GB2573802A

GB2573802A - A twin indicator with a pair of deformable bodies connected via a deformable intermediate link

Info

Publication number: GB2573802A
Application number: GB1808085.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Abraham Petrus Groot De Albertus
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-05-18
Filing date: 2018-05-18
Publication date: 2019-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 2038-05-18
Also published as: GB2573802B; WO2019221599A1; GB201808085D0

Abstract

A device for indicating the loosening of wheel nuts/bolts and for counteracting the loosening of the nuts/bolts comprising two pairs of bodies 2 having a indicator 3 and grooved toothed bore 4 for engaging with the nut/bolt, wherein the bodies are joined by an intermediate link 5. In use the bodies are mounted to two adjacent wheel mounting nuts/bolts. When a nut/bolt loosens, the link is deformed allowing at least one body mounted to the loosening nut/bolt to rotate with the nut/bolt, rotating the indicator 3 until a predefined loosening angle 8 relative to the starting position has been reached. If the nut/bolt is still rotating e.g. unscrewing, the body mounted to the nut/bolt will deform resulting in the nut/bolt slipping/ratcheting or the like inside the body, whilst the loosening torque of the nut/bolt is higher than the counterforce 9 of the link that pulls the body back in an anti-loosening direction 11. The deformation of the body maintains the position indicator 3 at the predefined loosening angle 8 and prevents the link from breaking. Preferably the device is made from polyethylene (PE), low density polyethylene (LDPE) or linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

Description

Title: A twin indicator with a pair of deformable bodies connected to each other via a deformable intermediate link for fitting over a pair of adjacent vehicle wheel mounting members.

The invention relates to the field of a twin indicator for indicating relative loosening rotations and for counteracting loosening torques of wheel mounting members, for example nuts or bolts, of a wheel of a vehicle, comprising a pair of bodies that each have a bore for fitting over adjacent ones of the wheel mounting members and that each have a position indicator, for example a pointer, for indicating a rotational starting position of its wheel mounting member, and an intermediate link that extends between the two bodies, that connects them with each other, and that is configured to deform such that it allows a rotation of at least one of the bodies together with its wheel mounting member in a loosening direction.

Commercial vehicle wheels, like busses, trucks and trailers, are typical hub mounted by means of wheel studs and wheel nuts. Tightening torques with which those wheel nuts are tightened, clamp the wheel to the hub. A large share of wheel nuts of commercial vehicles and specific trailers use 10-stud wheels with a pitch circle diameter of 335 mm and a recommendation to have the nuts tightened at a level of for example around 630 Nm. In practice the wheel nuts are fitted on the threated studs a few rotations by hand, followed by rotating the wheel nuts with a pneumatic tool, which can be set at a non-accurate torque level of for example around 400-500 Nm. The final stage of tightening then takes place with a calibrated torque wrench to set the torque at the recommended level. During the stages of tightening the stud is elongated based on a substantially linear characteristic, within the elasticity of the material. The total angle of rotating of the stages from no play between nut, wheel and hub till the recommended level may for example lie around 88-93 degrees, related to axles of two popular trailer axles manufactures in West-Europe. The angle set by the pneumatic tool to the level of for example around 400-500 Nm may then for example lie around 55-70 degrees. The recommended tightening torque however is not always known, thus it may also occur that someone tightens the nuts to a higher level of for example around 750 Nm. This then may lead to a complementary higher angle getting set, of for example around 104-110 degrees.

Several safety indicating devices have been developed to indicate a possible loosening of the wheel nuts. Such a loosening of wheel nuts is a well-known issue and sometimes may even result in a wheel detachment, especially in the commercial vehicle industry.

For example GB 2 242 720 shows a safety indicating device which comprises a cylindrical body which delimits a grooved internal bore with which it can be slid with a form fit over a hexagonal wheel nut. The plurality of grooves make it possible to slide the safety indicating device in various rotational positions with said form fit over the hexagonal wheel nut. At its outer circumference, the body is equipped with an outwardly projecting pointer. During use the body can be slid over the wheel nut in such a rotational position that the pointer gets to point towards a reference mark on the wheel. It is also possible for a plurality of the safety indicating devices to get positioned such over the wheel nuts that their pointers all get to point in a same easily recognizable specific direction, for example all pointing towards a centre axis of the wheel or all pointing clockwise or counter-clockwise towards a neighbouring safety indicating device. Thus a visual inspection has easily been made possible in which for example a driver or maintenance worker can quickly see if one or more of the safety devices have started to work loose.

A disadvantage with this is that such visual checks are only performed periodically. It may even occur that one or more of the wheel nuts have loosened so much in between such periodic visual checks that the wheel has loosened so much that it can even start to move relative to the hub and thus lead to a large risk for an accident to happen.

GB 2 406 365 shows a twin indicator which comprises a pair of ring-shaped toothed bodies for fitting onto a pair of adjacent wheel nuts or bolts. The ring-shaped bodies are permanently connected to each other by a Z-shaped intermediate link. The bodies are each provided with a main pointer. The intermediate link is equipped with two pairs of small subpointers, of which each pair points towards one of the bodies. The main pointer of each body is positioned such that in the starting position it points exactly in between each pair of small sub-pointers. Thus the main pointers and pairs of sub-pointers co-operate to indicate whether one of the wheel nuts or bolts has rotated loose in a loosening direction, that is to say opposite to its initial tightening direction. The device will, of course, also have an inhibiting effect on the loosening of the respective nuts to which it is fitted, and should prevent either nut spinning off, possibly to cause an accident, before any loosening is noticed and remedied.

The functioning of this twin indicator however also leaves to be improved. It is meant to mainly indicate a loosening of one of the nuts and prevent either nut spinning off.

WO 2015/000013 shows another example of a twin indicator. It also comprises a pair of ring-shaped toothed bodies for fitting onto a pair of adjacent wheel nuts, of which the ringshaped bodies are permanently connected to each other by an intermediate link. The bodies include pointers which are able to indicate whether the nuts have started to rotate loose, that is to say away from their rotational starting positions. The pointers are positioned such that in those rotational starting positions they point tangentially away from each other towards a pointer of an adjacent twin indicator. The intermediate link here is formed as a resiliently flexible band that is pre-curved in the shape of an inverted S. During use, any loosening rotation of one of the wheel nuts will cause the body and its pointer to rotate therewith, thereby providing a visual indication of the loosening of this one wheel nut. The loosening of this one wheel nut will cause the band to straighten which results in a compressive tension getting applied on the other body, thereby countering any loosening rotation of the other wheel nut in order to prevent any loosening thereof.

A disadvantage with this known twin indicator also is that a total amount of loosening for the nut may be large. In fact the length of the inverted S-shaped band seems to allow the nut to rotate loose over more than twice its initially tightening angle, such that large play may even start to occur between the wheel and its hub. This will add substantial additional stress to a stud or the like onto which the nut is mounted, because when so much play gets created between the wheel and its hub or between the wheel and the loosened nut, the wheel can start wobbling during driving, and the stress on the studs and nuts then becomes unpredictable and presumably such high that it most likely leads to a damaging of the threads of the studs caused by the nut getting smashed off the threads of the stud.

The present invention aims to overcome the abovementioned disadvantages at least partly or to provide a useful alternative solution. In particular the invention aims to provide a flexibly usable and user-friendly twin indicator which can be easily mounted to and dismounted from a pair of wheel mounting members, and which help the user to keep the vehicle in a safe driving mode and gain more than enough time to be able to visually detect a loosening of the wheel mounting members without full failure of the wheel mounting members having been able to occur.

This aim is achieved by a twin indicator for indicating relative loosening rotations and for counteracting loosening torques of wheel mounting members, for example nuts or bolts, of a wheel of a vehicle, according to claim 1. The twin indicator comprises a pair of bodies that each have a bore for fitting over adjacent ones of the wheel mounting members and that each have a position indicator, for example a pointer, for indicating a rotational starting position of its wheel mounting member, and an intermediate link that extends between the two bodies, that connects them with each other, and that is configured to deform such that it allows a rotation of at least one of the bodies together with its wheel mounting member in a loosening direction. According to the inventive thought the intermediate link is configured to substantially stop the at least one body to further rotate in the loosening direction as soon as a predefined loosening angle relative to the rotational starting position is reached that corresponds to a situation in which the wheel mounting member is able to remain exerting a predefined minimum clamping force onto the wheel of the vehicle, and the bodies are configured to deform such that, after the predefined loosening angle is reached, they allow one or more limited rotations of the respective wheel mounting member relative to the at least one body, while the position indicator thereof remains to substantially indicate the predefined loosening angle.

According to the invention advantageous use is made of the insight that in case where the circumstances are such that wheel mounting members are driven to loosen, it is preferable not to retain those wheel mounting members at or too close to the relative high recommended initial tightening torque, but at a lower level of clamping “force”, as the combination of stress can lead to fatigue of the wheel mounting members, like for example fatigue of threads of a stud or a bolt. This is because the recommended initial tightening torque for the wheel mounting members, is related to some stretching of studs or the like onto which the wheel mounting members are mounted. Looking at the loosening process, two stages can be defined, namely a first loosening stage during which a clamping force remains between the wheel mounting member and the wheel (no play has started to occur yet), and a second loosening stage where no clamping force at all is left between them (play has started to occur). The invention now is able to control the loosening of the wheel mounting member in such a way that the second loosening stage does not have to get reached at all without this being able to lead to a premature damaging or snapping of the stud or the like. The predefined loosening angle towards which the wheel mounting member is allowed to rotate in the loosening direction while taking along the body with it, can easily be set such that it lies well within the first loosening stage. By having this combined with an allowing of one or more limited rotations of the respective wheel mounting member without keeping on to take along the body with it, a controlled loosening is achieved in such a way that at that moment it can be guaranteed that a predefined minimum clamping force remains being exerted by the wheel mounting member onto the wheel of the vehicle.

Thus the invention provides a twin indicator which on the one hand does not fully anchor wheel mounting members, but which allows them to rotate loose up till a managed level, and from there have the loosening torque substantially remain the same without this being able to lead to further deformation of the intermediate link and without this being able to lead to the clamping force getting to drop below a certain minimum. At the same time the position indicators clearly indicate and keep on indicating a large enough loosening rotation for a driver or maintenance person to immediately see on inspection such that appropriate action can be taken.

It is noted that after having reached the predefined loosening angle, each time that the loosening torque then starts forcing the body to deform in order to have the wheel mounting member slip or ratchet an amount relative to it, the body because of this deformation then firstly may rotate somewhat further in the loosening direction and then, after having allowed the amount of slipping or ratcheting of the wheel mounting member relative to it to take place, the body may start to deform back to its starting position while rotating somewhat back in the tightening direction. During those elastic forth and back deformations of the body, the position indicator also shall move somewhat forth and back with it, and thus shall substantially keep on indicating the predefined loosening angle. Each time after having been elastically deformed up till ratcheting/slipping to occur by a still excessive loosening torque, the body shall thereafter elastically deform back to its starting position and thus indicate the predefined loosening angle again.

Owing to the guarantee that a predefined minimum clamping force is achieved at that moment by the wheel mounting member onto the wheel of the vehicle, the invention is well able to prevent that the wheel may start wobbling, which helps to prevent a full detachment from happening. The invention makes this possible with its two-step counteracting of the loosening torque, which two steps occur after each other, both during the first loosening stage. Firstly by means of deformation of the link and secondly by means of deformation of the body. Each time the loosening torque remains on being too high or gets too high again after the predefined loosening angle of the body has already been reached, one or more further limited rotations of the wheel mounting member inside its body can occur. No further deformation of the intermediate link is needed for this. The intermediate link deforms up till the level in which a counterforce against further deformation of the link has gotten to be larger than a counterforce of the body against deformation for allowing the wheel mounting member to start slipping or ratcheting or the like inside it. In other words it then has become easier for the body to deform and allow a relative rotation of the wheel mounting member inside it, than it has become for the intermediate link to get further deformed. Thus the intermediate link is prevented from getting deformed such far that it may get plastically deformed and ultimately snap. In case the loosening torque is larger than the counteracting of the body against deformation, the body of the device will slip or ratchet or the like one or more times over the wheel mounting member. This can continue until the gradually decreasing loosening torque has become smaller than the counteracting of the twin indicator against deformation, such that a balance arises. Important is that in that case still an amount of loosening torque remains being present, namely one that corresponds to the resistance of the body against deformation. Thus a minimum clamping force can be maintained, which prevents play to start occurring between the wheel mounting member and the wheel and hub.

In case circumstances are such that the other wheel mounting member also gets forced by a loosening torque to start rotating in the loosening direction, this other wheel mounting member advantageously also may have the ability to rotate its body over a loosening angle. This shall however be dependent on whether or not the predefined loosening angle has already been reached or not by the other one of the bodies. As soon as the two bodies together have reached the predefined loosening angle, this other wheel mounting member may also start to perform one more limited slipping or ratcheting rotations inside its body for as long as the loosening torque is larger than the counteracting forces of that body against such deformation that slipping, ratcheting or the like relative rotations can start to occur.

In a preferred embodiment the intermediate link can be configured to provide such a substantially increasing counterforce/resistance against deformation of the link that, at the reaching of the predefined loosening angle, this counterforce/resistance against further deformation of the link from that moment on becomes larger than a counterforce/resistance of the bodies against starting to deform in such a way that the wheel mounting member may start to perform one or more limited rotations relative to the at least one body. The bodies of the twin indicator thus each provide a counterforce to start to elastically deform in such a way that they may start slipping over the wheel mounting member during loosening rotations of those wheel mounting members. The intermediate link that extends between the two bodies, not only connects them with each other, but at a same time can be configured to deform in such a way that it allows a rotation over the predesigned loosening angle of at least one of the bodies together with its wheel mounting member in the loosening direction, while from that moment on providing a substantially constantly present counterforce that at the reaching of the predesigned loosening angle is larger than the counterforce of the bodies to keep on holding their wheel mounting members in place, such that the loosening wheel mounting member may start slipping/ratcheting inside its body, while the position indicator thereof remains indicating substantially in the predesigned loosening angle.

In another preferred embodiment each bore can be provided with a repetitive profile to fit with a form fit over its wheel mounting member, wherein the bodies are configured to deform such that, after the predefined loosening angle is reached, they allow the respective wheel mounting member to ratchet one or more times inside the repetitive profile, while the position indicator remains to substantially indicate in the predefined loosening angle.

In a further preferred embodiment the repetitive profile can be a set of axially extending interspaced grooves and teeth to fit with at least some of them with the form fit over angled corners of a polygonal shaped nut or bolt, for example a hexagon, as the wheel mounting member. The polygon is taking the body through the loosening angle, as the teeth hold the polygon till the body is prevented for further rotation by the intermediate link. In case the polygon rotates further, the angled teeth of the body and the polygon are applying a torque resulting in a deformation of the ring, and the teeth are forced radially outwardly away from a centre of the nut or bolt, till the teeth slip over the outer diameter of the polygon’s angled corners. During this slipping of the teeth of the body over those angled corners, a (constant) force of elasticity of the elongated intermediate link is forcing the body in antiloosening direction. In combination with the returning of the body in its initial non-deformed shape, the next set of teeth fit over the angled corners of the polygon shaped nut or bolt, and put a counterforce in place again. The teeth and the body thus have a certain flexibility such that at a certain level of loosening torque the polygon slips inside the teeth to a next set of teeth holding the polygon in position.

In practice several different numbers of regular placed grooves and teeth, such as 24, 30, 36, 42, can all be used if a hexagon with six sides is used. The counterforce against slipping of the wheel mounting member inside such regularly placed teeth can be relative small with the 42 teeth, and be relative large with the 24 teeth. The multi teeth make it possible to fit the position indicator in its aimed direction, for example in the direction to the second position indicator. The more teeth, the finer the alignment.

In another preferred embodiment the predefined loosening angle may lie between 3070 degrees and/or can be designed related to, for example to be substantially the same as, an expected angle of pre-tightening with a related tool, for example a pneumatic tool. This pre-tightening angle is commonly smaller than the total angle of rotating of the stages from no play between wheel mounting member, wheel and hub till the recommended final tightening level. Thus it can be achieved that the predefined loosening angle (corresponding to a maximum counterforce by the intermediate link) gets at least substantially reached at a level in which some remaining clamping force still can be expected even when the wheel mounting member had initially been tightened to a lower than recommended level. If the wheel mounting member had initially been tightened to a higher than recommended level, then the device according to the invention simply is able to anticipate this by slipping/ratcheting until balance arises. As indicated earlier, a large share of wheel nuts of commercial vehicles and specific trailers are recommended to be tightened at a tightening torque level of for example around 630 Nm, corresponding to a total angle of rotation of the wheel mounting member of commonly around 85-95 degrees. Thus with the predefined loosening angle lying between 30-70 degrees and/or to be substantially the same as an expected angle of pre-tightening with a related tool, the remaining clamping force when reaching that angle can be kept sufficiently strong even if one or more limited rotations of the respective wheel mounting member relative to the at least one body take place.

A test machine according to a so-called “Junkers principle” has been used to simulate the loosening. Based on the experiences and tests with this simulation a relation could be extracted between the loosening torque and the tightening torque. In fact there seemed to be some kind of linear relationship between the tightening torque and the loosening torque that can occur, if two plates, simulating the hub and the wheel are forced for relative movement. These tests show that a higher level of a fastening torque, results in a corresponding higher level of a loosening torque. During the loosening of wheel nuts, the tightening torque has appeared to reduce rapidly, and so did the loosening torque and the stress on the studs. Based on tests creating relative movement between wheel hub and wheel, the conclusion is rectified that the loosening torque is related to the remaining clamping force. The level of loosening torque may be within a range of 5-9 % of the remaining tightening torque.

Substantially retaining the wheel mounting members in position as soon as the predefined loosening angle has been reached, have advantageously shown in the tests that with the lower remaining clamping forces, fatigue of studs severely reduced.

In a another preferred embodiment each position indicator may comprise a nose part which projects radially outwardly from the body, wherein, in a rotational starting position, the two nose parts point towards each other while substantially extending over the intermediate link with a slit-shaped space between them. Thus the invention is able to provide a clear view of observation during the regular checks for loosening situation, as the nose parts are visual pointing toward each other, and the link is nearly completed hided by the nose parts. A small piece of the link in the middle of the indicator me kept uncovered. The positioning of the link behind the position indicators, such that the link is hardly noticeable, adds to the visual recognising that one of the wheel mounting members is not loosening. As soon as the loosening starts the link for a big share remains covered by the second position indicator, and the still visible part of the link helps to clearly indicate that the first position indicator has started to rotate loose.

In a another preferred embodiment the intermediate link may be a flexible and/or prewaved binding organ, and wherein the flexible and/or pre-waved binding organ is configured to stop the at least one body to further rotate in the loosening direction as soon as the flexible and/or pre-waved binding organ has gotten fully straightened and/or stretched, which fully straightened and/or stretched is configured to correspond to the predefined loosening angle of the at least one body being reached. Thus the link is designed in a non-stretched and/or non-straight starting position, such that if one or both bodies is/are rotating along with their wheel mounting member, the link is straightened and/or stretched to accommodate a rotational loosening angle smaller than the initial total tightening angle.

In a another preferred embodiment the bodies and intermediate link can be made out of polyethylene (PE), preferably Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), more preferably Linear Low Density polyethylene (LLDPE). This choice of material makes it well possible to fit and remove the indicator from the wheel mounting members whenever desired. The bodies can remain being clamped over time to the wheel mounting members - that can vary between nominal size and nominal minus 0.5 mm. This includes several elastic, density, non-brittle, and temperature resistance, such that the clamping to the hexagon, the fitting and the temperature range suits the maintenance and application. In particular the Linear Low Density Polyethylene appeared to have a superb combination of required flexibility, elasticity, melting point and stiffness.

In a another preferred embodiment the bodies and the intermediate link may form one integral part. This is preferred for cost price reasons. The indicator can for example be made as an injection moulded product.

Further preferred embodiments are stated in the dependent subclaims.

The invention also relates to an assembly of a vehicle with wheels having a plurality of the twin indicators fitted to pairs of adjacent ones of the wheel mounting members thereof, as well as to a method for using a twin indicator, that comprises the steps of fitting the twin indicator with its bores onto an a pair of adjacent ones of the wheel mounting members, with the position indicators indicating rotational starting positions thereof, allowing a rotation of at least one of the bodies together with its wheel mounting member in a loosening direction, stopping the rotation of the at least one body in the loosening direction as soon as the predefined loosening angle is reached that corresponds to the situation in which the wheel mounting member is able to remain exerting a predefined minimum clamping force onto the wheel of the vehicle, and allowing one or more limited rotations of the respective wheel mounting member relative to the at least one body, while the position indicator thereof remains to substantially indicate the predefined loosening angle.

The invention shall now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Fig. 1 is a perspective top view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

- Fig. 2 is a side view of fig. 1;

- Fig. 3 is a perspective top view of another preferred embodiment of the invention;

- Fig. 4 is a perspective back view of fig. 1;

- Fig. 5 is a top view of fig. 1 in which one wheel mounting member has rotated in a loosening direction over an axial direction of the wheel mounting member;

- Fig. 6 is a back view of the situation as shown in fig. 5; and

- Fig 7 is a top view of a fig. 1.

In fig. 1 the entire twin indicator safety device is given the reference numeral 1. The device 1 comprises two bodies 2, each integrally formed with or fixedly connected to position indicators 3. Both bodies 2 are connected by an intermediate link 5.

The intermediate link 5 is minimally visual, by being largely covered by the position indicators 3, such that a clear view on the position indicators 3 rest.

Each body 2 is ring-shaped/cylindrical formed, comprising a grooved/toothed internal bore 4, to be fitted over a wheel mounting member, for example a hexagon formed wheel nut. Here the amount of grooves 4 are 42, related to the fitting of a wheel mounting member such as the hexagon. For hexagon types of wheel mounting members the grooved internal bore 4 also commonly may contain 24, 30, 36 or 48 grooves/teeth.

Here the intermediate link 5, has a width of 3.5 mm and a height of 4.5 mm.

In fig. 2 about half of the entire twin indicator safety device 1 is given from a side view. Here the axial direction 6 of the wheel mounting member is indicated. The position indicator 3, is connected to the body 2, and the body is connected to the intermediate link 5.

Here the height of the device is 7 mm, based on the height of the intermediate link 5, being 4.5 mm, the position indicator 3 with a height of 1.5 mm being positioned above the intermediate link 5, and in between a free space distance of 1.0 mm. The total height becomes for that reason 7.0 mm, such that fitted and bottomed out on the wheel mounting member, most likely a socket can still also be fitted over the wheel mounting member to check the tightening.

In the variant of fig. 3 the entire twin indicator safety device is again given the reference numeral 1. The two bodies 2 are now longer in axial direction to overcome any obstacle, such as a wheel cover or wheel trim, to overcome the distance in axial direction between the position of the wheel mounting member, such as a wheel nut, and to provide a clear view on the position indicators 3, in which the position indicators 3, are sticking out. In this figure the intermediate link 3, is closely positioned under the position indicators 3.

In fig. 4 the entire safety device 1 of fig. 1 is shown as a back view. Here the intermediate link 5 is connected to the bodies 2, and the intermediate link is in non-straight pre-waved position, such that if the wheel mounting member is rotating over the axial direction 6, the body 2, connected to the position indicators 3 rotates along, till the intermediate link 5, is straightened and elongated.

To align the device over a wheel mounting member such as a wheel nut in axial direction 6, the internal grooved bore 4, contains a multiple amount of grooves/teeth, compared to the polygon, such as a hexagon. Grooves/teeth in the amount of 30, 36 or 42 are preferred to align, and to create counter play during the stress of the wheel mounting member during the loosening.

Here the intermediate link 5 has a square dimension of nearly 16 mm2 (3.5 mm wide and 4.5 mm height).

In fig. 5 the entire twin indicator safety device is shown in which one wheel mounting member has rotated in loosening direction 7, connected to the position indicator 3. The position indicator 3 shows around a 60 degrees angle to the genuine position before loosening. The intermediate link 5, has already been straightened, and elongated for around 10%, such that the angle of loosening, is close to a predefined maximum loosening angle of indication. Also given as an example is the angle 10 of each groove, that here is 8.5 degrees, corresponding to 42 splines/teeth of the grooved/toothed internal bore 4.

In fig. 6 the entire safety device of fig. 5 is given, from a back view, in which one wheel mounting member, clamped and held inside the internal grooved/toothed bore 4, the body 2 and position indicator 3, have rotated in loosening direction 7, over a loosening angle

8. The position indicator 3 shows a loosening angle 8 of around 60 degrees relative to the starting position. During the loosening of the wheel mounting member, a loosening torque is created in loosening direction 7. During the rotation in loosening direction 7, the internal grooved/toothed bore 4, is rotating along and the intermediate link 5 provides a constant increasing counterforce 9 due to the fact that the intermediate link 5 will be straightened and elongated. This counterforce is increasing till further loosening rotation leads to a balance arising in force between the counterforce 9 and a slipping of the polygon wheel mounting member clamped and held inside the internal grooved/toothed body 2. The angle 8 will be shown, indicating a loosening situation, by the position indicator 3.

During elastic deformation of the body 2 in the loosening direction because still being taken along by the wheel mounting member, the indicated angle of loosening 8, will temporarily be increased. The counterforce 9 of the intermediate link 5 however shall keep on pulling the body 2 back in anti-loosening direction 11. As soon as the body thus has been deformed enough, the body 2 shall ratchet one teeth, that is to say 8.5 degrees, over the wheel mounting member, back towards its non-deformed state. This is initiated by the counterforce 9 of the link 5 together with the elasticity of the body 2 itself, and shall have the body 2 return in initial shape, providing back a clamping to the wheel mounting member.

If further loosening torque is present, rotation in loosening direction 7 of the wheel mounting member clamped by the internal grooved/toothed body 2, will continue till the loosening torque on the wheel mounting member becomes lower as the force to ratchet/slip within the internal grooved/toothed bore 4. Then the wheel mounting member comes to a stop.

In fig 7, a top view of a preferred embodiment of the invention is given, such that the position indicators 3, and direction towards each other to indicate tightened wheel mounting members in their starting positions. The grooved/toothed internal bore 4 is indicated as well as a small visual piece of the intermediate link 5.

Claims

1. A twin indicator for indicating relative loosening rotations and for counteracting loosening torques of wheel mounting members, for example nuts or bolts, of a wheel of a vehicle, comprising:

- a pair of bodies that each have a bore for fitting over adjacent ones of the wheel mounting members and that each have a position indicator, for example a pointer, for indicating a rotational starting position of its wheel mounting member; and

- an intermediate link that extends between the two bodies, that connects them with each other, and that is configured to deform such that it allows a rotation of at least one of the bodies together with its wheel mounting member in a loosening direction, characterized in that, the intermediate link is configured to substantially stop the at least one body to further rotate in the loosening direction as soon as a predefined loosening angle relative to the rotational starting position is reached that corresponds to a situation in which the wheel mounting member is able to remain exerting a predefined minimum clamping force onto the wheel of the vehicle, and the bodies are configured to deform such that, after the predefined loosening angle is reached, they allow one or more limited rotations of the respective wheel mounting member relative to the at least one body, while the position indicator thereof remains to substantially indicate the predefined loosening angle.

2. A twin indicator according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate link is configured to provide such a substantially increasing counterforce against deformation of the link that, at the reaching of the predefined loosening angle, this counterforce against further deformation of the link becomes larger than a counterforce of the bodies against starting to deform in such a way that the wheel mounting member may start to perform one or more limited rotations relative to the at least one body.

3. A twin indicator according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each bore is provided with a repetitive profile to fit with a form fit over its wheel mounting member, wherein the bodies are configured to deform such that, after the predefined loosening angle is reached, they allow the respective wheel mounting member to ratchet one or more times inside the repetitive profile, while the position indicator remains to substantially indicate the predefined loosening angle.

4. A twin indicator according to claim 3, wherein the repetitive profile is a set of axially extending interspaced grooves and teeth to fit with at least some of them with the form fit over angled corners of a polygonal shaped nut or bolt as the wheel mounting member.

5. A twin indicator according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the predefined loosening angle lies between 30-70 degrees and/or is designed related to, for example to be substantially the same as, an expected angle of pre-tightening with a related tool, for example a pneumatic tool, which expected angle of pre-tightening with the related tool is smaller than an initial total tightening angle for reaching a recommended level of tightening.

6. A twin indicator according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each position indicator comprises a nose part which projects radially outwardly from the body, wherein, in the rotational starting position, the two nose parts point towards each other while substantially extending over the intermediate link with a slit-shaped space between them.

7. A twin indicator according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the intermediate link is a flexible and/or pre-waved binding organ, and wherein the flexible and/or pre-waved binding organ is configured to stop the at least one body to further rotate in the loosening direction as soon as the flexible and/or pre-waved binding organ has gotten fully straightened and/or stretched, which fully straightened and/or stretched is configured to correspond to the predefined loosening angle of the at least one body being reached.

8. A twin indicator according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the bodies and intermediate link are made out of polyethylene (PE), preferably Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), more preferably Linear Low Density polyethylene (LLDPE).

9. A twin indicator according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the bodies and the intermediate link form one integral part.

10. An assembly of a vehicle with wheels having a plurality of the twin indicators according to one of the preceding claims fitted to pairs of adjacent ones of the wheel mounting members thereof.

11. Method for using a twin indicator according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of:

- fitting the twin indicator with its bores onto a pair of adjacent ones of the wheel mounting members, with the position indicators indicating rotational starting positions thereof;

- allowing a rotation of at least one of the bodies together with its wheel mounting member in a loosening direction;

- substantially stopping the rotation of the at least one body in the loosening direction as soon as the predefined loosening angle is reached that corresponds to the situation in which the wheel mounting member is able to remain exerting a predefined minimum clamping force onto the wheel of the vehicle; and

- allowing one or more limited slipping or ratcheting rotations of the respective wheel mounting member relative to the at least one body, while the position indicator thereof remains to substantially indicate the predefined loosening angle.

- allowing one or more limited rotations of the respective wheel mounting member relative to the at least one body, while the position indicator thereof remains to substantially indicate the predefined loosening angle.

01 02 19

Amendment to Claims have been filed as follows

- an intermediate link that extends between the two bodies, that connects them with each other, and that is configured to deform such that it allows a rotation of at least one of the bodies together with its wheel mounting member in a loosening direction, characterized in that, the intermediate link is configured to substantially stop the at least one body to further rotate in the loosening direction as soon as a predefined loosening angle relative to the rotational starting position is reached that corresponds to a situation in which the wheel mounting member is able to remain exerting a predefined minimum clamping force onto the wheel of the vehicle, and the bodies are configured to deform such that, after the predefined loosening angle is reached, they allow one or more limited slipping or ratcheting rotations of the respective wheel mounting member relative to the at least one body, while the position indicator thereof remains to substantially indicate the predefined loosening angle.

2. A twin indicator according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate link is configured to provide such a substantially increasing counterforce against deformation of the link that, at the reaching of the predefined loosening angle, this counterforce against further deformation of the link becomes larger than a counterforce of the bodies against starting to deform in such a way that the wheel mounting member may start to perform one or more limited slipping or ratcheting rotations relative to the at least one body.

01 02 19