Wheel balance weight for automobile tire

A wheel balance weight for an automobile is provided. The wheel balance weight for an automobile includes a weight holder 10 having a hook part 12 press-fitted between a rim 7 of an automobile wheel 5 and a tire bead part 9 and an arcuate gripping part 14 provided at the other end of the hook part 12, and a weight element 20 detachably gripped by an inner periphery of the gripping part 14 of the weight holder 10, wherein the gripping part 14 of the weight holder 10 has a cut-out part 14a formed at a center part thereof to a certain length in a circumferential direction thereof, and the weight element 20 has a fixing protrusion 22 projecting from an outer periphery thereof through the cut-out part 14a of the gripping part 14 to the exterior and fixedly hooked by the gripping part 14.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a wheel balance weight for an automobile, and more particularly, to a wheel balance weight for an automobile, which includes a weight holder press-fitted onto a rim of a wheel and a weight element fixedly inserted into the weight holder, capable of primarily preventing the weight element from being separated from the weight holder in an axial direction thereof due to external factors such as vibrations and eccentric loads of a rapidly rotating tire, and secondarily preventing the weight holder from being separated from the rim or the weight element from being rotated in a gripping part in a rotational direction thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, an automobile tire is manufactured by a vulcanization process using a predetermined mold. In the process of forming a tire, it is likely to be out of weight balance of the tire, i.e., there inevitably occurs irregular distribution of the tire weight.

Such weight imbalance of the tire causes chassis vibrations during its rapid rotation to decrease automobile ride comfort. Moreover, when the vibration is too excessive or continuously generated for an extended period of time, fatigue is continuously applied to the chassis, and therefore, gaps or cracks occur between or from various parts to reduce lifespan and lower steering stability of the automobile, thereby increasing the risk of being involved in a car accident.

In order to solve the above problems, there was proposed a wheel balance weight having an appropriate weight and installed at a symmetrical point where weight imbalance of the tire is compensated to uniformly maintain weight distribution of the tire.

More specifically, an automobile tire in a tubeless shape is installed around a wheel coupled with an axle and filled with the air. At this time, a wheel balance weight may be installed at an appropriate position between a tire bead part and a rim of the wheel, to thereby compensate imbalance of the tire weight.

The wheel balance weight is generally formed of lead having a relatively large specific gravity. However, such a wheel balance weight formed of lead may cause environmental contamination problems. For this reason, the balance weight distributed in recent years is manufactured by using soft steel and so on.

In the above process, the conventional wheel balance weight is mainly mounted in a clip or adhesive manner using a double-sided tape. For example, in case of using a clip type balance weight, the balance weight is coupled to an appropriate position between the tire bead part and the rim of the wheel in a press-fit manner.

Specifically, the clip type balance weight has a weight holder provided with a hook part that has a “C” shaped end part press-fitted onto the rim of a wheel, and a weight element attached to a gripping part formed at the other end part of the weight holder for counterbalancing the weight imbalance of the tire.

In this structure, the weight element may be riveted or gripped on the gripping part.

However, when the weight element and the gripping part are riveted together, the number of processes required increases and the entire coupling between them is not stable enough. In addition, defects frequently occur during the riveting process and the weight element may be separated from the gripping part of the weight holder in use, thereby lowering reliability of the product.

Moreover, when the weight element is gripped by the gripping part of the weight holder, the weight element is fixedly inserted into the gripping part, which is formed by bending a lower end of the weight holder to a certain length in an arc shape through a predetermined bending process. In this case, since there is no means for fixing the weight element in the gripping part, the weight element may be readily moved in an axial direction thereof due to vibrations during rapid rotation of the tire or may even be separated from the gripping part.

Furthermore, there is no means for suppressing relative movement between the hook part and the gripping part of the weight holder, and the rim and the weight element corresponding thereto. For this reason, the weight holder may be separated from the rim due to vibrations during rapid rotation of the tire or the weight element may be rotated in the gripping part in a rotational direction thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior arts, and it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a wheel balance weight for an automobile, which includes a weight holder press-fitted onto a rim of a wheel and a weight element fixedly inserted into the weight holder, capable of primarily preventing the weight element from being separated from the weight holder in an axial direction thereof due to external factors such as vibrations and eccentric loads of a rapidly rotating tire, and secondarily preventing the weight holder from being separated from the rim or the weight element from being rotated in a gripping part in a rotational direction thereof.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention to accomplish the above object, there is provided a wheel balance weight for an automobile, comprising: a weight holder having a hook part press-fitted between a rim of an automobile wheel and a tire bead part and an arcuate gripping part provided at the other end of the hook part; and a weight element detachably gripped by an inner periphery of the gripping part of the weight holder, wherein the gripping part of the weight holder has a cut-out part formed at a center part thereof to a certain length in a circumferential direction thereof, and the weight element has a fixing protrusion projecting from an outer periphery thereof through the cut-out part of the gripping part to the exterior and fixedly hooked by the gripping part.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheel balance weight for an automobile, comprising: a weight holder having a hook part press-fitted between a rim of an automobile wheel and a tire bead part and an arcuate gripping part provided at the other end of the hook part; and a weight element detachably gripped by an inner periphery of the gripping part of the weight holder, wherein the weight element, covered by the gripping part of the weight holder, has a small diameter part formed at a center part of an outer periphery thereof to form steps at both side ends of the small diameter part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown inFIGS. 1 to 3, a wheel balance weight for an automobile in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a weight holder10having a hook part12press-fitted between a rim7of an automobile wheel5and a tire bead part9and a gripping part14provided at the other end of the hook part12, and a weight element20gripped by the gripping part14of the weight holder10.

The weight holder10is formed of an integrated and curved plate, in which the hook part12at one end is continuously formed with the gripping part14at the other end thereof to form a substantially “S” shape.

In addition, the gripping part14of the weight holder10has a cut-out part14aformed at a center part thereof to a certain length in a circumferential direction thereof such that a fixing protrusion22of the weight element20is hooked by and fixed to the cut-out part14a.

That is, the gripping part14is formed of a pair of curved plates having an arc shape and spaced a predetermined distance, i.e., a space for the cut-out part14a, from each other.

In addition, the hook part12and the gripping part14of the weight holder10have hook projections12aand14bprojecting from corners of the parts12and14such that the hook projections12aand14bare hooked by surfaces of the rim7and the weight element20to prevent separation from each other.

The hook projections12aand14bmay have various shapes, for example, an arrow head shape, and so on, and may be disposed at various positions selected by a user, to more securely hook the rim7and the weight element20.

Here, the gripping part14may be preferably formed of a resilient material to be resiliently widened for gripping the weight element20.

The weight element20has a slightly curved bar member inserted into the gripping part14of the weight holder10and both ends of which are bent to a predetermined angle. The weight element20is provided with the fixing protrusion22projecting from a center of an outer periphery thereof through the cut-out part14aof the gripping part14to the exterior, thereby being hooked and fixed between the curved plates of the gripping part14.

Here, the fixing protrusion22of the weight element20has an axial length corresponding to the width of the cut-out part14aof the gripping part14, and an arc length within a range of the gripping part14in a rotational direction thereof.

In addition, the weight element20may have an arcuate structure to be more stably fixed to the gripping part14, or may have a straight structure under the condition that the weight element20can be securely fixed using the fixing protrusion22only.

In the wheel balance weight for an automobile in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention having the constitution set forth above, the hook part12of the weight holder10is press-fitted between the rim7of the wheel5and the tirebead part9adjacent to the rim5. In addition, the fixing protrusion22of the weight element20projects through the cut-out part14aof the gripping part14to the exterior. As a result, the fixing protrusion22is securely fixed between the curved plates of the gripping part14to fix the weight element20in the gripping part14, thereby completing installation of the wheel balance weight.

In the wheel balance weight for an automobile installed in this way, first, since the fixing protrusion22of the weight element20is securely fixed between the curved plates of the gripping part14, it is possible to prevent the weight element20from being moved in an axial direction thereof or separated from the gripping part14. In addition, since the hook projections12aof the hook part12are closely pressed to the surface of the rim7to prevent separation thereof, and at the same time, the hook projections14bof the grip art14are closely pressed to the outer surface of the weight element20to prevent rotation of the weight element20in its rotational direction.

Meanwhile,FIGS. 4 to 6show a wheel balance weight for an automobile in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the entire configuration of the this embodiment is substantially the same as the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 to 3, except other specific parts, which will be described below.

That is, basic components including a weight holder30having a hook part32press-fitted between a rim7of an automobile wheel5and a tire bead part9and a gripping part34provided at the other end of the hook part32, and a weight element40gripped by the gripping part34of the weight holder30are the same as the embodiment ofFIGS. 1 to 3.

However, in this embodiment, the weight element40has large diameter parts formed at both sides thereof, and a small diameter part42formed between the large diameter parts, to prevent separation of the weight element40in an axial direction of the gripping part34. Therefore, when the gripping part34grips the small diameter part42, both ends of the gripping part34are hooked by steps42aof the small diameter part42to prevent axial movement of or separation of the weight element40from the gripping part34due to vibrations during rapid rotation of the tire.

In addition, hook means are formed at the hook part32and the gripping part34of the weight holder30to cause the hook part32to be hooked by the rim7and prevent movement of the weight element40gripped by the gripping part34in a rotational direction thereof. In order to increase resistance against the separation, both end corners of the hook part32are cut to a certain length in a diagonal direction thereof, and outer ends of the cut parts are bent inward to form hook projections32a, which is to be hooked by the surface of the rim7.

Further, the gripping part34has a cut-out part34aformed by cutting two lines to a certain length in a circumferential direction thereof. As a result, a pair of curved plates are spaced a predetermined distance, i.e., a width of the cut-out part34a, from each other. A plurality of hook grooves42bare formed at an outer periphery of the small diameter part42of the weight element40along both sides thereof to hook the ends of the gripping part34.

In addition, an opening tap34bis formed at an outer center part of the gripping part34, corresponding to the cut-out part34aof the gripping part34, to resiliently widen the gripping part34, thereby assembling the weight element40to the gripping part34.

Preferably, the gripping part34may also be formed of a resilient material to be resiliently widened to grip the weight element40.

Further, the weight element40may have an arcuate structure to be more stably fixed to the gripping part34, or may have a straight structure under the condition that the weight element40can be securely fixed using the small diameter part42only.

In the wheel balance weight for an automobile in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention having the constitution set forth above, the hook part32of the weight holder30is press-fitted between the rim7of the wheel5and the tire bead part9adjacent to the rim5. The gripping part34is covered on the small diameter part42. At this time, both side ends of the gripping part34are hooked by both steps42aof the small diameter part42to securely fix the weight element40to the gripping part34, thereby completing installation of the wheel balance weight.

In the wheel balance weight for an automobile installed in this way, first, since the small diameter part42of the weight element40is covered by the gripping part34to be securely fixed by the gripping part34, it is possible to prevent the weight element40from being moved in an axial direction thereof or separated from the gripping part34. In addition, the both ends of the gripping part34are hooked by the hooking grooves42bformed at the outer periphery of the weight element40to prevent the weight element40from being moved in a rotational direction thereof. Further, since the hook projections32aof the hook part32are closely pressed to the surface of the rim7to prevent separation thereof.

As described above, the wheel balance weight for an automobile of the present invention includes a weight holder press-fitted onto a rim of a wheel and a weight element fixedly inserted into the weight holder, and is capable of primarily preventing the weight element from being separated from the weight holder in an axial direction thereof due to external factors such as vibrations and eccentric loads of a rapidly rotating tire, and secondarily preventing the weight holder from being separated from the rim or the weight element from being rotated in a gripping part in a rotational direction thereof, thereby making stable wheel balance continuously maintained.