Illuminated vehicle wheel
OwnerMark L. Beckerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lighting module has axial screws that extend axially rearwardly from a rearward surface of the module base and are respectively received in hollow screw bores extending axially rearwardly from a module mounting face of a vehicle wheel. A wheel that receives the lighting module has an axially inwardly facing sidewall into which are formed plural hollow bolt receivers. For each such bolt receiver, a keyed lock assembly having a radial bolt is provided within the body of the module. The bolt is operable to extend radially outwardly through a module bolt hole to a locked position within a respective wheel rim bolt receiver, locking the module to the wheel, and to be retracted radially inwardly to an unlocked position. A transparent cover of the lighting module protects plural LEDs mounted on a forward face of a circuit board.
Claims19
An illuminated wheel comprising:
- a wheel rim having a front face and arranged around an axis, a sidewall of the rim inwardly facing the axis, a lighting module seating surface formed in the front face of the rim and at an angle to the axis and disposed radially inwardly from the sidewall of the rim, a plurality of module attachment bores formed in parallel to the axis and axially rearwardly extending from the lighting module seating surface, the module attachment bores spaced apart from each other, a plurality of hollow bolt receivers formed in the sidewall of the rim to extend radially outwardly therefrom and to be angularly spaced apart from each other around the axis;
- and
- a lighting module formed around the axis and having a base with a rear surface, a plurality of module attachment screws having respective ends extending axially rearwardly from the rear surface of the base to be received in respective ones of the module attachment bores, at least one sidewall of the lighting module extending axially forwardly from the rear surface of the base, a plurality of hollow bolt holes formed in the lighting module sidewall to be angularly spaced apart from each other around the axis, for each bolt hole, a bolt slidably housed in the bolt hole and having an outer radial end, the bolt operable to extend in a direction away from the axis so that the outer radial end of the bolt is disposed within a respective bolt receiver of the wheel rim so as to assume a locked position, the bolt operable to retract in a direction toward the axis so that the outer radial end of the bolt is disposed radially inwardly from the respective bolt receiver, thereby assuming an unlocked position.
A lighting module for attachment to a vehicle wheel, the lighting module comprising:
- a base formed at an angle to a wheel axis, the base having an axially rearward surface, the module further having at least one sidewall extending axially forwardly from the rearward surface, said at least one sidewall having a radially outward surface;
- a plurality of module attachment screws each having ends that extend rearwardly from the rearward surface of the base in parallel to the axis, the module attachment screws being angularly spaced apart from each other around the axis;
- a plurality of bolt holes formed in said at least one module sidewall, the bolt holes being angularly spaced apart from each other, for each bolt hole, a respective bolt received in the bolt hole and having a radially outer end, each bolt operable to extend its outer end beyond the outward surface of the module sidewall and engage structure in the vehicle wheel to assume a locked position, each bolt operable to retract its outer end radially inwardly to assume an unlocked position;
- an electronic circuit board affixed to the base and having a rearward side and a forward side disposed in opposition to the base, a plurality of light emitting diodes affixed to the forward side of the electronic circuit board;
- and
- a transparent cover affixed to the base and covering the forward side of the electronic circuit board.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.