Abstract:
A wheel assembly which includes a wheel having a central bore and an attached hubcap. An axle is fitted into the central bore of the wheel assembly and interlocks with the hubcap, serving to secure the wheel assembly to the axle while permitting movement of the wheel relative to the axle.

Description:
This application claims domestic priority based on U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/023,543 and is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/906,057 filed Aug. 5, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,018 filed Aug. 7, 1996. 
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a wheel assembly having particular, but not limited, application to wheels utilized on portable trash carts, wagons, lawn and garden equipment, and toy objects. 
     Heretofore wheels, which are formed generally of injection molded plastic having a tire component, have been attached to an axle by either a locking washer or a spring clip. Locking washers are of a domed construction which are press fitted over the end of the axle and include teeth components which bite into or interlock with the axle serving to retain the journalled wheel. When using a spring clip component, the clip component is applied to the outer surface of the journalled wheel and interlocks with the axle and wheel. The clip component is hidden from view by a hub which is then placed over the clip and attached to the outer surface of the wheel. Each of these prior art type axle to wheel interlocking devices have certain drawbacks. The forced-fit interlocking washer commonly used is difficult to remove and generally requires the replacement of the washer if it becomes necessary to remove a wheel for repair or servicing. The interlocking arrangement which utilizes the separate spring clip is of a three piece multiple component assembly, adding to the cost of the assembly as well as requiring that the hubcap be first removed before access to the spring clip can be obtained to release the wheel from the axle. 
     In the following described invention, the wheel assembly includes a wheel having a central bore and a connected hubcap. This hubcap includes opposing fingers which extend through openings in the wheel and interlock with the axle at an annular groove formed in the axle when the axle is inserted into the wheel bore. In this manner, the axle is retained against axial displacing movement relative to the wheel by the hub. Openings may be provided in the hub to obtain accessibility by way of snapring pliers or similar type of probe, to cause the fingers of the hub to be released from the axle if it becomes necessary to remove the wheel for servicing or replacement. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an economical interlock between a wheel and an axle which can be easily assembled. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a wheel and axle assembly having an axle to wheel interlock which can be easily applied to lock the wheel to the axle, as well as simply disconnected to release the wheel from the axle if necessary. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a wheel assembly for a cart or similar transportable object which retards vandalism and theft of the wheels of the assembly. 
     Other objects of the invention will be come apparent upon a reading of the following description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the component parts of one embodiment of the wheel assembly. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the component parts of the embodiment of FIG. 1 but as seen from the opposite direction. 
     FIG. 3 is an outer face view of the wheel assembly of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A—A of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is an outer face view of the wheel assembly of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B—B of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the component parts of another embodiment of the wheel assembly. 
     FIG. 8 is a outer face view of the wheel assembly of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A—A of FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 10 is an outer face view of the wheel assembly of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B—B of FIG.  10 . 
     FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the component parts of another embodiment of the wheel assembly. 
     FIG. 13 is an outer face view of the wheel assembly of FIG.  12 . 
     FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A—A of FIG.  13 . 
     FIG. 15 is an outer face view of the wheel assembly of FIG.  12 . 
     FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG.  15 . 
     FIG. 17 is an exploded view of the component parts of still another embodiment of the wheel assembly. 
     FIG. 18 is an outer face view of the wheel assembly of FIG.  17 . 
     FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG.  18 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiments, which are to be described, were chosen for purposes of illustration and description to enable others having ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention. 
     The wheel assembly  10  shown in FIGS. 1-4 includes a wheel  12  carrying a tire  14 , an axle  16  and a hubcap  18  having a locking device. Wheel  12 , and also tire  14 , may be formed of injection molded plastic and includes a central bore  20  which terminates in an end wall  22  forming an integral part of the wheel. Two diametrically positioned openings  24  are formed in wheel  12 , with each extending from the outer side  26  of the wheel about end wall  22  and into bore  20 . 
     Axle  16  at its end  28  is provided with an annular groove  30 . Hubcap  18 , which may also be formed of injection molded plastic, is cup-shaped having an annular side wall  32  and an end wall  34 . Two opposing fingers  36  extend interiorly from end wall  34  and terminate in opposing hooks  40 . Located in end wall  34  of hubcap  18  are two openings  42 , each appearing next to and interiorly of a finger  36 . Hubcap  18  also preferably includes tabs  44  located at equally angularly spaced locations about the end edge of hubcap side wall  32 . Tabs  44  are snap-fitted into accommodating openings  46  in the wheel to secure hubcap  18  to outer side  26  of wheel  12 . This allows preassembly of the hubcap and wheel which thus as a unit can be connected to the axle. Side wall  32  of hubcap  18  straddles any ribs or other reinforcing protrusions of the wheel. 
     To assemble the wheel assembly  10 , axle  16  is inserted at its end  28  into bore  20  of wheel  12  until it abuts end wall  22  of the wheel. With hubcap  18  being previously connected to the wheel with its fingers  36  extending into openings  24  in the wheel, hooks  40  of fingers  36  slide over the beveled end of the axle  16  as the axle is inserted, causing the fingers to be flexed outwardly relative to each other over the axle until the fingers are snap-fitted into annular groove  30  of the axle. In this manner the axle is fixedly secured to the wheel assembly with the wheel assembly being able to rotate relative to the axle. 
     To disassemble the wheel  12  from axle  16 , a snapring plier or similar probe is inserted into openings  42  of the hubcap, brought along the inside of each finger  36  and pried outwardly to flex or move the finger outwardly, thus, freeing hooks  40  from groove  30  in the axle. In this manner, the axle may be slid coaxially outwardly from bore  20  in the wheel. 
     For wheels which are blow molded or compression molded instead of injection molded, it may not, and usually is not, possible to form the integral end wall with openings into the wheel bore to permit the hubcap to be interlocked with an inserted axle. Thus to accommodate this change in construction of the wheel, wheel assemblies  10   a  and  10   b  are provided as shown in drawings  7  and  12 . Wheel part  46  in each of the embodiments of wheel assemblies  10   a  and  10   b  include a tire  47  and a coaxial thru bore  48 . The outer side  50  of wheel part  46  is preferably recessed about bore  48  so as to form an internal annular shoulder  52  and the inner side  54  of the wheel is provided with a flattened neck  56  which protrudes outwardly from the side. 
     The hubcap  58  used in each of the wheel assemblies  10   a  and  10   b  is cup-shaped and includes a side wall  60  and an end wall  62 . Protruding interiorly within the hubcap from end wall  62  are spaced fingers  64  terminating in opposing hooks  66 . A pair of openings  68  is formed in end wall  62  of hubcap  58  located adjacently inwardly of fingers  64 . Also, the hubcap includes an additional pair of spaced fingers  65  generally paralleling fingers  64  but radially offset and angularly displaced therefrom. Axle  70  of each wheel assembly  10   a ,  10   b  has at its one end  72  an annular groove  74 . 
     In order to accommodate the interlocking arrangement between hubcap  58  and wheel part  46  in wheel assemblies  10   a  and  10   b , a sleeve  76   a  used in assembly  10   a  and a sleeve  76   b  used in assembly  10   b  is provided. Each sleeve  76   a  and  76   b  includes an end wall  78  which in conjunction with side wall  80  of the sleeve forms an internal bore  82 . Slotted openings  84  are formed in side wall  80  of each sleeve  76   a  and  76   b  at the sleeve&#39;s end wall  78  in a diametrically opposite relationship. Openings  85  are formed in side wall  80  adjacent the sleeve end wall in an opposed relationship and angularly offset from openings  84 . 
     Sleeves  76   a  and  76   b  differ in construction in the following manner. Sleeve  76   a  has at its end oppositely located from end wall  78  an annular out turned flange  86 . A pair of diametrically located oppositely extending fingers forming hook parts  88  protrude from sleeve side wall  80  at an inwardly spaced location from the sleeve end wall  78 . Hook parts  88  are flexible which permits sleeve  76   a  to be inserted into bore  48  of wheel part  46  from inner side  54  of the wheel causing the hook parts to be flexed inwardly, thereby allowing passage of the sleeve through the bore until flange  86  of the sleeve is fully seated against the end of neck  56  of the wheel, allowing hook parts  88  to be flexed outwardly over shoulder  52  of the wheel, thus, interlocking the sleeve to the wheel. 
     Sleeve  76   b  has two pairs of oppositely located out turned fingers forming hook parts  90  at the opposite end of the sleeve from end wall  78 . Hook parts  90  are also flexible. Tabs or flanges  92  protrude outwardly from sleeve side wall  80  at a position inwardly spaced from end wall  78  of sleeve  76   b . Sleeve  76   b  is constructed so as to enable it to be inserted and interlocked with wheel part  46  by being inserted initially into bore  48  of the wheel from the outer side  50  of the wheel with hook parts  90  being flexed inwardly to allow passage of the sleeve through the bore. When flanges  92  butt or rest against shoulder  52  of the wheel, hook parts  90  are then enabled to flex outwardly over the flattened end of neck  56  of the wheel, thus securely interlocking sleeve  76   b  to the wheel  46 . 
     In each of the wheel assemblies  10   a  and  10   b  with sleeves  76   a  and  76   b  fixedly interlocked with wheel part  46 , as described, the assembly is completed by preferably first attaching a hubcap  58  to the sleeve. This is accomplished by fitting the hubcap over the sleeve at its end wall  78  with fingers  65  snap-fitting into sleeve openings  85 . With the hubcap  58  so attached, fingers  64  protrude into sleeve openings  84  with finger hooks  66  extending in sleeve bore  82 . Axle  70  is then inserted into sleeve bore  70  until the end of the axle abuts sleeve end wall  78  with hubcap fingers  64  being flexed outwardly over the bevelled end of the axle and snap-fitted into axle groove  74  to interlock the wheel to the axle. Snapring pliers can be inserted through hubcap openings  68  to flex the fingers  64  from axle groove  74  to release the wheel from the axle. Openings  87  are provided in hubcap  58  to allow the release of the hubcap from the wheel. 
     In the embodiment identified as wheel assembly  94  shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, wheel part  46  and axle  70  are of the same constructions as described for the embodiments of wheel assemblies  10   a  and  10   b . Therefore their description in detail will not be repeated. Sleeve  96  of this embodiment includes a central bore  98  having at one end outwardly protruding hook parts  100  which are diametrically located in pairs. The opposite end of sleeve  96  includes an integral hubcap part  102  having a side wall  104  and an end wall  106  which is joined with the end wall  108  of sleeve  96 . Formed between wall  106  of hubcap part  102  and the side wall  97  of the sleeve are two opposed flexible ribs  105  which include opposing tabs  107 . A pair of openings  109  are formed near the integral junction of end wall  106  of the hubcap part and end wall  108  of the sleeve so as to allow access to ribs  105  after assembly of the sleeve to the wheel and axle. Oppositely protruding flanges  112  extend from sleeve  96  inwardly of ribs  104 . 
     To assemble the wheel assembly  94 , sleeve  96  with integrally connected hubcap part  102  is inserted into bore  48  of wheel part  46  from outer side  50  causing hook parts  100  to be flexed to allow the passage of the sleeve through the bore until flanges  112  of sleeve  96  contact or butt shoulder  52  of the wheel which allows hook parts  100  to flex outwardly and overly the flat end of neck  56  of the wheel part. In this manner, the sleeve is fixedly interlocked to wheel  46  with hubcap part  102  covering the wheel bore  48  as shown. Axle  70  is then inserted into bore  98  of sleeve  96  and pushed toward hubcap part  102  with the tapered end face  114  of the axle contacting tabs  107  causing the tabs to be spread and then snapped-fitted over the end face and into an interlocking arrangement with groove  74  of the axle. In this manner, the wheel is locked to the axle yet permitted to rotate relative thereto. To release axle  70  from the wheel, snapring pliers can be inserted through the openings  109  to flex the ribs outwardly to release rib tabs  107  from axle groove  74 . 
     To hide or cover the access openings in the hubcaps, a label or similar covering can be adhered to the outer surface of the hubcap end wall and applied over the access openings. Should it become necessary to remove the wheel, the covering can be removed to expose the access openings and allow the hubcap tabs to be pried from the axle groove. 
     In each of the aforedescribed embodiments, a label or some other removable covering can be placed over the hubcap end wall to cover the access openings therein, if desired.