Wheel brush and lug nut cleaner

A wheel and lug nut cleaning device providing a single tool for cleaning behind and between spokes of a wheel rim, the lug nuts, and rim cavities theraround by including a handle having a rear portion with a lug nut and rim cavity-cleaning body thereon and a releasable front portion pivotably disposed on the rear portion and having brush head thereon. A knuckle guard is disposed on the front portion. The brush head has a non-abrasive shaft and bristles including convex first and second bristle sets forwardly and rearwardly extending therefrom to facilitate cleaning crevices, corners, and concave surfaces of the wheel and behind the spoke edges, respectively. Flexible cleaning flanges, preferably covered with a soft microfiber, extend from a central base of the lug nut and rim cavity-cleaning body to fit into and rotate to clean around the wheel lug nuts and the walls of the wheel rim simultaneously.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various types of vehicle wheel cleaning tools and vehicle lug nut cleaning tools are known in the prior art. Many of such known tools clean only the wheel or the lug nut, thereby requiring more than one device to clean both. In addition, such tools include an elongated handle, which does not permit sufficient force to vigorously and thoroughly clean the wheel and lug nuts. Further, some of the wheel and lug nut cleaning tools are motorized with a motor that does not have enough power for thorough cleaning, requires regular replacement of batteries, or requires an extension cord to plug the tools into an electric power source. Even still, several of the known wheel and lug nut cleaning tools do not provide a brush that is removable and washable. However, what is needed, and what the present wheel and lug nut cleaning device provides, is a single wheel and lug nut cleaning device to clean an outer side of a wheel rim and an inner wheel rim behind and between the wheel spokes, where road grime and dirty brake dust tends to collect, as well as each lug nut itself and any and all rim cavities around the lug nuts, where road grime and brake dust additionally tends to collect. The instant device eliminates exposed metal parts in order to prevent scratching of and damage to the rim surface paint and the clear coat over the vehicle's paint in contrast to known wheel cleaning devices which have metal in a handle thereof to hold the bristles in place which, in turn, can rub against, scratch, and otherwise damage the rim and the paint on the vehicle. The present device further accommodates the cleaning of wheel rims in a wide range of sizes thereby eliminating the need for different tools for cleaning different cars.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to vehicle wheel and lug nut cleaning devices, and more particularly, to an integrated wheel and lug nut cleaning device

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general purpose of the present wheel brush and lug nut cleaner, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a wheel brush and lug nut cleaner which has many novel features that result in a wheel brush and lug nut cleaner which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof.

To accomplish this, the present wheel and lug nut cleaning device provides a single tool for cleaning an outer side of a wheel rim and an inner wheel rim behind and between the wheel spokes, the lug nuts, and any and all rim cavities around the lug nut, where road grime and dirty brake dust tends to collect. The instant device includes a cylindrical handle having a rear portion and a releasable front portion pivotably disposed on the rear portion. The front portion has a brush head disposed thereon for cleaning an outer side of a wheel rim and an inner wheel rim behind and between the wheel spokes, wherein road grime and dirty brake dust tends to collect. The rear portion has a lug nut and rim cavity-cleaning body disposed thereon for cleaning any and all rim cavities around the lug nuts, where road grime and brake dust additionally tends to collect. An annular knuckle guard, circumferentially disposed on the handle front portion, is provided to protect the user's knuckles when reaching in to clean a vehicle wheel.

The brush head has a resilient non-abrasive longitudinal shaft and a plurality of bristles radially disposed along the entire longitudinal shaft. Each of first bristle set and a second bristle set extending forwardly from the exterior end and rearwardly from the interior end, respectively, has a convex outer end and a V-shaped inner end to facilitate cleaning crevices, corners, and concave surfaces of the wheel and behind the spoke edges, respectively.

The lug nut and rim cavity-cleaning body has an annular central base with a central core longitudinally disposed therein and a channel continuously disposed between the central core and the central base. A plurality of spaced apart substantially parallelepiped flexible cleaning flanges, preferably formed of microfiber, extends rearwardly from the central base and provides a soft cleaning surface which has the ability to fit into and rotate around the wheel lug nuts, such that the lug nuts themselves and the walls of the wheel rim surrounding the lug nuts are cleaned simultaneously while the user inserts the lug nut and rim cavity-cleaning body into and out of each of the lug nuts. Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the present wheel and lug nut cleaning device so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference now to the drawings, and in particularFIGS. 1 through 5thereof, an example of the instant wheel brush and lug nut cleaner employing the principles and concepts of the present wheel brush and lug nut cleaner and generally designated by the reference number10will be described.

Referring toFIGS. 1 through 5the present wheel brush and lug nut cleaner10is illustrated. The wheel brush and lug nut cleaner10includes a cylindrical handle20having a rear portion22, a releasable front portion24pivotably disposed on the rear portion22. The front portion24has a brush head26disposed thereon for cleaning an outer side of a wheel rim and an inner wheel rim behind and between the wheel spokes, wherein road grime and dirty brake dust tends to collect. The front portion24, with the attached brush head26, is pivotable upwardly and downwardly relative the rear portion22. The front portion24has a forward end27and a rearward end28. The rear portion22has a lug nut and rim cavity-cleaning body30disposed thereon for cleaning any and all rim cavities around the lug nuts, where road grime and brake dust additionally tends to collect. The rear portion22has a forward side32, a rearward side34, a notch36centrally disposed on the forward side32, and a center portion38between the forward side32and the rearward side34.

A pivot pin40is rotatably disposed through the rearward end28of the front portion24and the forward side32of the rear portion22. The pivot pin40has a plurality of grooves42disposed along an external perimeter44thereof. A chamber46is disposed within the center portion38of the rear portion22proximal the forward side32in a position rearwardly disposed relative the pivot pin40. A spring loaded release mechanism48is disposed within the chamber46. The release mechanism48includes an accessible release button50transversely disposed on the center portion36and a lock tab52longitudinally disposed within the chamber46and in operational communication with the release button50. Upon the exertion of pressure on and the alternate release of pressure from the release button50, the lock tab52disengages from the plurality of grooves42and alternately engages one of the plurality of grooves42, respectively. Upon the disengagement of the lock tab52from the plurality of grooves42, the front portion24is released from the rear portion22. Upon the engagement of the lock tab52with one of the plurality of grooves42, the front portion24is secured to the rear portion22.

An annular knuckle guard55is circumferentially disposed on the handle20front portion24approximately midway between the forward end27and the rearward end28. The knuckle guard55is provided to protect the user's knuckles when reaching in to clean a vehicle wheel.

The brush head26has a resilient non-abrasive longitudinal shaft60and a plurality of bristles62radially disposed along the entire longitudinal shaft60. The longitudinal shaft60has an exterior end64and an interior end66disposed on the forward end27of the front portion24. A first bristle set68of the plurality of bristles62extends forwardly from the exterior end64and directed forwardly therefrom. A second bristle set70of the plurality of bristles62extends rearwardly from the interior end66. Each of the first bristle set68and the second bristle set70of the plurality of bristles62has a convex outer end72and a V-shaped inner end73.

The lug nut and rim cavity-cleaning body30is disposed on the rearward side34of the rear portion22. The lug nut and rim cavity-cleaning body30has an annular central base75disposed on the rearward side34. The central base75has a central core77longitudinally disposed therein and a channel79continuously disposed between the central core77and the central base75.

A plurality of spaced apart substantially parallelepiped flexible cleaning flanges80extends rearwardly from the central base75. Each of the plurality of cleaning flanges80has an external side82disposed within the channel79and is attached to the central base75. A gap84is disposed between each of the cleaning flanges80. Each of the plurality of cleaning flanges80a cleaning surface preferably of microfiber. The microfiber surface provides a soft cleaning surface which has the ability to fit into and rotate around the wheel lug nuts, such that the lug nuts themselves and the walls of the wheel rim surrounding the lug nuts are cleaned simultaneously while the user inserts the lug nut and rim cavity-cleaning body30into and out of each of the lug nuts.