Wheel and overlay assembly

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.

1 . A wheel and overlay assembly comprising: 
 a wheel having a standardized disk and a rim circumscribing said standardized disk, said standardized disk having an outboard surface and a flange at an outer peripheral region thereof;    a custom designed overlay covering at least a portion of said outboard surface and said flange, said overlay having an inboard surface facing said outboard surface of said wheel, at least a portion of said inboard surface being spaced apart from said outboard surface of said standardized disk, said customized contours adapted to provide a predetermined aesthetic characteristic on a particular vehicle; and    means associated with said overlay for attaching said overlay to said wheel.    
   
   
       2 . The wheel and overlay assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said outboard surface of said standardized disk further comprises: 
 a plurality of turbine openings, each of said plurality of turbine openings having a peripheral shape; and wherein said custom designed overlay further comprises: 
 a plurality of openings formed therein, at least one of said plurality of openings being complementary to one of said plurality of turbine openings in said wheel so as to communicate with said one of said plurality of turbine openings and so as to provide ventilation to said wheel through said overlay, each of said plurality of openings in said overlay being defined by a portion of said overlay extending radially into a complementary one of said plurality of turbine openings so as to conceal said peripheral shape of said complementary one of said plurality of turbine openings.  
   
   
   
       3 . A wheel and overlay assembly as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said overlay is one of a plurality of different overlays configured to be attached to said wheel.  
   
   
       4 . A wheel and overlay assembly as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said plurality of openings in said overlay differ in number from said plurality of turbine openings in said standardized disk.  
   
   
       5 . A wheel and overlay assembly as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said attaching means comprises an adhesive disposed between said inboard surface of said overlay and said outboard surface of said standardized disk.  
   
   
       6 . A wheel and overlay assembly as claimed in  claim 2  further comprising a foam filler disposed between said overlay and said wheel.  
   
   
       7 . A wheel and overlay assembly as claimed in  claim 2  further comprising a member integrally formed with said overlay, said member having a portion abutting at least one of said plurality of turbine openings such that said overlay is stabilized relative to said wheel in both axial and radial directions of said wheel.  
   
   
       8 . A wheel and overlay assembly as claimed in  claim 7  wherein said member extends into said at least one of said plurality of turbine openings so as to radially locate said overlay relative to said wheel.  
   
   
       9 . A wheel and overlay assembly as claimed in  claim 2  further comprising a member separately formed from said overlay and disposed between said overlay and said standardized disk, said member having a portion abutting at least one of said plurality of turbine openings such that said overlay is stabilized relative to said wheel in both axial and radial directions of said wheel.  
   
   
       10 . A wheel and overlay assembly as claimed in  claim 9  wherein said member extends into said at least one of said plurality of turbine openings so as to radially locate said overlay relative to said wheel.  
   
   
       11 . A wheel and overlay assembly as claimed in  claim 2  further comprising a plurality of integrally-molded ribs extending from said inboard surface of said overlay in an axial direction, said plurality of integrally-molded ribs abutting said outboard surface of said standardized disk so as to space said inboard surface of said overlay apart from said standardized disk.  
   
   
       12 . A wheel and overlay assembly as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said overlay is formed from a material chosen from the group consisting of plastic, aluminum, plated steel, stainless steel and bimetals.  
   
   
       13 . A method of manufacturing a wheel and overlay assembly comprising the steps of: 
 providing a wheel having a disk and a rim circumscribing said disk, said disk having an outboard surface and a plurality of turbine openings therein, each of said plurality of turbine openings having a peripheral shape;    forming an overlay separately from said wheel, said overlay having an inboard surface and a plurality of openings therethrough, each of said plurality of openings being defined by a radially-extending portion of said overlay; and    attaching said overlay to said wheel such that said overlay covers at least a portion of said outboard surface and said rim, said inboard surface faces said outboard surface of said disk, at least a portion of said inboard surface is spaced apart from said outboard surface of said wheel, and at least one of said plurality of openings is complementary to one of said plurality of turbine openings in said wheel so as to communicate with said one of said plurality of turbine openings and so as to provide ventilation to said wheel through said overlay, said radially-extending portion projecting through said one of said plurality of turbine openings so as to conceal said peripheral shape of said one of said plurality of turbine openings.    
   
   
       14 . A method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said forming step includes forming a plurality of overlays, said plurality of overlays being configured differently yet adapted to be attached to said wheel.  
   
   
       15 . A method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said attaching step comprises placing an adhesive between said inboard surface of said overlay and said outboard surface of said disk.  
   
   
       16 . A method as claimed in  claim 13  further comprising the step of inserting a foam filler between said overlay and said wheel.  
   
   
       17 . A method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said step of forming said overlay further comprises integrally forming a hollow member with said overlay such that said hollow member abuts said wheel and extends into at least one of said plurality of turbine openings in said wheel during said attaching step so as to radially locate said overlay relative to said wheel.  
   
   
       18 . A method as claimed in  claim 13  further comprising the step of inserting a separately-molded member between said overlay and said wheel prior to said attaching step, such that said separately-molded member extends into at least one of said plurality of turbine openings in said wheel during said attaching step so as to radially locate said overlay relative to said wheel.  
   
   
       19 . A method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said step of forming said overlay further comprises integrally forming a plurality of ribs extending from said inboard surface of said overlay in an axial direction, said plurality of ribs being abutted against said outboard surface during said attaching step so as to space said inboard surface of said overlay apart from said outboard surface of said disk.  
   
   
       20 . A method as claimed in  claim 19  further comprising the step of inserting a filler material between said radially-extending portion of said overlay and said one of said plurality of turbine openings.  
   
   
       21 . A wheel and overlay assembly manufactured in accordance with the method of  claim 13.