US-20260124854-A1 - WHEEL MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLE

US20260124854A1US 20260124854 A1US20260124854 A1US 20260124854A1US-20260124854-A1

Abstract

A wheel mounting structure for a vehicle is disclosed. The wheel mounting structure includes a wheel hub mounted, at a center portion thereof, with a center boss protruding in an axial direction, a wheel fitted around the center boss at an internal diameter portion of the wheel, a displacement transfer member engaged to the center boss and selectively movable in an outward radial direction of the center boss, and a pressing ring mounted at the wheel and configured to press the wheel toward the wheel hub by displacement of the displacement transfer member.

Inventors

Ju Ho Kim
Eun Sik Kim
Hyun Soo Kim
Young Seung Yu
Ki Jeong Kim

Assignees

HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
KIA CORPORATION
SEOHAN INNOBILITY CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20250507
Priority Date: 20241106

Claims (20)

1 . A wheel mounting structure for a vehicle, the wheel mounting structure comprising: a wheel hub mounted, at a center portion thereof, with a center boss protruding in an axial direction; a wheel fitted around the center boss at an internal diameter portion of the wheel; a displacement transfer member engaged to the center boss and selectively movable in an outward radial direction of the center boss; and a pressing ring mounted at the wheel and configured to press the wheel toward the wheel hub by displacement of the displacement transfer member.
2 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 1 , wherein the displacement transfer member includes a clamping ball inserted into a cage hole formed through the center boss in a radial direction of the center boss, wherein the cage hole of the center boss is formed in plural so that the plurality of cage holes are equally spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the center boss, wherein the clamping ball is in plural so that the plurality of clamping balls is inserted into respective cage holes, and wherein each cage hole includes, at at least a portion thereof, an inclined hole surface inclined with respect to the radial direction of the center boss to allow a corresponding clamping ball to protrude from a circumferential surface of the center boss while preventing the corresponding clamping ball from passing through a corresponding cage hole.
3 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 2 , further including: a slider engaged to the clamping ball and mounted to be linearly slidable within the center boss in the axial direction; and a rotating driver engaged to the slider and configured to generate an axial linear displacement of the slider by rotation force externally supplied to the rotating driver.
4 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 3 , wherein the slider includes an inclined slider surface formed at a circumferential surface of the slider to enable the clamping ball to be pressed in the outward radial direction of the center boss within the cage hole by the axial linear displacement of the slider with respect to the center boss.
5 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 3 , wherein the inclined slider surface includes a curved surface inclined nonlinearly with respect to the axial direction.
6 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 3 , wherein a center cap is mounted at an end portion of the center boss to seal the end portion of the center boss, and wherein the rotating driver includes a center bolt threadedly coupled to the slider while extending through the center cap.
7 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 6 , wherein, based on that the center bolt is rotated in a first direction, the slider moves the displacement transfer member in the outward radial direction of the center boss while moving linearly in the axial direction toward the wheel, and the displacement transfer member moving in the outward radial direction of the center boss presses the pressing ring toward the wheel hub, for fixing the wheel to the wheel hub.
8 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 7 , wherein, based on that the center bolt is rotated in a second direction, the slider moves the displacement transfer member in an inward radial direction of the center boss while moving linearly in the axial direction toward the wheel hub, for releasing the pressing of the pressing ring so that fixing of the wheel is released from the wheel hub.
9 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 6 , wherein the slider is supported by a spring to be elastically supported against the center cap.
10 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 9 , wherein a hub cavity for reducing a mass of the wheel hub is formed at the wheel hub so that the hub cavity communicates with an internal space of the center boss, and wherein a spring seat supporting the spring is formed between the hub cavity and the internal space of the center boss.
11 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 10 , wherein a step having a discontinuously-reduced diameter is formed at the hub cavity to receive and support the spring seat on the step.
12 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 3 , wherein serrations are formed at an internal circumferential surface of the center boss of the wheel hub to guide axial linear movement of the slider along the serrations, and wherein a structure including grooves and protrusions corresponding to the serrations of the center boss is formed at a circumferential surface of the slider and slidably engaged to the serrations.
13 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 2 , wherein the pressing ring includes a wheel-side inclined surface inclined with respect to the axial direction to change a radial displacement of the clamping ball into an axial displacement based on that the clamping ball contacts with the wheel-side inclined surface.
14 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 13 , wherein the pressing ring is press-fitted in the wheel to be fixed to the wheel, to press the internal diameter portion of the wheel in the axial direction.
15 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 2 , wherein at least one stud is mounted at a hub flange of the wheel hub so that the at least one stud protrudes to be inserted into a wheel hub groove of the wheel, and wherein the at least one stud includes: a stud bolt connected to the hub flange; and a stud sleeve formed to contact with the wheel hub groove and to allow the stud bolt to extend through the stud sleeve, the stud sleeve being formed of a material different from a material of the stud bolt.
16 . A wheel hub assembly for a vehicle, the wheel hub assembly comprising: a hub flange including a flat surface perpendicular to an axial direction; a center boss protruding from the hub flange in the axial direction; a center cap connected to an end portion of the center boss to seal the end portion of the center boss; a center bolt mounted to extend through the center cap; a slider threadedly coupled to the center bolt and being linearly slidable in the center boss in the axial direction based on that the center bolt rotates; and a clamping ball mounted in the center boss to move in an outward radial direction of the center boss by a linear displacement of the slider.
17 . The wheel hub assembly of claim 16 , wherein a cage hole is formed through the center boss to receive the clamping ball in the cage hole while allowing the clamping ball to protrude from the center boss in the outward radial direction of the center boss, and wherein the cage hole is formed in plural so that the plurality of cage holes are equally spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the center boss.
18 . The wheel hub assembly of claim 17 , wherein the cage hole includes, at at least a portion thereof, an inclined hole surface inclined with respect to a radial direction of the center boss to allow the clamping ball to protrude from the circumferential surface of the center boss while preventing the clamping ball from passing through the cage hole.
19 . The wheel hub assembly of claim 16 , wherein a spring is mounted between the slider and a wheel hub to elastically support the slider against the center cap by the spring.
20 . A wheel for a vehicle, the wheel comprising: an internal diameter portion configured to be fitted around a center boss protruding along a rotation center portion of a hub flange in an axial direction, to couple the wheel to a wheel hub including the center boss, wherein the wheel hub further includes a clamping ball mounted at an circumferential surface of the center boss to protrude from the circumferential surface of the center boss and a stud configured to be spaced apart from the center boss while protruding from the hub flange in the axial direction; a wheel hub groove formed at an area surrounding the internal diameter portion to receive the stud in the wheel hub groove; and a pressing ring configured to be pressed by the clamping ball to press the area surrounding the internal diameter portion toward the hub flange.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0156397 filed on Nov. 6, 2024, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE Field of the Present Disclosure The present disclosure relates to technology for mounting a wheel of a vehicle to a wheel hub. Description of Related Art A vehicle is configured to transmit drive force to tires thereof on a road surface, and accordingly, has a structure configured to mount each tire to a wheel and to mount the wheel to the vehicle, to mount the tire to the vehicle. The wheel is mounted to a wheel hub of the vehicle. For stable power transmission performance and better durability of the vehicle, a firm mounting structure is required between the wheel and the wheel hub. In conventional cases, a structure configured to fix a wheel to a wheel hub using a plurality of hub bolts and a plurality of wheel nuts is widely used. This structure provides very strong coupling and high durability. However, the wheel mounting structure using the plurality of hub bolts and the plurality of wheel nuts has drawbacks in that a relatively long time to replace a wheel is consumed, and the appearance of the wheel mounting structure is somewhat poor. In keeping with recent increase in popularity of high-performance vehicles and recent advances in motor sports, a further reduced time to replace the wheel and a more aesthetically pleasing and elegant wheel appearance are required. The information included in this Background of the present disclosure is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the present disclosure and may not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. BRIEF SUMMARY Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to providing a wheel mounting structure for a vehicle which is configured for greatly reducing a wheel replacement time and effectively preventing theft of a wheel while being advantageous in terms of formation of an aesthetically pleasing and elegant wheel appearance. Objects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described object, and other objects of the present disclosure not yet described will be more clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, the above and other objects may be accomplished by the provision of a wheel mounting structure for a vehicle including a wheel hub provided, at a center portion thereof, with a center boss protruding in an axial direction, a wheel fitted around the center boss at an internal diameter portion of the wheel, a displacement transfer member engaged to the center boss and selectively movable in an outward radial direction of the center boss, and a pressing ring provided at the wheel and configured to press the wheel toward the wheel hub by displacement of the displacement transfer member. The displacement transfer member may include a clamping ball inserted into a cage hole formed through the center boss in a radial direction of the center boss thereof. The cage hole of the center boss may be formed in plural so that the cage holes are equally spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the center boss. The clamping ball may be formed in plural so that the plurality of clamping balls is inserted into respective cage holes. The cage hole may be constituted, at at least a portion thereof, by an inclined hole surface inclined with respect to a radial direction of the center boss to allow the clamping ball to protrude from a circumferential surface of the center boss while preventing the clamping ball from passing through the cage hole. The wheel mounting structure may further include a slider provided to be linearly slidable within the center boss in the axial direction, and a rotating driver engaged to the slider and configured to generate an axial linear displacement of the slider by rotation force externally supplied to the rotating driver. An inclined slider surface may be formed at a circumferential surface of the slider to enable the clamping ball to be pressed in the outward radial direction of the center boss within the cage hole by the axial linear displacement of the slider with respect to the center boss. The inclined slider surface may include a curved surface inclined nonlinearly with respect to the axial direction. A center cap may be provided at the center boss to seal an end portion of the center boss. The rotating driver may include a center bolt threadedly coupled to the slider while extending through the center cap. The slider may be supported by a spring to be elastically supported against the center cap. A hub cavity configured to reduce a mass of the wheel hub may be provided at the wheel hub so that the hub c