Abstract:
A wheel cleaning device formed with an elongated handle and projecting stem. A resilient pad on such stem formed with segments stepped down in transverse cross section toward the distal end of such stem.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning decorative automotive wheels.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Present day automobile wheels are often constructed with attractive designs to generate customer appeal. Customer demand is such that many different styles and configurations of wheels are necessary to meet the diverse taste of customers.  
           [0005]    There has developed a very lucrative market for both OEM and aftermarket wheels constructed with numerous different styles of spoke and aperture configurations combined to present an eye pleasing design. Many of these wheels incorporate attractive finishes which may be constructed of expensive metal platings and the like. Such finishes often require a great degree of care in order to maintain a clean attractive appearance. This demands leads to a challenge for the automobile owner in keeping the wheels clean. The challenge is often complicated by fact that the various brake pads rely on liner material for generating frictional resistance to relative movement between the pad and a brake surface wherein the high friction material is subject to slight degradation and generation of dark colored dust and powders during the braking process. This can then leave the wheel and various component parts thereof covered with a dark colored graphite dust or similar powder material which detracts from the appearance of the automobile wheel.  
           [0006]    What adds to the challenge of effective wheel cleaning is the fact that popular wheel designs often incorporate recesses, holes, crevices and spaces which have endless numbers of shapes, sizes and angles thus exhibiting a challenge to effective access by presently known cleaning brushes and pads. Commonly used tools, such as oversized sponges, long bristle brushes and sets of brushes with specific sizes and shapes have not provided a satisfactory solution. As an example, in many wheel designs, the depressions and openings therein are formed with radially inwardly turned peripheral lips which often collect dust and grime which is difficult to access with a typical sponge or brush. Those depressions and crevices often incorporate a triangular configuration such that a brush sized for ready access to the enlarged end of the triangle cannot be slid into the narrow end of the triangular crevice thus preventing access to the inturned peripheral lips for adequate cleaning thereof. Also, the effort to utilize a set of multiple brushes of different sizes and shapes is generally impractical. The expense of acquiring such sets of brushes and the challenge of having the properly sized brush readily available at the time it is needed renders the overall proposition quite unsatisfactory.  
           [0007]    Many modem day wheel designs often incorporate a recessed lug nut hole pattern wherein the lug nuts are recessed within a generally cylindrically shaped lug nut well such that an annular space of about {fraction (1/8)} inch is formed between such lug nut and the wall of the well. This often results in restricting access to the wall of the lug nut well thus resulting in dirt, grime and dust being left on the lug nuts and the lug nut well walls thus leaving an unsightly appearance after the cleaning task is completed.  
           [0008]    Various different proposals have been made for solving these various problems. As an example, it has been proposed to provide a polishing tool having an elongated stem mounting on one side a series of tufts of brush bristles and on the other side a layer of sponge-like material configured in a V-shape for accessing specifically shaped crevices and depressions. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,857 to Sellers. Such devices, while satisfactory for certain applications, have limited utility and have not been broadly accepted in the marketplace.  
           [0009]    In recognition of the need for a device for cleaning lug nut wells, it has been proposed to provide a generally tubular shaped sponge configured to be received telescopically within the lug nut well. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,686 to Gronkiewicz. This proposed solution is little better than the proposal that sets of differently configured brushes may be provided in that the worker does not find it convenient to turn to a multiple number of tools for achieving the cleaning task.  
           [0010]    Consequently, there exists a need for a wheel cleaning tool for accessing wheel indentations and apertures having different shapes, sizes and configurations and which accommodates wide ranges of such configurations. It is preferable if the cleaning task could be undertaken without subjecting the finish of the wheel to harsh rigid surfaces which might result in dragging grit over the finish resulting in scratching thereof.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention is characterized by a wheel cleaning device having an elongated handle and stem with an elongated foam pad being received on such stem and formed with sections of rings configured with different transverse cross sections for allowing access to different sizes and shapes of crevices and holes within a wheel to be cleaned.  
           [0012]    In some embodiments, the stem is cruciform shaped and configured to taper inwardly toward the distal end thereof.  
           [0013]    In other configurations, the pad is constructed of discrete foam rings and such rings may be formed with radially projecting flexible fingers which collects under applied forces to enhance accommodation of the contour and size of different shaped crevices.  
           [0014]    Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheel cleaning tool embodying the present invention:  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a right hand end view thereof,  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a left hand end view thereof;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a front view thereof;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is a three-quarter top front view;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the wheel cleaning tool shown in FIG. 1; and  
         [0021]    FIGS.  7 - 11  are transverse cross sectional views, taken along the corresponding respective lines, in FIG. 6. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, the wheel cleaning tool of the present invention includes, generally, a rigid blow molded skeleton constructed with a cylindrical handle  11  and a projecting cruciform shaped stem  13  which tapers downwardly to a distal end  15 . Received in stacked relationship on such stem are a series of progressively smaller in diameter resilient corrugated foam rings  17  through  25  with a lug cleaning ring  27  being mounted to such distal extremity  15  to cooperate in forming a resilient pad, generally designated  14 .  
         [0023]    The skeleton may be constructed of any convenient material but, in the preferred embodiment, is constructed of blow molded plastic with the handle being configured with longitudinally spaced apart, parametrical gripping grooves  31  to facilitate gripping of the handle itself. Such handle is formed on the proximal end with a hanger tab  35  having a bore  37  for hanging from a hook or the like. Such handle is formed at its distal extremity with an outwardly flared flange  39  (FIG. 6).  
         [0024]    The flange  39  is formed with a distally facing annular shoulder  41 . Projecting distally of such flange  39  is the cruciform shaped stem  13 . Such stem is preferably formed integral with the handle  11  and is itself in the form of a four pointed star to form radially projecting ribs  45 . Such radially projecting ribs  45  have a triangle cross section to be configured with pointed distal tips  47 . The ribs  45  taper inwardly in the distal direction to the reduced cross section tip  15 .  
         [0025]    The pad  14 , formed by the respective rings  17 - 25 , is progressively reduced in cross section toward the distal extremity. Such pad may be formed with the rings  17 - 25  integral with one another to define a one-piece construction or, as depicted in the preferred embodiment, such rings may be discrete sections. The rings themselves may be constructed of any desirable resilient material which will readily compress radially inwardly under diametrically inwardly directed forces so as to facilitate accommodation of the various cross sections, curvatures and crevices in openings and depressions in an automobile wheel.  
         [0026]    In the preferred embodiment, the rings  17 - 25  are constructed of an open pore, polyurethane foam. The respective rings  17 - 25  are die cut to form corrugated peripheries so as to define respective radially outwardly projecting rounded fingers  49 - 57  (FIGS.  7 - 11 ).  
         [0027]    In practice, the ring  17  has a major diameter of about 2½ inches with each ring  19 - 25  being reduced about {fraction (1/4)} of an inch in diameter from the preceding ring. Such rings are so configured and shaped as to facilitate receipt into the various openings in an automobile wheel and are then depressible radially inwardly to a degree sufficient to cause the resilient foam itself to assume the contour of the wheel opening for rubbing against the edges of such opening or the lips or flanges forming the various openings.  
         [0028]    It will be noted that in the preferred embodiment, as one progresses from ring to ring along the sequence from ring  17  to  25 , each ring is rotated about 10° relative to the previous ring so that the respective fingers  51  of the ring  19  are registered in longitudinal alignment with the grooves formed between the respective fingers  49  of the ring  17  and so on as one progresses distally along the stem  13 .  
         [0029]    The ring  27  mounted on the distal tip  15  is also constructed of resilient material, such as foam, and is of a generally annular shape being formed at its distal extremity with a distally outwardly opening cylindrical socket  61 . The ring  61  is about one inch in diameter and the socket  61  about {fraction (3/4)} of an inch in diameter so that such ring  27  will form an interference fit with sockets about {fraction (7/8)} of an inch in diameter formed in automotive wheels for depression therein of lug nuts. The socket  61  is constructed to be slip fit over such lug nuts such that fitting the ring  27  into the respective sockets and rotating the tool will tend to clean the sockets and also clean the wall of the respective lug nuts.  
         [0030]    In use, it will be appreciated that the tool of the present invention may be conveniently stored, such as by hanging from a hook on the wall of a garage, or may be stored in the user&#39;s car. When the user washes the car and wants to address the issue of cleaning his or her automobile wheels, the tool may be grasped by the handle  11  and the wheel sprayed with water and, if desirable, the pad  14  sprayed with water throughout. The distal end of the pad  14  may be inserted in the various openings, depressions and crevices in the wheel and for the smaller cross section openings the smallest diameter ring  25  will suffice for registering therewith. By pressing laterally on the handle  17  toward the smaller portions of any such irregularly shaped openings, the radially outwardly extremities of the laterally projecting fingers  57  may be deflected radially inwardly with one or more of the fingers directed toward the smallest contours in such openings serving to rub the respective walls of such opening to remove dirt and grit. It will be appreciated that, by orienting the handle such that the tip  47  of a selected one of the flanges  45  is directed to the narrowest extremity of such wheel opening, that flange will serve to facilitate in pressing the juxtaposed portion of, for instance, the ring  25  which is disposed to the greatest extent toward such narrow portion, against the wall thereof to further facilitate contact with the edges of such opening. It will be appreciated that the tool can be manipulated with one hand and the other hand will be free to manipulate a hose, nozzle or the like to maintain a stream of water on the pad  14  so as to provide for the greatest degree of moisture and lubricity stemming from robust water flow.  
         [0031]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, for slightly larger contours and crevices in wheel openings, the tool may be inserted axially inwardly a slightly greater distance to register the second smallest ring  23  therewith to utilize the respective fingers  55  of that ring to access the narrow crevices and contours thereof. It will be appreciated that at the transition plane between the ring  25  and  23 , the respective fingers  55  of the proximal ring will project radially outwardly a distance greater than that for the fingers  57  of the more distal ring  25 . Thus, at the transition plane, there is a somewhat triangular relationship formed between the cross section outline of two adjacent fingers  57  of the ring  25  and the finger  55  aligned intermediate those fingers  57  such that the three fingers themselves will cooperate in gaining the most efficient and effective access to a narrow crevice in an opening or compound contours in the respective wheel openings.  
         [0032]    It will be appreciated that for various wheel openings having slightly larger crevices and contours to be cleaned, the various ones of the other rings  21 ,  19 , or  17  may be registered with those areas in the openings to facilitate cleaning thereof.  
         [0033]    As the task of cleaning the wheel is completed, it will be appreciated that the tool may be withdrawn from the respective openings in the wheels and the lug cleaning ring  27  may be registered over a selected one of the wheel lugs and, assuming the lug is depressed axially inwardly within a lug nut well formed in the wheel, the exterior wall of such ring will engage the wall of the well so that axial shifting of such ring in the well or rotation of the tool to rotate such ring within the well will serve to apply a light mechanical force to any dirt, grit or grime in the well to effect cleaning thereof. Also, by constructing the lug nut cleaning ring  27  with the socket  61  thereof with a sufficiently small diameter to form a friction fit with the lug nuts to be cleaned, such ring will serve to clean the lug nut during axial shifting relative thereto and during rotation thereon. Finally, by forming the depth of the socket  61  such that the axially inner wall of such socket bottoms out on the axially outer end of the lug nut, such axially outer end will be cleaned by rotation of such ring  27  relative to the lug nut itself.  
         [0034]    In practice, the ribs  45  of the stem  13  are formed with distally sloped locking teeth disposed in spaced relationship therealong for registration with the respective rings  17 - 27  to facilitate assembly thereof. The apertures  44  are conveniently constructed with a cross section smaller than the cross section formed by the respective flanges  45  of the stem  13  to thus form an interference fit. Thus, during assembly, when the respective rings are telescoped over the stem  13  from the distal end thereof and brought into registration in their respective positions along such stem, the distally facing teeth will engage such respective rings to lock them in their respective positions on such stem. In some instances, the distal most ring  27  is also bonded to the stem.  
         [0035]    From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the cleaning tool of the present invention provides a convenient and practical way of cleaning holes and indentations formed in the face of automobile wheels. The device is sturdy, compact, convenient to use and produces a uniform result.  
         [0036]    Various modifications and changes may be made with regard to the foregoing detailed description without departing from the spirit of the invention.