Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Internally threaded fastener element – e.g. – nut – etc. – Having cap
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-24
2001-10-23
Wilson, Neill (Department: 3627)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Internally threaded fastener element, e.g., nut, etc.
Having cap
C411S372500, C411S377000, C411S910000, C411S919000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305890
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates to a covering device for a nut and a covering device for a bolt head for the purpose of preventing others from unfastening the nut or bolt. More specifically, the present invention relates to technology useful in preventing theft of wheels from cars.
In general, 4-6 bolts are provided on a wheel support member to which a vehicle wheel is attached. The wheel is affixed to the wheel support member via this plurality of bolts. There are constructions where these bolts and nuts project out from the wall surface of the wheel hub. There are also constructions where these bolts and nuts are positioned in the interior of a bolt nut storage cavity on the wheel hub.
In the prior art, hexagon box nuts with tapped holes formed in them and normal hexagon nuts with through tapped holes are used as nuts for axing wheels. Because these nuts can be fastened and loosened using a normal wrench, they are ineffective in preventing the theft of wheels.
Referring to
FIGS. 38-40
, in the prior art, a nut device for affixing wheels, comprising a special nut
210
with an approximately cylindrical outer perimeter surface and a special wrench tool
215
that can rotate special nut
210
, has been put into practical use. On the outer perimeter portion of nut
210
, a plurality of vertical grooves
211
is formed irregularly in the circumferential direction. A tube part
216
, which can receive nut
210
, and a hexagonal part
217
, which is for rotating with a normal wrench, are formed on wrench tool
215
. A plurality of projection parts
218
, which correspond to the plurality of vertical grooves
211
, is formed on the inner surface of tube part
216
.
With this nut device, special nut
210
can be fastened or loosened with a standard wrench via special wrench tool
215
. The circumferential arrangement pattern of the plurality of vertical grooves
211
is not constant. By having a different pattern for each nut device, there can be a plurality of combinations, and a plurality of types of special nut
210
can be used Naturally, for each special nut
210
, a special tool
215
is used Four of one type of special nut
210
and one wrench tool
215
that fits these are sold as a set.
However, if the number of types of special nuts
210
and wrench tools
215
is increased, the manufacturing costs become high. As a result, there can not be too many types. In this situation, those who have acquired all the types of wrench tools
215
can unfasten all types of special nut
210
relatively easily, and, as a result, they can steal the wheels.
In Japanese Utility Model Registration Number 2573547, Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication Number 8-30481, Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication Number 7-16095, Japanese Utility Model Registration Number 2559099, and the like, various locking devices for preventing wheel theft have been proposed. However, all of these locking devices have problems of having too many pieces, having complex constructions and high manufacturing costs, and the like.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a nut covering device that covers a nut member having various uses, and makes rotation of the nut member impossible.
It is a second object of the present invention is to provide a nut covering device that covers a nut, which is used for affixing a wheel, and makes rotation of the nut impossible.
It is a third object of the present invention is to provide a bolt head covering device that covers a bolt head of a bolt, which has various uses, and makes rotation of the bolt impossible.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides a nut covering device having the following: a cover assembly, including an inner cover, outer cover, and a first constraining mechanism; a second constraining mechanism; and a third constraining mechanism. The first constraining mechanism constrains so that there is no relative motion of the outer cover with respect to the inner cover in an axis direction. The second constraining mechanism constrains so that there is no relative motion of the inner cover with respect to the nut member in the axis direction. The third constraining mechanism constrains so that there is no relative motion of the outer cover with respect to the nut member in the axis direction at least in the removal direction When a circumferential phase of the inner cover and the outer cover is matched with a pre-determined specified phase, second and third constraining mechanisms are released, and the cover assembly can be removed from the nut member.
In the present invention, the covering device covers a nut member screwed onto a bolt and makes rotation of the nut member impossible.
This nut covering device comprises: a cover assembly, which includes a first constraining mechanism and is detachable from the nut member; a second constraining mechanism; and a third constraining mechanism.
The cover assembly comprises: an inner cover, which fits around at least a portion of the nut member in a rotatable manner; an outer cover, which fits around the inner cover in a manner allowing for rotation relative to the inner cover, and the outer cover being also able to cover the outer perimeter of the nut member; a first constraining mechanism which constrains so that there is no movement of the outer cover relative to the inner cover in the axis direction.
The second constraining mechanism constrains so that the inner cover does not move in the axis direction relative to the nut member. The third constraining mechanism cots so that the outer cover does not move at least in the removal direction of the axis direction relative to the nut member.
The construction is such that the constraint by the second and third constraining mechanism is released only when the circumferential phase of the inner cover and outer cover with respect to the nut member matches up with a predetermined specified phase. Only then can the cover assembly be detached from the nut member
According to this nut covering device, when the cover assembly is attached to the nut member, if at least one of the second or third constraining mechanism is functioning, the first constraining mechanism, which is an interlocking mechanism, would always function. As a result, the cover assembly cannot be removed from the nut member. It would be impossible for someone who does not know the specified phase to match the inner cover and outer cover, through trial and error, to know the specified phase and to remove the cover assembly from the nut member. In other words, with this nut covering device, the nut member can be covered and rotation can be made impossible. As a result, theft of wheels and the like that are fastened by these nut members can be prevented.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3978699 (1976-09-01), Triniak
patent: 4867624 (1989-09-01), Walley
patent: 5228250 (1993-07-01), Kesselman
patent: 5730567 (1998-03-01), Haseley et al.
patent: 5803690 (1998-09-01), Savinsky
patent: 1372745 (1994-11-01), None
patent: 00/58636 (2000-10-01), None
Morrison Law Firm
Okamura Yugen Gaisha
Wilson Neill
LandOfFree
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