Wheel cover assembly
AssigneeTextron Automotive Company Inc.
InventorLawrence C. Ladouceur
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wheel cover is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings corresponding in number and arrangement to the wheel studs of a vehicle wheel. A decorative cap member is provided in each opening for threaded engagement with external screw threads of the vehicle's lug nuts to secure the wheel cover on the wheel. A retainer member is mounted on the inner end of each cap member presenting a radially outwardly extending shoulder that prevents the cap members from being separated from the wheel cover once installed. The retainer members further act between the cap members and their lug nuts in such manner as to hold the cap members securely but releasably against unthreading from the lug nuts during normal use.
Claims6
A wheel cover assembly for covering the wheel of an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- a decorative cover member having a plurality of openings to receive exteriorly threaded lug nuts of the wheel and mounting flanges with an axially inner surface on said cover member surrounding said openings;
- a cap member provided in each of said openings having an axially inner end open to receive an associated one of the lug nuts threadably into the cap member by a forward rotation of said cap relative to said lug nut, an opposite axially outer end that is closed, and a mounting shoulder;
- and
- a retainer member mounted on each of said cap members adjacent said axially inner end thereof having a retaining shoulder projecting radially outwardly of each of said cap members in axially spaced relation to said mounting shoulder of said cap members permitting both axial and rotational movement of each of said cap members relative to said cover member while preventing separation of said cap members from said cover member by engagement of said retaining shoulder with said axially inner surface of said cover member, and an anti-removal portion on said retainer member acting between said cap members and their respective lug nuts to releasably secure said cap members against reverse rotation relative to the lug nuts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.