초록 ▼

A full face wheel assembly comprises a full face disc and a rim. The disc is preferably cast from aluminum whereas the rim is rolled from aluminum strip stock. The full face disc comprises an outboard bead seat flange, an outboard bead seat and an outboard well side wall. The disc may also include l

A full face wheel assembly comprises a full face disc and a rim. The disc is preferably cast from aluminum whereas the rim is rolled from aluminum strip stock. The full face disc comprises an outboard bead seat flange, an outboard bead seat and an outboard well side wall. The disc may also include lightener pockets or a continuous re-entrant channel adjacent the outboard bead seat. The rim comprises an inboard bead seat flange, an inboard bead seat, an inboard leg, and a deep well. The disc and rim are welded together in the deep well or bead seat regions by gas metal arc welding, electron beam welding or other suitable welding technique.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for producing a full face vehicle wheel which defines a rotating axis, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a full face wheel disc having an inboard facing, axially extending annular lightener cavity formed therein during a forming process selected from the group consisting of ca

A method for producing a full face vehicle wheel which defines a rotating axis, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a full face wheel disc having an inboard facing, axially extending annular lightener cavity formed therein during a forming process selected from the group consisting of casting and forging, the wheel disc having a full outboard face and an inboard face, and including an outboard tire bead retaining flange, a first circumferential wall extending axially inwardly from the inboard face and defining an outboard tire bead seat, and a second circumferential wall spaced radially inwardly from the first circumferential wall and extending axially inwardly from the inboard face and terminating in an inner annular edge, the first and second circumferential walls having facing surfaces which are substantially parallel to the wheel axis and which cooperate to define the annular lightener cavity; (b) forming a partial wheel rim including an inboard bead retaining flange, an inboard bead seat, an inboard bead hump, an inboard leg, an inboard well side and a deep well bottom portion terminating in an outer annular edge; (c) positioning the outer annular edge of the partial wheel rim deep well bottom portion adjacent to the inner annular edge of the wheel disc second circumferential wall to produce a wheel assembly having the outboard bead seat coaxial with the inboard bead seat and the outboard bead retaining flange parallel to the inboard bead retaining flange; and (d) welding the outer annular edge of the rim deep well bottom portion to the inner annular edge of the disc second circumferential wall, the weld forming an air-tight seal therebetween.