Wheel clamp

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wheel clamp adapted to be mounted on a tire of a wheel to prevent a vehicle from being moved. The device comprises a central housing 2 from which a plurality of arms 3 extend radially, the arms extending at the outer ends by means of anti-slip members 10 laterally surrounding the tread of the tire. The wheel clamp is provided with a first locking mechanism, the first locking mechanism is composed of a locking element 24, and the locking element 24 is provided with teeth which are meshed with teeth on the inner circumference of the shell 2. The wheel clamp has a second locking device (30) that engages with the handle 16 when the device is mounted on the wheel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a wheel lock for securing a vehicle.

[0002] Description and shortcomings of the prior art

[0003] In many jurisdictions, police or other public agencies use wheel clamps to secure illegally parked vehicles. In addition, owners of private cars may want to use the same principle to avoid theft, such as when leaving the car for a long time.

[0004] DE202004004887 discloses a wheel clamp similar to the present invention. Usually, this method is too simple and it seems easy to damage the opening arm or force the lock. Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to overcome these disadvantages of the prior art and to provide the market with a wheel clamp that is simple, adjustable, effective and efficient, modular and therefore compact, lightweight and reasonably manufactured. Summary of the invention

[0005] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a wheel clamp that is easily installed and removed from a wheel without requiring skill, physical strength or separate tools.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheel clamp which is simple, compact and made of few parts.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheel clamp that can be installed from the front of the wheel and that can be adapted to different wheel sizes.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to add a wheel clamping function to the anti-skid device described in No. 20191262 by replacing one or more anti-skid friction pads connected to the end of the arm with an element, the purpose of which is to prevent the device from being removed from the wheel and prevent the wheel from rotating.

[0009] These and other objects are achieved by providing a device having a locking element which keeps the device secured to the wheel during use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 This is a front view of the wheel clamping device.

[0011] Figure 2 Here is an exploded view of the unit with the wheel clamp removed.

[0012] Figure 3 is a front view of the device with the handle open.

[0013] Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section of the hub with the handle open.

[0014] Figure 5 The hub assembly is shown with the handle partially opened,

[0015] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the hub assembly with the handle closed and locked into engagement,

[0016] Figure 7 An underside view of the hub assembly showing the handle closed and locked into engagement,

[0017] Figure 8 shows an underside view of the hub assembly with the handle closed and the lock disengaged,

[0018] Fig. 9 is a detailed view of the clamping element.

[0019] Fig.10 is a detailed view of a second embodiment of a clamping element.

[0020] Fig.11 is a detailed view of a third embodiment of a clamping element.

[0021] Fig.12 is a detailed view of a fourth embodiment of a clamping element.

[0022] Fig.13 is a detailed view of a fifth embodiment of a clamping element.

[0023] Fig.14 A front view of the second embodiment of the hub component is shown with the handle closed and locked into engagement.

[0024] Fig.15 A front view of the second embodiment of the hub component is shown with the handle closed and the lock disengaged. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Reference Figure 1 , shows a wheel clamp 1 according to the present invention. The device 1 consists of a housing 2 and three arms 3. Although three arms are shown in the figure, it should be understood that there may be four or more arms. The housing surrounds the inner ends of the arms 3 and the mechanism for operating the arms. A wheel hub 4 is rotatable in the housing 2. The wheel hub has an axle 32 (see Figure 2 ), which shaft is connected to a pinion which in turn enables the arm to move outwardly and inwardly relative to the housing. These details are more fully described in our prior application No. 20191262 and will not be discussed further here as they do not form part of the present invention.

[0026] At the outer ends of the arms 3 are connected clamping elements 10, 41 which are arranged to span the width of the tyre and extend partly behind the rear surface of the tyre.

[0027] At least one of the clamping elements 10, 41 is provided with a protrusion 45 to prevent the tire from rotating. (See Figure 1 , 9 -13).

[0028] Now refer to Figure 2 , the hub has a recess 15. The handle 16 has a hinge 17 at one end, allowing the handle to be folded into the recess 15. There is also an opening 18 through the hub. At the other end of the handle (the distal end), there is a device that engages with a locking mechanism. This will be described in more detail later.

[0029] When the handle is in its locked position, the handle is folded into the recess. When the handle is not in use, for example during transport, the handle is also folded. The handle may include a release element 8 with a latch that can be operated to swing the handle outwards. This is an additional safety feature to avoid accidental folding of the handle 16.

[0030] When not in use, a crank 25 located in the handle can be swung outwards for rotating the wheel hub 3 and for operating the inward or outward movement of the arm 3 via the shaft 32. The crank 25 is hinged to the handle 16 on a pivot base 25A that engages with a locking mechanism, as further described below. Obviously, the device should be assembled to the wheel when the arm 3 is extended. Then, before locking the device in this position, the crank 25 is used to retract the arm 3 so that the elements 10, 41 tightly clamp the tire to prevent the vehicle from being driven or the device from being removed. The housing 2 has a circular recess 21 that accommodates the wheel hub 4. The inner diameter of the housing 2 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the wheel hub 4, so that the wheel hub 4 can rotate on the shaft 32 in the housing 2. The inner circumference of the housing 2 is provided with a plurality of protrusions or teeth 22.

[0031] The locking element 24 is held below and protrudes through the recess 18 in the hub 4. The locking element 24 is provided with a plurality of protrusions or teeth 26 along the periphery, which can engage with corresponding teeth 22 in the housing 2. On the side facing the user, a rib 28 protrudes outward and divides the facing side into an upper area and a lower area. When the locking element 24 is located between the hub 4 and the housing 2, the rib 28 passes through the window 18 and is therefore accessible to the user. Thus, the rib 28 acts as a sliding lever, which allows the user to manually move the locking element 24 to contact or disengage with the ring teeth 22.

[0032] Additionally, the geometry of the interacting components is such that the handle 16 and crank 25 may not close properly when the locking element 24 is in the open position because the pivoting base 25A of the crank will collide with the rib 28 of the locking element 24 when in the open position. More clearly, the locking element 24 must be locked in order to be able to close the device so that it is ready for use - an additional safety feature.

[0033] When the handle 16 is opened outwardly, the locking element 24 is free to move.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the two areas of the locking element 24 visible on either side or rib 28 are color coded so that the operator can determine the state of the locking element. For example, green is used for the side closest to the center of the hub and red is used for the side away from the center. When the locking element 24 is in the locked or unlocked position, only one of these colors is visible, clearly indicating the state of the device.

[0035] Figure 3 1 shows a front view of the device in the operating position. The handle 16 is folded out of the recess 15. The end 25A of the crank 25 is hinged to the handle and when it is swung outwards, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, it is used to rotate the hub, which in turn operates the extension and retraction of the arm 3. Figure 3 The locking element 24 is shown engaged with the teeth 22 in the housing, with the rib 28 protruding through the window 18, ie in the locked position. Prior to operating the handle, the locking element 24 is disengaged, thereby enabling the hub to rotate.

[0036] Figure 4 Detailed illustration of the method of holding the locking element 24 in a fixed position. The rib 28 protruding through the window 18 engages with the end 25A of the crank 25. The crank 25 is pushed so that its end 25A is below the rib 28. Then when the handle 16 is closed, the locking element remains in contact with the teeth 22, i.e. its locked position. The button 8 secures the handle 16 to the hub 4 so that the handle 16 cannot be accidentally opened while driving.

[0037] In addition to the teeth on the lock, two additional teeth 19 are integral with the lower pivoting end of the handle 16 near the hinge 17. When the handle 16 is moved to the closed position, the teeth will form an additional mechanical lock with the teeth 22 in the housing.

[0038] Figure 5 A perspective view of a wheel hub 4 is shown, which has an additional locking mechanism for securing the device so that the wheel clamp cannot be removed from the wheel without using a key. In this view, the housing 2 and other details have been removed for greater clarity. The handle 16 is shown partially open and has a slot 33 on one side of it. The slot 33 may partially or completely penetrate the handle 16. In the wheel hub 4, there is a lock 30 operated by a key (not shown). The lock and key may be of any suitable type. For example, the police will prefer to use a particularly secure key, while for a private person a simpler key may be sufficient to prevent theft.

[0039] Figure 6A cross-sectional view of the hub 4 is shown. As shown in the figure, a lock 30 is arranged in the hub 4 and includes a mechanism that causes a tongue 34 to rotate through an opening 31 in the side of the recess 15 into a slot 33 in the handle 16 when the key is turned in the lock 30.

[0040] Figure 7 and 8 A view of the rear side of the hub 4 is shown. Figure 7 The mechanism is shown in the locked position, Figure 8 Shown is the mechanism in an open or unlocked position.Here, the rotation of the tongue 34 can be seen more clearly.

[0041] The operation of the device is as follows: the device is stored in a safe place, such as the trunk of a car. When needed, the device will be placed next to the wheel and the handle 16 and crank 25 will be swung open. The crank 25 is then used to first turn the hub 4 counterclockwise to extend the arms 3 outward so that the device 1 can be mounted on the wheel, wherein the clamping and fixing elements 10, 41 surround the wheel. When in the appropriate position around the tire, the crank 25 will be turned in a clockwise direction to retract the arms 3 until the clamping elements 41 fit tightly around the rim of the wheel. When the operator is satisfied that the clamping elements 41 have been fully engaged around the tire, he or she will move the locking element 24 to engage with the teeth 22. The locked state can be verified by observing the green face of the locking element. The user then moves the crank 25 back into the handle 16 and the handle 16 is folded back into the recess 15. This fixes the length of the arm and holds the wheel clamp 1 in place. The operator will then use the specified key to turn the lock 30 so that the tongue 34 engages with the slot 33. The key is then removed and the wheel clamp is securely fastened to the vehicle.

[0042] exist Fig. 9A first embodiment of a clamping element 41 is shown in . The element 41 is arranged so that it spans the width of the tyre with a portion extending downwardly to clamp around the inner sidewall of the tyre. The fixing element 41 is generally U-shaped to clamp securely around the tyre. The U-shaped bracket 41A has a front side 42 connected to the arm 3, a side arranged to span the tyre 43 and a rear side 44 mounted around the rear of the tyre. The means for connecting the clamping element 41 to the arm 3 allow the clamping element 41 to be disassembled for compact storage, however, it should be noted that it is not possible to disassemble the clamping element 41 when it is tightened around the tyre. The rear side 44 should be of sufficient length so that it is not possible to rotate the device 1 away from the tyre when it is tightened around the tyre. However, the length should not be significantly longer than necessary as this makes it difficult to install the device and requires that the arm 3 can be extended further to surround the tyre. It has been found from experiments that a length between 30mm and 100mm works well, even more preferably between 40mm and 60mm. The device can be equipped with one or more clamping elements 41 as described above, also as Fig.11 As shown. In addition, the device 1 should be equipped with at least one clamping element 41, in which a protrusion 45 is provided from the side 43, which is used to prevent the wheel from rotating. The height of the protrusion 45 should be such that it interferes with the rotation of the wheel by hitting the chassis / body of the vehicle, so that the wheel cannot rotate further. The distance between the tire and the body varies greatly between vehicles, but it has been found that a height of 40-300 mm protruding from the bracket provides a sufficient obstacle to the rotation of the tire. More preferably, the length of the protrusion should be between 100-150 mm. In the embodiment shown here, the protrusion is triangular in shape and is integrated with the side 43 for ease of production.

[0043] Fig.10 An alternative embodiment of the clamping element 41 is shown in which the protrusions 45 are arranged in the form of a box section, which has the additional advantage of providing additional rigidity to the structure of the element 41 .

[0044] Fig.11 A detailed view of a preferred embodiment of a clamping element 41 is shown. The clamping element 41 is not intended to prevent the wheel from turning, but its purpose is to hold the device 1 securely to the wheel so that the device 1 cannot be removed from the wheel without using a matching key for the lock 30. Here, the connection detail 42 that connects the clamping element 41 to the end of the arm 3 can be seen, as well as the return detail 44. The clamping element 41 will preferably be made of a metallic material to be hard enough and strong enough to resist a thief trying to remove the device 1 from the wheel. The material used can also be a thermoplastic material with sufficient strength and stiffness, such as acetal or glass reinforced nylon material. The element 41 can also be made of a composite material with sufficient stiffness, such as carbon fiber.

[0045] Fig.12 Shows Fig.11 A second embodiment of the clamping element 41 is shown, however in this case it is reinforced along the edge by a flange 46 to allow the production of thinner metal sheets / plastics / composite materials without a corresponding reduction in the rigidity of the element 41. In addition, the length of the flange 46 can be increased so that it itself provides sufficient thickness or protrudes from the tire to prevent rotation of the tire. In this case, a thickness of 40 mm or more may prove sufficient, depending on the diameter of the target tire.

[0046] Fig.13 Another embodiment of a clamping element 41 is shown. In this embodiment, element 41 comprises several elements 43A and 44A which slidably engage each other and allow the user to adjust the width of the element around the tire so as to fit the width of the tire as snugly as possible. The user adjusts the width using screws 47 or other fixing system before assembling the device on the tire, whereby these screws are adjusted from the underside of 43A and are therefore inaccessible when element 41 is mounted on the tire. Obviously, since clamping element 41 is adapted to fit as tightly as possible around the tire in both axial and radial directions, the chances of a thief being able to bend or rotate the device away from the tire become more remote. Also shown are protrusions 45 protruding from the outer surface of 43, in this case in the form of tubes.

[0047] Fig.14 A front view of the hub 4 and handle 16 of an alternative embodiment of the device 1 is shown. In this embodiment, the lock 30 is located on the handle 16 and is positioned so that the tongue 34 can be rotated into and out of engagement with the slot 31, which is positioned to receive the tongue 34 when in an engaged or locked position. Although the lock 30 described in the above embodiment has a rotating action, it will be appreciated that the same function can be achieved using a lock that allows the tongue 34 to slide linearly between two set positions, engaging or disengaging to prevent the handle 16 from being opened from the hub 4.

[0048] The clamping elements 10 and 41 may also be formed in other ways to perform the same tasks without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the protrusion 45 may extend in a direction different from that shown in the figures, as long as the protrusion 45 hinders the movement of the wheel.

[0049] The auxiliary locking device can also be arranged so that the movement of the tongue 34 is mechanically connected to the second tongue, which engages with the second slot in the handle 16 from the opposite side, so that the two tongues are rotatably engaged by a single lock and key, and the handle 16 will be held more securely.

[0050] The key used to engage or disengage the lock 30 may be a standard key, a key including a special form that matches the form on the lock, a magnetic key, or other type of key without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for preventing a wheel from rotating, comprising a housing (2), at least three arms (3) held in the housing and projecting radially from the housing, operating means (4, 16, 25) allowing the arms 3 to be extended or retracted, and a hub 4 capable of rotating in the housing 2, the arms (3) being provided with detachably connected clamping elements (10, 41) arranged on the tread of the tire, the operating means being provided with locking means (22, 24, 26) capable of preventing the arms 3 from extending when engaged, the hub being operated by using a handle (25) and a crank (8), wherein the handle 16 can be folded into a recess 15 in the hub 4, characterised in that The device is equipped with further locking means ( 30 , 31 , 33 , 34 ) arranged to prevent the handle 16 from being removed from the recess 15 .

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The wheel hub 2 is equipped with 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that Rotation of the key moves a tongue (34) which engages a slot in the handle (33).

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The clamping elements 10 , 41 are provided with an extension 44 arranged to extend behind the inner wall of the tyre, the extension 44 being within a range of 30 mm to 100 mm from the surface 43 .

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that At least one of the clamping elements 41 is provided with a protrusion (45, 46) to prevent the vehicle from being moved.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that The length of the protrusions 45, 46 is in the range of 40 mm to 300 mm.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The clamping element 41 is divided into two elements 43A and 44A which are slidably engaged to allow adjustment of the width of the clamping element 41 .

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