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US 7,581,794 B1Granted
Bicycle wheel covers
OwnerKere N. Milowinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Bicycle wheel cover assembly includes two identical flat disks. Each disk includes an outside surface, and inside surface that faces spokes, a radially outer edge surface that fits inside wheel rim radially inner surfaces, and a central bore. A plurality of retainer passages pass through the disk and are spaced from the disk radially outer edge. Retainer assemblies include a tubular retainer member axis that is coaxial with the retainer passage. Each tubular member has an anchored end fixed to the disk and a free end extending away from the disk inside surface. A cam plate is fixed to the free end of each tubular member. Each cam plate has slot, and a retainer groove. A ramp surface extends from the slot to the retainer groove. Each retainer passes through two cam plate slots, cams both disks together and is held in a retainer groove.
Claims5
A bicycle wheel cover comprising:
- a first flat plastic disk including a first disk outside surface, a first disk inside surface, a first disk radially outer edge surface, a first disk central bore, and a plurality of first disk retainer passages through the first flat plastic disk spaced apart from each other and spaced radially inward an equal distance from the first disk radially outer edge surface;
- a plurality of first tubular retainer members each of which has a first tubular member axis, that is coaxial with one of the plurality of first disk retainer passages, has an anchored end fixed to the first flat plastic disk, extends away from the first disk inside surface and has a first tubular retainer free end;
- a plurality of first cam plates each of which is fixed to the first tubular retainer free end of one of the plurality of first tubular retainer members, a first slot passing through each of the first cam plates, a ramp surface on each of the first cam plates that extends from an edge of the first slot axially, relative to the tubular member axis, toward the anchored end to the first plastic disk and to a first retainer holder groove in the first cam plate;
- a second flat plastic disk including a second disk outside surface, a second disk inside surface, a second disk radially outer edge surface, a second disk central bore, and a plurality of second disk retainer passages through the second flat plastic disk spaced apart from each other and spaced radially inward and equal distance from the second disk radially outer edge surface;
- a plurality of second tubular retainer members each of which has a second tubular member axis, that is coaxial with one of the plurality of second disk retainer passages, has an anchored end fixed to the second flat plastic disk, extends away from the second disk inside surface and has a second tubular retainer free end;
- a plurality of second cam plates each of which is fixed to the second tubular retainer free end of one of the plurality of second tubular retainer members, a second slot passing through each of the second cam plates, a ramp surface on each of the second cam plates that extends from an edge of the second slot axially, relative to the tubular member axis, toward the anchored end fixed to the second flat plastic disk and to a second retainer holder groove in the second cam plate;
- a plurality of J-shaped retainers each of which has a shank portion, a cylindrical portion integral with one end of the shank portion, a retainer arm integral with a shank free end of the shank portion and a ramp follower surface on the retainer arm;
- and
- wherein during use, the retainer arm and the shank free end of each of the plurality of retainers extends through the first slot and the second slot in a selected direction, the ramp follower surface is received in one of the first and second retainer holder grooves, cams the first radially outer edge surface toward the second radially outer edge surface, deform the first and second flat plastic disks toward a truncated conical shape and secures the first and second flat plastic disks to each other.
6 more elements
A bicycle wheel cover comprising:
- a first flat plastic disk including a disk outside surface, a disk inside surface, a disk radially outer edge surface, a disk central bore, and a plurality of retainer passages through the first plastic disk spaced apart from each other and spaced radially inward an equal distance from the disk radially outer edge surface;
- a plurality of tubular, truncated conical members each of which has a conical member axis that is coaxial with one of the plurality of retainer passages through the first disk, a large diameter open end of each tubular truncated conical member fixed to the first flat plastic disk, a small diameter end of each tubular truncated conical member extending inward from the disk inside surface, a cam plate member closing the small diameter end of each tubular truncated member and having a slot passing through the cam plate member with a slot inboard end that is an arc about the conical member axis and wherein the slot extends from the slot inboard end to a slot outboard end, a ramp surface on the cam plate member extending from the slot axially relative to the conical member axis toward the disk outside surface and in an arc about the conical member axis to a radially extending retainer groove in the cam plate member;
- a second flat plastic disk including a second disk outside surface, a second disk inside surface, a second disk radially outer edge surface, a second disk central bore, and a plurality of second disk retainer passages through the second plastic disk spaced apart from each other and spaced radially inward an equal distance from the disk radially outer edge surface;
- a plurality of second disk tubular truncated conical members each of which has a conical member axis that is coaxial with one of the plurality of second disk retainer passages through the second disk, a large diameter open end of each of the truncated conical member fixed to the second flat plastic disk, a small diameter end of each of the plurality of second disk truncated conical members extending inward from the second disk inside surface, a second disk cam plate member closing the small diameter end of each of the second disk tubular truncated conical members and having a second slot passing through the second disk cam plate member with a second slot inboard end that is an arc about the second conical member axis and wherein the second slot extends from the second slot inboard end to a second slot outboard end, a ramp surface on the second disk cam plate member extending from second the slot axially relative to the conical member axis toward the second disk outside surface and in an arc about the conical member axis to a radially extending retainer groove in the second cam plate member;
- a plurality of J-shaped retainers each of which includes a shank portion, a cylindrical portion integral with one end of the shank portion, a cylindrical portion inside surface that is transverse to the shank portion, an outside surface of the cylindrical portion including an engagement surface that facilitates manual rotation of the cylindrical potion, a retainer arm integral with and extending radially outward from a shank free end of the shank portion, a ramp surface follower on the retainer arm with a ramp engaging surface that faces toward the cylindrical portion inside surface of the retainer;
- and
- wherein the first flat plastic disk and the second flat plastic disk are position adjacent to each other with the plurality of first disk tubular truncated conical members and the plurality of second disk tubular truncated conical members projecting toward each other and between wheel spokes, the retainer arm and the shank free end of each of the plurality of retainers extends through the first slot through the first disk cam plate and the second slot through the second disk cam plate in a selected direction, the ramp follower surface is received in one of the first and second retainer holder grooves, the first radially outer edge surface urged toward the second radially outer edge surface and deform the first and second flat plastic disks toward a truncated conical shape, and secure the first and second flat plastic disks to each other.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.