US-20260124855-A1 - WHEEL MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLE

US20260124855A1US 20260124855 A1US20260124855 A1US 20260124855A1US-20260124855-A1

Abstract

A wheel mounting structure for a vehicle includes a wheel hub, a wheel fitted around a center boss of the wheel hub at an internal diameter portion of the wheel, a center lock bolt coupled to the center boss and configured to press the internal diameter portion of the wheel against a hub flange of the wheel hub, and a latch mounted between the center lock bolt and the center boss and configured to lock the center lock bolt in the center boss.

Inventors

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

Assignees

HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
KIA CORPORATION
Seohan Innobility., 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; a wheel fitted around a center boss of the wheel hub at an internal diameter portion of the wheel; a center lock bolt coupled to the center boss and configured to press the internal diameter portion of the wheel against a hub flange of the wheel hub; and a latch mounted between the center lock bolt and the center boss and configured to lock the center lock bolt in the center boss.
2 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 1 , wherein the latch is configured to release a locked state of the center lock bolt by a pressure applied to the latch through the center lock bolt.
3 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 2 , wherein the latch is mounted at the center boss to be linearly slidable in an axial direction while being prevented from rotating, and is supported by the wheel hub while being elastically supported against the center lock bolt in the axial direction.
4 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 3 , wherein latch teeth are formed at facing surfaces of the latch and the center lock bolt to allow rotation of the center lock bolt in a fastening direction of the center lock bolt to the center boss while preventing rotation of the center lock bolt in a direction opposite to the fastening direction.
5 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 3 , wherein a spring seat is provided at the wheel hub, and wherein a spring is mounted between the spring seat and the latch to elastically support the latch against the center lock bolt.
6 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 5 , wherein a hub cavity is formed at the wheel hub to reduce a mass of the wheel hub, and wherein the spring seat is supported by a snap ring mounted between the hub cavity and the center boss.
7 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 6 , wherein a circlip is mounted at the wheel hub to prevent the latch elastically supported by the spring from being separated from the wheel hub.
8 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 7 , wherein serrations are formed at an internal circumferential surface of the center boss to guide axial linear movement of the latch, wherein a snap ring coupling groove configured to fix the snap ring to the snap ring coupling groove and a circlip coupling groove configured to fix the circlip to the circlip coupling groove are formed at the wheel hub, and wherein the snap ring coupling groove and the circlip coupling groove are disposed under a condition that the serrations are disposed between the snap ring coupling groove and the circlip coupling groove.
9 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 3 , wherein serrations are formed at an internal circumferential surface of the center boss to guide axial linear movement of the latch, and wherein a structure including grooves and protrusions corresponding to the serrations is formed at a circumferential surface of the latch and engaged to the serrations of the center boss.
10 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 2 , wherein a pressing ring including a wedge-shaped cross-section is mounted between a head flange of the center lock bolt and the wheel to press the wheel against the hub flange, and wherein the wedge-shaped cross-section of the pressing ring includes an inclined ring surface formed to be inclined with respect to the axial direction to contact with the wheel, an internal circumferential ring surface configured to enclose the center boss of the wheel hub, and a bolt facing surface formed to be perpendicular to the axial direction so that the bolt facing surface faces the head flange of the center lock bolt.
11 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 10 , wherein a friction reducing washer is mounted between the bolt facing surface of the pressing ring and the head flange of the center lock bolt to reduce friction therebetween.
12 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 11 , wherein at least one friction reducing groove is formed at the head flange facing the friction reducing washer to reduce an area of the head flange contacting with the friction reducing washer.
13 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 10 , wherein a seal ring is mounted at a circumferential surface of the head flange of the center lock bolt to form a seal between the head flange and the wheel.
14 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 10 , wherein tool engagement grooves and protrusions are radially regularly formed at the head flange of the center lock bolt in a direction toward a predetermined tool so that the tool engagement grooves and protrusions are disposed along a circumference of the head flange, to enable the head flange to receive rotation force from the predetermined tool in a state in which the predetermined tool applies a pressure for releasing the latch through a tool insertion hole formed at a center portion of the center lock bolt.
15 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 14 , wherein a center cap is mounted to the center lock bolt to seal the tool insertion hole.
16 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 14 , wherein the predetermined tool and the center lock bolt are configured to be integrally rotatable in accordance with engagement between the predetermined tool and the tool engagement grooves and protrusions in the state in which the predetermined tool applies the pressure for releasing the latch, and wherein the center lock bolt is separated from the center boss based on that the predetermined tool is rotated in a direction opposite to a fastening direction of the center lock bolt to the center boss.
17 . The wheel mounting structure of claim 2 , wherein at least one stud is mounted at the hub flange of the wheel hub while protruding to be inserted into a wheel hub groove of the wheel, wherein the at least one stud includes: a stud bolt fastened 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, wherein a brake disc is mounted between the wheel hub and the wheel, and wherein the stud sleeve has a greater diameter at a portion thereof inserted into the wheel hub groove than at a portion thereof extending through the brake disc, to press the brake disc against the wheel hub by a pressure applied by the stud bolt, for fixing the brake disc to the wheel hub.
18 . 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 lock bolt fastened to the center boss and configured to press, against the hub flange, an internal diameter portion of a wheel fitted around the center boss; and a latch mounted between the center lock bolt and the center boss and configured to be linearly slidable in the axial direction within the center boss while being prevented from rotating, to lock the center lock bolt for prevention of rotation of the center lock bolt with respect to the center boss.
19 . The wheel hub assembly of claim 18 , wherein at least one stud protruding in the axial direction is mounted at the hub flange, and wherein the latch is configured to release a locked state of the center lock bolt by an axial pressure of a tool inserted into the center lock bolt through a center portion of the center lock bolt.
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 of a hub flange in an axial direction, to couple the wheel to a wheel hub including the center boss, the wheel hub further including a stud spaced apart from the center boss while protruding from the hub flange in the axial direction; and a wheel hub groove formed at an area surrounding the internal diameter portion to receive the stud therein, wherein the area surrounding the internal diameter portion is configured to be pressed against the hub flange by a center lock bolt coupled to the center boss.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0156399 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, includes 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 the 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, a wheel fitted around a center boss of the wheel hub at an internal diameter portion of the wheel, a center lock bolt coupled to the center boss and configured to press the internal diameter portion of the wheel against a hub flange of the wheel hub, and a latch mounted between the center lock bolt and the center boss and configured to lock the center lock bolt in the center boss. The latch may be mounted to release a locked state of the center lock bolt by a pressure applied to the latch through the center lock bolt. The latch may be mounted at the center boss to be linearly slidable in an axial direction while being prevented from rotating, and may be supported by the wheel hub while being elastically supported against the center lock bolt in the axial direction. Latch teeth may be formed at facing surfaces of the latch and the center lock bolt to allow rotation of the center lock bolt in a fastening direction of the center lock bolt to the center boss while preventing rotation of the center lock bolt in a direction opposite to the fastening direction. A spring seat may be provided at the wheel hub. A spring may be mounted between the spring seat and the latch to elastically support the latch against the center lock bolt. A hub cavity may be formed at the wheel hub to reduce a mass of the wheel hub. The spring seat may be supported by a snap ring mounted between the hub cavity and the center boss. A circlip may be mounted at the wheel hub to prevent the latch elastically supported by the spring from being separated from the wheel hub. A pressing ring including a wedge-shaped cross-section may be provided between a head flange of the center lock bolt and the wheel to press the wheel against the hub flange. The wedge-shaped cross-section of the pressing ring may include an inclined ring surface formed to be inclined with respect to the axial direction to contact with the wheel, an internal circumferential ring surface configured to enclose the center boss of the wheel hub, and a bolt facing surface formed to be perpendicular to the axial direction so that the bolt facing surface faces the head flange of the center lock bolt. A friction reducing washer may be located between the bolt facing surface of the pressing ring and the head flange of the center lock bolt to reduce friction therebetween