Blow molded wheel with axle retainer

• US 6,520,597 B1
• Filed: 12/02/2000
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Floyd F. Markling
• Original Assignee: Floyd F. Markling
• Inventors: Markling, Floyd F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stormer, Russell D.
• Application Number:
  US09/701,759
• Time in Patent Office: 808 Days
• Field of Search: 301/112, 301/118, 301/119, 301/120, 301/121, 301/122, 301/64.701, 301/64.704, 301/111.01, 264/249, 264/271.1, 264/274
• US Class Current: 301/64.701
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 37/10 the wheels being individually rotatable around the axles
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 5/02 made of synthetic material

Abstract

A blow-molded wheel including an axle retainer assembly. The retainer assembly (31) includes a housing (42) having transverse sleeves that support an axle (14) and a spring biased retainer pin (10) that mounts to an annular groove (12) at the axle. The housing is supported in a cavity formed into a wheel spoke (18) and a bore of a wheel hub and is retarined upon the shrinkage of the plastic around the housing. An aperture of the pin sleeve facilitates retraction of the pin and release of the wheel from the axle.

Claims

1. A molded plastic wheel adapted to mount to an axle, comprising:

a) an annular body including i) a hub containing a body bore, ii) a tread surface, and iii) a wall surface displaced from said tread surface; and

b) retainer means mounted in said body bore for securing the wheel to the axle and comprising a retainer housing that includes i) an external surface adapted to mount in said body bore without rotating, ii) a pin bore having first and second open ends and wherein said first open end communicates with said body bore and said second open end abuts said wall surface, iii) a pin mounted in said pin bore, and iv) bias means abutting said wall surface for biasing the pin for reciprocating movement relative to the body bore.

2. A wheel as set forth in claim 1 wherein the body includes a plurality of spokes and a box having first and second side wall surfaces that extend orthogonal to said tread surface and couple to said plurality of spokes and wherein a plurality of hollow cavities in said hub, said plurality of spokes and said box communicate with each other and wherein a spring biases said pin for reciprocating movement.

3. A wheel as set forth in claim 2 wherein the retainer housing includes a tubular axle sleeve that extends transverse to a pin sleeve that contains said pin bore and pin, wherein the axle sleeve mounts in the body bore and wherein the pin projects through an aperture that communicates with an axle bore of the axle sleeve.

4. A wheel as set forth in claim 3 wherein an aperture at said pin sleeve is exposed at the wheel to permit access to the pin, whereby the pin can be manipulated to detach the wheel from the axle.

5. A wheel as set forth in claim 3 wherein an external surface of the retainer housing includes a plurality of raised projections.

6. A wheel as set forth in claim 3 wherein an external surface of the retainer housing includes at least one recess.

7. A wheel as set forth in claim 3 wherein an external surface of the retainer housing includes at least one flat surface.

8. A wheel as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pin sleeve mounts in a cavity at one of said plurality of spokes that contains said wall surface.

9. A wheel as set forth in claim 8 wherein an aperture at the pin sleeve is exposed at the wheel to permit access to the pin, whereby the pin can be manipulated.

10. A wheel as set forth in claim 8 wherein external surfaces of the housing include means for bonding the housing to the cavity.

11. A wheel as set forth in claim 1, wherein the retainer housing includes a tubular pin sleeve that contains the pin and a spring that biases the pin for reciprocating movement, wherein a tubular axle sleeve extends transverse to the pin sleeve, wherein the axle sleeve mounts in the bore and wherein the pin projects through an aperture that communicates with an axle bore of the axle sleeve and wherein an aperture at the pin sleeve is exposed to permit access to the pin, whereby the pin can be manipulated.

12. A wheel as set forth in claim 2 wherein said body is molded from a first material having a first density, wherein an annular tread piece having a channel shape that is separately molded from a second material having a second density different from the first material is mounted to said box and over said tread surface and onto said first and second sidewall surfaces to define a rolling surface.

14. A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said wheel includes a box having first and second sidewalls that extend substantially orthogonal to said tread surface and including the step of stretching a separately molded, channel shaped tread piece over said tread surface and onto said first and second sidewalls.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said wheel is molded from a first material and said tread piece is separately molded from a second material having a density different from the first material.

16. A method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said wheel has a recessed cavity that communicates with said bore and is displaced from said tread piece and wherein a portion of said retainer housing that contains a pin and a spring is fitted to said cavity.

13. A method for constructing a self retaining wheel, comprising:

a) blow molding a wheel having a bore and a tread surface;

b) extracting the wheel from a mold and, while the wheel is warm, fitting a retainer housing to said bore that includes a pin and means for biasing the pin for reciprocating movement to project into said bore; and

c) permitting the wheel to cool and the plastic material to shrink around the retainer housing to secure the retainer housing to the wheel.

17. A method as set forth in claim 13 wherein said retainer housing includes a plurality of raised projections that abut said bore and that separately secure said retainer housing to said wheel.

18. A molded plastic wheel adapted to mount to an axle, comprising:

a) an annular body including i) a hub containing a body bore, ii) a tread surface, iii) a plurality of spokes radially extending from the hub, and, iv) a cavity recessed into said hub and one of said spokes that has an end wall displaced from said tread surface and opposite an opening to said body bore; and

b) retainer means mounted in said cavity for securing the wheel to the axle and comprising a retainer housing that includes i) an external surface adapted to mount in said cavity, ii) a pin bore having first and second open ends and wherein said first open end communicates with the body bore and said second open end abuts said end wall, iii) a pin mounted in said pin bore, and iv) bias means abutting said end wall for biasing the pin for reciprocating movement relative to the body bore.

19. A wheel as set forth in claim 18 wherein a plurality of hollow cavities in said hub, said plurality of spokes and said box communicate with each other, wherein the retainer housing includes i) a tubular pin sleeve that contains said pin and a spring that biases the pin for reciprocating movement and ii) a tubular axle sleeve that extends transverse to the pin sleeve, wherein the axle sleeve mounts in the body bore and wherein the pin projects through an aperture that communicates with an axle bore of the axle sleeve.

20. A wheel as set forth in claim 18 wherein said tread surface is defined by a separately molded tread piece that is mounted to the body.

21. A molded plastic wheel adapted to mount to an axle, comprising:

a) an annular body that includes i) a hub having an axle bore an a plurality of hollow spokes and webs that radially extend from said hub to a hollow box defined by first and second planar side wall surfaces that extend from said spokes to a tread surface and wherein a plurality of hollow cavities in said hub, said spokes and said box communicate with each other and ii) a tubular retainer sleeve having a pin bore that includes first and second open ends, wherein said first open end communicates with said axle bore and said second open end is displaced from said tread surface; and

b) a pin and a spring and wherein said pin and said spring are mounted in said pin bore such that said spring biases said pin for reciprocating movement relative to said axle bore.

22. A wheel as set forth in claim 21 wherein an end cap is mounted to said second open end.

23. A wheel as set forth in claim 22 wherein a slot extends in one of said first and second side wall surfaces that is coaxial with said retainer sleeve.

24. A wheel as set forth in claim 21 wherein said body is molded from a first material having a first density, wherein said first and second side wall surfaces extend orthogonal to said tread surface, and wherein an annular tread piece having a channel shape with first and second side pieces that project orthogonal to a connecting tread band that is separately molded from a second material having a second density different from the first material is mounted to said box and over said tread surface and onto said first and second sidewall surfaces to lie in parallel abutment with said first and second side wall surfaces.