GB2542418A

GB2542418A - A capping device for wheel mounted members with an integrated reflector

Info

Publication number: GB2542418A
Application number: GB1516625.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Abraham Petrus De Groot Albertus
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-09-18
Filing date: 2015-09-18
Publication date: 2017-03-22
Also published as: GB201516625D0

Abstract

A dust cap (e.g. for a bolt or a nut, for mounting a wheel to an axle of a vehicle, e.g. a truck) has a safety reflector, e.g a retroreflector. The dust cap can create a warning signal to other drivers, to indicate the truck is turning (figure 12). The reflector 8 may be at an oblique angle (figures 5 & 6) to create a pulse of reflected light. The reflector 8 may be partly masked by a lip (6, figure 4), to prevent light hitting the reflector 8 in a radial direction from being reflected back, to help better alert a driver of a vehicle alongside a truck, that the truck is turning. The reflector 8 may be a film material and curved convexly. The dust cap may also have a projection 8 to indicate loosening of a nut. A projection 8 may limit the amount of loosening of the dust cap, by linking to caps (figure 10). The cap may have openings 10 for expelling water and/or dirt by centrifugal forces during rotation of the wheel, and have grooves for a form fit.

Description

Description.

Visibility of vehicles has been recognised as a topic in nowadays traffic that needs constant attention and improvement. Legalisation for example demands that specific lighting and reflective material are provided on specific locations on vehicles, thus ensuring that the vehicle is more visible to other traffic during driving.

Severe everyday traffic accidents are also known to occur as long vehicles, such as trailers, trucks and busses, make a turn in a direction towards traffic that is already present sideways of them. These are known as blind spot accidents.

Within the Automotive Industry such accidents are well known and many solutions have already been put forward, along with campaigns designed to make the public aware of the dangers, all with the intention to reduce the number of (fatal-) accidents.

The majority of those existing solutions against blind spot accidents are driver orientated, such as the provision of additional mirrors. Current trucks may even have 3, 4 or even 5 additional mirrors for this purpose.

Despite all those existing solutions, blind spot accidents however still keep on happening, particularly with vulnerable children on small bicycles a true danger still exists.

The present invention aims to provide a solution that may help in further increasing the visibility of vehicles, in particular of long vehicles, and more in particular for helping to prevent blind spot accidents.

This aim is achieved by the dust capping device according to claim 1. This dust capping device is designed to be placed onto a wheel mounting member, in particular a bolt or a nut, for mounting a wheel to an axle of a vehicle, particularly for mounting a wheel to an axle of a long vehicle like a trailer, truck or bus. The capping device comprises a body with a bore that extends in an axial direction for fitting it onto such a wheel mounting member According to the inventive thought the capping device comprises a safety reflector that forms at least part of an outer side of the body or that covers at least part of this outer side of the body.

The combination of the safety reflectors with the capping devices is able to offer surprising and therefore very effective warning signals to the environment of a vehicle. First of all, they can quickly and easily be placed onto a large number of positions onto the vehicle, that is to say one on each wheel mounting member, of which per wheel for example 10 are present. For a truck having for example 6 wheels this means that in a short time no less than 60 reflectors can be added to the vehicle. Secondly, the reflective capping devices can quickly and easily be placed onto positions of the vehicle which get to move during driving, that is to say onto its wheels. This will make the vehicle much more visible during such driving because then the wheels are rotating and bouncing over the road. With all the reflective capping devices coming to lie in one circular line, they are able to show a plurality of reflective backlights, moving in a circle, up to the speed that a circle of reflective light can even be noticed by the other traffic. Thirdly, the reflective capping devices can quickly and easily be placed onto positions of the vehicle where at present hardly any other safety or warning reflectors or lighting are present, that is to say onto the sides of the vehicle. Fourthly, the reflective capping devices can quickly and easily be placed onto positions of the vehicle where they can be made visible for other traffic from a position truly sideways of the vehicle, for example traffic approaching the vehicle from out of a side-road.

It is emphasized that the new invention not only is able to increase the visibility of the vehicle in general, but more importantly is able to offer the specific advantage that, when fitted on driving axle(s) of the vehicle, it makes the other traffic, and specifically traffic alongside of the vehicle, aware of the intention of a driver to start turning the vehicle. As soon as the driver starts to steer the vehicle, the wheels of the driving axle shall follow and take in angled position relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. This shall cause the capping devices to immediately become (more) visible for traffic, like cyclists or pedestrians, alongside of the vehicle. They suddenly get confronted with one or more light beams that get (more intensely) reflected from the inventive capping devices. This shall give them a proper warning, and thus an opportunity to immediately leave their position alongside the vehicle, such that the vehicle shall not run over them while performing its turn in the direction towards them. Thus the invention advantageously makes it possible to provide a plurality of relative small reflectors at a position which makes the reflectors actively visible to them right before a truly dangerous situation is starting to occur, while, during a driving of the vehicle in a straight forward direction, the plurality of small reflectors also give a good visual warning sign to the surroundings, because they are rotating together with the wheels at driving speed.

As the devices are fitted, the reflective material reflects light coming from any other source, for example a light source of other traffic like a head light of a bicycle, back to this other traffic and specifically to other traffic alongside of the vehicle.

In a preferred embodiment the reflector is a retroreflector that is designed for returning light back to a light source along substantially a same direction such that backlight occurs. This has the advantage that reflection back towards other traffic can be achieved independent of their angle relative to the reflective capping devices. Tests with this kind of retroreflective material did confirm that light is reflected even over large entrance angles. The entrance angle of the source light does play a role though. It was recorded that the backlight is more intense and increasing, as the entrance angle becomes smaller. Advantageously this intensified backlight then is able to create a warning for oncoming traffic, but even more for the endangered traffic alongside or alongside/behind the vehicle, so that they can do their very best to avoid becoming involved in any accidents themselves.

Retroreflective material offers the advantage that can be active over a large angle of incidence and that it is not rotation sensitive. Preferably however an observation angle between a source of the light and an observer (detector) of the backlight (like the eyes) is small, and not too wide as the intensity reduces. Bringing the source of the light closer to the detector, in particular the eyes, like for example a light on a biker-helmet, the observed backlight will be more intense.

For smaller biker participants who are carrying their own source of light, for example on the bicycle handlebar, the observation angle advantageously is commonly smaller and for that reason the backlight is more intense compare to adult bikers with a larger observation angle, will then alarmed at a more intense level.

It is noted that the other traffic, like bikers as the detector, don't need to carry a source of light themselves in all cases. Other traffic behind/alongside the vehicle or environmental lighting like street lightning can also act as a source for the desired backlight getting reflected back from the reflective capping devices to occur.

The retroreflector can be of various types, and in particular may be of a corner type retroreflector or of a spherical type retroreflector (cat's eye), and for example comprise retroreflective glass beads, micro-prisms or encapsulated lenses that are sealed onto a substrate. It may have many different colours and degrees of reflection intensity.

The capping device can be open at its axial outward side. In a preferred embodiment however each body of the capping device comprises a hood at its axial outward side for covering a front face of the wheel mounting member, and wherein the hood in particular at least partly closes of the bore. The safety reflector then can form or cover at least part of an outer front face of the hood. Thus the reflective capping devices, can get positioned somewhat axially outwardly projecting towards an outer front face of the wheel, such that their reflection surfaces do not get hidden by parts or components of the wheel, such as a rim of the wheel. In the alternative or in addition thereto, the safety reflector can also be provided partly or wholly around a circumferential outer side wall of the body.

In a further embodiment the safety reflector provided on the hood can be convexly curved axially outwardly. This helps to increase its visibility from positions diagonally behind or in front of the vehicle. And in that situation the front face of the reflector is more to the front face of the wheel, and for that reason is able to catch more light in an earlier stage.

In another embodiment the safety reflector can be positioned on the hood at an oblique angle relative to the axial direction, in particular an angle between 10 - 60 degrees. Thus the reflection material is fitted in an angle in relation to the 90 degrees angle to the axial direction of the mounted capping device, such that the entrance angle starts at for example 20 degrees, in relation to the axial direction of the mounted members.

Fitted with a lower end of the reflector towards the centre of the wheel, the situation then can be created that, in case the wheel is turning in the direction of the alongside traffic, the far end wheel mounting member, and thus also the far end reflective capping device, will obtain a smallest entrance angle, and thus create the most intense backlight, compared to the reflective capping devices on the other wheel mounting members.

The less far members will have decreasing intensity of backlight for the detector. Being aware of the speed of the human eyes recognising frames, and the speed of the vehicle and therefore the rotation speed of the reflective capping devices on the wheels, each most far away reflective capping device then can be recognised as a separate backlight, and that the capping devices together create a pulsation of reflected backlights.

As the wheel rotates, each wheel mounting member rotates such that pulse lights are recognised by the detectors, with the most intense light from the far end member. This pulse light has appeared to be a truly effective alarming signal, and a large benefit for the safety of the alongside traffic.

The hood can be provided with an axially outwardly projecting masking lip that extends alongside at least part of a circumference of the safety reflector. Thus the reflector can be provided as part of a cap at the front face of the wheel, while the reflector can be reliably fitted behind the masking lip on the outer circumference. This has the advantage that the reflector is masked by the lip and is not visible through a small angle in relation to the right-angle corner with the wheel and the fitted direction of the device.

In a further embodiment the axially outwardly projecting masking lip has a height such that the safety reflector lying behind it is at least partly, and in particular entirely, masked from light that gets directed towards it in a radial direction. The lip can thus shield of any light coming from another source from getting reflected by the reflector as long as such a light is still parallel alongside the driving direction of the vehicle, such as with alongside traffic. As soon as the steered wheel then however gets turned, the lip no longer masks this light and all of a sudden starts to reflect the light, causing a sort of shock warning for the other traffic to occur.

The axially outwardly projecting masking lip preferably may merge into a radially inwardly projecting hooking part with the safety reflector being positioned with at least part of its circumference underneath the hooking part. Thus a proper fixation for the reflector is obtained.

The safety reflector may be made out of film material. This makes it possible to have such a film fitted and tightened over the full outer circumference of the body, but also to have it placed as an insert in a mould for injection moulding the body. The benefit is that the reflector then becomes part of the product, and cannot be removed without destroying the device. Also it then is to last longer as the entrance of moisture is excluded, as the reflector material in the market place- as a film of for example 0.35 mm - is known to otherwise degrade as soon as moisture enters its sides.

The capping device preferably is of the type in which it comprises position indicating means for indicating a rotational position of the wheel mounting member relative to the axle of the vehicle. Each position indicating means then particularly may comprise a nose part which projects radially outwardly from the body. Thus the capping device is able to indicate a not aimed and undesired loosening of the wheel mounting members.

It is noted that such pointer type capping devices per se are already known in a wide variety of embodiments. See for example GB 2 511 299.

For the fitting in general and with the indication means, one of the preferred designs is a capping device with bore is provided with a profile, in particular a set of axially extending interspaced grooves, to fit with a form fit over the wheel mounting member, such that fitting, unfitting and positioning can be easily achieved.

To control the moisture, or avoiding the entrance of moisture of a capping device, one of the preferred options is a closed capping device to control the entrance of moisture, or a capping device with slots, positioned in line with the centrifugal forces, such that if the wheel is in rotation, the moisture and dirt is swung out by the centrifugal forces.

The body can be made via injection moulding, in particular with the safety reflector being moulded along with it. The body can be made out of all kinds of materials, but preferably is made out of a polymer, in particular PE or PP.

Further preferred embodiments are stated in the sub claims.

The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising vehicle wheels that are mounted by means of wheel mounting members, in particular bolts or nuts, to axles of the vehicle, and furthermore comprises the inventive reflective capping devices placed onto those wheel mounting members.

Description figures.

Figure 1.

This shows a dust capping device (2), the axial direction of the wheel mounted member (1), and a reflector (3) positioned in the hood (5) of the device.

Figure 2.

This shows the bottom view of the device as in figure 1, showing the bore extending in axial direction. Here multiple groves/splines (4) is shown to fit the mounted member of the wheel.

Figure 3.

Shows a top view indication the cross section line for figure 4.

Figure 4.

The actual cross section, included the top in detail.

The dust capping device (2), has a mask lip (6). The reflector (3) is shown, and as the reflector is thin, a back plate (7) is integrated to give strength to the reflector material, for example during the injection moulding process, and in service when the vehicle is cleaned with high pressure tooling.

Figure 5 and 6.

These figures show a view on the dust capping device such that the reflector is positioned under a different angle (12) as 90 degrees to the axial direction of the mounting member (1).

Thus the reflection material is positioned in an angle (12), such that the entrance angle starts at -as in this figure 20 degrees - .

Fitted with a lower end towards a centre of the wheel - indicated with an indicator (13), the situation then can be created that, in case the wheel is turning in the direction of the alongside traffic, a far end wheel mounting member, and thus also the far end reflective capping device, will obtain a smallest entrance angle, and thus create the most intense backlight, compared to the reflective capping devices on the other wheel mounting members. The less far members will have decreasing intensity of backlight for the detector, as the entrance angle is bigger.

Being aware of the speed of the human eyes, and the speed of the reflective capping devices on the wheels, each most far away reflective capping device then can be recognised as a separate backlight, such that all the capping devices together create a pulsation of reflected backlights.

Regarding the pulse light it changes to a stroke of backlight, with an more intense centre, pending on the speed of the turning vehicle.

Calculation this moment, such that a stroke is recognised by human eyes, the following sample is given.

The larger public transport buses do use wheels with a diameter just above 1 meter, and these wheels do have 10 mounted members over a diameter of 335 mm, the circumference distance between these centre holes of the mounted members is 105 mm. As the circumference length of the reflector is 30 mm, a gap is calculated of 75 mm circumference length between each reflector. So 75/105 full rotation of the wheel, which is 2.24 m with this kind of wheels I will close the gap between reflection materials.

Let's accept that human eyes can recognise 10 frames per second, the speed above 22.4 m/s (10 * 2.24 m), will be approximately the speed of the vehicle such that the pulse back light will change into a recognised stroke of light. This is 80km/h.

Figure 7/8/9.

Figure 7 and 9 do show a dust capping device with a nose (8) and an extending opening (10) As figure 8 shows the cross section , demonstrated in figure 9.

Figure 10.

This figure shows also an alternative use of the dust capping device (1) with a reflector. Here with a linked piece of material such as a nose (8) to be fitted between 2 mounted members to limit the amount of loosening and to indicate the loosening of one of the mounted members.

Figure 11/12.

These figures shows 2 top views of a sketched truck/trailer (14) and alongside traffic indicated with a dot (15).

In figure 11 the truck (14) and the alongside traffic (15) drive both in the same direction (18), and in figure 12 indicates the following moment as the truck (14) starts to turn - in the direction of the alongside traffic (15) - the steering axle wheels (16).

In this picture the source light and the backlight (both indicated with 17) are demonstrated, such that the detector of the backlight (15) is alarmed.

Claims

Claims:

1. A dust capping device designed to be placed onto a wheel mounting member, in particular a bolt or a nut, for mounting a wheel to an axle of a vehicle, comprising: - a body having a bore extending in an axial direction for fitting it onto the wheel mounting member, the body having an outer side, characterized in that, the capping device comprises a safety reflector that forms or covers at least part of the outer side of the body.

2. A dust capping device according to claim 1, wherein the safety reflector is a retroreflector that is designed for returning light back to a light source along substantially a same direction.

3. A capping device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each body comprises a hood at its axial outward side for covering a front face of the wheel mounting member, and wherein the hood in particular at least partly closes of the bore.

4. A capping device according to claim 3, wherein the safety reflector forms or covers at least part of an outer front face of the hood.

5. A capping device according to claim 4, wherein the safety reflector is convexly curved axially outwardly.

6. A capping device according to claim 4, wherein the safety reflector is positioned at an oblique angle relative to the axial direction, in particular an angle between ..-.. degrees.

7. A capping device according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the hood is provided with an axially outwardly projecting masking lip that extends alongside at least part of a circumference of the safety reflector.

8. A capping device according to claim 7, wherein the axially outwardly projecting masking lip has a height such that the safety reflector lying behind it is at least partly, and in particular entirely, masked from light that gets directed towards it in a radial direction.

9. A capping device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the axially outwardly projecting masking lip merges into a radially inwardly projecting hooking part with the safety reflector being positioned with at least part of its circumference underneath the hooking part.

10. A capping device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the safety reflector is made out of film material.

11. A capping device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein position indicating means are provided for indicating a rotational position of the wheel mounting member relative to the axle of the vehicle.

12. A capping device according to claim 11, wherein each position indicating means comprises a nose part which projects radially outwardly from the body.

13. A capping device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each bore is provided with a profile, in particular a set of axially extending interspaced grooves, to fit with a form fit over the wheel mounting member.

14. A capping device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the body and hood substantially close of the wheel mounting member towards the environment.

15. A capping device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the body and hood comprise substantially radially outwardly extending openings for expelling water and/or dirt by centrifugal forces during rotation of the wheel.

16. A capping device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the body is made via injection moulding, in particular with the safety reflector being moulded along with it.

17. A capping device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the body is made out of a polymer, in particular PE or PP.

18. Vehicle comprising vehicle wheels that are mounted by means of wheel mounting members, in particular bolts or nuts, to axles of the vehicle, and furthermore comprising capping devices according to one of the preceding claims that are placed onto the wheel mounting members.