Patent Publication Number: US-2005140201-A1

Title: Wheel cover for automobile

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a wheel cover, and more particularly to a wheel cover for an automobile.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      A conventional wheel cover for an automobile comprises a main body provided with a plurality of light emitting members, and a generating device mounted in the main body and electrically connected to the light emitting members of the main body. The generating device includes a rotor and a coil. Thus, when the automobile is moving, the wheel cover is also rotated, so that the main body and the generating device are rotated synchronously. At this time, the rotor is rotated relative to the coil to produce a magnetic effect therebetween, thereby producing an electric current which is directly transmitted to the light emitting members of the main body to provide a lighting effect.  
      However, the light emitting members light constantly to form a vague optical circle, thereby greatly decreasing the attractive effect and aesthetic quality of the wheel cover. In addition, the light emitting members are fixed on the main body of the wheel cover, so that the user needs to replace the whole wheel cover to change the arrangement of the light emitting members, thereby decreasing the versatility of the wheel cover.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a wheel cover for an automobile, wherein the light emitting members of the wheel cover blinks intermittently during movement of the automobile to indicate patterns or characters having a fixed shape, thereby enhancing the aesthetic quality of the wheel cover, and thereby providing a warning effect to other person on the road.  
      Another objective of the present invention is to provide a wheel cover for an automobile, wherein the user can change and replace removable panels having different patterns to fit the practical requirement without having to replace the whole cover, thereby greatly enhancing the versatility of the whole cover.  
      In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a wheel cover, comprising: 
          a main body having a center formed with a receiving chamber and having a periphery provided with a plurality of light emitting members; and     a generating device mounted in the receiving chamber of the main body and including a housing mounted in the receiving chamber of the main body, a shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, a magnetic rotor secured on the shaft, a counterweight secured on the shaft and having a side provided with a sensing body, a coil set secured in the housing to rotate therewith and enclosed around the rotor, and a circuit board secured on a side of the coil set to rotate therewith and having a side provided with a sensing body that is movable to align with the sensing body of the counterweight.        

      Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a side plan exploded cross-sectional view of a wheel cover for an automobile in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a partially cut-away side plan cross-sectional assembly view of the wheel cover in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a front plan assembly view of the wheel cover in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a front plan assembly view of a wheel cover for an automobile in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 5  is a partially cut-away plan cross-sectional view of the wheel cover taken along line  5 - 5  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1-3 , a wheel cover for an automobile in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body  1 , and a generating device  2 .  
      The main body  1  has a center formed with a receiving chamber  11 . An outer cover  111  is mounted in the receiving chamber  11  of the main body  1  to enclose the generating device  2  in the receiving chamber  11  of the main body  1 .  
      The main body  1  has a periphery provided with a plurality of light emitting members  12  arranged around the receiving chamber  11  of the main body  1 . Preferably, each of the light emitting members  12  is a light emitting diode (LED). In addition, the light emitting members  12  are arranged to form special patterns or characters as shown in  FIG. 3 .  
      The generating device  2  is mounted in the receiving chamber  11  of the main body  1  and is electrically connected to the light emitting members  12  of the main body  1  to supply an electric power to the light emitting members  12  of the main body  1 .  
      The generating device  2  includes a housing  21  mounted in the receiving chamber  11  of the main body  1 , a shaft  22  rotatably mounted in the housing  21 , a magnetic rotor  222  secured on the shaft  22 , a counterweight  223  secured on the shaft  22  and having a side provided with a sensing body  224 , a coil set  23  secured in the housing  21  to rotate therewith and enclosed around the rotor  222 , and a circuit board  24  secured on a side of the coil set  23  to rotate therewith and having a side provided with a sensing body  241  that is movable to align with the sensing body  224  of the counterweight  223 . The shaft  22  is co-axial with the main body  1  and has two ends each provided with a bearing  221  rotatably mounted in the housing  21 . The circuit board  24  is electrically connected to the light emitting members  12  of the main body  11 .  
      In operation, when the automobile is moving, the wheel cover is also rotated, so that the main body  1  and the generating device  2  are rotated synchronously. At this time, the shaft  22  of the generating device  2  is fixed without rotation by the weight of the counterweight  223 . Thus, the coil set  23  is rotated relative to the rotor  222  successively to produce a magnetic effect therebetween, thereby producing an electric current. When the generating device  2  and the circuit board  24  are rotated to the position as shown in  FIG. 2 , the sensing body  241  of the circuit board  24  is rotated to align with the sensing body  224  of the counterweight  223 , so that the rotated sensing body  241  of the circuit board  24  is mutually induced with the fixed sensing body  224  of the counterweight  223 , thereby forming an electrical connection, such that the electric current produced when the coil set  23  is rotated relative to the rotor  222  is transmitted to the light emitting members  12  of the main body  1 , thereby providing a lighting effect as shown in  FIG. 3 .  
      On the contrary, when the generating device  2  is rotated to a position where the sensing body  241  of the circuit board  24  does not align with the sensing body  224  of the counterweight  223 , the electrical connection of the circuit board  24  is shut, thereby interrupting the electric power transmitted to the light emitting members  12  of the main body  1 , such that the light emitting members  12  of the main body  1  stop lighting.  
      Accordingly, the rotated sensing body  241  of the circuit board  24  is mutually induced with the fixed sensing body  224  of the counterweight  223  in an intermittent manner, such that the electric current produced when the coil set  23  is rotated relative to the rotor  222  forms connection and disconnection in an intermittent manner, so that the light emitting members  12  of the main body  1  light and distinguish in an intermittent manner, thereby producing a blinking effect. In addition, the light emitting members  12  of the main body  1  blinks intermittently during movement of the automobile to indicate patterns or characters having a fixed shape, thereby enhancing the aesthetic quality of the wheel cover, and thereby providing a warning effect to other person on the road.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the wheel cover further comprises a removable panel  13  detachably mounted on the main body  1 , and the light emitting members  12  are mounted on the removable panel  13 . Thus, the user can change and replace removable panels  13  having different patterns to fit the practical requirement without having to replace the whole cover, thereby enhancing the versatility of the whole cover.  
      Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.