Patent Publication Number: US-2007102993-A1

Title: Rotatable hubcap assembly with audio generating device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/734,769, filed Nov. 9, 2005, the entire content of which is herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
     Not Applicable  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to hubcaps, in particular to a hubcap assembly that permits a hubcap to spin independently from an associated vehicular wheel while emitting an audible sound, such as the sound of a dog bark.  
      There have been several inventions relating to rotating hubcaps and wheel covers. Many of these references, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,342 to Rutterman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,715 to Harlen, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,989 to Hsiao et al. disclose different mechanisms that allow a hubcap to maintain its rotational orientation independent of the rotation of the associated wheel. Each of these inventions employs some type of weighting mechanism to maintain the hubcap&#39;s orientation regardless of the reverse or forward rotation of the associated wheel. These inventions differ from the present invention in that the present invention employs no weighting mechanism, and permits the hubcap to rotate independently from its associated wheel, preferably in only one direction of rotation.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,946 discloses a spinning hub cap designed to be spun relative to the vehicle wheel on which it is mounted, as the vehicle wheel rolls forward, and to continue to spin after the vehicle wheel has been brought to a stop. U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,061 uses a bearing clutch rather than a ratchet type mechanism to control hubcap rotation.  
      All of the patents mentioned above are hereby incorporated by reference.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a spinning hubcap assembly includes a stationary member attachable to a vehicle wheel and fixed relative to the vehicle wheel, and a rotatable member attached to the stationary member, where the rotatable member is rotatable relative to the stationary member. An audible sound generator is operably coupled between the stationary member and the rotatable member, which audible sound generator is triggered based on rotation of the rotatable member relative to the stationary member.  
      The audible sound generator is preferably triggered cyclically based on rotation of the rotatable member relative to the stationary member.  
      The audible sound generator may include first and second friction members attached respectively to the stationary member and the rotatable member, where the first and second friction members emit a sound as the second friction member is cyclically brought into contact with the first friction member by rotation of the rotatable member. Alternatively, the audible sound generator may include an electronic output and a sensor secured to the rotatable member, the sensor activating the electronic output upon each full rotation of the rotatable member. In a preferred arrangement, the audible sound generator makes a sound resembling a dog bark. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is an exemplary configuration of a free spinning hubcap assembly; and  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a sectional view of the hubcap assembly in  FIG. 1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention is suitable for use with any hubcap or wheel assembly where one part moves relative to another based on vehicle motion. The assembly will be described in conjunction with an exemplary construction from the above-noted U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,061.  
      The exemplary configuration, as shown in  FIG. 1 , is a one way free spinning hubcap assembly, designated generally as  10  in the drawings. The assembly  10  has a decorative hubcap  12  that is positioned adjacent a vehicular wheel. The internal mechanisms of the invention, discussed below, cause the hubcap to rotate with the wheel when the wheel is turning in the direction of arrow  14 . Therefore, when a vehicle employing the present invention is accelerating forward or maintaining its forward velocity, the hubcap rotates at the same speed as the associated wheel, as would a conventional hubcap; however, when the vehicle decelerates, a bearing clutch in the assembly  10  permits the hubcap to continue to freely rotate, giving the appearance that the entire wheel is quickly rotating even when the wheel itself is slowing or has stopped rotating.  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a sectional view of the hubcap assembly in  FIG. 1 . The assembly  10  has a hubcap  12  which is connected by several hubcap bolts  16  to a bolt collar  18 . The bolt collar  18  is a flat plate with an outer surface  17  and an inner surface  19 . Disposed in the center of the collar  18  and extending just past the outer  17  and inner  19  surfaces is a bearing clutch  20 .  
      The assembly  10  further includes a central bolt  22  having a head  24  and a shank. The central bolt  22  extends through the bearing clutch  20  and the associated bolt collar  18 . Next, the central bolt  22  extends through an outer nut  26  and a lock washer  28 , then through a dome shaped hub bracket  30 . The central bolt  22  finally extends through a second lock washer  28  and is secured by inner nut  29 . The hub bracket  30  itself is secured to a vehicle&#39;s wheel assembly W through the use of the vehicle&#39;s wheel studs S and lug nuts L.  
      An audible sound generator  32  is operably coupled between relatively movable parts such as between the bolt collar  18  and the hub bracket  30 , or alternatively between the hubcap  12  and the wheel assembly W (shown as  32 ′ in dashed line in  FIG. 2 ). The audible sound generator is triggered based on relative rotation of parts to which the sound generator  32  ( 32 ′) components are attached. In a preferred embodiment, the audible sound generator makes a sound resembling a dog bark. In this context, movement of the vehicle rotates the hubcap, which continues to spin after the vehicle wheel has been brought to a stop. In a preferred arrangement, the audible sound generator  32  ( 32 ′) is triggered cyclically based on rotation of the hubcap  12 . Thus, with audible sound generators installed on all four wheels of a vehicle, as the vehicle comes to a stop, the audible sound generators emulate the sound of a pack of dogs.  
      Any suitable audible sound generator may be used, and the invention is not necessarily meant to be limited to any one type. One suitable sound generator utilizes first and second friction members attached respectively to the relatively movable parts, where the first and second friction members emit a sound as the second friction member is cyclically brought into contact with the first friction member by rotation of the hubcap. Alternatively, the audible sound generator may include an electronic output and a sensor secured to the hubcap, the sensor activating the electronic output upon each full rotation of the hubcap.  
      While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.