Abstract:
A new and useful invention is an attachable steering wheel rotating apparatus having the following qualities: friendly on the user&#39;s hand, friendly to the steering wheel, pleasing to the eyes, and above all a reliable yet simple and quick attachment and detachment system.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application references my previously filed Provisional Patent Application on Jul. 13, 2000 entitled the same “Attachable Handle for Steering Wheels” with the application Ser. No. 60/218,127. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a hand control attachment apparatus used on a steering wheel or the like. It is more commonly known as a steering knob or a detachable spinner which can be mounted as an accessory on the rim of an automobile steering wheel or the like to facilitate turning with just one hand in a more natural position, as well as minimize fatigue overall. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The following is a list of patents which are considered relevant to this invention: Shipley (U.S. Pat. No. 1,861,586), Deer (U.S. Pat. No. 2,441,061), Stites (2,482,641), Rose (U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,064), Fujimori (U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,736), Jones (U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,071), and foreign patent number 608,044 (Italy, 09/1960). The problems with these spinners in the past have been their cumbersome sizes and their troublesome installation and detachment . . . all of which have made them unsafe for use. They require a time consuming process of first figuring out how to put one on and then going through the many steps of adjustments to get one on to fit just right. After all the work, one is stuck with an ugly bulging handle that has proven in the past to be most unpleasant to knuckles, fingers, and nails. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     For the first time, the essential supporting base will be hidden inside the steering knob to minimize occupied space and damage to the steering wheel. This new spinner locks to any wheel the same way in the fewest steps possible. Not only does this new steering knob eliminates all the false of previously made spinners, it goes beyond to introduce an interchangeable top. It will appeal to those who want to personalize their spinner by allowing a custom image to be the center of attention or to change the feel of their spinner from time to time. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     The drawings are presented in an order which best describes the invention as it is being applied for use. The next section which repeats this order will go into details to show the importance and benefits of each piece with regards to the next. There are no specified dimensions stated in the drawings, however the relative sizes of all the parts are implied. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a steering knob in accordance with the principles of the present invention that is secured on a partially shown steering wheel. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the steering knob as shown in line  1 — 1  of FIG.  1 . In the drawing, gaps are left between certain parts for clarity purposes only. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the supporting cylinder. 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the supporting cylinder. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cap. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A first look at this steering knob reveals its obvious simplicity and neatness as shown in FIG.  1 . Unlike the other steering knobs in the past, there is no exterior supporting base made from stiff metal that harms the user&#39;s hand and damages the nice leather rim of most steering wheels. Instead, a soft, flexible but strong strap  1  which takes a pre-formed ring shape, as shown in FIG. 2, wraps around the rim of the steering wheel  2 . Strap  1  has a round hole  4  at each of its end. In addition, both ends overlap to where their holes  4  align. The length of the overlap is proportional to the width of a square nut  6 . The overlap portion is elevated outward from the rest of the ring to form somewhat of a house  5  to fit the square nut  6 . This feature helps the user to get a general idea of where each piece goes and to save time and hassle of bending the strap  1  to accommodate for the size of the rim of the steering wheel  2  and square nut  6 . Once the strap  1  is on the steering wheel  2  and the square nut  6  is resting in the house  5  on top of the steering wheel  2 , then the supporting cylinder  7  is ready to engage them. It takes the place of all the unattractive supporting bases found in prior arts. The supporting cylinder  7 , as shown in FIG. 3, has a round opening hole  8  at the top end and two saddles  9  at the other end. The saddles  9  provide a nesting place for the rim of the steering wheel  2 . The strong and rigid supporting cylinder  7  has a unique inside as shown in FIG.  4 . The interior walls  10  are flat, not round, at the two sides where the saddles  9  are. Their distance apart is a little bit more than the side of the square nut  6 . Their sole purpose is to keep the square nut  6  from turning so that it will travel up the machine screw  11  (FIG. 2) at time of tightening. The interior walls  10  do not have clearance for the square nut  6  inside the house  5 . However, the other two curved interior walls  21  do have the room. In other words, the user can rest assure that if the supporting cylinder  7  falls is place over the house  5 , then the saddles  9  will run along the rim of the steering wheel  2 . Also, the cylinder opening hole  8 , the strap holes  4  and the square nut  6  will all be in alignment for the machine screw  11  to travel through. The actual soft cushioned knob  12  (FIG. 2) is molded to a radial ball bearing  13  inside. The radial ball bearing  13  allows the knob  12  to spin independently around the screw  11  which otherwise would cause rotational friction that can loosen the apparatus over a period of time. The use of the radial ball bearing  13  is a new feature unknown to previously made spinners. The top of the knob  12  is open with a groove  14  along its inner rim. The radial ball bearing  13  comes with a central hole  15  sized to allow the machine screw  11  to pass through. The space under the radial ball bearing  13  is an open cavity  22  slightly big enough to store the supporting cylinder  7 . Thus, the supporting cylinder  7  is hidden inside the knob  12  for the most part with the exception of its bottom end  16  reaching pass the bottom end of the knob  12 . This is so that the knob  12  itself does not touch the rim of the steering wheel  2  in order for it to spin. Never has the supporting base of past inventions take the form of a cylinder that is conveniently placed inside the rotary knob. It is out of sight and completely out of harms way. At this point, the user simply has to turn the machine screw  11  with the use of a screwdriver to tighten the whole apparatus. As the machine screw  11  turns it draws the square nut  6  upward which in turn pushes the ends with the holes  4  of the strap  1  closer and closer to the opening hole  8  at the top of the supporting cylinder  7 . In affect, the ring portion of the strap  1  becomes smaller and therefore wraps tighter around the steering wheel  2 . Eventually, the rim of the steering wheel  2  will settle deep into the saddles  9  of the supporting cylinder  7 . This prevents any slipping and sliding of the whole handle. It should also be noted that the machine screw  11  is long enough to reach the square nut  6  without ever touching the steering wheel  2 . The tightening process basically brings everything closer together and locks them there. The ease and quickness of a single band with a single screw and nut attachment is definitely a well distinguished feature absent in the old inventions. Furthermore, the intuitive nature on how the parts fit together simply by looking at them surpasses the other attachable hand control apparatus in the past. 
     The addition of a removable cap  17  further makes this invention different from the rest. As shown in FIG. 5, cap  17  has evenly spaced teeth  18  and open pockets  19  to provide as a mean of snapping on and off the top of the knob  12  at the groove  14 . It covers the head of the machine screw  11  when it is not in use. The cap  17  is the most versatile part of this invention. For example, it can be clear to allow an image laying underneath it to show through. There would be a thin cushion  20  (FIG. 2) between the cap  17  and the head of the machine screw  11 . This cushion  20  adjusts for the thickness of the material the image is on to always have the image held flat to the inside of the cap  17 . The top of the cap  17  can also be made with other characteristics such as leather, fur, velvet, squeezable rubber, etc. Both the cap  17  and the knob  12  can be made from materials that glow in the dark. As the steering knob is an accessory to the steering wheel, the interchangeable cap is an accessory to this particular steering knob.