Patent ID: 6820669
Filing Date: 2004-11-23
Classification: B60B,B60C,Y10T

Abstract:
A wheel and tire adapted to be attached to a vehicle, comprising:(a) the wheel comprising: (i) a central hub adapted to be attached to the vehicle, the central hub having an inboard side, an outboard side, and a central axis; (ii) an inboard lip formed on the inboard side of the hub and extending radially outwardly; (iii) an outer flange formed on the outboard side of the hub and extending radially outwardly, the outer flange having an inner diameter and an outer diameter, the outer diameter being greater than an outer diameter of the inboard lip, and the outer flange having an inboard side and an outboard side; (iv) a design on the central hub that extends across at least a portion of the outer flange of the wheel, the distance between the central axis of the hub to the furthest radial extent of the design being greater than the distance between the central axis of the hub and the outer diameter of the inboard lip; (b) the tire comprising: (i) an inboard tire wall having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and an inboard bead; (ii) an outboard tire wall having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a flange seat, the flange seat having an outboard bead and a ledge, the radial distance between the inner and outer diameters of the inboard tire wall being approximately equal to the radial distance between the inner and outer diameters of the outboard tire wall; wherein the tire is mounted on the wheel such that the inboard side of the outer flange substantially overlaps, and is in close proximity with, the flange seat, the outer radial edge of the outer flange is juxtaposed in substantially facing relationship with the tire ledge, the inboard lip interfaces with the bead of the tire, the area of interface between the outer flange of the wheel and the flange seat on the outboard tire wall is substantially greater than the area of interface between the inboard lip and the bead on the inboard tire wall, the outer flange extends radially outwardly no more than about halfway between the inner and outer diameters of the outboard tire wall and at least a portion of the outboard tire wall extends farther in the outboard direction than the outboard face of the outer flange, so as to give an appearance of a larger-diameter wheel mounted within a lower-profile tire.