Composite styled wheel construction

Claim 2

The wheel construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said elastomer material comprises polyurethane having a density in the order of 10 to 90 pounds per cubic foot.

Claim 3

The wheel construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said overlay is adherently secured to said outboard face of said disc by an epoxy adhesive.

Claim 4

The wheel construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said overlay is cast and cured against said metallic portion.

Claim 5

The wheel construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said overlay is adhered to said metallic portion by a thin layer of an adhesive material applied to said covered part of the outboard face of said metallic portion between said overlay and said outboard face.

Claim 6

The wheel construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rim and disc are made of steel, said rim having a conventional drop-center cross-sectional configuration and said disc having a generally simple saucer-like configuration, said elastomer material comprising polyurethane having a density in the order of 50 to 90 pouNds per cubic foot.

Claim 7

The wheel contstruction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said outboard face of said overlay has a decorative coating applied thereto.

Claim 8

The wheel construction as set forth in claim 8 wherein said outboard face of said overlay has a decorative coating applied thereto and said overlay is adherently affixed.

Claim 9

A composite wheel including in combination a wheel mounting disc, a rim secured to said disc and adapted to receive a tire thereon, said disc and rim components of said wheel comprising standardized parts providing substantially all of the structural vehicle load-bearing strength of said wheel, and an ornamental overlay disposed adjacent the outboard face of said disc, said overlay comprising a homogeneous body of cellular resilient elastomer material, the inner face of said body being disposed in contact with and adhered to the outboard face of said disc, said body being exposed to view from the outboard side of said wheel and having a water impervious decorative surface spaced axially of the wheel outboard from said inner face of said body, said body having an outboard contour having variations therein exceeding that of the inboard contour thereof and adapted to provide decorative contour over at least the disc portion of said wheel, said body having a higher density adjacent the outboard surface thereof and gradually decreasing in density toward the inner face thereof, said disc having holes therein for receiving wheel mounting fasteners, and said body being apertured to provide access to said disc holes from the outboard side of said wheel.

Claim 10

The wheel construction as set forth in claim 10 wherein said overlay is mechanically and chemically secured to the outboard face of said disc, said overlay comprising a casting cured from a slight blowing self-skinning polyurethane reaction mixture in a mold cavity, the uppermost surface of which conforms to the outboard face of said disc and cured while said cavity surface is disposed above said mixture.

Claim 11

The wheel construction as set forth in claim 11 wherein said rim and disc are made of steel, said rim having a conventional drop-center cross-sectional configuration and said disc having a generally saucer-like configuration, said rim and disc being secured by circumferentially spaced welds and having slight gaps between said welds at least partially filled with said elastomer material.

Claim 12

The wheel construction set forth in claim 12 wherein said outboard face of said body has decorative trim means secured thereto and covering only a portion of said outboard face.

Claim 13

The wheel construction set forth in claim 13 wherein said decorative trim means comprises at least in part a metallic member having tab means projecting therefrom inwardly of said outboard face of said body into said body and anchoring said trim means thereto.

Claim 14

The wheel construction set forth in claim 14 wherein said body is a solid material cast from a liquid material and said tab means is embedded in said cast material prior to solidification thereof.

Claim 15

A composite wheel including in combination a metallic wheel mounting disc, a metallic rim secured to said disc and adapted to receive a tire thereon, said disc and rim having surfaces defining an outboard face, and an ornamental overlay disposed adjacent said outboard face, said overlay cmprising a homogeneous body of micro-cellular urethane elastomer material, the inner surface of said body being disposed in contact with and adhered to at least part of said outboard face by an intermediate layer of adhesive material, the outboard surface of said body being exposed to view from the outboard side of said wheel, said outboard surface being water impervious and spaced axially of the wheel outboard from said inner surface of said body, said outboard surface of said body having a contour differing from the contour of said outboard face and adapted to provide decorative contour over at least the portion of said outboard face covered by said body.

Claim 16

A composite wheel including in combination a metallic portion comprising a wheel mounting disc and a rim secured to said disc and adapted to receive a tire thereon, and a plastic portion comprising an ornamental overlay disposed adjacent and covering at least part of the outboard face of said metallic portion, said overlay comprising a homogeneous body of an elastomer material, said body being adherently affixed to said metallic portion, the outboard face of said body being exposed to view from the outboard side of said wheel and having a decorative surface spaced axially of the wheel outboard from said inner face of said body, said outboard face of said body having a contour differing from the contour of the covered part of the outboard face of said metallic portion and adapted to provide decorative contour over at least part of the metallic portion of said wheel, said elastomer material comprising micro-cellular urethane material having a density in the order of 30 to 70 pounds per cubic foot, said outboard face of said overlay having a decorative coating applied thereto.

Claim 17

A composite wheel including in combination a wheel mounting disc, a rim secured to said disc and adapted to receive a tire thereon, and an ornamental overlay disposed adjacent the outboard face of said disc, said overlay comprising a homogenous body of cellular resilient elastomer material, the inner face of said body being disposed in contact with and adhered to the outboard face of said disc, said body being exposed to view from the outboard side of said wheel and having a water impervious decorative surface spaced axially of the wheel outboard from said inner face of said body, said body having an outboard contour differing from the inboard contour thereof and adapted to provide decorative contour over at least the disc portion of said wheel, said body having a higher density adjacent the outboard surface thereof and gradually decreasing in density toward the inner face thereof, said overlay being mechanically and chemically secured to the outboard face of said disc by casting and curing a slight blowing self-skinning polyurethane reaction mixture against said disc while said disc is disposed above said mixture.

Claim 18

A composite wheel including in combination a metallic portion comprising a wheel mounting disc and a rim secured to said disc and adapted to receive a tire thereon, and a plastic portion comprising an ornamental overlay disposed adjacent and covering at least part of the outboard face of said metallic portion, said overlay comprising a homogeneous body of an elastomer material, said body being affixed to said metallic portion, the outboard face of said body being exposed to view from the outboard side of said wheel and having a decorative surface spaced axially of the wheel outboard from said inner face of said body, said outboard face of said body having a contour differing from the contour of the covered part of the outboard face of said wheel, said rim and disc being made of steel, said rim having a conventional drop-center cross-sectional configuration and said disc having a generally saucer-like configuration, said rim and disc being secured by circumferentially spaced welds and having slight gaps between said welds at least partially filled with said elastomer material.

Claim 19

A composite wheel including in combination a metallic portion comprising a wheel mounting disc and a rim secured to said disc and adapted to receive a tire thereon, and a plastic portion comprising an ornamental overlay disposed adjacent and covering at least part of the outboard face of said metallic portion, said overlay comprising a homogeneous body of an elastomer material, said body being permanently adhesively affixed to said metallic portion, the outboard face of said body being exposed to view from the outboard side of said wheel and having a decorative surface spaced axially of the wheel outboard from said inner face of said body, said outboard face of said body having a contoUr differing from the contour of the covered part of the outboard face of said metallic portion and adapted to provide decorative contour over at least part of the metallic portion of said wheel, said outboard face of said body having decorative trim means secured thereto and covering only a portion of said outboard face.

Claim 20

The wheel construction set forth in claim 20 wherein said decorative trim means comprises at least in part a metallic member having tab means projecting therefrom inwardly of said outboard face of said body into said body and anchoring said trim means thereto.

Claim 21

The wheel construction set forth in claim 21 wherein said body is a solid material cast from a liquid material and said tab means is embedded in said cast material prior to solidification thereof.