# US 8,783,788 B2 · Method of covering a wheel for decoration, streamlining, or advertising display, and a flexible wheel cover therefor

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- Number: US 8,783,788 B2
- Document ID: US8783788B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/440,726
- Filed: 2007-09-11
- Published: 2011-05-05
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2006-09-11
- Assignees: Moochout LLC
- Applicants: Jonathan E Fleck
- Inventors: Jonathan E Fleck
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783788B2

## CPC

- B60B 7/12: comprising an annular spring or gripping element mounted on the cover (B60B7/08 takes precedence)
- Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining
- B60B: VEHICLE WHEELS (making wheels or wheel parts by rolling B21H1/00, by forging, hammering or pressing B21K1/28); CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A method and apparatus (10) is disclosed for covering a cavity (11) of a wheel of a long-haul tractor-trailer, truck or the like for decoration, streamlining, and/or advertising display. Such wheels have a face, a rim, the interior of the rim defining the cavity, a boss (30) on the rim having a relatively smaller diameter and spaced from the face. The disclosed method includes providing a device (10) comprising a generally flat cover portion sized to cover the outwardly facing opening of the wheel cavity, an opening through the device, and a releasable fastener (15) for selectively closing the opening through the device, and an attachment system (12) that is sized to extend axially across the boss of the wheel to the covered, accessing the attachment system through the opening, positioning the attachment system over the boss of the wheel by way of the opening, and closing the opening, such that the cover portion closes substantially all the outwardly facing opening of the wheel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for covering a wheel cavity of a wheel of a vehicle, the wheel having a face, a rim having a rim interior defining the wheel cavity, and a drop center on the rim having a drop center diameter less than a diameter of the wheel; the method comprising:
providing a cover device, the cover device comprising:
a generally flat cover portion to cover an opening of the wheel cavity, the opening facing outward from the vehicle along an axis of the wheel;
an attachment system to engage the rim interior, where the attachment system extends axially across the drop center portion; and
a releasable fastener for securing the cover portion to the attachment system;
positioning the attachment system within the wheel cavity; and
attaching the cover portion to the attachment system with the releasable fastener, such that the cover portion covers substantially all of the outward facing opening of the wheel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the generally flat cover portion comprises a flexible lamina and has a generally circular periphery, and wherein attaching the cover portion to the attachment system with the releasable fastener comprises:
engaging the releasable fastener to the cover portion; and
translating the releasable fastener about the circular periphery of the cover portion to engage the circular periphery of the cover to the attachment system.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the releasable fastener is a zipper.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the releasable fastener is a hook and loop fastener.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein positioning the attachment system within the wheel cavity further comprises;
inserting the attachment system into the wheel cavity; and
extending the attachment system axially across the drop center portion by maneuvering one or more tabs engaged to the attachment system.

### Claim 6

A device for covering an axially-outwardly facing cavity of a wheel of a motor vehicle, the device compriing:
a cover portion; and
an attachment system for holding the cover portion over the cavity of the wheel, the attachment system further comprising:
a first generally-circular ring to engage an inner surface of the wheel on a first side of a drop center;
a second generally circular ring to engage the inner surface of the wheel on a second side of the drop center; and
a flexible material engaged to both the first and second rings.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the first ring is configured to engage the inner surface of the wheel cavity at a position proximal to a face of the wheel on an inward side of the drop center and the second ring is configured to engage the inner surface of the wheel cavity at a position opposite the drop center at an outward side of the drop center.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the cover portion is disk shaped, and the device further includes a releasable fastener to attach the cover portion to the attachment device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the cover portion comprises a generally flexible lamina disk and a fastener portion about the periphery of the disk to engage a releasable fastener.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the releasable fastener is a zipper.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the releasable fastener is a hook and loop fastener.

### Claim 12

A device for covering for the cavity of a wheel of a vehicle, the device comprising:
a circular disk of a first textile material having a first releasable fastener portion disposed about the periphery or the disk;
a cylindrical frame assembly to be received in the wheel comprising:
a first flexible ring having a first diameter approximately equal to a first diameter of an inner surface of the wheel;
a second flexible ring having a second diameter approximately equal to a second diameter of the inner surface of the wheel;
a flexible second textile material engaged to the first flexible ring and the second flexible ring, where the second textile material forms a sidewall of the cylindrical frame assembly; and
a second releasable fastener portion engaged to the second textile material about a periphery of the first flexible ring, wherein the first releasable fastener portion is configured to engage the second releasable fastener portion thereby connecting the circular disk to the cylindrical frame assembly.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the first diameter of the inner surface of the wheel is different than the second diameter of the inner surface of the wheel.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the first and second releasable fastener portions form a hook and loop fastener.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the first and second releasable fastener portions form a zipper fastener.

### Claim 16

A device to cover and streamline a wheel of a vehicle, the wheel including a rim for mounting a tire, a wheel face adjacent an inner portion of the rim, and an outer portion of the rim, the wheel face and an inner surface of the wheel defining an open outward facing cavity, the inner surface of the wheel including a boss having an inner diameter less than a first rim diameter at the inner portion of the rim between the face and the boss, the rim also including a tapered portion which tapers inwardly towards a center of the wheel from the outer portion of the rim towards the boss, the device comprising:
a wheel cover configured to cover the cavity of the wheel with an outer perimeter of the wheel cover positioned proximal to the tapered portion and within the cavity or flush with an outer edge of the rim; and
an attachment system releasably engaged to the wheel cover, the attachment system including a first portion configured to engage the inner surface of the wheel at the inner portion of the rim and a flexible material configured to connect the first portion and the wheel cover, the flexible material configured to conform to the inner surface of the wheel and frictionally engage the boss, the flexible material and the boss retaining the outer perimeter of the wheel cover proximal to the tapered portion.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The device for of claim 16, wherein the boss is a drop center.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The device for of claim 16, wherein the first portion is a resilient ring.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The device for of claim 18, wherein the flexible material is a band of textile material engaged to the resilient ring.