Vehicle wheel cover retention system and method for producing same

1. A vehicle wheel cover retention system comprising:

a wheel formed from a suitable material and including a wheel rim and a wheel disc, the wheel rim including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, a generally axially extending well, an outboard tire bead seat, and an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the wheel disc including a generally centrally located wheel mounting portion and an outer annular portion which defines an outboard face of the wheel, the wheel mounting portion provided with a centrally located pilot aperture and a plurality of lug bolt receiving holes circumferentially spaced around the pilot aperture, the outboard face having a retention groove formed therein, the retention groove located in the outboard face in a surface thereof defined radially outward relative to the well and radially inward relative to the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange; and

a wheel cover formed from a suitable material and including an outer portion having a tab formed thereon and an outer annular extension formed directly adjacent the tab and extending radially outwardly relative to the tab proximate the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the wheel;

wherein the tab is received in the retention groove to secure the wheel cover to the wheel.

2. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 1 wherein the tab is a continuous tab.

3. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 1 wherein an adhesive is selectively applied between the outboard face of the wheel and an inner surface of the wheel cover.

4. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 1 wherein the tab is a first tab and further including a second tab provided on the outer annular extension.

5. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 4 wherein the second tab engages the outboard face.

6. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 4 further including a second groove formed in the outboard face and wherein the second tab is disposed in the second groove.

7. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 1 wherein the outer annular extension includes an endmost surface, the endmost surface being spaced apart from contact with an adjacent inner surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange.

8. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 1 wherein the outer annular extension of the wheel cover includes an inner surface which engages an adjacent outer surface of the outboard face of the wheel.

9. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 8 wherein only the inner surface of the outer annular extension of the wheel cover engages the adjacent outer surface of the outboard face of the wheel.

10. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 1 wherein the retention groove includes a circumferentially extending first surface and a circumferentially extending second surface, the first surface spaced a first radial distance from a generally axially extending outer surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the second surface spaced a second radial distance from the outer surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, and the tab includes an outermost circumferential surface which is spaced a third radial distance from the outer surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the third radial distance being slightly greater then the second radial distance and less than the first radial distance.

11. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 1 wherein the wheel cover is a one-piece plastic wheel cover.

12. A vehicle wheel cover retention system comprising:

a wheel formed from a suitable material and including a wheel rim and a wheel disc, the wheel rim including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, a generally axially extending well, an outboard tire bead seat, and an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the wheel disc including a generally centrally located wheel mounting portion and an outer annular portion which defines an outboard face of the wheel, the wheel mounting portion provided with a centrally located pilot aperture and a plurality of lug bolt receiving holes circumferentially spaced around the pilot aperture, the outboard face having a retention groove formed therein, the retention groove located in the outboard face in a surface thereof defined radially outward relative to the well and radially inward relative to the outboard tire bead seat retaining; and

a wheel cover formed from a suitable material and including an outer portion having a tab formed thereon and an outer annular extension formed directly adjacent the tab and extending radially outwardly relative to said the tab proximate the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the wheel, the tab being received in the retention groove to secure the wheel cover to the wheel, the outer annular extension including an endmost surface which is spaced apart from contact with an adjacent inner surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange;

wherein the retention groove includes a circumferentially extending first surface and a circumferentially extending second surface, the first surface spaced a first radial distance from a generally axially extending outer surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the second surface spaced a second radial distance from the outer surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, and the tab includes an outermost circumferential surface which is spaced a third radial distance from the outer surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the third radial distance being slightly greater then the second radial distance and less than the first radial distance.

13. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 12 wherein the tab is a continuous tab.

14. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 12 wherein an adhesive is selectively applied between the outboard face of the wheel and an inner surface of the wheel cover.

15. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 12 wherein the tab is a first tab and further including a second tab provided on the outer annular extension.

16. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 15 wherein the second tab engages the outboard face.

17. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 15 further including a second groove formed in the outboard face and wherein the second tab is disposed in the second groove.

18. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 12 wherein the outer annular extension of the wheel cover includes an inner surface which engages an adjacent outer surface of the outboard face of the wheel.

19. The vehicle wheel cover retention system of claim 18 wherein only the inner surface of the outer annular extension of the wheel cover engages the adjacent outer surface of the outboard face of the wheel.

20. A vehicle wheel cover retention system comprising:

a wheel formed from a suitable material and including a wheel rim and a wheel disc, the wheel rim including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, a generally axially extending well, an outboard tire bead seat, and an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the wheel disc including a generally centrally located wheel mounting portion and an outer annular portion which defines an outboard face of the wheel, the wheel mounting portion provided with a centrally located pilot aperture and a plurality of lug bolt receiving holes circumferentially spaced around the pilot aperture, the outboard face having a circumferentially extending continuous retention groove formed therein, the retention groove located in the outboard face in a surface thereof defined radially outward relative to the well and radially inward relative to the outboard tire bead seat retaining; and

a one-piece wheel cover formed from a suitable material and including an outer portion having a circumferentially extending continuous tab formed thereon and an outer annular extension formed directly adjacent the tab and extending radially outwardly relative to the tab proximate the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the wheel, the tab being received in the retention groove to secure the wheel cover to the wheel, the outer annular extension including an endmost surface which is spaced apart from contact with an adjacent inner surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange;

wherein the retention groove includes a circumferentially extending first surface and a circumferentially extending second surface, the first surface spaced a first radial distance from a generally axially extending outer surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the second surface spaced a second radial distance from the outer surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, and the tab includes an outermost circumferential surface which is spaced a third radial distance from the outer surface of the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the third radial distance being slightly greater then the second radial distance and less than the first radial distance.