FR2734206A1 - Attachment and locking for hub cap on to vehicle wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

The hub cap lock is formed to present a wire ring (60), which fits into the circular groove (15), formed in the wheel rim (10 12), and which is centred on the axis of the wheel. The diameter of the ring, formed by the wire is adjustable between a position of rest and a locked position. A series of attachment legs (70, 90) are also fitted into the groove and are fixed by the wire ring, when it is moved from its rest position to the locked position. A mechanism (80) is fitted to the wire ring and is designed to enable the diameter of the ring to be changed, in order to move from the rest position into the locked position. This movement is carried out in such a way as to allow the introduction and locking of the anchorage legs, into the groove to ensure the securing and locking of the hub cap on to the wheel.

Description

 The present invention relates to wheel covers for motor vehicles and more particularly to a ring-wire type fixing device for a wheel cover for a motor vehicle.

 The current wheels of most motor vehicles are provided with a wheel cover for aesthetic purposes since the wheel cover hides the rim supporting the wheel and the rim fixing nuts on its hub.

 On the other hand, the tires installed on motor vehicles are now tubeless tires. The fitting of such tires requires that the rim include a groove allowing the edge of the tire to have a seat preventing any escape of the trapped air.

Viewed from the inside, the current rims therefore also have an internal circular groove behind and adjacent to the external groove necessary for the tire. This internal groove has been used by motor vehicle manufacturers to install the vast majority of hubcaps sold by equipment manufacturers. The hubcap is attached to the rim of the wheel by clipping on lugs and a circular wire ring secured to the hubcap.

 Unfortunately, this type of fastening device has a number of drawbacks. First of all, installing the hubcap requires making an effort to engage the lugs or the wire ring in the groove of the rim. If this effort is insufficient, the clipping can be carried out only partially with the danger of losing the hubcap while the motor vehicle is traveling at full speed with the risk that the hubcap detached from the wheel causes other motorists to run.

 Then, a major difficulty is often to remove the hubcap to access the wheel. This removal requires a tensile force on the part of the user who may be dirty or even injured by the fact that the attachment tabs or the wire ring suddenly come out of the groove of the rim.

 In addition, if the adjustment between the wire ring and the rim is not correct, the hubcap can rotate and in this case can damage the valve which is generally accessible by a recess in the hubcap.

 A final drawback of current fastening systems is that nothing prevents the theft of the hubcap.

 This is why the main object of the invention is to provide a hubcap fastening device for a motor vehicle making it possible to correctly install and sense the hubcap on the wheel.

 Another object of the invention is to provide a hubcap attachment device for a motor vehicle which allows the user wanting to access the wheel to easily remove the hubcap without risk of injury.

 Yet another object of the invention is to provide a hubcap fixing device for a motor vehicle which allows locking preventing the theft of the hubcap.

 The main object of the invention is therefore a device for fixing and locking a hubcap on a motor vehicle wheel, the rim of which has a circular groove centered on the axis of the wheel, comprising: a wire ring located in the plane of the groove, and the diameter of which is extendable between a rest position and a locking position, a plurality of hooking lugs also located in the plane of the groove and integral with the wire ring when this last pass from its rest position to its locking position, and a means of expanding the diameter of the wire ring to move the latter from its rest position to its locking position so as to allow introduction and the locking of the latching lugs in the groove causing the fixing and locking of the hubcap on the wheel.

 Another object of the invention is a device for fixing and locking a hubcap comprising on its rear face fastening tabs, the ends of which are located in the plane of the groove of the rim along a centered circle on the axis of the wheel and whose diameter is less than that of the groove. The hubcap comprises a fixing mechanism comprising a locking element such as a barrel accessible at the front by a key or other utensil and a tensioning means actuated by the fixing mechanism when a user turns the locking element in a predetermined direction of rotation so as to spread the hooking lugs until their ends lie on a circle whose diameter is equal to that of the groove so that the rotation of the locking element causes the locking lugs to block in the groove of the rim and consequently the fixing and locking of the hub drunk on the rim.

The objects, objects and characteristics of the invention will appear better on reading the following description made with reference to the drawings in which
Figure 1 is a schematic sectional representation of a portion of the rim of a wheel and a portion of a hubcap attached to the rim where the attachment mechanism of a fixing device is accessible according to a first embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 2 is a perspective representation of a fixing device according to the first embodiment showing in two separate parts the pinion and the housing provided with a rack meshing with the pinion,
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the wire ring associated with the fastening mechanism of FIG. 2 showing the portions having a larger diameter and intended to separate the latching tabs,
FIG. 4 schematically represents a part of the rear of the hubcap showing the relative position of the fixing mechanism and of the wire ring when the hubcap is not installed, in the fixing device according to the first mode of realization of the invention,
FIG. 5 schematically represents a part of the rear of the hubcap showing the relative position of the fixing mechanism and of the wire ring when the hubcap is installed, in the fixing device according to the first embodiment of the 'invention,
FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the fixing mechanism used in a second embodiment of the fixing device according to the invention,
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the wire ring used in the second embodiment of the fixing device according to the invention,
FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a fastening tab which can be used in the second embodiment or the third embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of the fixing mechanism used in the third embodiment of the device according to the invention,
FIG. 10 schematically represents a part of the rear of the hubcap showing the rest position of the eccentric cam when the hubcap is not locked, in the fixing device according to the third embodiment of the invention, and
FIG. 11 schematically represents a part of the rear of the hubcap showing the position of the eccentric cam when the fixing mechanism used in the fixing device according to the third embodiment has been used.

 As illustrated in FIG. 1, a motor vehicle wheel comprises a rim 10 comprising a peripheral part 12 on which a tire is mounted, the base 14 of which conforms to the external contour of the peripheral part 12 of the rim. This peripheral portion 12 of the rim has a portion that tapers to the portion 13 of minimum diameter before the diameter increases slightly so as to form a groove 15 of shallow depth capable of being used to clip a fixing device for a hubcap.

 When the wheel trim 16 is in place, it is in the position shown in FIG. 1, that is to say that its periphery 18 is pressed against the flange 20 of the peripheral rim portion. The hubcap therefore masks the entire rim and in particular the nuts 22 fixing the rim by means of the wheel.

 According to a first embodiment of the invention, a fixing mechanism 24 accessible in a recess of the rim 16, allows easy mounting and dismounting of the hubcap by means of a key or other utensil 26 acting on the wire ring 28 as will be seen below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

 The fixing mechanism 24 comprises a barrel 30 accessible by the key 26, on which is fixed a pinion 32 at its end opposite to the accessible part. The pinion 32 is placed in the cavity 34 of a housing 36 secured to the wire ring 28. The pinion 32 is in contact with a rack 38 located at the upper part of the cavity 34, the teeth of the pinion mesh with the teeth of the rack. Although it is not essential, it is advisable to provide for a closure of the curtain type cavity 34 so as to prevent dust from entering the cavity.

 The barrel 30 on which the pinion 32 is fixed is free to rotate in the recess of the hubcap. The rotation of the key 26 introduced into the barrel 30 rotates the latter and at the same time the pinion 32. Because the teeth of the pinion 32 mesh with the teeth of the rack 38, the rotation of the pinion 32 causes the displacement of the rack 38 and therefore the displacement of the housing 36 in one direction or the other depending on whether the key is turned clockwise or counterclockwise. The housing 36, in its movement, therefore drives the wire ring 28 which, as will be seen now, causes the hubcap to lock on the wheel or to unlock it.

 Figure 4 is a view showing the rear portion of the hubcap where the fixing mechanism 24 is used to install the hubcap on the wheel or remove it. We see the outside of the recess 25 forming a case for the barrel 30, integral with an edge 40 perpendicular to the hubcap 16, reinforced at the location of the case 25. At the inner end of the case 25 is the pinion 32 largely inside the cavity 34 (not visible in the figure) of the housing 36. It will be noted that the pinion 32 is located at the left end of the housing, this is to say that the rotation of the key 26 clockwise will cause the housing 36 to move to the right of the figure.

 Before explaining the principle of attachment of the hubcap according to the first embodiment of the invention, it is good to refer to FIG. 3 which schematically represents the ring-wire 28. This is of general shape circular of a given diameter, and comprises, apart from the fixing mechanism 24, several slots such as the portions 42 having a diameter larger than the rest of the wire ring. These portions which can be 4, 5 or 6 in number, are approximately located at an equal distance from each other. Note that the diameter of the larger diameter portions is still less than the diameter of the narrowed portion of the rim which precedes the groove 15 (see Figure 1).

 Referring again to Figure 4, the hubcap 16 has on its inner edge 16 latching lugs 44 comprising a flexible portion 46 acting as a spring and integral with the ridge 40. The number of latching lugs such that the hooking lug 44 corresponds exactly to the number of larger diameter portions 42 of the wire ring 28 and the location (angular) of the latching lugs on the edge 40 is the same as that of the portions 42 on the wire ring.

 When the hubcap is not yet installed, the pinion 32 is located to the left of the cavity 34 of the housing 36 (see Figure 2), and the wire ring is in a position such that the tabs attachment 44 overlap portions of smaller diameter of the wire ring 28. In this position, the attachment tabs are in the lower position so that their outer edge 48 corresponds to a diameter less than that of the rim narrowing preceding the groove 15 It is therefore easy to install the hubcap on the wheel by pressing the peripheral part 18 of the hubcap against the rim 20 of the rim. In this position, the attachment tabs 44 and the wire ring 28 are placed in alignment with the groove 15. The fixing of the hubcap is then carried out by the rotation of the pinion 32, by means of the key. 26, counterclockwise.

The effect of this rotation is to cause the housing 26 to move to the left (to the right in the figure) and to occupy the position it occupies in FIG. 5.

During this movement, the larger diameter positions 42 of the wire ring 28 are gradually placed each under hooking lugs 44 by causing it to move away from the center of the wheel thanks to the flexible part 46. At the end of the movement, that is to say in the position shown in FIG. 5, the hooking lugs 44 are in their position furthest from the center of the wheel thanks to the portions 42 which keep the flexible parts 46 under tension. As the wire ring pushed back the latching tabs 44, the outer edge 48 of the latter was introduced into the groove 15 until it came into forced contact with the wall of the rim 12. Consequently , in the position illustrated in Figure 5, the hubcap is fixed firmly on the rim of the wheel.

 When it is desired to remove the hubcap, for example to access the nuts which secure the wheel, it suffices to rotate the barrel 30 in the opposite direction so that the housing 36 returns to its position illustrated in FIG. 4. In this case, the latching tabs 44 return to the low position allowing the hubcap to be removed without risk of injury.

 In a second embodiment of the invention, the fixing mechanism shown in FIG. 6 is mainly formed by a steel expansion loop 50.

This steel loop is crossed by a screw 52 retained on one of the outer face of the loop by its head-nut 54. The other end of the screw has a slot so that the tip of a screwdriver 56 can be placed there. The hole 58 through which the screw 54 passes is threaded with a thread pitch corresponding to that of the screw 54 so that the latter is engaged with the thread located in the hole 58. When using the screwdriver 56, we turn the screw clockwise, the resulting screwing (arrow direction) tends to bring the two parts 50-1 and 50-2 of the steel buckle closer to each other while that when you turn the screwdriver anticlockwise, the unscrewing of the screw tends to push the two parts of the steel buckle away from each other.

 As can be seen in FIG. 7, the steel loop 50 is integral with a circular ring-wire 60 fixed to the loop in the recessed parts 62 and 64.

When the screw 52 is unscrewed, the increasing transverse spacing of the two parts 50-1 and 50-2 of the loop tends to bring the recessed parts 62 and 64 in which the l 'wire ring 60.

Consequently, the diameter of the latter tends to decrease.

Conversely, the screwing of the screw 52 which brings the parts 50-1 and 50-2 closer together tends to increase the diameter of the wire ring 60.

 As in the previous embodiment, the wire ring 60 is engaged under hooking lugs 70 (see FIG. 8) 4, 5 or 6 in number, fixed on an edge 72 of the inner face of the rim 16 Each hooking lug 70 is connected to this edge by means of a flexible part 74 acting as a spring. As the screw 52 is screwed in and the diameter of the wire ring 60 increases, the wire ring tends to push the hooking tab 70 outwards, that is to say away from the center of the wheel. The ends 76, the diameter of which is less than the diameter of the narrowed part of the rim 16 so as to allow correct positioning of 1 in the hubcap, are introduced into the groove 15 of the rim (see Figure 1) in which they are blocked when the end of the screw 52 is tightened, this blocking ensuring the fixing and locking of the hubcap on the wheel. Of course, when the screw is turned in the opposite direction, the hooking lugs 70 tend to return to their rest position where they are in the low position allowing the hub cap to be easily removed from the wheel without risking injury.

 A third and simplest embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11. This embodiment is based, like the previous embodiment, on the expansion of the wire ring by means of the spacing of the two ends of it. To do this, there is a fixing mechanism which has the shape of a cam 80. This cam comprises two parts, a first part 82 of cylindrical shape and a second part 84 integral with the first part and having two holes for fixing the ends 86 and 88 of the wire ring 60. The first part 82 is inserted into a cylindrical recess of the hubcap 16 and can rotate freely inside this obviously under the action of a screwdriver 56 or any other means such as a key or for example the end of the jack of the vehicle which then has an imprint that perfectly matches the imprint of the mechanism located in the recess 25 (see FIG. 1) on the front face of the cover accessible by the user.

 In the same way as for the two previous embodiments, the hubcap 16 comprises hooking lugs 90 fixed to the hubcap by a flexible part and overlapping the wire ring 60. When the hubcap is placed on the rim, the cam 80 is in the position illustrated in FIG. 10. In this first position, the cam 80 is such that the two ends 86 and 88 of the wire ring 60 overlap and therefore the diameter of the ring- wire is minimal. It will be noted that the cam 80 is locked in this position by the tab 92. However, this tab is not essential insofar as the rotation of the cam is stopped when the end 88 of the wire ring abuts against the other end 86.

 When the part 82 of the cam 80 is rotated clockwise in the recess of the hubcap, the two ends 86 and 88 of the wire ring 60 move apart on the other to take the position illustrated in Figure 11. This spacing of the two ends of the wire ring 60 causes the diameter of the latter to expand, and therefore the latching lugs 90 whose ends 94 are raised are blocked in the groove 15 of the rim. The rotation of the part 84 of the cam is stopped when the flange 96 comes to bear on the narrowed part 13 of the rim (see FIG. 1).

 It should be noted that, except in the first embodiment where the latching tabs are essential because their spacing towards the locking position in the groove of the rim is not due to the expansion of the ring- wire but when lifting the latching lugs by slots or portions of diameter larger than the wire ring, we can dispense with said latching lugs. Indeed, in the second and third embodiment, the fixing mechanism of the hubcap causes the expansion of the wire ring when it is used. It is therefore sufficient to provide slots or portions of larger diameter on the wire ring (like the slots 42 in FIG. 3) which come to jam in the groove of the rim, during the expansion of the ring. wire, in the same way as hooking lugs.

 Whether the first, second or third embodiment is used, it is necessary to provide a recess in the hubcap through which one can have access to the valve. In order to ensure perfect balance of the wheel, it is essential that the valve recess is opposite, relative to the center of the wheel, the recess giving access to the fixing and locking mechanism of the hubcap.

 In the second embodiment, the screw may be secured to a barrel accessible by the user by means of a key as is the case in the first embodiment. In all three embodiments, locking (and unlocking) with a key prevents the relatively easy theft of the hubcaps according to the prior art.

 Although the invention has been described according to three preferred embodiments, it is clear to those skilled in the art that other embodiments are possible in which a fixing mechanism accessible by a key or other utensil causes the blocking of the hooking tabs in the internal groove of the rim or vice versa unlocking the hooking tabs of said groove, these operations being done without the effort which would be necessary for clipping or unclipping and therefore without risk of being injured.

Claims (9)

 1. Device for fixing and locking a hubcap (16) on a motor vehicle wheel, the rim (10, 12) of which has a circular groove (15) centered on the axis of the wheel, comprising  a wire ring (60) lying in the plane of said groove, and the diameter of which can be extended between a rest position and a locking position,  a plurality of hooking tabs (70, 90) also located in the plane of said groove, said hooking tabs being integral with said wire ring when the latter passes from its rest position to its locking position, and  means for expanding (50, 80) the diameter of said wire ring to move the latter from its rest position to its locked position so as to allow the introduction and blocking of said hooking tabs in said groove causing the hubcap to be fixed and locked on the wheel.  2. Fastening device according to claim 1, wherein  said expansion means (50) is composed of a spring steel loop comprising two parts (50-1 and 50-2) facing each other and a screw 52 joining said parts facing each other screw so that the screwing or unscrewing of the screw brings two walls closer or further away from each other,  said wire ring (60) is fixed by its ends to the two sides of said steel loop, said hooking tabs (70) being spaced apart by the action exerted by said wire ring whose diameter increases when said parts in vis-à-vis are brought together when performing the screwing of said screw, so that said latching tabs are placed in the locking position in said groove (15) entralant the fixing and locking of the hubcap on the wheel.  3. Fastening device according to claim 1, wherein  said expansion means (80) is an eccentric cam formed by a first cylindrical part (82) placed in a recess of said cover and accessible by the user to be rotated in said recess and by a second part (84 ), and  said wire ring (60) is fixed at its two ends (86, 88) to said second part of the eccentric cam so that, when said expansion means is used to move in rotation said first part of the eccentric cam, said wire ring passes from said rest position for which its diameter is minimal to said locking position for which its diameter has become maximum by spacing of said two ends, which has the effect of placing said hooking tabs in blocking position in said groove.  4. Fastening device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said wire ring comprises portions of smaller diameter alternating with portions of larger diameter, said portions of larger diameter being used directly as lugs intended to lock in said groove when said expansion means is used.  5. Fastening device according to claim 3, wherein the first part (82) of said eccentric cam (80) has at its end accessible to the user a specific imprint so that only a tool having a complementary imprint to said specific footprint can be used to rotate said first part of the eccentric cam in its recess.  6. Device for fixing and locking a wheel cover (16) on a motor vehicle wheel, the rim (10, 12) of which comprises a circular groove (15) centered on the axis of the wheel, said wheel cover comprising a plurality hooking lugs (44) fixed on the rear face of the hubcap, said hooking lugs being placed along a circle centered on the axis of the wheel and the end (48) of said lugs attachment the farthest from the center of the circle being, in the rest position, in the plane of said groove on a circle centered on the axis of the wheel whose diameter is less than that of said groove, and  the device further comprising a fixing mechanism (24) comprising a locking element (30) accessible at the front of the hubcap by a determined locking means such as a key, and an actuated tensioning means (28) by said fixing mechanism when a user actuates said locking element with the aid of said locking means so as to separate said hooking lugs so that said ends of the hooking lugs are on a circle whose diameter is at less equal to the diameter of said groove, so that the actuation of said locking element by said locking means allows the introduction and blocking of said hooking lugs in said groove causing the fixing and locking of the hubcap on the wheel.  7. A fixing device according to claim 6, in which  said fixing mechanism (24) is composed of a rack (38) integral with said tensioning means, and a pinion (32) integral with said locking element and causing the displacement of said rack when said locking element is actuated by said locking means,  said tensioning means is a wire ring (60) comprising first portions of a smaller diameter alternating with second portions (42) of a larger diameter, said hooking tabs (44) being separated by the action exerted by said second portions when said wire ring driven by said rack performs a determined rotation when said locking means are actuated, so that said hooking lugs are placed in the locking position in said groove (15) causing the fixing and the locking the hubcap on the wheel.  8. Fastening device according to one of claims 1, 2, 3, 6 or 7, wherein each of said attachment tabs (44, 70 or 90) is formed of a first flexible part (46, 74) making spring fixed to the hubcap (16) and a second part comprising the end (48, 76) ensuring the locking of the hubcap by its introduction into said groove (15), and a concave portion overlapping said wire ring and undergoing a centrifugal force from said wire ring tending to spread said second part to increase the diameter on which is located said end ensuring the locking of the hubcap.  9. Fastening device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said expansion means (50, 80) or said locking element (30) further comprises a barrel allowing the locking using a suitable key audit barrel.