JP3248416U - Detachable rough road escape device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a detachable rough road escape device that enables a vehicle to temporarily travel on snowy roads with easier attachment and detachment operations than conventional devices.
[Solution] The detachable rough road escape device 10 is attached by being wrapped around the inner circumferential surface 24 of a rim portion 23 of a wheel 21 that constitutes a wheel 20 and the outer circumferential surface 30 of a tire 22 in the width direction, and has a main body 11 and a joint 12, and the main body is inserted into a gap formed in the disc portion of the wheel and placed on the inner circumferential surface of the rim portion, and is wrapped around the width direction to cover the sidewall portion 28, shoulder portion 29 and tread portion of the tire, and is attached by joining both ends by the joint, and when attached to the wheel, the main body has a thickness dimension that can penetrate to a predetermined depth into snow on the driving surface and transmit the driving force transmitted via the wheel to the ground surface.
[Selected figure] Figure 2

Description

This invention relates to a detachable rough road escape device that can be attached to wheels in a detachable manner and prevents the wheels from slipping and spinning on snowy driving surfaces.

Conventionally, as a rough-road escape device for preventing automobile wheels from slipping on snow-covered roads, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is known. The rough-road escape devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a metal or resin chain that covers the outer circumference of the tire tread.

JP 2002-87035 A JP 2005-104268 A

When using the rough road escape tools disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the vehicle body must be raised off the ground with a jack, and the tire must be separated from the ground while the chain is attached to cover the entire outer periphery of the tread and the carcass of the tire. This requires the user to carry out tedious work outside the vehicle for long periods of time, which is a burden for the user.

Therefore, there has been a demand for a means that allows a rough-road escape device to be attached to a wheel with simpler operations than before, thereby enabling a vehicle to travel on snowy roads.
In particular, in the event of unexpected snowfall and the driver not having a snow escape device such as chains, there was a demand for a simple escape device that could be easily attached to the vehicle's tires without using a jack or other means, and that would allow the driver to travel on snowy roads, even if only temporarily, to their home or a designated location.

This invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a removable rough road escape device that can be easily attached and detached to temporarily enable a vehicle to travel on snowy roads.

(1) The present invention provides a detachable rough-road escape device that is attached by being wrapped around the inner circumferential surface of the rim of a wheel that constitutes the wheel of an automobile and the outer circumferential surface of the tire in the width direction, the device being formed in a band shape overall and having a main body and joints formed on both ends of the main body, the main body being positioned on the inner circumferential surface of the rim by inserting through gaps between a plurality of spokes provided on the disc portion of the wheel, and being wrapped around the sidewall and shoulder portions on both sides of the tire and the tread portion of the tire in the width direction so as to cover the sidewall and shoulder portions and the tread portion of the tire, and the both ends being joined and attached by the joints, the main body having a thickness dimension that, when attached to the wheel, can penetrate into snow on the road surface to a predetermined depth and transmit the driving force transmitted through the wheel to the ground surface.

According to the present invention described above in (1), the main body is inserted into a gap formed in the disk of the wheel and placed on the inner peripheral surface of the rim, and is wrapped around the tire widthwise to cover the sidewall, shoulder, and tread of the tire. The main body can be attached to the tire by joining both ends with joints. When attached to the wheel, the main body penetrates the snow on the running surface to a predetermined depth, and the driving force transmitted through the wheel can be transmitted to the ground.

(2) The present invention is also characterized in that the surface of the main body is provided with a number of small protrusions that protrude outward and can assist in transmitting the driving force when the device is attached.

According to the present invention described above in (2), the numerous small protrusions provided on the surface of the main body and protruding outward can dig into the road surface when attached, particularly on icy roads, and assist in the transmission of driving force.

(3) The present invention is also characterized in that the disk is made of synthetic resin or rubber that is flexible enough to be attached to the disk and the tire along the surface contours of the disk and the tire.

According to the present invention described above in (3), the detachable rough road escape tool can be easily attached because it can be bent along the outer shape of the disk part and the tire, following the surface contour shape of the disk part and the tire.

(4) Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the joints are made of hook-and-loop fasteners, and the small protrusions are made of synthetic resin artificial turf.

According to the present invention described above in (4), the joints are made of hook-and-loop fasteners and the small protrusions are made of synthetic resin artificial turf, making it possible to achieve a simpler structure than conventional devices and to make it easier to attach and detach.

(5) In addition, the present invention is characterized in that the main body is formed with a width dimension that is the same as the spacing dimension of each spoke portion formed in the disk portion.

According to the present invention described above in (5), the main body is formed with a width dimension that is the same as the spacing dimension of each spoke part, so that the main body is in close contact with each spoke part. This means that even if a driving force is applied when the wheel is attached, the main body does not slip within the gap, and the driving force can be transmitted to the ground surface more effectively via the main body.

This invention has the advantage that, compared to conventional methods, the attachment and detachment process is simpler, and even if there is a sudden snowfall, the device can be easily and quickly attached to the wheels of a vehicle without using tools such as a jack on snowy roads, allowing the vehicle to travel to its destination.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the detachable rough-terrain escape tool according to the present invention; 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the detachable rough-terrain escape device according to the present invention, illustrating a state in which a plurality of the detachable rough-terrain escape devices are attached to a wheel. FIG. 2A is a plan view showing the upper surface of one end side of the detachable rough-terrain escape device in the longitudinal direction of the detachable rough-terrain escape device; FIG. 2B is a plan view showing the upper surface of the other end side of the detachable rough-terrain escape device in the longitudinal direction; and FIG. 2C is a plan view showing the lower surface of the other end side of the detachable rough-terrain escape device shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a small protrusion provided on the main body in FIG. 1, and is an enlarged side view of the main body and the small protrusion.

This embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

<Overall configuration of the detachable rough road escape device>
The detachable rough-terrain escape device 10 according to this embodiment can be detachably attached to the wheels 20 of an automobile, and is a rough-terrain escape device that prevents the wheels 20 from slipping and spinning on a road covered with snow.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 , the detachable rough-terrain escape device 10 is formed so as to be attachable in a state in which it is wrapped around an inner circumferential surface portion 24 of a rim portion 23 of a wheel 21 constituting a wheel 20, and an outer circumferential surface portion ("tread portion") 30 of a tire 22 in the width direction.

The detachable rough-road escape tool 10 is made of synthetic resin or rubber that is flexible enough to be attached to the disk portion 25 and the tire 22 in the gap between each spoke portion 27 of the disk portion 25 of the wheel 21 and along the surface contour shape in the width direction of the tire 22, and is formed in an elongated band shape as a whole as shown in FIG. 2. The detachable rough-road escape tool 10 has a main body portion 11 and joint portions 12 formed on both ends of the main body portion 11 in the longitudinal direction.

As shown in Figure 1, the detachable rough-terrain escape tool 10 is specifically configured with a strip-like base material 14 formed to a predetermined length and width (described later), hook-and-loop fasteners 16, 16 fixed over the entire width at both ends of the base material 14, one end on the front side and the other end on the back side, and artificial turf 13 fixed over the entire length and width between the hook-and-loop fasteners 16, 16 on the front side of the base material 14. The artificial turf 13 forms the "small protrusions" in this invention.
In this embodiment, the main body 11 is formed of a base material 14 and artificial turf 13, and the joint 12 is formed of the base material and a hook-and-loop fastener 16. In this embodiment, the side on which the artificial turf 13 is provided is the front side 11a, and the opposite side is the back side 11b.
Each component of the detachable rough-terrain escape tool 10 will be described below.

<About the main unit>
The main body portion 11 is positioned on the inner surface portion 24 of the rim portion 23 by inserting it through the gaps 26 between multiple spoke portions 27 provided on the disk portion 25 of the wheel 21, and is formed so as to be able to be wrapped around along the width direction so as to cover the sidewall portions 28 and shoulder portions 29 on both sides of the tire 22, and further the outer surface portion (tread portion) 30 of the tire 22.

Here, the reference character S shown in FIG. 2 indicates a "road surface" on which an automobile travels, and corresponds to the "road surface" and the "ground contact surface" in the claims of the utility model registration.
The main body 11 has a thickness dimension that, when attached to the wheel 20, can penetrate to a predetermined depth into the snow X on the road surface S, which is the driving surface of the vehicle, and can transmit the driving force transmitted via the wheel 20 to the road surface S, which is the contact surface of the wheel 20.
In this embodiment, the thickness is 25 mm, but if the thickness is between 20 mm and 25 mm, it can effectively dig into the snow surface and transmit the driving force.

The surface of the main body 11 is provided with a large number of small protrusions 15 that protrude outward and can assist in the transmission of driving force.
The small protrusions 15 are made of synthetic resin artificial turf 13. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the artificial turf 13 is formed on the base material 14 over the entire length and width of the main body 11, and has a large number of small protrusions 15 formed to protrude outward by a predetermined dimension.

When it comes to snow, the main body 11 itself has a certain thickness dimension, so the main body 11 can dig into the snow X and transmit the driving force of the wheels sufficiently. However, in the case of ice, the main body 11 cannot be expected to dig into the ice, but the small protrusions 15 can effectively bite into the ice surface and transmit the driving force to the road surface.

<About joints>
The joint 12 is formed to join the front surface portion 11a and the back surface portion 11b at both ends of the main body portion 11 in the longitudinal direction, and in this embodiment, the joint 12 is composed of a hook-and-loop fastener 16 provided over the entire width of the base material 12 and over a predetermined length dimension.

The length of the detachable rough-terrain escape tool 10 is appropriately determined so as to fit the size of each tire 22 and the size of the wheel mounted on each vehicle.
The size of the wheel is determined by the size of the tire (rim diameter). Therefore, the length of the detachable rough-road escape tool 10 that is wound along the width direction of the entire tire 22 and wheel 21 must be determined taking into account the tire size.

The tire size is indicated on the sidewall 28 of the tire. For example, in the case of a tire marked "245/40 R 18 93 V", "245" represents the tire width and "40" represents the aspect ratio of the tire. The width dimension of a tire marked in this way is 245 mm, and the overall height dimension of the sidewall 28 and shoulder 29 of the tire is approximately 70 mm.

The detachable rough road escape device 10 in this embodiment is fitted around the inner circumferential surface of the wheel rim and the entire outer circumferential surface of the tire, so when fitted to this tire, a total width dimension of the tire and wheel of 490 mm is required, and a total width dimension of the sidewall and shoulder portions 29 of the tire of 140 mm is required, requiring a total length dimension of 630 mm or more.
In addition, the width dimension of the detachable rough-terrain escape device 10 needs to be inserted between the spokes, so the maximum width dimension is determined by the wheel shape and structure, and in particular the spacing between the spokes, and therefore it is necessary to prepare it according to the shape and structure of each wheel.

Since tire sizes vary depending on the size, model, and use of the vehicle, multiple types of detachable rough-road escape devices 10 with width and length dimensions that can accommodate tires of each size are prepared, and the user can select the appropriate one to use based on the tire size of the vehicle they are using. In addition, for dual tires on large vehicles, a dedicated device must be prepared separately.

<How to install the detachable rough road escape device>
The procedure for mounting the detachable rough road escape device 10 on the wheel 20 is as follows: first, the main body 11 is wrapped around the inner circumferential surface 24 of the rim portion 23 of the wheel 21 that constitutes the wheel 20, and the outer circumferential surface (tread portion) 110 of the tire 22 in the width direction.
More specifically, the main body 11 of the detachable rough road escape device 10 is inserted into gaps 26 between multiple spoke portions 27 formed in the disc portion 25 of the wheel 21 with the surface side 11a facing outward (a state in which the surface side 11a is positioned on the surface of the tire 22 when wrapped around the tire 22), and is placed on the inner peripheral surface portion 24 of the rim portion 23, and is wrapped around the tire in the width direction so as to cover sidewall portions 28 and shoulder portions 29 on both sides of the tire 22, and also the outer peripheral surface portion (tread portion) 30 of the tire 22.
In this case, the tire is attached to a plurality of locations excluding the tire contact surface (in this embodiment, the tire is attached to three locations).

Then, the joints 12 provided at both ends of the main body 11 in the longitudinal direction are joined together in the gaps 26 between the spokes 27, thereby joining the two ends of the main body 11. This completes the installation of the detachable rough-terrain escape tool 10 on the wheel 20.

<Actions and Effects Obtained by the Present Embodiment>
According to this embodiment having the above-described configuration, the main body portion 11 is inserted into the gap 26 between the spoke portions 27 of the wheel 21 and positioned on the inner surface portion 24 of the rim portion 23, and is wrapped around in the width direction so as to cover the sidewall portions 28 and shoulder portions 29 on both sides of the tire 22, as well as the outer surface portion (tread portion) 30 of the tire 22.
In addition, both longitudinal ends of the main body 11 are joined by the joints 12, and the tire 22 is attached in a fixed state, so that the tire 22 penetrates into the snow X on the road surface S, which is the driving surface, to a predetermined depth, and the driving force transmitted via the wheels 20 can be transmitted to the road surface S, which is the contact surface.

In this embodiment, the tires 22 are fitted at three locations excluding the contact surface thereof, but this number is sufficient to temporarily escape the snowy road and reach the destination at that time.
Furthermore, according to this embodiment, numerous small protrusions 15 are provided on the surface of the main body 11 and protrude outward, so that even if the road conditions are icy, the small protrusions 15 effectively dig into the ice and transmit the driving force to the road surface, thereby helping to escape from the ice.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the detachable rough road escape tool 10 can be attached to the disk portion 25 and the tire 22 along the surface contour shapes of the disk portion 25 and the tire 22.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the joint 12 is formed of a hook-and-loop fastener 16, and the small protrusion 15 is formed of synthetic resin artificial turf 13, making it possible to achieve a simpler configuration than in the past.

According to the present embodiment described above, the structure is simple, and therefore, compared to the conventional art, it is possible to easily attach and detach the snow cover to and from the wheel 20. Furthermore, when attached to the wheel 20, the snow cover 15 digs into the snow X on the road surface S, which is the driving surface, to a predetermined depth, and the driving force transmitted via the wheel 20 can be transmitted to the road surface S, which is the ground contact surface, and since the numerous small protrusions 15 dig into the snow X when attached and can assist in the transmission of the driving force, the automobile can temporarily travel on a road that is covered with snow.
As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to temporarily enable a vehicle to travel on a snowy road with a simpler attachment and detachment operation than in the past.

The configurations described in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention, and are not limited to the configurations of the above embodiments.
For example, in this embodiment, the main body portion 11 is illustrated as being formed narrower than the spacing dimension of each spoke portion 27, but this is not limited to this, and the width dimension of the main body portion 11 may be formed to be the same as the spacing dimension of the spoke portions 27.
In this case, since the main body portion 11 is closely fitted to each spoke portion 27 in the circumferential direction, even if a driving force is applied when the wheel is attached, the main body portion 11 will not slip within the gap 26, and the driving force can be more effectively transmitted to the contact surface via the main body portion 11.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10: Detachable rough road escape tool 11: Main body 12: Joint 13: Artificial turf 14: Base material 15: Small protrusion 16: Hook-and-loop fastener 20: Wheel 21: Wheel 22: Tire 23: Rim 24: Inner peripheral surface 25: Disc 26: Gap 27: Spoke 28: Sidewall 29: Shoulder 30: Outer peripheral surface (tread)
S...Road surface (running surface, ground contact surface)
X: Snowfall

Claims (5)

A detachable rough road escape tool that is attached by being hung along the width direction of an inner peripheral surface of a rim portion and an outer peripheral surface of a tire of a wheel constituting a wheel of an automobile,
The belt is generally formed in a band shape and has a main body and joints formed at both ends of the main body.
the main body is inserted into gaps between a plurality of spokes provided on a disk portion of the wheel and disposed on an inner peripheral surface portion of the rim portion, and is wrapped around the tire in a width direction so as to cover sidewall portions and shoulder portions on both sides of the tire and a tread portion of the tire, and the both ends are joined and attached by the joint portions;
The main body portion has a thickness dimension that enables the main body, when attached to a wheel, to dig into snow on the road surface to a predetermined depth and transmit the driving force transmitted through the wheel to the ground surface. The detachable rough road escape tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface of the main body is provided with a number of small protrusions that protrude outward and can assist in the transmission of driving force. The detachable rough road escape tool according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made of synthetic resin or rubber that has a degree of flexibility that allows it to be attached to the disk part and the tire along the surface contour shapes of the disk part and the tire. The removable rough-terrain escape tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the joint is made of a hook-and-loop fastener, and the small protrusion is made of synthetic resin artificial turf. The detachable rough-terrain escape tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the main body is formed with a width dimension equal to the spacing dimension of each spoke portion formed on the disk portion.