Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – With wheel cover
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-06
2002-10-15
Stormer, Russell D. (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
With wheel cover
C301S037101, C359S524000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06464303
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a decorative safety attachment for tire rims and more particularly pertains to attaching to a vehicle's tire rim to enhance visibility of the vehicle as well as enhance the appearance of the tire rim and vehicle.
The standard rims that support tires for automobiles are generally unpleasing to the eye. Some automobile owners will replace these rims with expensive decorative rims to increase the aesthetics of their automobile. Unfortunately, many automobile owners cannot afford these decorative rims and are forced to make do with the standard rims. Thus, the present invention will attempt to solve the abovementioned problem by providing an inexpensive alternative to expensive decorative rims that can be easily attached to the standard rims to provide enhance aesthetics.
Additionally, increasing the safety of automobiles is always a priority. Many accidents between vehicles occur because one driver was unable to see another vehicle. The present invention attempts to solve this problem by providing increased visibility to the tires so that other vehicle drivers will easily be able to notice them thereby avoiding a potential accident.
The use of wheel covers is known in the prior art. More specifically, wheel covers heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of enhancing the appearance of wheels are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,906 to Chase discloses a chromium-plated composite wheel designed to provide a pleasing aesthetic effect to the wheel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,605 to Stalter, Sr. discloses a vehicle wheel with ornamental plastic overlay designed with a decorative contour exposed for viewing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,376 to Defreitas discloses a decorative wheel cover utilizing a mounted photograph or artwork.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a decorative safety attachment for tire rims for attaching to a vehicle's tire rim to enhance visibility of the vehicle as well as enhance the appearance of the tire rim and vehicle.
In this respect, the decorative safety attachment for tire rims according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of attaching to a vehicle's tire rim to enhance visibility of the vehicle as well as enhance the appearance of the tire rim and vehicle.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved decorative safety attachment for tire rims which can be used for attaching to a vehicle's tire rim to enhance visibility of the vehicle as well as enhance the appearance of the tire rim and vehicle. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of wheel covers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved decorative safety attachment for tire rims. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved decorative safety attachment for tire rims which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a circular plate dimensioned for positioning over the tire rim. The circular plate has a diameter consistent with a diameter of the tire rim. The circular plate has an inner surface, an outer surface, and a peripheral edge. The circular plate has four central apertures therethrough. The central apertures are alignable with lug holes of the tire rim. The outer surface is coated with a reflective surface. The outer surface has a plurality of concentric annular grooves formed therein. The inner surface has a plurality of ribs extending inwardly therefrom in a spaced relationship adjacent to the peripheral edge. Each of the ribs has an inwardly turned free end. The plurality of ribs is engagable with an outer peripheral edge of the tire rim.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved decorative safety attachment for tire rims which has all the advantages of the prior art wheel covers and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved decorative safety attachment for tire rims which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved decorative safety attachment for tire rims which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved decorative safety attachment for tire rims which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a decorative safety attachment for tire rims economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved decorative safety attachment for tire rims for attaching to a vehicle's tire rim to enhance visibility of the vehicle as well as enhance the appearance of the tire rim and vehicle.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved decorative safety attachment for tire rims including a circular plate dimensioned for positioning over the tire rim. The circular plate has a diameter consistent with a diameter of the tire rim. The circular plate has an inner surface, an outer surface, and a peripheral edge. The outer surface is coated with a reflective surface. The outer surface has a plurality of concentric annular grooves formed therein.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
pa
Goldstein & Lavas P.C.
Stormer Russell D.
LandOfFree
Decorative safety attachment for tire rims does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Decorative safety attachment for tire rims, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Decorative safety attachment for tire rims will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2979567