Abstract:
A wheel and overlay assembly employing an overlay configured to more fully control the aesthetic appearance of the assembly. The wheel and overlay assembly employs an overlay that more completely establishes the decorative appearance of the assembly, thereby enabling the use of a standardized wheel whose design and construction considerations are based almost solely on the structural requirements of the assembly. As such, the overlay is adapted to enable the functions of structural integrity and outward appearance of the assembly to be addressed separately, resulting in a more fully integrated appearance in which the two-component construction of the assembly is fully concealed, such that a substantial reduction in manufacturing costs is achieved due to the reduced functional demands on the wheel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention generally relates to automobile wheels equipped with decorative overlays. More specifically, this invention relates to a wheel and overlay assembly, in which the overlay is configured to define essentially the entire external appearance of the assembly, including the size and shape of turbine openings formed in the wheel, to the extent that a single inexpensive wheel style can be adapted to accept multiple overlay configurations in order to achieve widely varying styling effects for use on different passenger vehicles.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Decorative overlays are widely used in the automotive industry to enhance the aesthetic appearance of wheels on passenger vehicles, including unadorned steel wheels and cast aluminum wheels, the latter being difficult and very cost ineffective to plate with chromium. Together, a wheel and its overlay determine the wheel assembly&#39;s structural integrity and the aesthetic outward appearance, both of which are necessary for successful application in the passenger vehicle industry. Traditionally, wheel and overlay assemblies generally have divided the functions of structural integrity and aesthetic appearance, such that each is addressed separately by either the wheel or the overlay. The wheel contributes the structural integrity, while the overlay covers a portion of the outboard surface of the wheel in order to contribute to the wheel&#39;s aesthetic appearance.  
           [0005]    By addressing each issue separately, the resulting wheel and overlay assemblies are able to achieve a significant reduction in the overall cost of the wheel, since the structural and aesthetic functions of the assembly can be addressed more effectively than would be possible if one single member was used to achieve both goals. To achieve this advantage, overlays of the prior art have often been attached using an in-situ molding technique. Primarily, the in-situ molding of such overlays adhesively attaches the overlay to a wheel with a low density polymeric foaming material with inherent adhesive characteristics, as opposed to more traditional wheel covers that require mechanical attachment devices such as clips, fasteners and the like. In-situ molding processes also generally provide both noise reduction and an impact-resistant outer covering that protects the underlying wheel.  
           [0006]    Examples of prior art patents directed to in-situ molding processes include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,976,497 and 5,128,085 to Post et al. The methods disclosed by Post et al. necessitate the use of a wheel as one-half of a mold into which the foaming material is injected, such that the entire inboard surface of the overlay contacts the outboard face of the wheel and strictly conforms to the contours and structure of the wheel. To reduce the weight-to-volume ratio of an overlay whose outboard surface does not closely conform to that of its wheel, Post et al. teach the use of weight reducing molding inserts selectively placed in those regions where the gap between the outboard surfaces of the overlay and wheel are greatest. Furthermore, the method of Post et al. involves the use of a lower molding part on which the wheel is placed prior to the molding operation. The lower molding part is shown as having raised portions that extend through the turbine openings in the wheel, such that tapered openings in the overlays are formed at the turbine openings.  
           [0007]    Significant drawbacks exist with in-situ molding processes of the type taught by Post et al. For example, the use of molding inserts complicates the molding operation and contributes additional cost to the manufacture of a wheel and overlay assembly. In addition, because of the in-situ molding process, the wheel to which the overlay is to be mounted must be transported, stored and used at the molding station, which greatly complicates the molding operation and the economics associated therewith. Furthermore, the in-situ process dictates that the inboard peripheral shapes of the tapered openings in the overlay be strictly limited to the exact shape of the turbine openings in the wheel in order to contain the foaming material as it is being injected into the mold. Consequently, the turbine openings of the wheel influence to a significant degree the overall appearance of the wheel, because the shape and number of turbine openings in the wheel dictate the shape and number of openings of the complementary overlay when molded in-situ.  
           [0008]    Accordingly, while the use of a wheel as a molding tool member allows for a customized fit of an overlay to the wheel, such molding methods substantially limit the ability of an overlay to be molded to have substantially different designs than the underlying wheel. For instance, an overlay molded in-situ cannot be formed to have its inboard surface axially spaced from the outboard surface of the wheel since the interface between the molded material and outboard surface of the wheel is relied upon to adhesively attach the overlay to the wheel. Similarly, for the same reasons, the in-situ molding process does not permit an overlay to significantly alter the shape and number of turbine openings in the wheel and overlay assembly, and therefore the in-situ process presents some limitations concerning the ability of the assembly to have a configuration substantially different from that of the wheel. Particularly in the passenger vehicle industry where the appearance of the overlay is of extreme importance, such design limitations are significant drawbacks.  
           [0009]    Consequently, use of an in-situ molding process necessarily requires the use of a large number of wheels whose styling and construction differ considerably in order to provide for different outward appearances. Since the cost of retooling production facilities for the wheel portion of each new wheel and overlay assembly is approximately about five to about eight times the cost of retooling the overlay portion, retooling only the overlay portion for each new design rather than both the overlay and wheel would significantly reduce the cost of producing overlay and wheel assemblies. Furthermore, because the outward appearance is likely to vary more often than the structural configuration of the wheel, it would be desirable if the overlay could have a greater influence on the outward appearance of a wheel and overlay assembly, such that a single standardized wheel design could be employed to achieve widely varying styling appearances.  
           [0010]    Accordingly, what is needed is a wheel and overlay assembly in which the overlay is formed to have significantly different contours from that of the underlying wheel. The underlying wheel&#39;s construction would take into account only the structural integrity necessary for its various applications. That is, one standardized or generic wheel design would serve a number of different vehicle applications with the ultimate objective being one standard wheel for each standard rim size. This, significantly reduces the cost per vehicle yet provides the function of structural integrity. In particular, the overlay of such a wheel and overlay assembly would be required to have portions that significantly alter the outboard contour features as well as the shape of the turbine openings of the wheel, if necessary, and possibly the number of turbine openings visible on the outboard surface of the assembly, such that the configuration of the underlying standard wheel is substantially masked by the overlay and only the aesthetic features of the cover are associated with the specific model of the vehicle on which the overlay is used. In this manner, the overlay would fully define the external appearance of the wheel and overlay assembly, rather than being limited to the outward appearance of the underlying wheel. As such, wheel and overlay assemblies could be produced having drastically different appearances by modifying only the overlay, rather than necessitating a completely new wheel design for each specific vehicle model.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    According to the present invention there is provided a standardized wheel intended to be used on a number of different vehicles and an overlay assembly employing an overlay configured to more fully control the aesthetic appearance of the assembly. More particularly, the standardized wheel and overlay assembly of this invention employs an overlay that more completely establishes the decorative appearance of the assembly, thereby enabling the use of a standardized wheel whose design and construction considerations are based solely on the structural requirements of the vehicle assembly. As such, the overlay is adapted to enable the functions of structural integrity and outward appearance of the assembly to be addressed separately, resulting in a wheel and overlay assembly having a more fully integrated appearance in which the two-component construction of the assembly is fully concealed, such that a substantial reduction in manufacturing costs is achieved due to the reduced functional demands on the wheel.  
           [0012]    The wheel and overlay assembly of this invention generally includes a standardized wheel with a disk circumscribed by a rim. The disk defines an outboard surface of the wheel through which openings, often termed turbine openings, are formed to assist in brake cooling while also reducing the weight of the wheel. The overlay of the assembly is formed entirely separately from the wheel such that, other than the diameter of the wheel, the configuration of the overlay is not strictly dictated by the outboard surface of the standardized wheel. Since the overlay is manufactured separately from the wheel, a much greater diversity in the styling of the overlay can be achieved as compared to overlays of the type molded in-situ on a wheel. The overlay is permanently secured to the wheel with an adhesive, and covers the entire outboard surface of the wheel so as to determine the aesthetic appearance of the assembly and serve functional requirements as necessary, i.e., turbine openings for brake cooling. In particular, the overlay is configured to more completely establish the decorative appearance of the assembly, to the extent that the wheel can have a standardized design yet can be mated with any one of a multitude of differently-styled overlays of this invention to achieve a wide variety of styling effects and thereby serve a wide variety of vehicle applications.  
           [0013]    To achieve the above, overlays in accordance with this invention must be capable of being mounted to a single standardized wheel configuration, even though each overlay has a unique styling appearance that drastically alters its shape, both in the contours of its outboard surface and the placement and shape of turbine openings formed therein that communicate with turbine openings of the wheel as necessary. In so doing, the inboard surface of an overlay in accordance with this invention is generally adapted to have regions that are axially spaced apart from the outboard surface of the wheel. Furthermore, because the turbine openings in the wheel would otherwise dictate the outward appearance of the assembly, the turbine openings of the overlay must also be configured to have a different peripheral shape, and potentially even differ in number, than the turbine openings in the wheel. For this purpose, each turbine opening of an overlay configured in accordance with this invention is defined by a portion of the overlay that radially extends into or through a complementary one of the wheel&#39;s turbine openings, enabling the overlay to completely conceal the placement, size and peripheral shape of the wheel&#39;s turbine openings and thereby provide significantly different aesthetic styling effects.  
           [0014]    From the above, it can be seen that a significant advantage of the present invention is that overlays of this invention are capable of an infinite variety of styles, yet are compatible with the use of a single standardized wheel design. In particular, overlays of this invention are capable of having outboard contours that differ greatly from that of a standardized wheel, while remaining securable to the standardized wheel in a manner that completely masks the appearance of the wheel&#39;s outboard surface. Consequently, this invention makes possible the use of a single standardized wheel design that is configured to optimize the structural requirements of the vehicle assembly, yet can be equipped with any one of a multitude of differently-styled overlays to achieve a particular styling effect for various vehicle applications. As such, the retooling costs for manufacturing a new wheel assembly are significantly reduced because only the overlay needs to be modified and not the underlying standardized wheel, thereby avoiding the requirement to extensively test a new wheel design. To fully achieve the advantages of this invention, each overlay capable of being secured to the same standardized wheel is configured to fully conceal the two-piece construction of the assembly in order to enhance the perceived value of the wheel assembly.  
           [0015]    In addition, overlays in accordance with this invention also preferably achieve other advantages associated with wheel and overlay assemblies. For example, overlays of this invention also preferably promote noise abatement, allow for cooling of the wheel and its brake through the turbine openings as well as selective placement of an adhesive which attaches the overlay to the wheel, and prevent intrusion of contaminants between the wheel and overlay.  
           [0016]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automotive wheel and overlay assembly, in which the assembly has a two-piece construction that is concealed by an overlay formed separately from the wheel.  
           [0017]    It is another object of the invention that the overlay be configured to be capable of a wide variety of styles, shapes and contours, yet remain compatible to a single standardized wheel design which is adaptable to a variety of vehicles using the same rim size.  
           [0018]    It is still another object of the invention to provide a multitude of differently-styled overlays, each of which can be secured to a standardized wheel in order to achieve a high degree of styling flexibility for various vehicle applications with the use of a single wheel construction.  
           [0019]    It is a further object of the invention that each of the overlays be characterized by portions that extend into turbine openings formed in the standardized wheel in a manner that alters the size and shape of the openings and thereby its styling effect, so as to promote the styling impact of the overlay on the overall appearance of the wheel and overlay assembly used on the vehicle.  
           [0020]    Other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent after a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings provided. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1 shows in cross section a rim portion of an automotive wheel to which is attached an overlay in accordance with this invention; and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIGS. 2 through 7 represent alternative configurations for the overlay of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]    With reference to FIGS. 1 through 7, there are shown different embodiments of a wheel and overlay assembly  10  for use on passenger vehicles in accordance with the teachings of this invention. The wheel and overlay assembly  10  has a two-piece construction, in which an overlay  14  of the type formed separately from a standardized wheel  12  is attached to an outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12 . The wheel  12  can be formed from any suitable material, such as aluminum or steel, as is conventional in the automotive industry. The overlay  14  can be constructed of plastic, aluminum, plated steel, stainless steel or bimetal, as may be preferred or dictated by the design constraints of the particular application. In accordance with this invention, the wheel and overlay assemblies  10  shown in FIGS. 1 through 7 share the common feature of the overlay  14  extending to the outer diameter regions of the wheel  12  or the wheel rim as defined by a flange lip  28  in order to more fully conceal the outboard surface  16  of the underlying standardized wheel  12  and thereby maximize the aesthetic effect of the overlay  14 . However, it is foreseeable that the overlay  14  of this invention could be limited to cover only a portion of the outboard surface  16 .  
         [0024]    A first embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 as a cross section of a rim portion of the wheel and overlay assembly  10 . The portion shown portrays the wheel  12  as including a rim  18  circumscribing a disk  20  or spider which has been structurally optimized to be used on a plurality of different vehicles. Together, the rim  18  and disk  20  form the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12 . As is conventional, the disk  20  includes openings (a single openings  24  being shown in the Figures) that vent the interior of the wheel  12  in order to achieve adequate cooling of the wheel  12  and its associated brake (not shown). The rim  18  includes a flange  22  generally extending in a radially outward direction from the wheel  12 , and then terminating with the flange lip  28  that extends from the flange  18  in an axial direction. As a result, the flange lip  28  forms a radially inward surface that is roughly perpendicular to the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12 .  
         [0025]    The overlay  14  has inboard and outboard surfaces  34  and  32 , respectively, that are separated from the disk  20  and the outboard surface  16 . The invention contemplates that the relationship of the overlay&#39;s outboard surface to the standardized wheel disk and its associated spider is a direct function of the aesthetic features representative of the distinctive characteristics of the vehicle model on which the overlay will be used. As shown, the inboard surface  34  of the overlay  14  is spaced apart from the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12 , such that the thickness of the overlay  14  is substantially thinner than would be possible with an in-situ molded overlay capable of achieving a similar appearance for its outboard surface. In addition, the overlay  14  is shown as including an axial portion  30  that axially extends into the opening  24  in the standardized wheel disk  20 . The axial portion  30  of the overlay  14  terminates in a lip  36  that is spaced apart from the periphery of the opening  24  in the disk  20 , such that the axial portion  30  of the overlay  14  forms a turbine opening  38  that communicates with the opening  24  in the wheel  12 , and therefore serves as a passage for ventilation air flow to the interior of the wheel  12 . In this manner, the overlay  14  of this invention differs significantly from prior art in-situ molded overlays, whose turbine opening-forming portions present limited flexibility since it is necessary to ensure that a completely enclosed mold cavity for the overlay is formed because of the in-situ molding process. Further, since the adhesive is contained within the foaming material used to mold the overlay, considerations must be made to ensure that the foaming material and outboard surface of the wheel have a significant interface in order to adhesively attach the overlay to the wheel. This specific feature allows the designer to establish unique turbine openings characteristic for the specific vehicle rather than be constricted by the specific turbine opening in the spider or disk  20  of the standardized wheel.  
         [0026]    According to this invention, the number, shape and location of the turbine openings  38  in the overlay  14  can be chosen in light of the aesthetic characteristics desired for the wheel and overlay assembly  10  used on a specific vehicle. More specifically, the lip  36  of the axial portion  30  need not conform to the opening  24  in the disk  20 , but instead can be spaced away from the opening  24  in both the axial and radial direction of the wheel  12 . This aspect substantially increases the variability of the overlay  14  than was possible with in-situ molding. For example, turbine openings of an overlay molded in-situ have certain limitations due to the size and shape of the openings  24  in the wheel because the wheel  12  forms part of the mold in which the overlay is formed, and therefore the foaming material must be prevented from escaping from the mold as it is being injected. In contrast, the overlay  14  of this design is not molded in-situ, and uses the axial portion  30  to determine the appearance of the turbine opening  38 , including its shape, size and, under appropriate circumstances, location. With this approach, it is foreseeable that the number of turbine openings  38  can exceed the number of openings  24  in the wheel  12  if the openings  24  are adequately sized to accommodate more than one axial portion  30  of the overlay  14 .  
         [0027]    Not only does the overlay  14  of this invention achieve greater design flexibility with respect to the turbine openings  38 , but the outboard surface  32  of the overlay  14  may also be spaced a significant distance away from the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12  in a manner not possible with overlays produced by the in-situ molding process without the use of considerably greater amounts of material to form the overlay. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a void existing between the overlay  14  and the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12  is substantially filled with an adhesive or foam filler  26 , including foaming adhesives known in the art. Filling of this void between the overlay  14  and wheel  12  is desirable because it promotes the ability of the overlay  14  to abate noise produced by the wheel  12  and its associated brake as well as prevent water or mud entrapment areas. A foaming adhesive serves to fill this void while also securely attaching the overlay  14  to the wheel  12 , regardless of how far the overlay  14  is spaced from the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12 , or the degree to which the inboard surface  34  of the overlay  14  is contoured, including the axial portion  30  of the overlay  14 . As such, FIG. 1 shows the axial portion  30  as being securely attached to the wheel  12  by a full face adhesive, even though spaced apart from the opening  24 , such that water and other debris are prevented from becoming trapped between the overlay  14  and wheel  12 . The invention further contemplates selective application of an adhesive to provide cooling and/or heat insulating portions which can effectively be used to contribute to the curing of the adhesive during the manufacturing cycle or to provide an air flow to carry away heat generated by the application of the brakes.  
         [0028]    From the above, it can be seen that the overlay  14  of this invention is capable of an infinite variety of styles, based on the outward appearance of the overlay  14 , yet will remain compatible with the wheel  12  as long as the peripheral areas of the overlay  14  and wheel  12  adequately match and the axial portions  30  of the overlay  14  are appropriately received within the openings  24  of the disk  20 . The outboard surface  32  of the overlay  14  may have contours that differ greatly from that of the wheel  12 , while remaining securable to the wheel  12  in a manner that completely masks the appearance of the wheels outboard surface  16 . Consequently, the overlay  14  allows the use of a single standardized design for the wheel  12 , such that the wheel  12  can be designed to more fully optimize the structural requirements of the assembly  10  as well as to adapt it for use on several different vehicles. Moreover, the standardized wheel  12  can be equipped with any one of a multitude of differently-styled overlays  14  to achieve a particular styling effect and allow the standardized wheel to be used on a variety of vehicle body styles. As such, the retooling costs for manufacturing a new wheel and overlay assembly  10  of this invention are significantly reduced because only the overlay  14  needs to be modified to achieve a new styling effect for the particular application of the assembly  10 .  
         [0029]    In a second embodiment, FIG. 2 shows a similar overlay  14  as represented in FIG. 1, but with a substantial portion of the overlay  14  abutting the outboard surface  16  of the standardized wheel  12 . FIG. 2 also shows the lip  36  of the axial portion  30  extending substantially further through the opening  24  in the disk  20 . In contrast with the embodiment of FIG. 1, substantially less adhesive  26  is required to attach the overlay  14  to the wheel  12 .  
         [0030]    A third embodiment of this invention is represented by FIG. 3, which shows the overlay  14  as including a rib  40  that supports the overlay  14  in the vicinity of the opening  24  in the disk  20 . FIG. 3 also shows the limited use of adhesive  26  around the rib  40 , and therefore uniquely allows for support of the overlay  14  while substantially reducing the amount of adhesive  26  required to bond the overlay  14  to the wheel  12 . Therefore, rather than filling the void between the wheel  12  and the overlay  14  with filler material or adhesive, the void is sealed to avoid water or mud entrapment and the associated balancing problem. The axial placement of the overlay  14  relative to the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12  is determined by one or more ribs.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 4 illustrates the use of a greater amount of adhesive  26  in a manner that prevents the entrapment of water and debris between the overlay  14  and wheel  12  in the vicinity of the turbine opening  38 . The adhesive fills the area bounded by the inboard surface  34  of the overlay  14 , the radially inward surface of the rib  40 , and the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12 .  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 5 illustrates yet another embodiment capable of excluding water and debris from between the overlay  14  and wheel  12  without relying on additional adhesive or filler material. In particular, the overlay  14  is shown as including an integrally-formed gas-assist molded hollow  42  that provides support to a degree not possible with the rib  40  of FIGS. 3 and 4. In some applications, the use of the molded hollow  42  may be desirable, particularly if a reduced amount of adhesive or filler is necessary or if application of the filler or adhesive is difficult. As shown in FIG. 5, the molded the molded hollow  42  is configured to include a portion that extends into the opening  24  in the disk  20  and abuts the radially-inward and outboard edges of the opening  24 , such that the overlay  14  is located and stabilized relative to the wheel  12  in both the axial and radial directions. Because the overlay  14  of this invention is formed separately from the wheel  12 , the molded hollow  42  is advantageously able to radially locate the overlay  14  relative to the wheel  12  during assembly.  
         [0033]    Finally, in two additional embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a separate member is sandwiched between the overlay  14  and the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12  to fill the gap between the axial portion  30  of the overlay  14  and the opening  24  in the disk  20 . In FIG. 6, the overlay  14  is shown as including a separately-formed blow-molded member  44  that substantially fills the void between the overlay  14  and wheel  12 , thereby minimizing the amount of adhesive and/or filler  26  required to secure the overlay  14  to the wheel  12  when the overlay  14  is axially spaced apart from the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12 . Similarly, FIG. 7 illustrates the use of a separately-formed foamed member  46  between the overlay  14  and wheel  12 . As with the embodiment of FIG. 5, the members  44  and  46  are each shown to include a portion extending into the opening  24  in the disk  20  and abutting the radially-inward and outboard edges of the opening  24 , such that the overlay  14  is stabilized relative to the wheel  12  in both the axial and radial directions. In addition, the members  44  and  46  are also shown as being sized and contoured to radially locate the overlay  14  relative to the wheel  12  during assembly.  
         [0034]    In view of the above, it can be seen that the present invention provides a novel wheel and overlay assembly  10  that enables the use of a standardized wheel design to achieve an essentially infinite number of styling configurations through the use of an overlay  14  that more fully determines the outward appearance of the assembly  10 , such that a noticeable enhancement can be achieved in the overlay&#39;s decorative effect. Simultaneously, the cost of the wheel production is substantially reduced since the invention provides for a multitude of differently-styled overlays to be securely attached to the same standardized wheel design which may be used for a variety of vehicle applications. To achieve this flexibility in design of the overlay  14 , the embodiments of the invention illustrate the overlay  14  as including axial portions  30  that determine the shape or number of the turbine openings  38  in the assembly  10 , while also enabling the overlay  14  to be spaced apart from the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12  in order to provide visible surface contours that differ from those present on the wheel  12 . Consequently, the role of the wheel  12  in the assembly  10  is almost completely focused on the structural requirements of the assembly  10 , while the overlay  14  substantially masks the appearance of the wheel  12  in order to maximize the aesthetic effect of the standardized wheel and overlay assembly  10 . The result is a standardized wheel and overlay assembly  10  whose appearance is dominated by the overlay  14  and whose two-piece construction is more fully concealed. As such, the perceived value of the wheel and overlay assembly  10  is greatly enhanced.  
         [0035]    Another significant advantage is that the wheel and overlay assembly  10  utilizes an overlay  14  of the type formed separately from the wheel  12  to which it is mounted, such that manufacturing and assembly are facilitated. In particular, the overlay  14  is preferably a solid panel member that can be bonded to the outboard surface  16  of an aluminum or steel wheel  12  with a suitable adhesive or filler material. Any void between the inboard surface  34  of the overlay  14  and the outboard surface  16  of the wheel  12  can be completely or partially filled with an adhesive, filler, integrally-formed feature of the overlay  14 , or separately-formed member.  
         [0036]    While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.