Back to results
US 12,686,229 B2Granted
Automotive wheel with tool-less lug and integrated lug wrench
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorJustin D. Sorum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wheel assembly may include a wheel body having a body portion, a center lug member operably coupled to the wheel body for rotation to alternately tighten or loosen the wheel body with respect to a wheel hub of a vehicle on which the wheel body is mountable, and a lever arm having a storage position in or proximate to the wheel body and an operating position to which the lever arm is moved from the storage position to enable the center lug member to be rotated responsive to rotation of the lever arm.
Claims12
A wheel assembly comprising:
- a wheel body having a body portion;
- a center lug member operably coupled to the wheel body for rotation to alternately tighten or loosen the wheel body with respect to a wheel hub of a vehicle on which the wheel body is mountable;
- and
- a lever arm having a storage position in or proximate to the wheel body and an operating position to which the lever arm is moved from the storage position to enable the center lug member to be rotated responsive to rotation of the lever arm,
- wherein the wheel body comprises a pocket formed in the body portion, and
- wherein the lever arm is disposed in the pocket in the storage position and pivoted out of the pocket in the operating position.
3 more elements
A vehicle suspension system comprising:
- a vehicle chassis;
- a wheel assembly;
- and
- a suspension assembly operably coupling the wheel assembly to the vehicle chassis,
- wherein the wheel assembly comprises:
- a wheel body;
- a center lug member operably coupled to the wheel body for rotation to alternately tighten or loosen the wheel body with respect to a wheel hub of a vehicle on which the wheel body is mountable;
- and
- a lever arm having a storage position in or proximate to the wheel body and an operating position to which the lever arm is moved from the storage position to enable the center lug member to be rotated responsive to rotation of the lever arm,
- wherein the wheel body comprises a pocket formed therein, and
- wherein the lever arm is disposed in the pocket in the storage position and pivoted out of the pocket in the operating position.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.