Vehicle wheel cover

Claim 2

A cover for a vehicle wheel with a metal rim adapted to receive a tire thereon fixed to a metal disk having a bolt circle with a plurality of bolt mounting holes extending generally axially through the disk and a plurality of lugs on said disk, said cover comprising a homogeneous body of a resilient elastomer material having an inboard face contoured for contact with the outboard face of the disk, said body having a plurality of homogeneously integral pockets adapted to yieldably snap into engagement with the lugs of the disk to mechanically retain said body of said cover on the vehicle wheel, said body having an outboard face exposed to view from the outboard side of the wheel and spaced axially of the wheel outboard from said inboard face of said body, said outboard face of said body having a contour differing from the contour of the covered part of the outboard face of the disk and adapted to provide a decorative contour over at least part of the wheel, said body having a central aperture therethrough encircling the bolt mounting holes of the disk when said cover is received on the wheel, said cover also comprising a center cap overlying said central aperture and removably carried by said body.

Claim 3

The cover of claim 1 wherein said center cap comprises a member projecting generally axially outwardly of the point of engagement of said center cap with said body of said cover when said cap is carried thereby, said member being shaped for grasping by a human hand for manually removing and attaching said cap from and to said body of said cover without using any tools.

Claim 4

The cover of claim 2 wherein said member has a mean diameter in the range of about one to three and a half inches.

Claim 5

The cover of claim 2 wherein said member has a mean diameter in the range of about one and a half to three inches.

Claim 6

The cover of claim 2 wherein said center cap comprises a homogeneously resilient elastomeric material and has a generally axially and circumferentially extending flexible portion adapted to be yieldably received in said aperture in engagement with said body of said cover to releasably retain said center cap on said body of said cover.

Claim 7

The cover of claim 5 wherein said member extends outwardly from the point of engagement of said flexible portion with said body of said cover at least about one and a half inches.

Claim 8

The cover of claim 1 wherein said center cap comprises a homogeneously resilient elastomeric material and has a generally axially and circumferentially extending flexible portion adapted to be yieldably received in said aperture in engagement with said body of said cover to releasably retain said center cap on said body of said cover.

Claim 9

The cover of claim 1 adapted for use with a vehicle wheel hAving a circumferentially extending groove opening radially inwardly in the rim thereof, said body having a circumferentially extending peripheral rib thereon projecting into the groove on the rim of the wheel to retain said body on the wheel when said body is received on the wheel.

Claim 10

The cover of claim 1 wherein said body has a resilient lip extending continuously around the outer periphery of said body adjacent the outboard edge thereof to yieldably engage the rim of the wheel when said body is mounted thereon to provide a seal therebetween.

Claim 11

The cover of claim 1 for a vehicle wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced vent openings through the disk of the wheel adjacent the rim thereof, said body having a plurality of circumferentially spaced vent openings therethrough each terminating in a reentrant rib extendable through a vent opening in the disk to snap over an edge thereof to mechanically retain said body of said cover on the wheel when mounted thereon.

Claim 12

A cover for a vehicle wheel with a metal rim adapted to receive a tire thereon fixed to a metal disk having a bolt circle with a plurality of bolt mounting holes extending generally axially through the disk, said cover comprising a ring-like body of a resilient elastomeric material having an inboard face contoured for contact with the outboard face of the disk radially outwardly of the bolt mounting circle of the disk, said body having a central aperture therethrough encircling the bolt mounting holes, and a center cap overlying the central aperture and releasably carried by said body, said body having an outboard face exposed to view from the outboard side of the wheel and spaced axially of the wheel outboard of the inboard face of said body, said outboard face of said body having a contour differing from the contour of the outboard face of the disk and adapted to provide a decorative contour over at least part of the wheel, said center cap having a central portion projecting generally axially outwardly and shaped for grasping by a human hand for manually removing and attaching said center cap from and to said body without using any tools.

Claim 13

A cover for a vehicle wheel with a metal rim adapted to receive a tire thereon fixed to a metal disk having a bolt circle with a plurality of bolt mounting holes extending generally axially through the disk, said cover comprising a ring-like body of a resilient elastomeric material having an inboard face contoured for contact with the outboard face of the disk radially outwardly of the bolt mounting circle of the disk, said body having a central aperture therethrough encircling the bolt mounting holes, and a center cap overlying the central aperture and releasably carried by said body, said body having an outboard face exposed to view from the outboard side of the wheel and spaced axially of the wheel outboard of the inboard face of said body, said outboard face of said body having a contour differing from the contour of the outboard face of the disk and adapted to provide a decorative contour over at least part of the wheel, said center cap having a central portion projecting generally axially outwardly and shaped for grasping by a human hand for manually removing and attaching said center cap from and to said body without using any tools.

Claim 14

The cover of claim 11 wherein said central portion of said center cap has a mean diameter in the range of about one to three and a half inches.

Claim 15

The cover of claim 11 wherein said center cap also comprises a generally axially and circumferentially extending resilient portion adapted to be yieldably received in said aperture in engagement with said body to releasably retain said center cap on said body.

Claim 16

The cover of claim 13 wherein said central portion projects generally axially outwardly at least one and a half inches from the point of engagement of said flexible portion with said body.

Claim 17

The cover of claim 11 wherein said center cap comprises a one-piece homogeneously integral center cap of a resilient elastomeric material having an integral flange extending axially and circumferentially and adapted to be releasably received in said aperture through said body, a circumferentially extending groove element and a mating rib element with one of said elements on said body in said aperture and the other of said elements on said flange of said center cap, said flange yieldably urging said elements into engagement to releasably retain said center cap on said body when said flange is inserted into said aperture of said body.

Claim 18

The cover of claim 15 wherein each of said elements is circumferentially continuous.

Claim 19

The cover of claim 15 wherein said groove element has a conical camming surface on the periphery thereof, a second groove between said camming surface and said first mentioned groove, said first mentioned groove has a side wall closest to said camming surface inclined oppositely thereto and at a steeper angle relative to the axis of said body and cap when in said engagement.

Claim 20

A vehicle wheel including in combination a structural rim adapted to receive a tire thereon and fixed to a structural disk having a Bolt circle with a plurality of bolt mounting holes extending generally axially through said disk, a decorative cover for said wheel comprising a ring-like body of a resilient elastomeric material having an inboard face contoured for contact with the outboard face of said disk radially outwardly of the bolt mounting circle of said disk, adhesive means interposed between said faces and permanently adhesively securing said cover on said disk, said cover body having a central aperture therethrough encircling the bolt mounting holes, and a decorative center cap overlying the central aperture and releasably carried by said body, said body having an outboard face exposed to view from the outboard side of the wheel and spaced axially of the wheel outboard of the inboard face of said body, said outboard face of said body having a contour differing from the contour of the outboard face of the disk and adapted to provide a decorative contour over at least part of the wheel, said center cap having a central portion projecting generally axially outwardly and shaped for grasping by a human hand for manually removing and attaching said center cap from and to said body without using any tools.

Claim 21

A vehicle wheel including in combination a structural rim adapted to receive a tire thereon and fixed to a structural disk having a Bolt circle with a plurality of bolt mounting holes extending generally axially through said disk, a decorative cover for said wheel comprising a ring-like body of a resilient elastomeric material having an inboard face contoured for contact with the outboard face of said disk radially outwardly of the bolt mounting circle of said disk, adhesive means interposed between said faces and permanently adhesively securing said cover on said disk, said cover body having a central aperture therethrough encircling the bolt mounting holes, and a decorative center cap overlying the central aperture and releasably carried by said body, said body having an outboard face exposed to view from the outboard side of the wheel and spaced axially of the wheel outboard of the inboard face of said body, said outboard face of said body having a contour differing from the contour of the outboard face of the disk and adapted to provide a decorative contour over at least part of the wheel, said center cap having a central portion projecting generally axially outwardly and shaped for grasping by a human hand for manually removing and attaching said center cap from and to said body without using any tools.

Claim 22

The wheel of claim 18 wherein said center cap also comprises a generally axially and circumferentially extending resilient portion adapted to be yieldably received in said aperture in engagement with said body to releasably retain said center cap on said body.

Claim 23

The wheel of claim 18 wherein said center cap comprises a one-piece homogeneously integral center cap of a resilient elastomeric material having an integral flange extending axially and circumferentially and adapted to be releasably received in said aperture through said body, a circumferentially extending groove element and a mating rib element with one of said elements on said body in said aperture and the other of said elements on said flange of said center cap, said flange yieldably urging said elements into engagement to releasably retain said center cap on said body when said flange is inserted into said aperture of said body.

Claim 24

The wheel of claim 20 wherein each of said elements is circumferentially continuous.

Claim 25

The wheel of claim 20 wherein said groove element has a conical camming surface on the periphery thereof, a second groove between said camming surface and said first mentioned groove, said first mentioned groove has a side wall closest to said camming surface inclined oppositely thereto and at a steeper angle relative to the axis of said body and cap when in said engagement.

Claim 26

The wheel of claim 18 wherein said disk has a plurality of axially outwardly protruding lugs disposed in a circumferential array thereon, said cover body having a plurality of homogeneously integral pockets in yieldable snap engagement with the lugs of the disk to provide mechanical interengagement between said disk and cover body to thereby assist said adhesive means in retaining said cover on said wheel disk.

Claim 27

The wheel of claim 23 wherein said center cap comprises a homogeneously resilient elastomeric material and has a generally axially and circumferentially extending flexible portion adapted to be yieldably received in said aperture in engagement with said body of said cover to releasably retain said center cap on said body of said cover.

Claim 28

The wheel of claim 24 wherein said rim has a circumferentially extending groove opening radially inwardly thereof, said body having a circumferentially extending peripheral rib thereon projecting into the groove of said rim to provide mechanical retaining interengagement between said rim and cover body to thereby assist said adhesive means in retaining said body on said wheel rim.

Claim 29

The wheel of claim 25 wherein said body has a resilient lip extending continuously around the outer periphery of said body adjacent the outboard edge thereof yieldably engaging said rim to provide a seal therebetween.

Claim 30

The wheel of claim 26 wherein said disk has a plurality of circumferEntially spaced vent openings therethrough adjacent said rim, said body having a plurality of circumferentially spaced vent openings therethrough each terminating a reentrant rib extending through an associated vent opening in said disk in snap-over engagement with an edge thereof to provide further mechanical retention of said cover body on said disk.