Wheel retention nut

• US 8,328,486 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2005
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 1052633 Alberta Ltd.
• Original Assignee: 1052633 Alberta Ltd.
• Inventors: Cox, Devon
• Primary Examiner(s): Batson, Victor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Tyler
• Application Number:
  US11/156,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20060008340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,731 Days
• Field of Search: 411/221, 411/246, 411/248, 411/432, 411/295, 411/304, 411/315, 411/316, 411/427, 301/35.55, 301/35.58, 301/35.625
• US Class Current: 411/248
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/183 internal, i.e. with spreading action
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/32 Locking by means of a pawl or pawl-like tongue

Abstract

A wheel retention nut includes a body having a front face and a rear face. A central bore with internal threads extends through the body. A first outer perimeter of a first diameter is positioned adjacent to the front face. The first outer perimeter defines a polygon adapted to receive a wrench. A second outer perimeter of a second diameter, which is larger than the first diameter, is positioned adjacent to the rear face. The second outer perimeter is sized to retain an eccentrically rotating wheel.

Claims

1. A wheel retention nut for affixing a wheel rim to a threaded shaft, the wheel retention nut comprising:

a solid body having a front polygonal portion and an opposed rear disk portion, the polygonal portion is integral with the rear disk portion, and the rear disk portion has a thickness that is thicker than a thickness of the front polygonal portion along an axial length of the solid body and is configured to retain the wheel rim;

a central bore extending through the solid body from a front face of the front polygonal portion to a rear face of the rear disk portion and the central bore having an internal thread extending axially from the rear face of the rear disk portion and only partially through the polygonal portion; and

an internal locking mechanism positioned within the central bore;

the polygonal portion spans a first portion of the axial length of the solid body, adjacent the front face, and has a polygon transverse exterior shape which forms a wrench engaging outer perimeter which facilitates tightening and loosening of the wheel retention nut with respect to the threaded shaft, and the polygon transverse exterior shape having a smaller first transverse dimension and a larger second transverse dimension;

the rear disk portion spans a second portion of the axial length of the solid body and includes an outer perimeter that is configured to engage and retain an inner circumferential surface of the wheel rim, the outer perimeter of the rear disk portion has a diameter larger than both the smaller first transverse dimension and the larger second transverse dimension of the polygon transverse exterior shape of the polygonal portion to prevent the wheel rim from separating from the wheel retention nut during a bearing failure, the rear disk portion having a continuous, circumferential uninterrupted wear surface which is devoid of any aperture therein and is continuous and uninterrupted at all radial points from the outer perimeter of the rear disk portion to the wrench engaging outer perimeter of the front polygonal portion, and a stepped transition is located between the front polygonal portion and the rear disk portion.

2. The wheel retention nut according to claim 1, wherein the front polygonal portion of the solid body has a cavity therein for accommodating a split retaining ring.

3. The wheel retention nut according to claim 1, in combination with a threaded shaft, wherein the front polygonal portion of the solid body has a cavity therein and a split retaining ring is accommodated within the cavity, an internal surface of the cavity has first engagement means which mates with second engagement means carried by the split retaining ring for maintaining the solid body in a selected rotational position on the threaded shaft.

4. The wheel retention nut according to claim 3, wherein the first engagement means comprises teeth provided around the internal surface of the cavity and the split retaining ring has a portion, lower than a remainder of the split retaining ring, and mating teeth are located along this portion to correspond to the teeth of the cavity, and an upper portion of the split retaining ring has tabs which apply pressure to the internal surface of the cavity when installed on the threaded shaft.

5. The wheel retention nut according to claim 4, wherein the split retaining ring also has a protrusion which mates with an indentation in the threaded shaft such that the split retaining ring engages the threaded shaft by the protrusion, and engages the solid body by the mating teeth and the tabs.

9. The wheel retention nut as defined in claim 1, wherein the internal threads, of the central bore, extend completely through the rear disk portion but less than half way through the front polygonal portion.

17. The wheel retention nut according to claim 1, wherein the rear disk portion is configured to retain an eccentrically rotating wheel.

6. A wheel retention nut for affixing a wheel rim to a threaded shaft, the wheel retention nut comprising:

a solid body having a front face and an opposed rear face;

a central bore extending through the solid body from the front face to the rear face and the central bore having an internal thread;

a first portion of an axial length of the solid body, adjacent the front face, having a polygon transverse exterior shape which forms a wrench engaging outer perimeter which facilitates tightening and loosening of the wheel retention nut with respect to the threaded shaft, and the polygon transverse exterior shape having a smaller first transverse dimension and a larger second transverse dimension;

a second portion of the axial length of the solid body being cylindrical, having a thickness that is thicker than a thickness of the first portion along the axial length of the solid body, and an outer perimeter that is configured to engage and retain an inner circumferential surface of the wheel rim, the outer perimeter of the second portion is substantially cylindrical and provides a continuous and uninterrupted circumferential wear surface and has a diameter which is larger than both the smaller first transverse dimension and the larger second transverse dimension of the polygon transverse exterior shape of the first portion of the wheel retention nut to prevent the wheel rim from separating from the wheel retention nut during a bearing failure, the second portion, adjacent the rear face, providing an uninterrupted wear surface which is continuous and uninterrupted and devoid of apertures at all radial points from the outer perimeter of the second portion to the wrench engaging outer perimeter of the first portion; and

a stepped transition is located between the first portion and the second portion;

the front face of the solid body has a cavity therein and a split retaining ring is accommodated within the cavity, an internal surface of the cavity has first engagement means which mates with second engagement means carried by the split retaining ring for maintaining the solid body in a selected rotational position on the threaded shaft; and

the split retaining ring is located between the first portion of the body and the central bore, the internal thread of the central bore extending the axial length of the second portion of the solid body and a portion of the axial length of the first portion of the solid body.

7. The wheel retention nut according to claim 6, wherein the first engagement means comprises teeth provided around the internal surface of the cavity and the split retaining ring has a portion, lower than a remainder of the split retaining ring, and mating teeth are located along this portion to correspond to the teeth of the cavity, and an upper portion of the split retaining ring has tabs which apply pressure to the internal surface of the cavity when installed on the threaded shaft.

8. The wheel retention nut according to claim 7, wherein the split retaining ring also has a protrusion which mates with an indentation in the threaded shaft such that the split retaining ring engages the threaded shaft by the protrusion, and engages the solid body by the mating teeth and the tabs.

10. The wheel retention nut as defined in claim 6, wherein the internal threads, of the central bore, extend completely through the second portion but less than half way through the first portion.

18. The wheel retention nut according to claim 6, wherein the second portion is configured to retain an eccentrically rotating wheel.

11. A wheel retention assembly for affixing a wheel rim to a threaded shaft, the wheel retention assembly comprising:

a wheel rim; and

a wheel retention nut including;

a solid body having a front polygonal portion and an opposed rear disk portion, the polygonal portion is integral with the rear disk portion, and the rear disk portion has a thickness that is thicker than a thickness of the front polygonal portion along an axial length of the solid body and is configured to retain the wheel rim;

a central bore extending through the solid body from a front face of the front polygonal portion to a rear face of the rear disk portion and the central bore having an internal thread extending axially from the rear face of the rear disk portion and only partially through the polygonal portion; and

an internal locking mechanism positioned within the central bore;

the polygonal portion spans a first portion of the axial length of the solid body, adjacent the front face, and has a polygon transverse exterior shape which forms a wrench engaging outer perimeter which facilitates tightening and loosening of the wheel retention nut with respect to the threaded shaft, and the polygon transverse exterior shape having a smaller first transverse dimension and a larger second transverse dimension;

the rear disk portion spans a second portion of the axial length of the solid body and includes a wheel engaging and retaining outer perimeter that is configured to engage and retain an inner circumferential surface of the wheel rim, the wheel engaging and retaining outer perimeter has a diameter larger than both the smaller first transverse dimension and the larger second transverse dimension of the polygon transverse exterior shape of the polygonal portion to prevent the wheel rim from separating from the wheel retention nut during a bearing failure, the rear disk portion having a continuous, circumferential uninterrupted wear surface which is devoid of any aperture therein and is continuous and uninterrupted at all radial points from the wheel engaging and retaining outer perimeter to the wrench engaging outer perimeter; and

a stepped transition is located between the front polygonal portion and the rear disk portion.

12. The wheel retention assembly according to claim 11, wherein the front polygonal portion of the solid body has a cavity therein for accommodating a split retaining ring.

13. The wheel retention assembly according to claim 11, wherein the front polygonal portion of the solid body has a cavity therein, and a split retaining ring and a threaded shaft are accommodated within the cavity, an internal surface of the cavity has first engagement means which mates with second engagement means carried by the split retaining ring for maintaining the solid body in a selected rotational position on the threaded shaft.

14. The wheel retention assembly according to claim 13, wherein the first engagement means comprises teeth provided around the internal surface of the cavity and the split retaining ring has a portion, lower than a remainder of the split retaining ring, and mating teeth are located along this portion to correspond to the teeth of the cavity, and an upper portion of the split retaining ring has tabs which apply pressure to the internal surface of the cavity when installed on the threaded shaft.

15. The wheel retention assembly according to claim 14, wherein the split retaining ring also has a protrusion which mates with an indentation in the shaft such that split retaining ring engages the threaded shaft by the protrusion, and engages the solid body by the mating teeth and the tabs.

16. The wheel retention assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the internal threads, of the central bore, extend completely through the rear disk portion but less than half way through the front polygonal portion.

19. The wheel retention assembly according to claim 11, wherein the rear disk portion is configured to retain an eccentrically rotating wheel.