U.S. patent application number 12/833748 was filed with the patent office on 2010-10-28 for vehicle wheel with rock guard.
This patent application is currently assigned to DOUGLAS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, INC.. Invention is credited to Douglas E. Henline.
Application Number | 20100270851 12/833748 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41669177 |
Filed Date | 2010-10-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100270851 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Henline; Douglas E. |
October 28, 2010 |
VEHICLE WHEEL WITH ROCK GUARD
Abstract
A wheel assembly for a vehicle includes a wheel having a first
rim half and a second rim half with a reinforcement plate
sandwiched between the rim halves. The rim halves and reinforcement
plates are secured together to form an annular outer rim for
receiving a tire. The rim halves have aligned central openings and
aligned apertures for receiving fasteners for mounting a wheel hub
on the wheel. A rock guard built into the reinforcement plate
includes a plurality of rock guard formations each forming a shield
which fills at least a major portion of any space between a
respective recess and the wheel hub to block at least some debris
from passing through the wheel while allowing airflow through the
wheel.
Inventors: |
Henline; Douglas E.;
(Fallbrook, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PROCOPIO, CORY, HARGREAVES & SAVITCH LLP
525 B STREET, SUITE 2200
SAN DIEGO
CA
92101
US
|
Assignee: |
DOUGLAS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP,
INC.
Vista
CA
|
Family ID: |
41669177 |
Appl. No.: |
12/833748 |
Filed: |
July 9, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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12191056 |
Aug 13, 2008 |
7775605 |
|
|
12833748 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
301/8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60B 7/00 20130101; B60B
3/08 20130101; B60B 25/008 20130101; B60B 7/061 20130101; B60B 7/06
20130101; B60B 25/002 20130101; B60B 3/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
301/8 |
International
Class: |
B60B 19/00 20060101
B60B019/00 |
Claims
1. A wheel assembly for a vehicle, comprising: a wheel having a
front rim half and a rear rim half secured together to form an
annular outer rim for receiving a tire, each rim half having an end
wall facing the end wall in the other rim half; the end walls of
the front and rear rim halves having aligned central openings for
receiving a hub and aligned apertures for receiving fasteners for
mounting a wheel hub on a hub face of the rear rim half; the
central opening in the end wall of at least one of the rim halves
having a plurality of spaced recesses around its periphery; a
reinforcement plate secured between the end walls of the front and
rear rim halves and having a central opening aligned with the
central openings in the rim halves; and the reinforcement plate
having a plurality of rock guard portions each forming a shield
which substantially fills any space between a respective recess and
an attached wheel hub to block at least some debris from passing
through the wheel, the rock guard portions helping to define an
outer periphery of the central opening in the reinforcement
plate.
2. The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement plate
has a plurality of fastener openings aligned with the fastener
apertures in the end walls of the front and rear rim halves.
3. The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the rock guard portions
each have a peripheral edge forming part of the outer periphery of
the central opening which substantially matches an edge shape of a
recess in a wheel hub secured to the wheel.
4. The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the rock guard portions
each have an arcuate inner edge which forms part of the central
opening in the reinforcement plate.
5. The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the rock guard portions
each have a V-shaped edge which forms part of the central opening
in the reinforcement plate.
6. The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the rock guard portions
each have a plurality of small openings in a mesh-like
configuration.
7. A wheel for a vehicle, comprising: a first rim half having an
inner end wall and an outwardly projecting annular rim portion; a
second rim half having an inner end wall and an outwardly
projecting annular rim portion, the second rim half secured to the
first rim half with the inner end walls facing towards one another
to form an annular outer rim for receiving a tire; a reinforcement
plate sandwiched between the inner end walls of the first and
second rim halves; the first and second rim halves and the
reinforcement plate have aligned central openings for receiving a
wheel hub and aligned apertures for receiving fasteners for
attaching the wheel to a wheel hub, each central opening having a
peripheral edge; and the central opening of the reinforcement plate
having a plurality of rock guard portions which project radially
inwardly relative to the central opening in at least one of the rim
halves, each rock guard portion having an inner edge forming part
of the peripheral edge of the central opening of the reinforcement
plate, the inner edge of each rock guard portion being at least an
approximate match with the shape of a recess in a hub secured over
the central opening in the second rim half and the rock guard
portion filling at least a major portion of a gap which would
otherwise be formed between a respective recess in the hub and the
peripheral edges of the central openings in the wheel rim
halves.
8. The wheel of claim 7, wherein the reinforcement plate is
permanently secured between the first and second rim halves.
9. The wheel of claim 7, wherein the reinforcement plate has a
circular outer periphery and a diameter which substantially matches
the diameter of the end walls of the rim halves.
10. The wheel of claim 7, wherein the inner edges of the rock guard
portions are arcuate.
11. The wheel of claim 7, wherein the inner edges of the rock guard
portions are V-shaped.
12. The wheel of claim 7, wherein the rock guard portions each have
a plurality of small openings in a mesh-like configuration.
13. The wheel of claim 7, wherein each rock guard portion is of
predetermined shape and dimensions to fill at least a major portion
of a gap which would otherwise be formed between the peripheral
edges of the central openings in the wheel rim halves and the hub
recesses of a plurality of different hubs when secured to the
wheel.
14. A wheel assembly for a vehicle, comprising: a wheel having a
front rim portion and a rear rim potion forming an annular outer
rim for receiving a tire; the wheel having a central opening for
receiving a wheel axle and apertures for receiving fasteners for
mounting a wheel hub on a front face of the front rim portion; a
wheel hub mounted on the wheel, the hub having outwardly projecting
portions extending over part of the opening, and outwardly facing
recesses between the outwardly projecting portions, and a rock
guard in the wheel having a plurality of rock guard portions spaced
behind the wheel hub recesses and each forming a shield which
blocks at least some debris from passing through the recesses in
the hub and central opening in the wheel.
15. The wheel assembly of claim 14, wherein the front rim portion
comprises a first rim half having an inner end wall and an
outwardly projecting annular rim portion, and the second rim
portion comprises a second rim half having an inner end wall and an
outwardly projecting annular rim portion, and the wheel further
comprises a reinforcement plate sandwiched between the inner end
walls of the first and second rim halves, the reinforcement plate
comprising said rock guard.
16. The wheel assembly of claim 15, wherein the second rim half is
secured to the first rim half with the inner end walls facing
towards one another and the reinforcement plate is sandwiched
between the inner end walls, the rim halves and reinforcement plate
together forming an annular outer rim for receiving a tire, and the
reinforcement plate having an opening incorporating the rock guard
portions and forming part of the central opening through the wheel,
each rock guard portion forming a shield which fills at least a
major portion of any space between a respective hub recess and the
periphery of the central opening of each rim half to block at least
some debris from passing through the wheel.
17. The wheel assembly of claim 16, wherein the inner edges of the
rock guard portions are arcuate.
18. The wheel assembly of claim 16, wherein the inner edges of the
rock guard portions are V-shaped.
19. The wheel assembly of claim 16, wherein the inner edges of the
rock guard portions of the reinforcement plate and the outwardly
facing recesses of the wheel hub are of matching shape.
20. The wheel assembly of claim 16, wherein the inner edges of the
rock guard portions in the reinforcement plate and the outwardly
facing recesses of the wheel hub are of different shapes.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is a Divisional of co-pending U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 12/191,056 filed on Aug. 13, 2008,
which is also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a vehicle wheel with rock
guard, and is particularly concerned with rock guards for all
terrain vehicles (ATVs) and other off road vehicles.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] Wheels, for example ATV and other off road vehicle wheels,
commonly have cut outs in their central openings, both to add
decoration to the wheel and reduce the weight and expense of these
parts. These openings on the wheels are vulnerable to rocks and
debris thrown up and propelled through the wheel openings. This may
cause damage to the brake assembly and the wheel.
[0006] In some wheels, this problem is solved by mounting a rock
guard plate between the wheel and hub to protect the mechanism.
However, the separate rock guard plate may be forgotten and left
off the wheel, and can be awkward to mount.
[0007] What is needed is an improved device that is designed to
avoid or reduce the problems of rocks and debris entering the wheel
openings and potentially causing damage to the wheel mechanism.
SUMMARY
[0008] In one embodiment, a vehicle wheel with rock guard is
provided which comprises a wheel having a front or outer rim half
and a rear or inner rim half secured together to form an annular
outer rim for receiving a tire. The front and rear rim halves have
aligned central openings for receiving a hub and aligned apertures
for receiving fasteners for mounting the hub to the inner rim half
The fasteners can include screws or nuts and bolts for fastening
the hub to the wheel. At least the central opening of one of the
rim halves includes a plurality of spaced recesses around its
periphery.
[0009] In one embodiment, the rock guard comprises a separate
reinforcement or rock guard plate secured between the front rim
half and the rear rim half and having a central opening aligned
with central openings in the front and rear rim halves. Rock guard
portions project radially inwardly from the central opening in the
plate to form shields which substantially fill any opening or space
which would otherwise extend through the wheel after attachment of
the wheel to the hub. The rim halves and separate reinforcement
plate can be secured together by welding or the like, thereby
integrating the rock guard plate with the wheel as a unitary
structure. In other embodiments the rock guard portions are formed
integrally with an end wall of the rear or front rim half through
which the central opening extends, and project radially inwardly
from the central opening in the end wall. The inner edges of the
rock guard portions or formations in the reinforcement plate or in
the end wall may have an arcuate shape, a V-shape, or other shapes,
depending on the shapes of recesses in the hub which is to be
attached to the wheel.
[0010] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art
after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The details of the present invention, both as to its
structure and operation, may be gleaned in part by study of the
accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to
like parts, and in which:
[0012] FIG. 1A illustrates an end view of a prior art wheel with no
rock guard;
[0013] FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the prior art wheel on
the lines 1B-1B of FIG. 1A;
[0014] FIG. 1C illustrates an end elevation view of the prior art
wheel of FIGS. 1A and 1B with a hub attached to the wheel;
[0015] FIG. 2A is a front view of one embodiment of a reinforcement
plate with an integral rock guard for integrating into a wheel;
[0016] FIG. 2B illustrates an example of a second embodiment of a
combined rock guard and reinforcement plate for use in a wheel;
[0017] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a wheel with
the combined rock guard and reinforcement plate of FIG. 2A
positioned between the front and rear rim halves;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel of FIG. 3 in
an assembled condition with the reinforcement plate installed
between the rim halves, taken generally on the lines 4-4 of FIG.
3;
[0019] FIG. 5 is an end view of a wheel assembled as in FIGS. 3 and
4 but with the reinforcement plate of FIG. 2B replacing the
reinforcement plate shown in FIGS. 2A and 4;
[0020] FIG. 6 is an end view of the wheel of FIG. 5 with the wheel
secured to a hub;
[0021] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of separate rim halves of a
second embodiment of a wheel with a built-in rock guard;
[0022] FIG. 8A is an end view of the rear rim half of FIG. 7;
[0023] FIG. 8B is an end view similar to FIG. 8A illustrating a
modified rear rim half with rock guard portions of a different
shape;
[0024] FIG. 9 is an end view of the wheel of FIGS. 7 and 8A secured
to a hub;
[0025] FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the wheel on the lines 10-10
of FIG. 8A;
[0026] FIG. 11 is an end view of a rear wheel rim half with
integral wheel guard portions of different shape;
[0027] FIG. 12A is an end view of a wheel similar to FIG. 9 but
with the rear wheel rim half of FIG. 11 secured to the front rim
half of FIG. 9 and a first hub attached to the wheel;
[0028] FIG. 12B is an end view of the wheel of FIG. 12A attached to
a different hub;
[0029] FIG. 13 is an end view of a reinforcement plate with
modified wheel guard portions of different shape; and
[0030] FIG. 14 is an end view similar to FIG. 6 but with the
reinforcement plate of FIG. 13 installed between the wheel rim
halves and a first hub attached to the wheel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] After reading this description it will become apparent to
one skilled in the art how to implement the invention in various
alternative embodiments and alternative applications. However,
although various embodiments of the present invention will be
described herein, it is understood that these embodiments are
presented by way of example only, and not limitation. As such, this
detailed description of various alternative embodiments should not
be construed to limit the scope or breadth of the present invention
as set forth in the appended claims.
[0032] FIGS. 1A to 1C illustrate a prior art ATV or off road
vehicle wheel 100 with no rock guard. In this embodiment the wheel
100 comprises an outer or front rim half 110 and a rear or inner
rim half 116. The rim halves are of conventional cup-like shape and
have flat inner end faces or walls which are welded together to
provide an annular recess or rim 119 (FIG. 1B) over which a tire
can be seated. The rim halves have aligned central openings 105 for
receiving the central part of a wheel hub and apertures 106 for
receiving fasteners, for example, for mounting the wheel hub, such
as bolts or studs which project from spokes of the wheel hub.
[0033] FIG. 1C illustrates an end elevation view of the prior art
wheel 100 with a hub 120 secured to the hub face on the inner side
of wheel 100. As illustrated, hub 120 has a central portion 121 and
outwardly projecting portions or spokes 122 which extend over the
fastener apertures in the rim half 116. Each spoke has a bolt or
stud 124 aligned with the underlying fastener aperture 106. Bolts
or studs 124 or the like extend from each spoke through the aligned
openings and are secured by nuts (not illustrated) on their outer
ends, at the outside or nut face of the wheel. A generally arcuate
indent or recess 125 is located on the outer edge of the hub
between each adjacent pair of spokes 122. The central openings 105
of wheels such as ATV wheels and other off road vehicle wheels
commonly have a clover leaf shaped central opening, as illustrated
in FIG. 1A, with arcuate shaped recesses 102 spaced about the
periphery of each opening forming a clover leaf shape. These
recesses are provided for ornamental reasons, and also to reduce
the weight of the wheel. There may be four such recesses, as
illustrated in the drawings, or three recesses in some cases.
[0034] When the hub 120 is mounted on the wheel 100, the central
opening 105 is not completely filled by the hub, leaving gaps or
openings 115 between each recess 102 in the wheel and the opposing
recess 125 in the wheel hub, as seen in FIG. 1C, which extend
completely through the wheel. The spaced openings 115 are
vulnerable to rocks and debris that may be thrown through the
openings in the wheel and potentially cause damage to the steering
assembly, brake assembly, wheel or other parts. Such damage to the
steering or brake assembly may cause failure with resultant loss of
control by the driver, which could potentially cause an accident.
It is known in the prior art to mount a separate rock guard plate
on the hub bolts or studs between the wheel and wheel hub to cover
the openings 115, using the same fasteners which secure the hub to
the wheel. This arrangement has disadvantages, since it requires an
additional part which the installer must remember to position
between the wheel and hub when mounting the hub. This arrangement
also makes the hub assembly more difficult to mount, and requires
more material and additional manufacturing steps.
[0035] FIGS. 2 to 6 illustrate one embodiment of a wheel 200 with a
built in rock guard comprising a rock guard plate or reinforcement
plate. Two alternative plates 245, 246 which may be built into the
wheel are illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate
a wheel 200 incorporating plate 245 of FIG. 2A, while FIGS. 5 and 6
illustrate a wheel 201 incorporating plate 246 of FIG. 2B.
[0036] Wheel 200 includes a front rim half 235 and a rear rim half
240 that can be secured together to form an annular outer rim for
receiving a tire. In one embodiment, the front rim half 235 and the
rear rim half 240 are cup-shaped and have flat inner end walls 250,
260. The rim halves are secured together by welding, bolting, or
the like with the rock guard or reinforcement plate 245 sandwiched
between the inner end walls 250 and 260, as illustrated in FIGS. 3
and 4. The front and rear rim halves 235 and 240 are similar or
identical in shape to the rim halves of the prior art wheel of
FIGS. 1A to 1C, and have rims 225, 230 extending outwardly in
opposite directions from the respective inner end walls 250, 260 to
define an annular tire seat or outer rim 262 (FIG. 4) for receiving
a tire. Aligned clover leaf-shaped openings 405 with arcuate
recesses 406 are provided in each end wall 250, 260, along with
spaced fastener openings 420 for receiving bolts or other fasteners
to secure the wheel to a wheel hub at the outer or hub face of the
rear wheel rim half 240.
[0037] FIG. 2A illustrates one embodiment of a rock guard or
reinforcement plate 245 which is also shown positioned between the
wheel rim halves in FIG. 4. Plate 245 is generally circular in
shape and has a diameter which substantially matches the diameter
of the wheel rim end walls 250, 260, and has a central opening 305
aligned with the rim half openings 405. Fastener openings 320 in
plate 245 are positioned for alignment with the fastener openings
420 in the end walls of the two rim halves when assembled, as
illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The central opening 305 has inwardly
projecting, arcuate rock guard portions or formations 315 spaced
around the periphery of the opening 305 and positioned to
substantially fill openings 115 when a hub 120 of the shape
illustrated in FIG. 1C is mounted on the inside of the wheel. The
rock guard formations or portions 315 form shields over at least
most of the area of any openings through the wheel when a hub is
secured to the wheel, so as to block at least larger debris from
passing through the wheel, but have plural small openings 316 which
allow air to circulate for cooling of the wheel and the braking
system. The inner edge 318 of each rock guard portion 315 is
arcuate in shape, substantially matching the shape of the recesses
125 in the hub 120 in FIG. 1C. The wheel 200 with built in rock
guard reinforcement plate 245 has no large gaps or openings
extending through the wheel when a hub 120 of the shape illustrated
in FIG. 1C is installed on the rear wheel rim half, since openings
115 of FIG. 1C are at least substantially filled by the rock guard
formations 315. Large debris is therefore blocked from passing
through the wheel, reducing the risk of damage. At the same time,
the wheel is reinforced and strengthened by the presence of the
reinforcement plate 245. Once the rim halves are secured together
with the reinforcement plate sandwiched between their inner end
walls, an integral wheel structure with a built-in rock guard is
formed. The installer therefore does not have to remember to
install a separate wheel guard plate between the wheel and hub.
[0038] Not all hubs have recesses 125 of arcuate shape. FIG. 2B
illustrates a modified rock guard reinforcement plate 246 which may
be mounted between the wheel rim halves 235, 240 as in FIG. 5 to
form a modified wheel for use with a hub 605 as illustrated in FIG.
6 which has generally square or V-shaped indents or recesses 606.
Reinforcement plate 246 has modified rock guard portions or
formations 340 which have V-shaped or square shaped inner edges
248. The reinforcement plate 246 is otherwise identical to plate
245, and like reference numbers are used for like parts as
appropriate.
[0039] The modified wheel 201 of FIGS. 5 and 6 is identical to
wheel 200 except that reinforcement plate 245 is replaced with
reinforcement plate 246 with V-shaped rock guard formations 340.
Plate 246 is mounted between the wheel rim halves 235, 240 in the
same way as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. When welded or otherwise
secured between rim halves 235, 240, reinforcement plate 246 is
positioned exactly as shown for plate 245 in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a
front view of the wheel 201 before installation on the hub and
wheel axle, and FIG. 6 illustrates hub 605 with square or V-shaped
indents or recesses 606 secured inside the wheel using nuts and
bolts. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the rock guard formations 340 are
configured to shield and substantially cover any openings which
would otherwise be left between the arcuate recesses 406 in the
clover leaf shaped openings in the front and rear rim halves and
the opposing square or V-shaped indents 606 in the hub.
[0040] The angle of the V-shaped rim in FIG. 2B may vary and may be
greater than 90 degrees or less than 90 degrees in other
embodiments. It should be noted that the shape of rock guard plates
245 and 246 and/or the rock guard formations 315, 340 may vary in
other embodiments to match different wheel rim halves and wheel rim
openings, and also to correspond to the shape of indents or
recesses of different wheel hubs. The rock guard plates 245 and 246
also add structural stability and rigidity to the wheel 200, In the
illustrated embodiments, the rock guard formations 315, 340 include
multiple holes forming a mesh to screen out debris from passing
through wheel. The size of the holes may vary and in some
embodiments the rock guard formations 315, 340 may have no
holes.
[0041] FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate a second embodiment of a wheel 500
with integral rock guard portions or formations. As in the first
embodiment, the wheel 500 has front and rear rim halves 235 and
502, but the reinforcement plate of the previous embodiment is
omitted. Instead, in this embodiment, rock guard portions 504 are
formed integrally in the end wall 505 of rear rim half 502. The
front rim half 235 is identical to the first embodiment, and like
reference numerals are used for like parts as appropriate. The rock
guard portions can also be integrated into the end wall of the
front rim half 235 in an alternative embodiment. Front rim half 235
and rear rim half 502 are secured together by welding, bolting or
the like to form an annular outer rim 540 for receiving a tire, as
illustrated in FIG. 7.
[0042] FIG. 7 illustrates the separate rim halves 235, 502 in
alignment prior to welding or bolting them together with their
inner end walls 250, 505 in face-to-face engagement, as illustrated
in FIG. 10. Inner end wall 250 has a clover leaf shaped central
opening 405, as in the previous embodiment. Inner end wall 505 has
a modified central opening 508 for alignment with opening 405. As
best illustrated in FIG. 8A, opening 508 has arcuate, inwardly
projecting rock guard portions 504 similar to the portions 315 of
rock guard plate 245 of FIG. 2A. However, in this case, the rock
guard portions 504 are formed integrally with end wall 505 of the
rear rim half. End wall 505 also has fastener openings 420 for
alignment with the corresponding openings 420 in the end wall 250
of the front rim half when the rim halves are assembled together.
FIG. 9 illustrates a wheel hub 120 with arcuate recesses 125
secured to the wheel 500. As seen in FIG. 9, rock guard portions
504 are configured to at least substantially fill up the gaps or
openings which would otherwise be formed between the arcuate
recesses 406 of the clover leaf openings 405 in end wall 250 and
the arcuate recesses 125 of the hub 120, as seen for a conventional
wheel with no rock guard as in FIG. 1C. As in the previous
embodiment, the rock guard portions 504 include multiple holes 510
forming a mesh to screen out debris from passing through wheel
while allowing airflow. The size and number of the holes may vary
and in some embodiments, the rock guard formations may have no
holes.
[0043] FIG. 8B illustrates an end view of a modified rear rim half
520 with integral rock guard portions or formations 522 in its end
wall 524. Rim half 520 may be used in place of rim half 502 when a
different shaped hub is to be attached to the wheel, such as a hub
605 with square or V-shaped recesses 606 as in FIG. 6. The rock
guard portions or formations 522 in the embodiment of FIG. 8B are
similar or identical in shape to the rock guard formations of the
reinforcement plate 246 illustrated in FIG. 2B, and have square or
V-shaped inner edges 525. Multiple holes 510 are formed in each
rock guard portion 522, as in the previous embodiments. The size of
the holes may vary, and in some embodiments rock guard portion 522
may be solid with no holes. In an alternative embodiment, the
square or V-shape rock guard formations may be formed integrally in
the end wall 250 of the front rim half 235 rather than the end wall
of the rear rim half. When a hub 605 is secured to a wheel
incorporating rim half 520, the rock guard formations substantially
block any opening which would otherwise extend through the wheel
due to clearances between the outer periphery of the hub and the
inner surface of the opening through a wheel which does not include
any built-in wheel guard. Wheel guard formations of other shapes
may be formed in the central opening of either wheel rim half in
alternative embodiments, so as to match the indents or recesses of
hubs of different shapes. In either of the rim halves 502 or 520,
the rock guard portions may be made thinner than the remainder of
the end wall 505 or 524, so as to reduce the weight of the
wheel.
[0044] In the embodiments of FIGS. 7 to 10, rock guard formations
are integral with the end wall of a wheel rim half, so the wheels
will be of less weight than the wheel of FIGS. 2 to 6 which has a
separate rock guard reinforcement plate sandwiched between the rim
halves. Where a stronger structure is desired, the wheel of FIGS. 2
to 6 may be used since the reinforcement plate will add strength to
the wheel and to the connection between the wheel and wheel hub. In
either case, most or all debris which might cause damage, such as
rocks, stones or the like, is blocked, due to the small size of the
screen openings in the rock guard formations. The wheels of the
above embodiments with a built-in rock guards avoid the need for
separate rock guard plates to be installed between the hub and
wheel and the problems of leaving openings in the wheels when an
installer forgets to install a separate rock guard plate. These
embodiments also reduce the expense and complexity of wheel
installation and the amount of material required.
[0045] FIG. 11 illustrates a modified wheel rim half 550 with
integral rock guard portions 554 which may be used in place of
wheel rim half 502 of FIGS. 7 to 10. Rear rim half 550 has a
central opening 552 having inwardly extending rock guard portions
554 which are similar to the rock guard portions 504 in FIG. 8A,
but which have a different shape inner peripheral edge 555. Rock
guard edges 555 are each generally arcuate but are shorter in
length and have a larger radius of curvature than the edges of rock
guard portions 504 of FIG. 8A. As in the previous embodiments, each
rock guard portion has a plurality of small openings 533 forming a
mesh or filter for air flow and to block large debris. The
advantage of rock guard portions 554 is that they substantially
fill wheel openings formed when a wheel is attached to a number of
different hubs. In other words, when rear rim half 550 is assembled
into a wheel in place of rear rim half 502 of FIGS. 7, 9 and 10, it
can form a rock guard when the wheel is secured to any selected hub
of a plurality of different hubs with recesses of varying
shapes.
[0046] FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate the wheel rim half 550
assembled with front rim half 235 in place of the rear rim half 502
of FIG. 9, with FIG. 12A illustrating a first hub 556 attached to
the wheel and FIG. 12B illustrating a second hub 558 attached to
the wheel. The first hub 556 has arcuate recesses 560 between
adjacent spokes, and is similar or identical to a hub made by
Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA. The second hub 558 has V-shaped recesses
562 between adjacent spokes, and is similar or identical to a hub
made by American Honda Motor Co., Inc. As illustrated in FIG. 12A,
rock guard portions 554 substantially fill the space between the
inner edge of an indent 406 in a wheel opening and the inner edge
of the respective hub recess 560, leaving only a small gap 564.
Similarly, in FIG. 12B, the rock guard portions 554 substantially
fill the space between the inner edge 555 of each rock guard
portion 554 and the inner edge of the respective hub recess 562,
leaving only a small gap 565.
[0047] The shape and dimensions of rock guard portions 554 are
designed so that any resultant gaps between edges 555 and the
opposing hub recesses are relatively small and block larger debris
from passing through the wheel, while allowing some airflow. Rock
guard portions 554 may alternatively be formed integrally with a
reinforcement plate to replace the rock guard reinforcement plate
245 or 246 in FIGS. 2 to 6.
[0048] FIG. 13 illustrates a modified rock guard reinforcement
plate 580 which may be used in place of any of the reinforcement
plates of the previous embodiments. As in the previous embodiments,
plate 580 is generally circular in shape, with a central opening
582 having inwardly extending rock guard portions 584 which are
similar to the rock guard portions in FIGS. 2A and 2B, but which
have a different shape inner peripheral edge 585. Other parts of
plate 580 are identical to the previous embodiments and like
reference numbers are used as appropriate. Rock guard portions 585
are each of generally gear-tooth like shape. As in the previous
embodiments, each rock guard portion has a plurality of small
openings 586 forming a mesh or filter for air flow and to block
large debris. The reinforcement plate 580 of FIG. 13 is designed to
mount between wheel rim halves to form a wheel with an integral
rock guard designed for use with a different shape wheel hub 588,
as illustrated in FIG. 14.
[0049] FIG. 14 illustrates the rock guard plate 580 assembled
between wheel rim halves 235 and 240 in place of the rock guard
plate 245 or 246 of FIGS. 4 to 6, with hub 588 attached to the
wheel. The hub 588 has recesses 590 between adjacent spokes which
substantially match the shape of the rock guard portions 585, so
that rock guard portions 585 substantially fill the space between
the edge 590 of hub recess and the inner edge 406 of the wheel
opening, leaving only a small gap. The shape and dimensions of rock
guard portions 585 are designed so that any resultant gaps between
edges and the opposing hub recesses are relatively small and block
larger debris from passing through the wheel, while allowing some
airflow. Rock guard portions 554 may alternatively be formed
integrally with a wheel rim half to replace the rock guard portions
504 or 522 in wheel 500.
[0050] In each of the above embodiments, a rock guard is built into
the wheel. No separate rock guard plate outside the wheel is
needed, avoiding the problem of an installer potentially forgetting
the rock guard plate when attaching the wheel to a hub, and
reducing the difficulty of installation. The amount of material and
the number of parts are also reduced. Rock guard reinforcement
plates for mounting between the rim halves and rock guard portions
built into a wheel rim half can be provided in a range of different
shapes and dimensions so as to at least substantially fill any
space between indents in a wheel opening and opposing recesses in a
range of different wheel hubs. The embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12
has the added advantage that it can be used with a range of
different hubs.
[0051] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is
provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the
invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic
principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments
without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus,
it is to be understood that the description and drawings presented
herein represent a presently preferred embodiment of the invention
and are therefore representative of the subject matter which is
broadly contemplated by the present invention. It is further
understood that the scope of the present invention fully
encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those
skilled in the art and that the scope of the present invention is
accordingly limited by nothing other than the appended claims.
* * * * *