Center lock wheel cover
AssigneeMcKechnie Vehicle Components (USA), Inc.
InventorsJeff Bruce, Kent Wellhoff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A center lock for a wheel cover of a wheel assembly that includes a wheel cover and a wheel. The wheel includes a recessed hub area that is surrounded by an annular wall having a protrusion formed therein. The wheel cover is configured to engage the protrusion and thereby lock the center of the wheel cover onto the wheel. The wheel assembly may also include a rim lock by providing a recess in the outer periphery of the wheel and a lip in the outer periphery of the wheel cover that is configured to engage the recess in the outer periphery of the wheel. The wheel assembly can include a central cap that includes clasp elements which engage the protrusion formed in the annular wall of the wheel.
Claims27
A wheel assembly which comprises:
- a wheel that includes an outboard surface, a recessed central hub area in the outboard surface and an annular wall surrounding the central hub area, the annular wall having a protrusion formed therein which extends inwardly, a curved portion which extends from the protrusion to a bottom of the central hub area, and an annular seat formed in a transition area at the top of the annular wall;
- and
- a wheel cover having a center portion which is complementarily formed to the central hub area of the wheel so as to overlap the protrusion formed in the annular wall of the wheel and lie against the annular seat, the wheel cover having an inner portion which lies in the curved portion of the annular wall.
A wheel cover for covering a wheel having a hub receiving area, and annular wall surrounding the hub receiving area, a protrusion formed in the annular wall, and an outboard peripheral edge, the wheel cover comprising:
- a wheel cover having an inner portion disposed adjacent the hub receiving area and an outer periphery disposed adjacent the outboard peripheral edge;
- and
- a hub lock for securing the cover to the hub receiving area of the wheel, the hub lock including an area of the inner portion of the cover which is complementarily shaped to be superposed over the protrusion formed in the annular wall of the wheel.
A wheel assembly comprising:
- wheel having a hub receiving area, and annular wall surrounding the hub receiving area, a protrusion formed in the annular wall, an annular seat formed in a transition area at the top of the annular wall, and an outboard peripheral edge;
- a wheel cover having an inner portion disposed adjacent the hub receiving area and an outer periphery disposed adjacent the outboard peripheral edge;
- a hub lock for securing the cover to the hub receiving area of the wheel, the hub lock including an area of the inner portion of the cover which is complementarily shaped to be superposed over the protrusion formed in the annular wall of the wheel;
- and
- a cap which is configured to extend over the central hub area of the wheel with the wheel cover therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.