Abstract:
A wheel lock device wherein a locking lug nut is threadably engaged on a vehicle wheel. A security sleeve is removably secured over the hex portion of the lug nut preventing unauthorized engagement and removal thereof. A retainment fastener secures the security sleeve to the modified lug nut by an integrated removal and placement rotational key tool.

Description:
This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/125,740, filed Apr. 28, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to security devices for vehicle wheels to prevent their unauthorized removal. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type have been directed to a variety of wheel locks. Such devices most commonly use a modified wheel lug nut in which a configured opening is formed within the lug nut and is engaged by a corresponding matching insert on a socket that allows the nut to be directly rotated thereby. 
     Other prior art can be seen, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,604,690, 1,625,901, 1,767,643, 1,937,848, 3,540,245, 4,336,698, 4,875,819, 4,856,307 and 4,884,422. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 1,604,690 a nut lock device can be seen having a housing with a cylinder lock registerably engaged therewithin. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,625,901 is directed to a nut guard having a head extending over a nut with a key lock securing same to a modified nut. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,937,848 discloses a lock for vehicle lug nuts having an overlying split sleeve as secured by multiple key operated tumbler type lock. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,245 claims a tamper proof lock nut having multiple sleeve combination with an outer security sleeve secured by multiple tumbler key type lock insert. 
     A lug nut lock can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,698 having a cylinder portion on which is rotatably mounted a sleeve with a hex engagement portion. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,819 discloses a wheel locking system having a butterfly latch interengaged with a split ring in main hexagonal body when positioned within access slots. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,307 shows a wheel locking device having a cylinder lock securing a sleeve over a hex nut engagement surface restricting access and removal thereof. 
     Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,422 a wheel nut lock is shown having a sleeve covering the nut engagement surface. A locking cylinder projects for co-operation with a radial shoulder on the head of the nut securing same thereto. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     What is needed is a low cost, durable wheel lug security system that can be locked and then unlocked with a key. It needs to be installed and removed with standard tools. The invention provides such a system by utilizing a base retainer that secures the locking system to the bolt and a rotating cap assembly that is a smooth cylinder that spins freely when the system of the invention is locked. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of the lock nut portion of the locking device. 
         FIG. 2  is a section on lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view on lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is cross-section exploded assembly view of the lock nut and overlying security sleeve of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a graphic representation of the access key combination for placement and removal. 
         FIG. 6  is a graphic representation of the placement key combination for placement and removal. 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the placement and removal key. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the placement and removal key. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the assembled vehicle security lock nut as seen generally in  FIG. 4  of the drawings. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  of the drawings, a wheel nut lock  10  of the invention can be seen having a lug nut portion  11  and a locking sleeve portion  12 . The lug nut portion  11  has a circular head  13  with a plug section  14  and hexagonal engagement body  15  extending therefrom. A threaded bore  16 , best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 6  of the drawings provides for threaded engagement on the vehicle&#39;s wheel mounting studs (not shown) as is typical and well understood by those skilled in the art for mounting the wheels to a vehicle (not shown). An area of reduced transverse dimension at  17  extends from the hexagonal engagement body  15  having a rounded end  18  with a center threaded bore  19  therein. 
     The locking sleeve portion  12  of the invention, best seen in  FIG. 4  of the drawings has a cylinder sleeve  20  with an open end at  21  and an oppositely disposed apertured close end  22 . The sleeve  20  serves to cover the hexagonal engagement body  15  prevent unauthorized engagement and therefore removal by conventional lug nut engagement tools well known within the art. 
     The interior dimensions of the sleeve  20  is such that it will slidably engage over both the hexagonal body  15  and an area of reduced transverse dimension at  17  with self-alignment of the apertured closed end  22  with the threaded bore  19  as will be disclosed in greater detail hereinafter. 
     The sleeve  20  is secured over the nut portion  12  by a keyed locking bolt  23  through the central aperture closed end  22  and registerably engages with the threaded bore  19  in the rounded end  18  of the plug section  14  of the nut portion  11 . An O-ring  24  is provided as a bearing surface between the cylinder sleeve  20  and the rounded end  18 , best seen in  FIG. 4  of the drawings. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  9  of the drawings, the locking bolt  23  has a configurable keyway  25  therein which restricts bolt engagement and rotation to a correspondingly configured key  26  as seen in  7  and  8  of the drawings. The bolt keyway  25  has a center upstanding registration guide pin  27  and a plurality of arcuate recesses  28  positioned annularly about an inner keyway&#39;s surface wall  28 . It will be apparent that a multiple unique combination of recesses  28  positions are possible as illustrated in  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  9  of the drawings affording different keyways  25  and therefore associated configured key elements  26 . 
     The corresponding keyway pattern key element  26  can be seen in  FIGS. 7 and 8  of the drawings, having a main key body  29  with a tapered transition fusto conical portion  30 . A configured key element has a cylindrical configuration with an inner diameter opening equal to and for engagement over the hereinbefore described central guide pin  26  of the bolt keyway  25 . A number of elongated arcuate tabs  31  extend annularly thereabout which match the corresponding keyway recesses  28  patterns. This allows the key  26  to be inserted into the corresponding keyway  25  of the bolt  23  and rotated for threadably mounting and securing the cylinder sleeve  20  while removing same from the so-defined nut portion  11 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6  of the drawings, examples of a configured keyway  25  combinations can be seen illustrated in different positioning of the respective arcuate recesses  28  annularly thereabout. The angular degree of separation of the respective adjacent arcuate recesses  28  is 60° afforded in this example up to six positions with at least one oppositely disposed aligned pair of recesses to assure ease of the bolt  23  keyway engagement by the key  26  and rotation thereof. 
     It will noted that the O-ring  24  is registerable about the bolt  23  to provide, as noted, a compressible bearing surface between the interior of the apertured closed end  22  of the sleeve  20  and the surface of the rounded end  18  of the hexagonal engagement body  15 . 
     The nut portion  11  and lockable sleeve portion  12  are preferably made of metallic material for practicality and security with the bolt keyway  25  being preferably formed of case hardened metal and insertable into the key locking bolt  23  by conventional press fit application understood in the art. 
     It will be noted that other user applications will be apparent to is those in the art such as marine environments, or others wherein a security locking system for mounting bolts could be used. 
     It will thus be seen that a new and novel vehicle wheel locking device  10  has been illustrated and described and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.