portion of said wheel cover, said outer portion of adhesive including a generally circumferential portion of adhesive spaced outwardly from each of said windows formed in said wheel disc.