Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – With wheel cover
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-05
2002-07-30
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
With wheel cover
C220S287000, C215S225000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06425639
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates generally to protective devices, and more particularly, to an improved tire isolation device for use when cleaning and spraying vehicle tires.
2. Description of Related Art
As is well known, to dress up and/or clean motor vehicle tires, many individuals spray the tires with a cleaner and/or a protective shiny coating. However, such tire cleaners and protective coatings run onto or are over-sprayed onto the motor vehicle's wheels or wheel covers (hereinafter collectively referred to as “wheels”). Such runoff or over-spray leaves an unsightly deposit or residue on the wheels or can, in some instances, cause dulling or pitting of the finish of wheels.
To overcome this problem, numerous devices have been developed to cover or protect a vehicle's wheels for painting, washing or during chemical tire cleaning and/or treatment. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,874,206, 4,955,670, 5,423,599, 5,435,630 and 5,524,972.
However, none of these known devices appear to have met with commercial success. This is probably due to the fact that most of the known devices attach to the inside or outside diameter of wheel rims, and do not always completely cover or mask wheels. For example, if balancing weights are on the wheels, the known devices cannot be used, because of lack of clearance or no place to attach. Other known devices are unduly complex and not easy to use, or require further tools to trim to size. Furthermore, present day wheels do not always have a rim, and many of the known devices are too bulky and expensive, or do not easily accommodate such rims, nor are they easily changed to fit all available wheel sizes.
Therefore, there still exists a need in the art for a device to isolate or protect vehicle wheels during cleaning or treatment of tires mounted on the wheels in an inexpensive, effective, easy-to-use device that is easily and quickly sized, without requiring tools, so as to fit all wheel sizes, and maximize protection of the wheels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified tire isolation device. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified tire isolation device that accommodates the many available variations in wheel designs and sized to protect the same. It is a further particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified tire isolation device having a plurality of perpendicular, cylindrical sealing elements secured together by holding strips having pull handles incorporated therewith to easily remove unwanted portions of the device so as to fit over and protect a selected wheel size.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a tire isolation device for placement over a tire's central opening or a wheel to completely cover the opening or protect the wheel during cleaning or treatment of the tire. The device includes a generally cylindrical body having a handle on an outside surface and a plurality of concentric tire sealing elements on an inner surface. The plurality of concentric tire sealing elements are secured together by concentric holding strips having pull handles connected thereto. When it is desired to change the size of the device to cover and protect a selected central opening or size wheel, a selected concentric holding strip is removed by pulling a selected pull-handle to thereby remove the selected concentric holding strip and all of the concentric tire sealing elements located radially outwardly from the removed selected concentric holding strip.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3974929 (1976-08-01), Montgomery
patent: 4874206 (1989-10-01), Sampson
patent: 4955670 (1990-09-01), Koller
patent: 5392949 (1995-02-01), McKenna
patent: 5423441 (1995-06-01), Conti
patent: 5423599 (1995-06-01), Sherod et al.
patent: 5435630 (1995-07-01), Tucker
patent: 5524972 (1996-06-01), Cailor et al.
Bellinger Jason R.
Morano S. Joseph
O'Neill James G.
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