Wheel rim and wheel hub mount assembly

• US 7,614,707 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ridemakerz LLC
• Original Assignee: Ridemakerz LLC
• Inventors: Chan, Yuk Kei, Jabbour, Edward Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bellinger; Jason R
• Application Number:
  US11/736,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 301/5.301, 301/5.305, 301/5.309, 301/111.01, 301/111.03, 16/18.R, 16/45, 446/95
• US Class Current: 301/111.03
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/262 Chassis; Wheel mountings; Wheels; Axles; Suspensions; Fitting body portions to chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 3/001 Lightweight wheels, e.g. for strollers or toys

Abstract

A quick mount and dismount design and method of installation for a toy rim and tire/wheel assembly comprising a tire/wheel having an outer tire portion and an inner core ring housing inside the outer tire portion, where the inner core ring housing has an interior cylindrical wall, where the interior wall has multiple ring like recesses. The inner core ring housing can be divided by an expansion seam to allow for press fitting the rim on the tire and press fitting the assembly onto the hub.

Claims

1. An apparatus for mounting and dismounting a wheel on a toy vehicle comprising:

a core housing adapted for receiving a tire portion about an outer perimeter of said core housing where the core housing has an interior cylindrical bore where a cylindrical interior wall of said bore has a recess extending substantially along an interior perimeter of said bore;

a wheel hub having a cylindrical shaft extending from an inside end to a distal outside end where said cylindrical shaft has an outer cylindrical surface, said surface having a raised hub rib circumscribed substantially about a perimeter of the outer cylindrical surface and centrally disposed between the inside end and the outside end, and said rib having a geometry substantially conforming to the recess; and

said cylindrical shaft removably inserted in said bore such that said rib removably engages said recess.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, where said bore has a non-circular interior section extending substantially along a second interior perimeter of said bore, and where said outer cylindrical surface has a raised cap circumscribed substantially about a second perimeter of the outer cylindrical surface proximate said outside end and said cap having a non-circular geometry to substantially conform to said non-circular section for resisting rotation of the core about the wheel hub.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, where said cylindrical shaft is removably inserted in said bore such that said rib removably engages said recess and said cap removably engages said non-circular interior section.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, where said rib has a circular geometry and said cap has a polygonal geometry.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, where said polygonal geometry is octagonal.

6. An apparatus for mounting and dismounting a wheel and rim on a toy vehicle comprising:

a core housing adapted for receiving a tire portion about an outer perimeter of said core housing where the core housing has an interior cylindrical bore where a cylindrical interior wall of said bore has a first and a second recess extending substantially along a first and second interior perimeter of said bore;

a wheel hub having a cylindrical shaft extending from and inside end to a distal outside end, where said cylindrical shaft has an outer cylindrical surface, said surface having a first raised rib circumscribed substantially about the perimeter of the surface and centrally disposed between the inside end and the outside end, and said first raised rib having a geometry to substantially conform to the first recess;

said cylindrical shaft removably inserted in said bore such that said first raised rib removably engages said first recess;

a cover having a cylindrical outer rim surface, where said outer rim surface has a second raised rib circumscribed about the perimeter of the outer rim surface, said second raised rib having a geometry to conform to the second recess; and

said rim removably inserted in said bore such that said second raised rib removably engages said second recess.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 6, where said bore has a non-circular interior section extending substantially along a third perimeter of said bore and where said outer cylindrical surface has a raised cap circumscribed substantially about a second perimeter of the outer cylindrical surface proximate said outside end and said cap having a second geometry to substantially conform to said non-circular interior section.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, where said cylindrical shaft is removably inserted in said bore such that said first raised rib removably engages said first recess and said cap removably engages said non-circular interior section.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, where said first and second ribs have a circular geometry and said cap has a polygonal geometry.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, where said polygonal geometry is octagonal.

11. A method for mounting and dismounting a wheel on a toy vehicle comprising the steps of:

providing a core housing adapted for receiving a tire portion about an outer perimeter of said core housing where the core housing has an interior cylindrical bore where a cylindrical interior wall of said bore has a recess extending substantially along an interior perimeter of said bore;

providing a wheel hub having a cylindrical shaft extending from an inside end to a distal outside end where said cylindrical shaft has an outer cylindrical surface, said surface having a raised hub rib circumscribed substantially about the perimeter of the surface and centrally disposed between the inside end and the outside end, and said rib having a geometry to substantially conform to the recess; and

removably inserting said cylindrical shaft in said bore such that said rib removably engages said recess.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, where the step of providing a core housing includes providing a core housing where said cylindrical interior wall has a non-circular interior section and third recess extending substantially along a second and third perimeter of said bore, and where providing said wheel hub includes providing a raised cap circumscribed substantially about a second perimeter of said outer cylindrical surface proximate said outside end where said cap has a second non-circular geometry to substantially conform to said non-circular interior section.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, where the step of removably inserting includes removably engaging said second recess with said cap.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising the step of providing a cover having a cylindrical outer rim surface, where said outer rim surface has a second raised rib circumscribed about the perimeter of the outer rim surface.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the step of removably engaging the second raised rib and third recess.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a core housing adapted for receiving a tire portion about an outer perimeter of said core housing where the core housing has an interior cylindrical bore where a cylindrical interior wall of said bore has an engagement ring section extending substantially along an interior perimeter of said bore;

a wheel hub having a cylindrical shaft extending from an inside end to a distal outside end where said cylindrical shaft has an outer cylindrical surface, said surface having a complimenting engagement ring section circumscribed substantially about a perimeter of the outer cylindrical surface and centrally disposed between the inside end and the outside end, and said complimenting engagement ring section having a geometry substantially conforming to the engagement ring section, said cylindrical shaft removably inserted in said bore such that the engagement ring section engages the complimenting engagement ring section.