AU746296B2

AU746296B2 - Wheel retaining mechanism

Info

Publication number: AU746296B2
Application number: AU36768/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Barrett John Loraine
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-07-03
Filing date: 1999-06-25
Publication date: 2002-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 2019-06-25
Also published as: AU3676899A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT

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Applicant(s): BARRETT JOHN LORAINE Invention Title: WHEEL RETAINING MECHANISM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 WHEEL RETAINING MECHANISM The invention relates to wheel retaining mechanisms for attaching wheels to vehicles.

Vehicle wheels are conventionally attached to vehicles by using a number of studs and associated nuts to hold the wheel to the hub. The nuts must be individually screwed to remove a wheel from a vehicle. A substantial force is used to remove the nuts, and particular tools are required. The operation is cumbersome and requires substantial strength if attempted by hand. If the nuts freeze to the studs, or the thread is rusted, there are further difficulties in removing the wheel from the vehicle.

The invention attempts address these and other problems by providing a retaining mechanism which allows a wheel to be more readily attached to and removed from a vehicle.

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20 According to the present invention there is provided a wheel retaining mechanism for retaining a wheel disc on a wheel hub which is attached to a vehicle, including: a retaining ring adapted to be positioned on a projecting flange of the hub, the retaining ring being capable of contracting around the flange; a clamping ring engaging an outer periphery of the retaining ring and being operable between an open position and a closed position; wherein when the clamping ring is in the closed position the retaining ring securely contracts around the flange to axially retain the wheel disc against the hub.

A preferred embodiment is now described, by way of example only, in relation to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wheel hub and an attached wheel disc which is retained by a retaining mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the H:\Monique\Keep\speci\CAP P34766.doc 25/06/99 3 invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a clamping ring being part of the wheel retaining mechanism.

Figure 3A and 3B are a plan view and a side view respectively of two components of a retaining ring being part of the wheel retaining mechanism.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the retaining ring of figure 3.

Figure 1 shows a wheel hub 22 attached to a vehicle using a conventional stub axle assembly. A stub axle 29 is 15 positioned within a central passage of the hub 22 by-3-ller bearings 26 and 27. The hub 22 is secured to the axle 29 by a nut 20 and washer 21 which engages a threaded end of the axle 29 to prevent axial movement of the hub 22 relative to the axle 29. The hub 22 rotates around the axle 29 on two e. 20 sets of roller bearings 26 and 27.

The hub 22 has a projecting flange 24 which forms a rim about the central passage running through the hub 22. A wheel disc 23 forming part of a wheel and tyre (not shown) has a central aperture shaped to receive the projecting "flange 24. The projecting flange 24 axially locates the wheel disc 23 relative to the hub 22.

A number of locating studs 28 project from a peripheral flange 30 surrounding a periphery of the hub 22 to maintain a radial orientation of the wheel disc 23 relative to the hub 22. The locating studs 28 have transversely located bores for receiving cotter pins 33 to aid in securing the wheel disc 23 to the hub 22. The cotter pins could be replaced by tractor pins that pins with a locking ring pivoted to one end and located over the stud on the assembly.

H: \Monicue\Keep\seci\CAP P34766.doc 25/06/99 4 Figure 1 shows the locating studs 28 as diametrically opposed for convenience of illustration, but it is preferred that three locating studs are positioned equidistantly around the peripheral flange 30. Of course, a number of alternative arrangements are possible.

A wheel retaining mechanism positioned around the projecting flange 24 is shown in Figure 1 as including a retaining ring 14 having two wedge-shaped portions 14A and 14B. The retaining ring 14 is surrounded on an outer surface by a clamping ring 10. The clamping ring 10 is operated between an open and a closed position by a lever 13.

15 Figures 2 and 3A and 3B show the parts of the wheel retaining mechanism in further detail.

In Figure 2, the clamping ring 10 is shown as a band with ends 11 and 12 separately attached to the lever 13 operable between open and closed positions. The boundary defined by the clamping ring 10 in the open position is longer than the boundary defined by the clamping ring 10 in the closed position, as the lever 13 moves to overlap the respective ends of the resilient steel band when the clamping ring 25 is in the closed position. Thus the clamping ring ee o S"provides a clamping action on a member within the boundary of the clamping ring 10 when the lever 13 adjusts the clamping ring 10 to the closed position.

The band of the clamping ring 10 is a resilient steel band which ensures that the lever 13 has a quick-release action.

When the clamping ring 10 is being opened from the closed position, there is initially considerable resistance to movement of the lever 13. Once this initial resistance is overcome, the resilience of the band quickly moves the lever to the open position. When the clamping ring 10 is being closed from the open position, there is initially an increasing resistance to movement of the lever 13 which is H:\Monicrue\Keep\speci\CAP P34766.doc 25/06/99 1 5 overcome once the lever is moved beyond an over-centre. At this point, the clamping ring 10 snaps to the closed position.

The retaining ring 14 shown in Figures 3A, 3B and 4 has two wedge-shaped portions 15 and 16. The portions 15 and 16 are slidable relative to each other to better respond to the clamping force generated by the clamping ring 10 that is, by enabling the retaining ring to contract and become secure on the projecting flange. Thus the portions 15 and 16 allow the clamping ring 10 to securely clamp the wheel retaining mechanism to the projecting flange 24 of the hub 22, as the slidable portions 15 and 16 effectively transmit the forces applied by the clamping ring The retaining ring 14 has two circumferential guiding flanges 17 and 18 provided on either edge of the retaining ring 14 to maintain engagement of the clamping ring 10 with the retaining ring 14. Both circumferential flanges 17 and 20 18 are partly provided by each of the two portions 15 and 16. The guiding flanges 17 and 18 also guide the clamping ring 10 to an appropriate engaging position within the recess defined between the two circumferential flanges 17 and 18 while the clamping ring 10 is closed by the lever 25 13.

The described wheel retaining mechanism including the clamping ring 10 and retaining ring 14 is adapted to be clamped around the projecting flange 24 integral with the hub 22. When the lever 13 is in the closed position, the retaining mechanism securely clamps around the projecting flange 24 on the hub 22 to retain the wheel disc 23 from coming apart from the hub 22. An inner surface of the retaining ring 14 provided by one of the two portions 15 or 16 contacts a boundary surrounding the opening in the wheel disc 23 to prevent axial movement of the wheel disc 23 from the hub 22 and thus retain the wheel to the vehicle. The wheel retaining mechanism is securely clamped to the H:\Monique\Keep\speci\CAP P34766.doc 25/06/99 I 6 projecting flange 24 so that substantial forces generated from the wheel disc 23 during travel cannot dislodge the wheel retaining mechanism.

Dust cover 31 is provided to prevent foreign matter from interfering with the roller bearings 26 and 27.

The wheel retaining mechanism can used to readily detach a wheel from a vehicle. The clamping ring 10 is released from the closed position so that the wheel retaining mechanism is no longer firmly clamped about the projecting flange 24.

After the clamping ring 10 and retaining ring 14 are removed from the projecting flange 24 and the shafts engaging the locating studs 28 are also removed, the wheel 15 can be removed from the vehicle as there is no obstruction preventing the wheel disc 23 from being axially displaced relative to the hub 22.

Similarly, the wheel can be readily attached to the vehicle e o 20 by aligning the projecting flange 24 and locating studs 28 with the matching apertures provided on the wheel disc 23 ~and engaging the retaining mechanism. The two portions and 16 of the retaining ring 14 are fitted around the projecting flange 24 and the clamping ring 10 is moved to the closed position within the circumferential flanges 17 and 18. As earlier noted, shafts can be used to provide an additional means for retaining the wheel disc.

Thus the described wheel retaining mechanism allows a wheel to be easily attached and detached from a vehicle with a minimum of effort. This may be done by women, the elderly or other people not having enough strength to easily remove wheels attached to vehicles in a conventional manner.

While a conventional stub axle assembly is shown, embodiments of the invention are also applicable to driving axles and other axle and stub axle assemblies.

H:\Monique\Keep\speci\CAP P34766.doc 25/06/99 I i -7 The above description of a preferred embodiment does not limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the following claims.

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Claims

1. A wheel retaining mechanism for retaining a wheel disc on a wheel hub which is attached to a vehicle, including: a retaining ring adapted to be positioned on a projecting flange of the hub, the retaining ring being capable of contracting around the flange; a clamping ring engaging an outer periphery of the retaining ring and being operable between an open position and a closed position; wherein when the clamping ring is in the closed position the retaining ring securely contracts around the flange to axially retain the wheel disc against the hub.

2. A wheel retaining mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the retaining ring is provided with two wedge shaped portions which are slideable relative to each other enabling the retaining ring to contract around the flange.

3. A wheel retaining mechanism as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein the retaining ring has two circumferential S flanges around outer edges to guide the clamping ring on the outer periphery of the retaining ring.

4. A wheel retaining mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the clamping ring is a resilient band operable between the open position and the closed position by a lever having a lever arm and two fulcrum points to which respective ends of the band are attached so the lever arm can be rotated about a fulcrum point to release or engage the clamping ring. A wheel retaining mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the wheel disc is located on studs on the wheel hub and pins through the studs assist in retaining the wheel disc on the wheel hub. H:\Monique\Keep\speci\CAP P34766.doc 25/06/99

9- 6. A wheel retaining mechanism substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. Dated this 25th day of June 1999 BARRETT JOHN LORAINE By his Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia *.4 H:\Monique\Keep\speci\CAP P34766.doc 25/06/99