Patent Application
20090230369
In a principal aspect the present invention relates to a tool which is designed to facilitate the removal of a center cover of a wheel rim of a motor vehicle, or alternatively, the hub cap cover at the center of a wheel rim.
Many modern motor vehicles include a wheel rim wherein the spokes of the wheels are visible, but the center of the wheel rim, which is attached by lug nuts to a wheel axle, are not exposed, but are, in fact, covered by a center cover. This center cover or hub cover or cap is typically retained on the wheel rim by a detent mechanism which enables snapping of the hub cover onto the wheel rim. Multiple designs of such hub covers, or center covers, are or have been adopted for motor vehicles.
When servicing a vehicle, it is often necessary to remove the wheel, for example, to replace the tire or to have access to the outer end of the axle. As a first step in such servicing, it is typically necessary to remove the hub cover or hub cap. Such removal may be effected by means of the blade of a screwdriver. The blade is used to pry the hub cover from the wheel rim. The utilization of a screwdriver or similar tool may result in scratching of the wheel cover.
There are other specialty tools available in the marketplace which may be used for such a purpose. Typically, for example, center cap removers or wheel cover pullers are available from Ken-Tool, Model Nos. T67, T68, T65, T66 and as a set of such tools. These tools typically utilize a screwdriver type handle which is attached to a rod with a blade fashioned at the end of the rod for engaging and pulling the wheel cover or center cap from a wheel rim. These prior art tools require multiple variations and sizes of such tools in order to achieve the desired capability of providing a cover removal tool which is useful with respect to multiple types of wheel covers or caps. Thus, there has developed the need for an improved center cover or hub cap puller.
Briefly, the present invention comprises a tool for removal of the center cover of a wheel rim. The tool is comprised of a unitary, elongate, generally cylindrical rod having a first hook end and an opposite hook end with a straight connecting cylindrical rod section joining the hook ends. The hook ends are each fashioned with a similar configuration, but have a different size and different orientation. Thus, each hook end is comprised of a series of first and second oppositely radiused bends which terminate with a flat-sided blade extension with an end prong. An important feature of the tool is the universality of the tool inasmuch as the opposite hook ends are appropriately sized and dimensioned and configured to enable utilization of the tool with almost any wheel cover or hub center cover. Additionally, the hook ends and the center connecting section all lie in the same plane though the blades and the end of the hook ends extend in opposite directions. This facilitates manipulation of the tool.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a tool for removal of center caps from wheel rims.
A further object of the invention is to provide a tool which has universal utility in that it is useful with the design of multiple types of center caps and wheel or rim constructions.
Another object of the invention is to provide a center cap which is designed to minimize the possibility of scratching or marring either the rim or the center cap associated with a rim of a motor vehicle wheel.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tool for removal of the center cap or hub cap from a wheel of a motor vehicle which is easy to use, inexpensive, rugged, and highly utilitarian.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.
In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures:
Referring to the figures, the tool of the invention is comprised of a unitary, elongate, generally cylindrical rod. The cylindrical rod includes a first hook end 10, an opposite or second hook end 12, and a connecting section 14 joining the first end 10 and the second end 12. The first end 10 and the second end 12 all lie in a plane or are coplanar with the connecting rod section 14 so that the tool may lay flat on a flat, planar surface when viewed as depicted, for example, in
Thus, the connecting section 14 defines a straight, longitudinal axis 16. The first hook end 10 and second hook end 12 are each formed to include curved sections or curved extensions therefrom. A first curve section 18 of the first hook end 10 has a radius 20 with the center 21 of the first arcuate or curve section 18 beneath or on a first side of the longitudinal axis 16 in
The second curved section 22 extends or merges into a tangential run and generally straight section 28 which has parallel, flat, planar sides generally parallel to a flat plane that would support the tool as positioned in
The structure and dimensions of tips or blades 32 and 35 are an important feature. The thickness 37 is in the range of 0.030 to 0.080 and desirably about 0.050 inches. The outside length 34 is about 0.28 to 0.36 inches, desirably 0.32 inches. The outer radius 33 of the surface between blade 28 and tip 32 is very important in order to enable application of proper leverage by means of the tool and is set forth in the table.
The second hook end 12 is a smaller sized version of the first hook end 10 and has a configuration substantially the same as the first hook end 10, but having a length of about 0.45 to 0.80 times, the actual length of the first hook end 10. Thus the arcuate characteristics of the second hook end are reduced generally proportionally relative to the first hook end 10. However, the width, thickness and length of a tip 35 are generally the same as tip or blade 32. Further, the second hook end 12 is oriented in the opposite sense from the first hook end 10.
In review, each hook end 10 and 12 includes a first, curved section, such as section 18, joined to a second oppositely curved section, such as section 22, joined to a flat, planar section 28 and then to an end tip or blade prong 32, 35. The inclusion of the four component parts in the first hook end 10 is considered to be an important feature of the invention in order to enable successful manipulation of the tool for removing various sizes of hub cap covers or center covers of wheel rims. Note that the hook ends 10, 12 are coated with a polyvinylchloride (PVC) layer to avoid scratching of the rim or the cover that is to be removed.
Referring to
While there has been set forth an embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is to be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.
