Patent Number: 6,837,549

Title: Light alloy wheel for vehicle and method and apparatus for producing same

Abstract: A light alloy wheel for a vehicle comprising a disc portion comprising a hub portion and a design portion and a rim portion, the design portion having as-die-cast spoke portions having a taper angle of less than 5.0.degree.. This wheel can be produced by using a casting apparatus comprising a die assembly comprising at least a stationary lower die and a movable upper die, a movable platen to which the upper die is fixed, a first cylinder and at least three synchronous second cylinders mounted onto a frame of the apparatus for moving the movable platen; driving the first cylinder to slowly reduce the clamping force of the lower die and the upper die; synchronously driving the second cylinders to elevate the movable platen in parallel from a position at which the lower die and the upper die are clamped to a position at which the wheel would not impinge on the lower die even if the movable platen were slanted; and then further elevating the movable platen by the first cylinder.

Inventors: Ito; Hajime (Saitama-ken, JP), Kanai; Minoru (Saitama-ken, JP), Taniguchi; Masanobu (Saitama-ken, JP), Usui; Kenji (Saitama-ken, JP)

Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.

International Classification: B22D 18/04 (20060101); B22D 15/00 (20060101); B60B 3/00 (20060101); B60B 3/10 (20060101); B60B 3/06 (20060101); B60B 003/06 ()

Expiration Date: 01/04/2022