摘要 |
Polyurethane foam is used in a three-piece vehicle wheel as a load bearing and load transmitting structural element. The rim of the wheel, an inner wheel disc, and an outer decorative wheel disc are bonded together by the polyurethane foam. The rim includes an interlock lip to interlock the rim with the inner disc and an interlock lip that interlocks the rim with the outer decorative disc. The wheel can be manufactured by placing the rim, inner disc, and outer disc in a die and injecting the polyurethane foam composition into the interconnected volume enclosed and defined by those wheel components. The foam curing process then occurs in situ. Alternatively, the rim, inner disc, and outer disc can be adhesively bonded to a preformed polyurethane foam member. The resultant vehicle wheel, manufactured by either process, is characterized by high strength, light weight, and a decorative appearance.
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