Patent Application
20210268367
The present invention relates to an anodized metal light emitting wheel hub. The wheel hub is for wheels used in roller skates, in-line roller skates, wheel chairs and like apparatuses.
There are a number of light emitting wheel hubs that use compact generators positioned or embedded in a wheel hub to generate electricity for light emitting device of the wheel. Examples these light emitting wheels can be found in in U.S. Pat. No. 9,073,479 B2 (Kwon), U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,398,395, 5,580,093, 7,905,641, 9,188,295, KR 100379183B1, KR 19990078816A, KR 2008005618A. Typically, the armature assembly or yoke of the compact generator is positioned or embedded in the wheel hub of the wheel that rotates around a permanent magnet positioned on the wheel axle.
Typically, an electrically non-conductive polymer resin or plastic is injection molded around the armature assembly to form a wheel hub. The light emitting device can be a conductive plate or printed circuit board bearing light emitting element such as a LED (light emitting diode), which is connected to the wheel hub to form a wheel hub assembly such as shown in the Kwon.
Light emitting plastic or polymer wheel hubs have limited durability especially when subjected to harsh conditions such as rough roads or surfaces and extreme use conditions. Metal hubs on the other hand provides desired the strength, toughness and durability but has not been used in light emitting wheel hub due to electrical conductivity of metal and/or complexity and costs to provide electrically insulative environment necessary to house the electrical components of the compact generator of the wheel hub and light emitting device.
Metal wheel hubs have not been successfully used for wheel hubs having built-in electrically operated display devices such as light emitting wheel hubs because of the electrical conductivity of the metal that could short out the electrical components of the light emitting wheel. The presently disclosed invention achieves the strength, toughness and durability of metal in light emitting wheel hubs not possible with polymer or resin wheel hubs. It is accomplished by anodizing aluminum or aluminum alloy wheel hub to sufficient thickness to achieve electrically insulative property. The anodized surface also advantageously allows it to be printed and/or dyed different colors and colored patterns. The aluminum or aluminum alloy wheel hub is anodized by well-known methods to a thickness sufficient to provide an electrically insulative surface when in contact with the compact generator. Anodizing also greatly improves corrosion resistance and wear characteristics of the wheel hub.
The present inventive wheel hub allow for a much larger diameter wheel hub for use in larger diameter wheel that was not hereto before possible with polymer wheel hubs. The extra strength and toughness of metal allows the light emitting wheel hub to be used in rough and demanding conditions found on rough terrain and especially extreme conditions for aggressive skates used in trick maneuvers.
The inventive method of making the present wheel hub is simple and requires no complex steps to electrically isolate the electrical components of the wheel hub. The wheel hub is formed from two separate halves. The halves can be cast or machined/milled from metal stock using, for example, computer numeric controlled machine. The halves are anodized to sufficient thickness to provide the desired non electrical conductive surface.
The present invention can use the compact generator disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,073,479 (Kwon) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,395 (Hyun) both herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. The presently disclosed inventive anodized wheel hub can be adapted to accept other types of compact generators.
The present invention utilizes wheel hub 10 of aluminum or aluminum alloy that has been anodized to sufficient thickness, up to 2 to 2.5 mils (see for example Mil-A-8625 Type III hard anodic coating) to make it electrically insulative to prevent short circuiting electric devices contained in the wheel hub. The wheel hub comprises 2 panels, 22 and 23, each of which are anodized. The panels are secured together for example by using screws passing through or threaded through screw holes 1,2, and 38-43, 45, 47-51. Diameters of screw holes 38 and 39 in front panel and screw holes 45 and 47 in rear panel 23 are shown prior to assembling and are a smaller diameter than screw holes 2 in rear panel 23 and front panel 22, respectively because screws passing through the smaller diameter holes will screw in tighter. Other known means can be used to secure the two panels together. The wheel hubs panels have annular shoulders 26 and 27 for retaining ring type armature assembly 3 and channels 28 and 29 extending from the inner space holding the armature assembly.
In one preferred embodiment, channels 28 and 29 of panel 22 are offset from and do not mate with channels 34 and 35 of rear panel 23. The offset can be seen in the position of armature arms 6 and 7 in
The display opening or recess in the outer rim of the wheel hub is covered by transparent or translucent caps 53 and 54 that seals the light emitting devices in the display opening as shown for example in
The present wheel hub can be used for small diameter wheels, e.g., 40 mm and larger diameter wheels to 145 mm or more. The inventive wheel hub can be used in strollers, roller skates, in-line roller skates, skate boards and aggressive skate wheels. It can also be used in large diameter wheels for wheel chairs. It is understood various modifications and variations of the present invention such as material of construction, arrangement of light emitting devices, electrical and magnetic materials and elements are within the purview of the present invention.
