Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
  • B60B7/00—Wheel cover discs, rings, or the like, for ornamenting, protecting, venting, or obscuring, wholly or in part, the wheel body, rim, hub, or tyre sidewall, e.g. wheel cover discs, wheel cover discs with cooling fins
  • B60B7/20—Wheel cover discs, rings, or the like, for ornamenting, protecting, venting, or obscuring, wholly or in part, the wheel body, rim, hub, or tyre sidewall, e.g. wheel cover discs, wheel cover discs with cooling fins having an element mounted for rotation independently of wheel rotation
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F21/00—Mobile visual advertising
  • G09F21/04—Mobile visual advertising by land vehicles
  • G09F21/045—Mobile visual advertising by land vehicles supported by the wheels

Definitions

• the invention relates to an implement for slowing down or stabilizing an object.
• Such an implement is e.g. known from EP-A-0172792.
• a stabilizing structure is described with which it is possible to keep a carrier which has a mark, and which is arranged in a hubcap of a vehicle in a stable position relatively to the ground.
• the carrier is coupled via a freely rotatable shaft with a stabilizing weight.
• the known stabilizing structures have the disadvantage that during slowing down or accelerating, which e.g. occurs during braking or driving away or driving on a bad road, the structures cannot prevent the carrier with the mark on it swinging. In the worst case it can occur that the stabilizing weight starts turning around with the wheel, which couses the information on the carrier to be no longer visible.
• the object of the present invention is an implement for slowing down or stabilizing an object, in which the above mentioned disadvantage does not occur or is at least minimized.
• the implement comprises a first shaft which is rotatably bearing-supported in a housing, on which first shaft there is arranged the object which has to be slowed down or stabilized, as well as a slowing down or stabilizing weight which, at least during operation of the implement, is arranged eccentrically and rotatably on the first shaft. Due to the fact that the slowing down or stabilizing weight is arranged rotatably and eccentrically relatively to the object which has to be slowed down or stabilized, it is prevented that the object during slowing down or accelerating starts swinging and/or shaking.
• slowing down or stabilizing structures which are applicable in a hubcap of a car or a truck, but it will be clear that the invention is not limited to this, and that the structures are also applicable to slow down or stabilize objects relative to the ground, in other rotatable implements e.g. vans, wheels of an perambulator, steering wheels et cetra.
• the slowing down or stabilizing weight which second shaft is arranged eccentrically on the first shaft, while preferably said first and second shaft are made of one piece of material.
• the distance between the centre line through the first shaft and the centre line through the second shaft is between 1 and 2 millimetres and is preferably about 1,5 millimetres, while the weight of the slowing down or stabilizing weight is between 30 and 40 grams and preferably about 35 grams.
• the above mentioned embodiment has appeared to be very suitable in an hubcap of a car.
• the carrier has in this case a diameter of about 55 millimetres and is about 1 millimetre thick. It is clear that it is of course possible that the carrier has another thickness or is dimensioned differently.
• the slowing down or stabilizing weight is constituted by a disc, which is made of metal, preferably rustproof metal, and which disc has a diameter of about 35 millimetres and a thickness of about 4 millimetres.
• a disc which is made of metal, preferably rustproof metal, and which disc has a diameter of about 35 millimetres and a thickness of about 4 millimetres.
• the above mentioned weight and dimensions can be different.
• the bearings have an outer diameter of about 16 millimetres, while the inside ring of the bearings has a bore of about 4 millimetres.
• the slowing down or stabilizing weight is constituted by a spiral spring.
• the windings of the spiral spring are situated in a flat plane and the spiral spring is made of relatively thin and flat spring steel which has a width of about 4 millimetres, the spiral spring furthermore comprises 7 windings.
• the first shaft comprises at one end a groove.
• the spiral spring is situated in an approximately vertical plane, while the spiral spring has such a dimensions and a spring constant that the spiral spring due to its own weight prolapses downwardly. In this way their is realised a stabilizing weight which is situated eccentrically relatively to the shaft with the object.
• the carrier is arranged centrically on the first shaft, while the carrier is preferably a round disc.
• the object and/or the carrier and/or the housing comprises one or more reflectors.
• the reflectors are preferably arranged on a circular carrier, spaced from each other.
• the housing comprises a first closed compartment in which the object is arranged as well as a second closed compartment in which the slowing down or stabilising weight is arranged. Due to the fact that the compartments are sealed off, it is prevented that dirt, water, dust et cetra, can enter into the compartments.
• the diameter and the depth of the second compartment are such that the slowing down or stabilizing weight fit in it with a little play, or that the second compartment comprises a third compartment which has a diameter and depth which is such that the slowing down or stabilizing weight fits in it with a little play.
• the first compartment has a transparent front cover, which preferably does not reflect light.
• the transparent cover is detachable in order to change the object or mark in the first compartment.
• the shape of the housing is e.g. round or square or hexagonal.
• the housing comprises fastening means with the aid of which the housing can be arranged in or on a wheel or a hubcap of a vehicle.
• the invention further relates to a housing which is suitable for accommodating an implement for slowing down or stabilizing an object as described above and further to a hubcap which is suitable for receiving and/or arranging of an housing as described above.
• the invention further relates to a hubcap which comprises an opening and/or recess and/or fastening means for accommodating and/or fixing the housing, as described above.
• the invention also relates to a top cap which can be arranged on a bolt or a nut, that are suitable for fixing a wheel to a vehicle, which top cap comprises a reflector.
• Fig. 1 shows a cross-section of the housing with inside a first embodiment of an implement according to the invention
• Fig. 2 shows a front view of the housing according to figure l,in which there is arranged a circular reflector as object which has to be stabilized;
• Fig. 3 shows the system of axles of the stabilizing structure
• Fig. 4 shows a cross-section of a top cap for a bolt or a nut of a hubcap, which is provided with a reflector;
• Fig. 5 shows a top view of the top cap according to figure
• Fig. 6 shows a cross-section of the housing with inside a second embodiment of an implement according to the invention, in which the slowing down or stibilizing weight is realized by a spiral spring;
• Fig. 7 shows a rear view of the implement according to figure 6, when this implement is flat on the ground;
• Fig. 8 shows exploded view of a car wheel with a hubcap, the housing, the object and the transparent front cover of the housing.
• FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a housing 1 in which an implement for slowing down or stabilizing an object, in the future stabilizing structure 2 called is arranged.
• the housing 1 is round of shape and preferably made of artificial material.
• the housing 1 comprises a first compartment 3 which by means of an intermediate wall is separated from a second compartment 4.
• In the intermediate wall there is an opening 5 in which there is arranged the stabilizing structure 2 by means of e.g. gluing or jamming.
• the housing 1 is furthermore provided with fastening means 6 with the aid of which the housing 1 in e.g. a hubcap or a wheel cap of a car can be arranged.
• the second compartment 4 can be hermetically closed by means of back cover 7.
• the first compartment 3 sealed off by means of a detachable tranparent front cover 8.
• the second compartment 4 there is further a third compartment 9 in which with a little play part of the stabilizing structure 2 is arranged.
• Figures 1 en 3 show the stabilizing structure 2 which comprises a system of axes 10 with a first shaft 11 that is eccentrically connected to a second shaft 12.
• the distance between the centre lines through the first- and second shaft is about 1,5 millimetres.
• the first shaft 11 comprises a stub axle 13 on which there is mounted a carrier 14.
• the carrier 14 can be provided with a circular reflector 15. It will be clear that on the carrier 14 there can be mounted every other object, image, advertising et cetra.
• a bearing 16 which in its turn is arranged in the opening 5 of the intermediary wall of the housing 1.
• a second bearing 17 around which, rotatably, the slowing down or stabilizing weight 18 is arranged.
• the weight 18 is constituted by a round metal disc, preferably rustproof metal, with a weight of about 35 grams.
• the carrier 14 has a thickness of about 1 millimetre and diameter of about 55 millimetres. The weight of the carrier 14 and the information on it, is between 3 - 100 grams. It will be clear that the above mentioned measures and weights can be different when there is chosen for another implement according to the invention.
• FIGS 4 and 5 there is shown a cross-section and a top view of a top cap 19 which can be arranged on a bolt or a nut for fixing a wheel .
• the top cap 19 comprises an upperside 20 which is reflecting.
• the reflecting upperside 20 is preferably constituted by a reflector which has the colour amber.
• FIGS 6 and 7 there is shown a second embodiment of an implement for slowing down or stabilizing an object according to the invention.
• the housing 1 in which the stabilizing structure 2 is arranged is merely the same as that of the first embodiment.
• the housing 1 is therefore shown scematically while the same parts are given the same refferance numbers.
• the stabilizing structure 2 comprises a passing through shaft 20 which is arranged with a first bearing 16 in a opening 5 in the intermidiate wall of the housing 1.
• the slowing down or stabilizing weight in the form of a spiral spring 21.
• the passing through shaft comprises a groove 22 near its end in which groove 22 the inner winding of the spiral spring 21 can be arranged.
• the spiral spring 21 comprises 7 windings. The thickness and width of the windings and the spring constant of the spring are chosen so that, as shown in figure 6, the spiral spring 21 at least during operation prolapses downwardly due to its own weight.
• the passing through shaft 20 is rotatably relatively to the spiral spring 21 while the spiral spring 21 realises the eccentrically counter weight.
• FIG 8 shows how the housing 1 with the stabilizing structure are arranged in a hubcap 23 of a wheel for a vehicle.
• the object 25 in this case an advertising disc, can have a diameter which is larger than the carrier 14. Futhermore it is possible that part of the housing of the stabilizing structure 2 is constituted by the hubcap 23.
• the transparent front cover can instead of being arranged on the housing also be arranged on the hubcap.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• Marketing (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Rolling Contact Bearings (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26150173

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1998
  • 1998-12-14 EP EP98963551A patent/EP0963300A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 1998-12-14 AU AU18778/99A patent/AU1877899A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-12-14 WO PCT/EP1998/008035 patent/WO1999033675A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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