Non-rotating wheel cover assembly

• US 5,588,715 A
• Filed: 06/20/1994
• Issued: 12/31/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles D. Harlen
• Original Assignee: Charles D. Harlen
• Inventors: Harlen, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stormer, Russell D.
• Application Number:
  US08/263,372
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 301/37.1, 301/37.38, 301/37.25, 301/108.1, 301/108.2, 301/108.3, 301/108.4, 40/587
• US Class Current: 301/37.25
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 7/20 having an element mounted for rotation independently of wheel rotation
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/045 supported by the wheels

Abstract

A non-rotatable wheel cover assembly including a mounting assembly for mounting the wheel cover directly to a wheel supporting member of a vehicle. The wheel cover has inner and outer surfaces and the wheel supporting member is disposed for supporting wheels of the vehicle during rotation thereof. The mounting assembly includes a first attaching element mounted on the inner surface of the wheel cover and a wheel cover support assembly for secured relation of the first attaching element and the wheel supporting member. The wheel cover support assembly is disposed for non-rotational support of the first attaching element and the wheel cover during rotation of the wheel.

Claims

1. A non-rotatable wheel cover assembly including mounting means for mounting a wheel cover directly to a wheel support assembly of a vehicle, said wheel cover being a single member in the form of a disc and having inner and outer surfaces, and said wheel supporting assembly including a housing enclosing an axle, said axle having a distal threaded end, said wheel supporting assembly disposed for supporting the wheels of said vehicle, said mounting means comprising:

a cup-like member secured to said wheel support assembly, said cup-like member having a top closure portion provided with an axial opening having a seal therein;

first attaching means including a member mounted on said inner surface of said wheel cover and extending inwardly therefrom;

second attaching means including a member having a first end disposed for secured relation with said wheel cover supporting member of said first attaching means and a second end disposed for secured relation with said distal end of said axle, said first attaching means disposed for secured relation with said member of said second attachment means for non-rotational support of said wheel cover, said member of said second attaching means including a first end and a second end, said first end disposed for extending through said seal of said cup-like member for secured relation with said wheel cover supporting member of said first attachment means and said second end disposed for secured relation with said distal end of said axle; and

wheel cover position retention means disposed on said wheel cover for retaining the orientation of said wheel cover in a stationary, non-rotating position.

2. A non-rotatable wheel cover assembly as in claim 1 wherein said member of said first attaching means includes bearing means mounted therein.

3. A non-rotatable wheel cover assembly as in claim 2 wherein said second attaching means includes wheel cover support means secured to said wheel supporting assembly and extending outwardly therefrom, said member of said first attaching means being disposed for secured relation with wheel cover support means of said second attachment means.

4. A non-rotatable wheel cover assembly as in claim 1 wherein said retention means provided on said wheel cover is a weight disposed on a predetermined portion of said wheel cover.

5. A non-rotatable wheel cover assembly as in claim 1 including spacer means for providing a desired amount of space between the periphery of said wheel cover and the wheel of the vehicle.

6. A non-rotatable wheel cover assembly as in claim 1 wherein said axle is provided with a transverse opening therethrough adjacent said distal end thereof and said threaded end of said fastener means includes a plurality of transverse openings therethrough, said transverse openings of said fastener means disposed for selective alignment with said transverse opening in said axle and spacer means including a cotter pin for insertion in to a selected one of said plurality of aligned openings whereby said periphery of said wheel cover is positioned in predetermined spaced relation with the wheel of the vehicle.

7. A wheel cover assembly as in claim 6 wherein said distal end of said axle is provided with external threads and said second end of said fastener is provided with internal threads for threadably secured relation on said external threads of said axle.

8. A wheel cover assembly as in claim 7 including limiting means for limiting the distance between the periphery of said wheel cover and said wheel.

9. A stationary wheel cover for mounting to the wheel assembly of a vehicle comprising, in combination:

a vehicle wheel assembly for rotatably supporting a rotatable wheel to a vehicle;

a non-rotatable wheel cover for attachment to said wheel assembly, said wheel cover having inner and outer surfaces;

wheel cover attachment means secured to said inner surface of said wheel cover, said wheel cover attachment means including an inwardly extending member having bearing means mounted therein, said bearing means including a bearing member having a central opening;

wheel assembly attachment means including a cup-like member secured to said wheel assembly and extending outwardly therefrom, said cup-like member having a central threaded opening therein;

securing means for securing said wheel cover attachment means to said wheel assembly attachment means including a bolt having a head portion, an intermediate, inwardly extending, body portion, and an end threaded portion, said intermediate body portion disposed within said central opening of said bearing member and said threaded end portion disposed for threaded attachment with said threaded central opening of said cup-like member;

wheel cover retention means disposed on said wheel cover for retaining the orientation of said wheel cover in a stationary, non-rotating position; and

access means defined by a central opening in said wheel cover to permit access to said head portion of said bolt for rotation of said bolt to provide for the threaded attachment thereof with said cup-shaped member.

10. A non-rotatable wheel cover assembly as in claim 9 wherein said retention means provided on said wheel cover is a weight disposed on a predetermined portion of said wheel cover.