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US 6,783,189 B1Granted
Wheel cover with noise abatement ring
AssigneeZanini Tennessee, Inc.
InventorsMartin E. Russell, Richard McClanahan
Life of this patent
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AssigneeZanini Tennessee, Inc.
InventorsMartin E. Russell, Richard McClanahan
Estimating the term…
A noise abatement ring having a low coefficient of friction is captured in an annular channel on the inner face of a wheel cover and abuts a vehicle wheel when the wheel cover is mounted to the wheel. The wheel cover is assembled by registering radial tabs formed on a wall of the channel and spaced from the base of the channel with notches formed in the ring and seating the ring into the channel. Thereafter, the ring is rotated relative to the wheel cover into a captive position, wherein the tabs and notches are no longer registered and with the tabs overlying reduced thickness stepped portions of the ring. A leaf spring latch, formed in one piece with the ring, seats into a detent on the inner face of the wheel cover to prevent rotation of the ring from the captive position.
A wheel cover suitable for mounting to a vehicle wheel, the wheel cover having a circular body, an outer face and an inner face, a retention system for mounting to the vehicle wheel, an annular channel formed on the inner face, a hard, durable, annular noise abatement ring captively retained in the channel, and a plurality of radial tabs engaging portions of the ring, the noise abatement ring having a slippery contact face, whereby when the wheel cover is mounted to the vehicle wheel, the slippery contact face is in registration with wheel contact surfaces for abatement of noises which would otherwise be generated upon relative movement between the vehicle wheel and the wheel cover.
A method of providing substantially squeak free engagement between a wheel cover and a vehicle wheel wherein relative movement between the vehicle wheel and the wheel cover occurs during vehicle operation, the method comprising the steps of:
A wheel cover for a vehicle wheel, the wheel cover having a circular body, an outer face, an inner face, a retention system for mounting to the vehicle wheel and an annular channel formed on the inner face, the wheel cover further including a noise abatement ring, the noise abatement ring having a slippery contact surface for engagement with a wheel rim of the vehicle wheel, the contact surface having a coefficient of friction not greater than 0.3, by inclined plane test, and a hardness in the order of R 120, the noise abatement ring being seated in the channel with a plurality of tabs overlying portions of the ring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.