Wheel cover attachment system
AssigneeDicor Corporation
InventorsJohn A. Price, Long C. Hsu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for mounting decorative wheel covers uses an adaptor or the like for frictionally engaging the outer periphery of one or more standard lug nuts, without affecting the seat of the lug nut to the wheel. The adaptor further includes a threaded member cooperating with apertures in the wheel cover or similar structure for attaching a decorative wheel cover. Specialized bushings may be sued with the adaptors to provide a universal mounting system adaptable for use with a plurality of differently-sized lug nuts. Unitary or multiple-piece wheel covers may be used in conjunction with the mounting adaptors provided. Various ways of inhibiting or preventing relative rotation between wheel cover elements and a wheel are provided in the different embodiments.
Claims22
A decorative wheel cover system comprising, in combination:
- a wheel cover element;
- and
- means for mounting the wheel cover element for rotation with a wheel of a vehicle,
- said means for mounting comprising means for securely frictionally engaging at least a portion of the outer periphery of a standard vehicle wheel lug nut,
- said frictional engaging means including means to selectively cause sufficient friction between said portion of the outer periphery of the lug nut and said frictional engaging means to cause said frictional engaging means to be removably secured to said lug nut.
A method of attaching decorative wheel covers to wheels secured to a vehicle by lug nuts, comprising the steps of:
- removably attaching a mounting adaptor to a lug nut by securely frictionally engaging the adaptor to at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the lug nut by tightening a set screw to cause frictional contact with the lug nut;
- and
- attaching at least a portion of the wheel cover to the adaptor.
A method of attaching decorative wheel covers to wheels secured to a vehicle by lug nuts, comprising the steps of:
- removably attaching a mounting adaptor to a lug nut by securely frictionally engaging the adaptor to at least one flat peripheral surface of the lug nut;
- and
- attaching at least a portion of the wheel cover to the adaptor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.