Wheels for non-motorized vehicles
AssigneeGatekeeper Systems, Inc.
InventorJohn C. McKay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wheel for a non-motorized vehicle (e.g., a shopping cart) can include a housing assembly and a tread assembly. The housing assembly can be configured to sealingly house electronics or other components. The tread assembly can removably mate with the housing assembly such that the electronics or other components remain closed and/or sealed within the housing assembly when the tread assembly is mated or unmated with the housing assembly.
Claims28
A wheel for a human-propelled cart, the wheel having a first axial side and a second axial side and being configured to rotate about an axial axis, the wheel comprising:
- a hub comprising:
- a plurality of radially outwardly-extending portions;
- a plurality of openings;
- a sealed inner cavity;
- and
- an electrical component located in the cavity;
- a tread assembly configured to receive a portion of the hub via the second axial side, the tread assembly comprising:
- a frame comprising:
- a radially outer surface;
- a radially inner surface having a plurality of recesses, the recesses each receiving a corresponding one of the radially outwardly-extending portions of the hub;
- and
- a plurality of holes, each one of the plurality of holes of the frame being circumferentially aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the hub to form aligned hole-and-opening pairs;
- and
- a tread engaged with the radially outer surface of the frame, the tread configured to contact a surface on which the wheel is configured to roll;
- and
- a plurality of fasteners coupling the hub and the tread assembly, each one of the plurality of fasteners being received in a corresponding one of the aligned hole-and-opening pairs, each of the plurality of fasteners comprising:
- a head end configured to engage a fastener removal tool via the first axial side of the wheel;
- and
- a working end opposite the head end, the working end being received in the hole of the corresponding aligned hole-and-opening pair.
A wheel for a non-motor-propelled vehicle, the wheel configured to rotate about an axial axis, the wheel comprising:
- an annular tread configured to contact a surface on which the wheel is configured to roll;
- a frame received in the tread and configured to provide structural support to the tread, the frame comprising a threaded engaging hole;
- a hub received in the frame and configured to be removable from the frame in a direction parallel with the axial axis, the hub comprising:
- a sealed inner cavity;
- an electrical component in the sealed inner cavity;
- and
- a flange comprising an axial thickness and a through hole extending through the axial thickness;
- a fastener connecting the hub and the frame, the fastener comprising a head end and a working end opposite the head end, wherein:
- the fastener extends through the through hole in the flange of the hub such that the head end is on a first axial side of the flange and the working end is on a second axial side of the flange;
- and
- the working end is received and retained inside the threaded engaging hole of the frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.