Wheel Attachment Structure Using Segmented Lug Nut Spacers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wheel features are not customizable without requiring the removal and replacement of wheels or tires, limiting vehicle owners' ability to modify the appearance of their wheels without altering the wheel or vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A wheel attachment structure that uses combination lug nuts and bolts with extension elements, mounting plates, and end caps to securely attach visible features to the wheel, allowing for customization without removing the wheels, by utilizing wheel studs extending from the hub and passing through holes in the wheel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wheels are removed and replaced to change appearance, then wheel customization is achieved, but installation complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel assembly is segmented into the wheel itself and separate attachable features (lug nuts, spacers, mounting plates, end caps). This allows the wheel to remain while only the features are changed, achieving customization without removing the wheel.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple components are nested together to form the complete attachment system: lug nuts contain spacers, which hold mounting plates, which in turn secure end caps or visible features. This nested structure enables easy attachment and detachment of features.
2Adaptability or versatility
If wheels are removed and replaced to change appearance, then wheel customization is achieved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the wheel from its aesthetic features, the patent enables quick changes by only detaching and reattaching feature components rather than removing entire wheels, significantly reducing time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system is designed to be dynamic and reversible, allowing features to be quickly attached and detached using simple fastening mechanisms like threaded lug nuts and mounting plates, enabling rapid customization changes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If wheel structure is modified to add features, then customization options increase, but structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates structural components (wheel, lug nuts) from aesthetic features (mounting plates, end caps). This segmentation allows features to be added without modifying the wheel's structural integrity, as features are attached to existing structural elements rather than requiring structural modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
Mounting plates and spacers act as intermediaries between the wheel's structural lug nuts and the visible features. These intermediaries protect the wheel structure from direct modification while still enabling feature attachment, preserving structural integrity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple attachment components are used, then feature attachment capability increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into single components where possible. For example, lug nuts serve both as fasteners for the wheel and as mounting points for spacers and features. Mounting plates combine spacing, mounting, and structural support functions, reducing the number of separate components needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment components are designed with universal applicability. Lug nuts with extending bolts can accommodate various feature types, mounting plates can be used with different lug nut configurations, and end caps can fit multiple mounting plate designs, reducing overall system complexity through standardized interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel attachment structure includes: multiple lug nut and bolts that each include a nut portion that couples to a wheel stud of a vehicle; multiple lug nut spacers, each lug nut spacer having a nut portion that couples to a bolt portion of the lug nut and bolt; a mounting plate with a set of through holes that allow a bolt portion of the lug nut spacer to extend through the mounting plate; and multiple end caps, each end cap having a nut portion that couples to a bolt portion of the lug nut spacer and secures the mounting plate to the lug nut spacers. A combination lug nut and extension bolt includes: a first threaded cavity able to be secured to a wheel stud; and a first protruding threaded bolt.