Patent Application
20070167273
This invention relates to wheel covers and more particularly to wheel covers that are capable of spinning relative to the associated wheel.
Wheel covers and caps can be attached to exposed automobile wheel hubs for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, aesthetic enhancement and providing an opportunity to identify the brand of the automotive vehicle. There has been a desire to provide dynamic wheel covers with various spinners and the like to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the wheels and associated vehicle through movement, perceived movement, and optical illusion. Heretofore the speed, direction and/or momentum of such spinners has been limited.
Disclosed herein is a wheel cover assembly adapted to be connected to a motor vehicle wheel. The wheel cover assembly includes a wheel cover and a mechanism operative in response to rotation of the wheel to rotate the wheel cover in a direction opposite to the direction of the rotation of the wheel. The mechanism may include a ring gear connected to the wheel cover and at least one gear operatively connected to the ring gear and impeded by at least one impedance device.
The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
Disclosed herein is a wheel cover assembly adapted to be attached to a motor vehicle wheel. The wheel cover assembly includes a wheel cover and a mechanism operative in response to the rotation of the wheel to rotate the wheel in a direction opposite the direction of the rotation of the motor vehicle wheel. The mechanism operative in response to wheel rotation may include a ring gear fixed to the wheel cover and at least one intermediate gear intermeshed with the ring gear and connected to the motor vehicle wheel. The mechanism may also include at least one movement impedance device connected to the intermediate gear. The movement impedance device regulates planetary movement of the intermediate gear relative to the ring gear.
The mechanism operative in response to wheel rotation may include a planetary gear assembly including a sun gear, a planet gear or gears, in addition to the ring gear. A ballast can be connected to the planetary gear assembly so that the planetary gear assembly operates to rotate the wheel cover in response to rotation of the wheel with cover rotation proceeding in a direction opposed to wheel rotation. The ballast can be configured to impede planetary movement of the planet gear or gears about the sun gear. The wheel cover assembly can include a carrier plate interconnecting the planet gears and the ballast operative to anchor the carrier plate to preclude orbiting of the planet gear or gears about the sun gear in response to rotation of the sun gear by the wheel. This generates rotation of the ring gear and the wheel cover in a direction opposite to the direction of wheel rotation. Where desired or required the carrier plate may comprise a unitary plate member mounting a plurality of pivot shafts journaling the planet gears.
The planetary gear assembly as disclosed herein can further include a central shaft aligned with the central axis of the wheel. The sun gear can be fixedly mounted on the central shaft; and the carrier plate can be journaled on the central shaft. The wheel cover can also be journaled on the central shaft. The ring gear may be defined by an internally geared ring member.
The wheel cover may include a central hub journaled on the central shaft and a plurality of circumferentially spaced spokes emanating from the central hub.
One embodiment of a wheel cover assembly 10 as disclosed herein is depicted in
As seen in
As depicted in
Sun gear 20 is fixedly secured on shaft 18c outboard of planet carrier plate 22. A planet gear 24 is journaled on each planet shaft 22d and meshingly engages sun gear 20.
Ring gear 25 defines gear teeth 25a meshingly engaging the outer peripheries of planet gears 24.
Wheel cover 26 includes a central hub portion 32 and an outer portion such as a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending spokes 34 extending radially outwardly from hub 32. Wheel cover 26 is fixedly secured to ring gear 25. In the configuration depicted in the drawing figures, it is contemplated that one or more radially extending spokes 34 are secured to ring gear 25. Hub portion 32 is journaled on the outboard end of attachment plate shaft 18c via a bearing 36 and is precluded from axial movement relative to the shaft by a clip 38. A cap 40 secured to the outboard end of shaft of 18c cosmetically completes the wheel assembly.
The wheel cover assembly is mounted on vehicle hub 14 by removing cap nuts 17, passing the apertures 18d in attachment plate 18 over respective studs 16, and reinstalling cap nuts 17.
In operation, wheel cover 26 is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the wheel. As depicted in
The wheel cover assembly seen in the alternate embodiment of
The wheel cover disclosed herein provides a simple and inexpensive way of creating a striking visual effect at each wheel of the vehicle with the wheel cover rotating rearwardly in response to the forward movement of the vehicle and forwardly in response to rearward movement of the vehicle.
It is contemplated that rotational speed of the wheel cover 26 can be varied by selective variation of the sizes of the sun, planet, and ring gears. One nonlimiting example of an effective combination incorporates a one inch (1″) diameter sun gear, two inch (2″) diameter planet gears, and a five inch (5″) inside diameter ring gear, Providing a five to one reduction ratio of the wheel cover rotational speed as compared to the rotational speed of the associated wheel. Other suitable reduction ratios can be utilized herein.
It is also contemplated that the device disclosed herein can be configured as a motor vehicle wheel assembly 28 that generally includes wheel rim 12 having a central aperture and a plurality of mounting apertures around the central aperture and a carrier plate 22 attached to the wheel rim 12. The rim 12 and counterplate 22 can be configured to receive studs on the hub plate 22 and include a wheel cover 26 and a mechanism to rotate the wheel cover in a direction opposed to rotation of the motor vehicle wheel.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.
