Wheel cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9375979-B2
Application number	US-201214127785-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2012
Priority date	Jun 23, 2011
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

When removing a wheel cover from a wheel, force in an inner peripheral direction is applied to one end portion of an engaging member. The engaging member pivots (including elastically deforms) about the other end portion, such that an engaging protruding portion pivots and comes away from an engagable protruding portion. As a result, a center attaching portion is able to be removed from an ornament receiving hole, thus enabling the wheel cover to be removed from the wheel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wheel cover that covers at least a portion of an outside of a wheel, comprising:
a cover main body that has an annular shape; and
a cover attaching portion that attaches the cover main body to the wheel by being attached to the wheel on an inner peripheral side of the cover main body,
wherein the cover attaching portion includes a) a plurality of engaging members, each of which has an engaging portion that selectively engages with an engagable portion of the wheel, the plurality of engaging members extending in a direction that includes a component of a direction parallel to an axis of the cover attaching portion, and b) an engaging member retaining portion that holds the plurality of engaging members to the cover attaching portion at the other end portion of each of the engaging members, in a state where the engaging portion of each of the engaging members is separated from the engagable portion of the wheel when force in a direction intersecting the axis is applied to one end portion of each of the plurality of engaging members,
wherein the cover attaching portion includes at least one guide member that extends in a direction parallel to the axis;
the cover attaching portion is inserted into an insertion hole of the wheel provided along a center axis of the wheel;
the at least one guide member includes a) a guide portion main body, and b) a force receiving portion that is provided protruding radially outward on the guide portion main body, and that has an abutting surface that abuts against an inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole, when the cover attaching portion is inserted into the insertion hole; and
the cover main body and the cover attaching portion are two distinct elements.

2. The wheel cover according to claim 1 , wherein:
the engagable portion of the wheel includes an engagable protruding portion provided on an inner peripheral surface of an insertion hole provided along a center axis of the wheel;
the cover attaching portion is a center attaching portion that attaches the cover main body to the wheel by being inserted into the insertion hole; and
the plurality of engaging members each has an engaging protruding portion as the engaging portion provided in a state opposing at least a portion of the engagable protruding portion.

3. The wheel cover according to claim 2 , wherein:
each of the plurality of engaging members has a shape that extends parallel to the axis, and the engaging members are provided separated from each other in a circumferential direction; and
the engaging member retaining portion holds the plurality of engaging members to the cover attaching portion at the other end portion, on an inner peripheral side of the plurality of engaging members, and is a rigid retaining portion that forms a structure that is harder to deform in a radial direction of the cover attaching portion than the plurality of engaging members are.

4. The wheel cover according to claim 2 , wherein:
the center attaching portion has a pair of the engaging members that oppose each other;
the pair of engaging members each has a curved shape;
the one end portion is positioned to an inner peripheral side of the other end portion; and
the engaging member retaining portion retains the pair of engaging members at the other end portion.

5. The wheel cover according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of engaging members includes at least two engaging protruding portions provided separated by a gap in a circumferential direction, the engaging protruding portion serving as the engaging portion.

6. The wheel cover according to claim 5 , wherein:
each of the plurality of engaging members includes a pair of the engaging protruding portions; and
each of the pair of engaging protruding portions has a shape in which, on an outer peripheral edge of the engaging protruding portions, a distance, from the axis, of an end portion on a side opposite a side where the pair of engaging protruding portions are close together is greater than a distance, from the axis, of an end portion on the side where the pair of engaging protruding portions are close together.

7. The wheel cover according to claim 1 , wherein:
the engagable portion of the wheel includes an engagable protruding portion provided on an inner peripheral surface of an insertion hole provided along a center axis of the wheel; and
each of the plurality of engaging members includes i) an engaging protruding portion that selectively engages with the engagable protruding portion, and ii) an abutting surface that abuts against the inner peripheral surface.

8. The wheel cover according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one guide member includes a sloped surface that is sloped in a direction extending farther radially outward toward an outside of the wheel, when the wheel cover is attached to the wheel.

9. The wheel cover according to claim 1 , wherein the cover attaching portion includes i) a plurality of the guide members, ii) a guide connecting member that connects the plurality of guide members together, and iii) a reinforcing member that is provided on the guide connecting member and inhibits deformation in a radial direction of the cover attaching portion.

10. The wheel cover according to claim 1 , wherein:
the wheel includes a tire, and a tire retaining portion that retains the tire; and the cover main body has a shape that abuts against the tire when the cover main body is attached to the wheel by the cover attaching portion.

11. The wheel cover according to claim 10 , wherein an outer peripheral edge of the cover main body has a curved portion that abuts against the tire.

12. The wheel cover according to claim 1 , wherein the cover main body includes at least one depression formed in a middle portion in a radial direction of the cover main body, and an annular concavo-convex portion provided on an outer peripheral side of the at least one depression.

13. The wheel cover according to claim 12 , wherein the annular concavo-convex portion is provided on the outer peripheral side of a position that is ⅓ a length in the radial direction of the cover main body from the outer peripheral edge of the cover main body.

14. The wheel cover according to claim 1 , wherein the cover main body includes a plurality of linear concavo-convex portions that extend in a radial direction of the cover main body.

15. The wheel cover according to claim 14 , wherein the cover main body includes a plurality of arc-shaped concavo-convex portions, each provided aligned in a circumferential direction, between the plurality of linear concavo-convex portions that extend in the radial direction of the cover main body.

16. The wheel cover according to claim 1 , wherein:
the cover main body includes i) a plurality of inner peripheral side short concavo-convex portions that extend linearly in a radial direction of the cover main body, from an inner peripheral portion to a middle portion, and ii) a plurality of outer peripheral side short concavo-convex portions that extend linearly in the radial direction of the cover main body, from the middle portion to an outer peripheral portion; and
the number of the outer peripheral side short concavo-convex portions is equal to or less than the number of the inner peripheral side short concavo-convex portions, and the outer peripheral side short concavo-convex portions and the inner peripheral side short concavo-convex portions are provided in the same phase.

17. The wheel cover according to claim 1 , wherein the wheel cover includes a relative rotation inhibiting por

Assignees

• KARASHIMA Yuta
• Abe Kenji
• Sasagawa Masatsugu
• Tetsuda Toshiyuki
• Tsurubuchi Satoru
• Kume Tomoaki
• Noji Yasuo
• Kuraoka Yasuhiro
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Plamac Co Ltd

Inventors

• KARASHIMA Yuta
• Abe Kenji
• Sasagawa Masatsugu
• Tetsuda Toshiyuki
• Tsurubuchi Satoru
• Kume Tomoaki
• Noji Yasuo
• Kuraoka Yasuhiro

Classifications

• B60B7/066

  to the hub · CPC title

• B60B7/18

  simulating spoked or wire wheel · CPC title

• B60B7/06 Primary

  Fastening arrangements therefor (B60B7/01, B60B7/20 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60B7/08

  having gripping elements consisting of formations integral with the cover · CPC title

• B60B7/00 Primary

  Wheel cover discs, rings, or the like, for ornamenting, protecting {, venting,} or obscuring, wholly or in part, the wheel body, rim, hub, or tyre sidewall {, e.g. wheel cover discs, wheel cover discs with cooling fins (wheels with cooling fins not provided on the wheel cover disc B60B19/10; apparatus or tools for removing or attaching cover discs hub caps or the like B60B31/06)} · CPC title