US 6,361,121 B1 · Plastic wheel assembly and improved mounting sleeve therefor

Abstract

A plastic wheel (22, 122) and wheel mounting sleeve (27, 27a, 127) used to releasably secure the wheel (22, 122) onto an axle (23, 123). The wheel mounting sleeve (27, 27a, 127) preferably includes a resilient, radially displaceable, axially extending, cantilevered finger (46, 146) which includes an axle-engaging lug (55, 155), while a wheel-engaging shoulder is provided on an annular rib 101, 201. The respective sleeve shoulders cooperate with oppositely facing shoulders on the wheel so as to latch the sleeve (27, 127) to the axle (23, 123) and the wheel (22, 122) to the sleeve (27, 127). The sleeve (27, 127) and sleeve-receiving bore (39a, 39b, 139a, 139b) are radially inwardly stepped on the inner side (66, 166) as compared to the outer side (67, 167) of the wheel. Assembly can be accomplished without any tools, and a pointed tool can be used to puncture a skin (195) in a passageway (191) so as to enable release of the sleeve (27, 127) and wheel (22, 122) from the axle (23, 123).

Claims22

Dependent claims

In a wheel mounting sleeve including a sleeve body having an inner end and an outer end and formed and dimensioned for mounting through wheel bearing bore in a wheel and into telescoped relation over an axle, said sleeve having at least one axle-engaging shoulder thereon retaining said sleeve on said axle and at least one wheel-engaging shoulder thereon retaining said wheel on said sleeve, the improvement comprising:

said sleeve body being formed with at least one resilient, radially displaceable, axially extending, cantilevered finger, said axle-engaging shoulder extending radially inwardly from said finger proximate said outer end of said sleeve and said wheel-engaging shoulder being an annular radially outwardly projecting rib proximate said inner end of said sleeve, and said inner end of said sleeve being formed with at least one slot therein extending from said inner end toward said outer end by a distance sufficient to enable inward flexing of said rib for mounting to said wheel.

A wheel assembly comprising:

an axle having a circumferentially extending notch proximate and inwardly of an axially outer end thereof;
a wheel having a central wheel bearing bore therein with a large diameter portion proximate an outer side thereof and a small diameter portion proximate an inner side thereof, said small diameter portion further being formed with a radially outwardly stepped annular recess proximate said inner side;
and
a wheel mounting sleeve having a body formed with a bore therethrough dimensioned for, and slidably mounted over, said axle;
said body being radially stepped along its length and having an inner diameter end formed for, and slidably inserted into, said small diameter portion of said wheel bearing bore and having an outer diameter formed for, and slidably inserted into, said large diameter portion of wheel bearing bore;
said body further being formed with a resilient, radially displaceable, axially extending, cantilevered finger thereon extending from a middle of said sleeve toward an outer end of said sleeve, said finger having a radially inwardly extending axle-engaging shoulder thereon mounted in said notch and engaging said axle;
and an annular rib projecting outwardly from said inner end of said sleeve matingly received in said annular recess in said small diameter portion of said wheel bearing bore.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Plastic wheel assembly and improved mounting sleeve therefor

Life of this patent

Plastic wheel assembly and improved mounting sleeve therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22