GB2631956A

GB2631956A - Lockable cover for a wheel fixing on a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2631956A
Application number: GB2311014.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Mcgregor
Original assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Current assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date: 2023-07-19
Filing date: 2023-07-19
Publication date: 2025-01-22
Also published as: GB202311014D0; WO2025017005A1

Abstract

A lockable cover 20 is provided for a wheel assembly, particularly a spare wheel assembly having a wheel 16, a non-rotatably mounted wheel support 18 mounted on a vehicle, and a mounting feature 48 enabling wheel 16 to be mounted on wheel support 18. Lockable cover 20 comprises a cover member including a cover portion configured to engage with a front-facing surface of the wheel assembly and to cover at least mounting feature 48 to prevent access thereto, a shaft 62 receivable through an opening of the wheel assembly, typically a central axis, and at least one movable locking member 90 which, when locked, engages with a rear-facing locking surface of the wheel assembly to prevent removal of shaft 68 from the opening. A wheel assembly and a vehicle are also provided.

Description

LOCKABLE COVER FOR A WHEEL FIXING ON A VEHICLE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a lockable cover for a wheel fixing of a wheel assembly of a vehicle. Aspects of the invention relate to a lockable cover for the wheel fixing, to a wheel assembly including the wheel fixing, and to a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Wheel covers are well-known accessories that are designed to protect wheels and enhance the aesthetic appeal of the vehicle. Some covers have a simple clip-on, clip-off design, whereby the covers can be removed readily with little effort. However, the most useful type of wheel cover prevents unwanted removal of the wheel cover from the wheel, other than by an authorised user of the vehicle.

It has previously been proposed to provide a locking arrangement for the wheel cover so that it isn't possible to remove the cover without a corresponding key for the locking arrangement. When the wheel is mounted on the axle to rotate, the locking arrangement must accommodate the rotational movement of the wheel, which poses a design challenge. For some vehicles, it is also a requirement for a wheel (such as the spare wheel) to be carried on the exterior of the vehicle, particularly on a rear door or tailgate, where unwanted removal of the wheel also needs to be prevented. These wheels are typically mounted on the vehicle via non-rotating mounting features, such as a wheel bracket fixed to a rear vehicle door. There remains a theft hazard for these rear-mounted wheels such that a means is required to prevent their unwanted removal. However, the mounting assembly for a static-mounted spare wheel differs notably from the axle-mounting for a rotatably-mounted wheel, so that a different mounting solution is required to address the problem.

It is an aim of the present invention to address the problem described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a lockable cover for a vehicle wheel fixing or mounting feature, a wheel assembly including the wheel fixing or mounting feature and a vehicle as claimed in the appended claims.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a lockable cover for a mounting feature or fixing for a wheel assembly of a vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising a wheel, a non-rotatably mounted wheel support mounted on the vehicle, and the mounting feature for enabling the wheel to be mounted on the wheel support. The lockable cover comprises a cover member including a cover portion configured to engage with a front-facing surface of the wheel assembly and to cover at least the mounting feature of the wheel assembly to prevent access thereto, and a shaft which is receivable through an opening of the wheel assembly. The lockable cover comprises at least one movable locking member which, when in a locked state, is engageable with a rear-facing locking surface of the wheel assembly so as to prevent removal of the shaft from the opening.

The may extends along a central axis of the wheel when the lockable cover is mounted on the wheel assembly. This provides a convenient symmetry for the assembly, although it is not then convenient for use for mounting to a wheel mounted on a vehicle axle for rotation.

The lockable cover may comprise a bias arrangement for the at least one movable locking member which serves to urge the at least one movable locking member into the locked state.

The lock actuator may be actuable to enable movement at least one movable locking member out of the locked state so that the shaft is removable through the opening, in an unlocked state, to enable removal of the lockable wheel cover from the wheel assembly. Mounting of the lockable cover over the mounting feature of the wheel, and corresponding removal of the lockable cover when unlocked, is a convenient operation for the user.

In one embodiment, the opening may be defined by a first opening defined by the wheel. In another embodiment, the opening may be defined by a second opening defined by the wheel support, wherein the second opening is aligned with the first opening.

The lockable cover may therefore be configured so that it either cooperates with the first opening in the wheel or to cooperate with the second opening in the wheel support.

In one embodiment, the at least one movable locking member may be engageable with a rear-facing locking surface defined by the wheel, or by the wheel support, to prevent removal of the at least one movable member from the opening when in the locked state.

An adaptor may be provided for mounting in the opening of the wheel support. In other embodiments therefore, the at least one movable locking member may be engageable with a rear-facing locking surface defined by the adaptor. For example, the adaptor may take the form of a socket which is receivable within the wheel support to define the opening. The adaptor may, for example, have an internal diameter which corresponds to a diameter of the shaft.

The benefit of using the adaptor is that it means the lockable cover can be used with a variety of different wheel mounts, even if the diameter of the shaft is not an exact match to the diameter of the opening. The use of the adaptor also accommodates manufacturing tolerances between the shaft and the opening.

The at least one movable member may have a guide surface which is cooperable with the opening upon insertion of the shaft into the opening to facilitate said insertion. The guide surface facilitates insertion of the at least one movable locking member into the opening so that it is an easy manoeuvre for the user to mount the cover on the wheel assembly.

The shaft may have a longitudinal shaft axis and wherein the at least one movable locking member includes a guide surface which is angled relative to the longitudinal shaft axis to aid insertion into the opening. For example, the at least one movable locking member may be a movable prong carried by the shaft, where the prong defines the guide surface.

For example, the lock actuator may be actuable to move the movable prong to overcome a biasing force of the bias arrangement when it is desired to unlock the lockable wheel cover and to disengage the rear-facing locking surface from the wheel assembly.

In another embodiment, the guide surface may be at least a part-spherical surface and, optionally, a ball carried by the shaft, the ball defining a spherical guide surface. The use of the balls (ball bearings) makes it particularly convenient to insert the shaft into the opening as the balls are guided over the surface of the opening.

For example, the lock actuator is actuable to adjust a biasing force of the bias arrangement when it is desired to unlock the lockable wheel cover so that the ball is able to disengage the rear-facing locking surface.

The bias arrangement may comprise a spring arrangement. Other forms of biasing arrangement are envisaged.

The bias arrangement may be configured to apply a biasing force to the at least one movable member to urge the at least one movable member into the locked state, the spherical guide surface being cooperable with the opening to allow the at least one movable locking member to move against the biasing force to enable removal of the shaft from the opening, and wherein the lock actuator is actuable to lock the biasing force to prevent said moving of the at least one movable locking member and removal of the shaft through the opening.

In embodiments of the invention, the lock actuator may be a mechanical key which is receivable within the shaft and actuable to enable movement of the at least one movable locking member out of the locked state.

Optionally, the lock actuator may further comprise an optional electronically-controlled unit configured to provide a control signal to enable movement of the at least one movable locking member out of the locked state.

The cover portion may conveniently take the form of a disc. This provides a particularly aesthetic appeal to the cover and corresponds to the shape of the wheel hub. Other shapes for the cover are envisaged, however.

For example, the cover portion may be shaped to cover only one of a plurality of mounting features on the wheel support. It is sufficient to prevent removal of the wheel from the wheel mounting if only one of the mounting features is covered, although covering additional ones of the mounting features provides additional security.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle wheel assembly including a nonrotatably mounted wheel support and a lockable cover as set out in the previous aspect.

It will be appreciated that the wheel itself is not a part of the invention and forms a part of the wheel assembly with which the lockable cover is used.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising a wheel, a non-rotatably mounted wheel support, a mounting feature for enabling the wheel to be mounted to the non-rotatably mounted wheel support and a lockable cover as set out in a previous aspect of the invention.

The non-rotatably mounted wheel support may, for example, be mounted at the rear of the vehicle.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a lockable cover, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, when mounted on a wheel assembly of the vehicle in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the lockable wheel cover in Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a cross-section of the lockable cover in Figures 2 and 3, with locking prongs of the wheel cover in a locked state; Figure 5 shows a cross-section of an alternative embodiment of the lockable cover to that shown in Figure 4, with locking prongs of the cover in a locked state; Figure 6 shows a cross-section of a further embodiment of the lockable cover, with the locking prongs of the wheel cover in the locked state; Figure 7 shows a cross-section of a still further embodiment of the lockable cover, with locking ball bearings of the wheel cover in an unlocked state; Figures 8(a) and (b) show cross section views, taken in perpendicular sections, of the embodiment of the lockable cover in Figure 7 when in the unlocked state; Figures 9(a) and (b) show cross section views, taken in perpendicular sections, of the embodiment of the lockable cover in Figure 7 when in the locked state; and Figure 10 shows a cross section view of a still further embodiment of the lockable cover, with locking ball bearings of the cover in an unlocked state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in Figure 1, a vehicle 10 has a rear end and, typically, at least one rear vehicle door 12 to which a wheel assembly 14 is mounted for supporting a spare wheel 16 of the vehicle 10. The wheel assembly 14 comprises the spare wheel 16 and a wheel support 18 to which the spare wheel 16 is mounted via at least one mounting feature or fixing (not shown). The spare wheel 16 is mounted fixedly to the wheel support 18 so that it cannot rotate or move appreciably when mounted on the wheel support 18. The wheel support is nonrotatably mounted to the vehicle. A challenge of the arrangement is how to mount the spare wheel 16 so as to avoid the risk of removal of the wheel 16 by anyone other than an authorised user of the vehicle. For this purpose the wheel assembly 14 is provided with the lockable wheel cover (not shown in Figure 1) which mounts over the wheel 16 and is lockable to prevent access to the mounting feature which must be accessed for removal of the wheel 16.

A lockable cover in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 shows the lockable cover 20 when mounted on an outward-facing surface 22 of a wheel 16 when mounted on a wheel support 18. The outward-facing surface 22 of the wheel 16 is so-called because it faces outwards from the vehicle 10, when the wheel assembly is mounted on the rear of the vehicle 10 as in Figure 1. In the following description this outward-facing surface 22 will be denoted as the "front-facing" surface of the wheel 16. It will be appreciated that when mounted on the vehicle as a spare wheel 14, the front-facing surface 22 of the wheel 16 faces in a rearward direction relative to the normal forward-facing direction of travel of the vehicle 10.

The wheel 16 includes a wheel drum 24 which carries a tyre of the wheel (not shown) and which, when in situ on the vehicle in use, is mounted on its central axis A-A to a wheel axle (not shown). The wheel 16 further includes a central wheel hub 26 (not visible in Figure 2) which is surrounded by an annular wheel portion 28 which flares outwardly from the hub 26 towards a front-surface wheel rim 30. A plurality of spokes 32 of the wheel (two are identified in Figure 2) connect the flared wheel portion 28 to the wheel rim 30. The wheel 16 includes a central opening (referred to as the first opening 34) having an axis which aligns with the central wheel axis A-A.

The wheel support takes the form of a mounting bracket 18 including three bracket portions 36, 38, 40 which extend radially outward from a front end portion 41, in a rearward direction, to define three contact surfaces which abut against the vehicle. The three bracket portions 36, 38, 40 come together at the front end portion 41 of the mounting bracket 18 which includes a central opening (referred to as the second opening 42) having an axis which is alignable with the central axis A-A of the wheel 16 and, hence, of the first opening 34. The front end portion 41 of the mounting bracket 18 defines a front-facing surface 44 which abuts against a first, rear-facing surface 46 of the wheel (only visible in Figure 4). The mounting bracket 18 is provided with a plurality of mounting features in the form of projections 48 which project from the front end portion 41 of the mounting bracket 18 to provide supports for the wheel 16 to be mounted upon. The projections 48 are fixedly attached to the mounting bracket 18. Three such mounting features 48 are shown in the exploded view of Figure 3 whereas only one mounting feature 48 is visible in the section view of Figure 4. The wheel hub 26 is provided with a plurality of openings 50, with at least one opening 50 provided for receipt of a respective one of the projections 48 when the wheel 16 is mounted on the mounting bracket 18. An excess of openings may be provided in the wheel hub 26 to allow some degree of flexibility on how to orient the wheel 16 when assembled onto the projections 48 on the mounting bracket 18. Wheel nuts 52 are provided which cooperate with the projections 48 and serve to retain the wheel 16 in place on the mounting bracket 18 when the nuts 52 are threaded onto the projections 48.

In order to prevent unwanted removal of the wheel nuts 52 so that the wheel 16 cannot be removed from the mounting bracket 18, the wheel assembly is provided with the lockable cover 20 for the wheel nuts 52. The lockable cover 20 includes a cover portion 60 in the form of a disc and a central shaft 62 extending from the centre of the cover portion 60 towards the wheel 16. The shaft 62 extends through both the first opening 34 in the wheel 16 and through the second opening 42 in the mounting bracket 18. The cover portion 60 includes an annular flange 64 at its outer diameter which engages with the front-facing surface of the wheel 16 in a region of intersection between the wheel hub 26 and the surrounding wheel portion 28. The cover portion 60 covers the first opening 34 in the wheel 16 and also the projections 48 on the mounting bracket 18 and their corresponding nuts 52 (i.e. the features which define the fixings for the wheel). Once the lockable cover 20 is secured to the wheel assembly, the cover portion 60 therefore prevents access to the nuts 52 so that they cannot be removed.

The shaft 62 of the cover 20 is provided with an annular recess 66 part-way along its length, towards a head end of the shaft 62 which resides within the mounting bracket 18 when the cover 20 is assembled on the wheel assembly 14. Because the shaft 62 has a diameter which is less than both the first opening 34 in the wheel 16 and the second opening 42 in the mounting bracket 18, an adaptor 68 is used to match the diameters. The adaptor 68 takes the form of a cylinder having an elongate body and enlarged diameter head region 70, and is received within the second opening 42 in the mounting bracket 18. The adaptor 68 is secured within the second opening 42 so that it cannot move axially within the opening and is positioned so that the adaptor head region 70 engages with a rear-facing surface 72 of the wheel 16 at the first opening 34. The adaptor 68 may be secured to prevent movement within the mounting bracket 18 by any suitable fixing means. As the shaft 62 is not of the same diametrical dimension as the openings 34,42, the adaptor 68 is used to ensure compatibility between these parts. The fixing of the adaptor 68 within the mounting bracket ensures that no tampering of the adaptor 68 can occur to negate the security benefits of the invention, as described further below.

The adaptor 68 defines an internal passage 74 defining an opening 75 for insertion of the shaft 62. The shaft 62 is further provided with a plurality of movable locking members in the form of axially-extending prongs 80, two of which are shown in the section view of Figure 4. The prongs 80 are mounted on a locking actuator (not shown) and reside within the recess 66. Each one is tapered towards a head-end of the shaft (i.e. angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the shaft) to define a tapered surface 82. The tapered surface 82 of each prong 80 defines a guide surface for the prong 80 to aid insertion of the prong 80 into the adaptor 68 when the cover 20 is assembled onto the wheel assembly 14. A front-facing surface 84 of each prong 80 engages within the recess 66 of the shaft and, importantly, a portion of the front-facing surface 84 of each prong 80 also abuts against a locking surface 86 of the adaptor 68. The locking surface 86 of the adaptor 68 is a rear-facing surface which is directed in the generally opposed direction relative to the front-facing surface of the wheel assembly 14. In Figure 4 the prongs 80 are shown in a locked position (or a locked state) in which they partly reside within the recess 66 formed in shaft 62, but partly engage with the locking surface 68 of the adaptor 66. A bias arrangement (not shown) in the form of a spring bias arrangement is provided on the shaft 62 to bias the movable prongs 80 radially outward from the shaft 62, pushing them outwardly from the recess 66 and into their locked positions. With the front-facing surface 84 of each prong 80 engaging with the locking surface 86 in this locked position, removal of the shaft 32 from the adaptor 68 is prevented, as will be described in further detail below.

The shaft 62 further includes, at its end remote from the recess 60, a locking recess 90 for receiving a key for the lock actuator (not shown). Details of the lock actuator are not shown in the Figures but the lock actuator includes an actuator member for the prongs 80 (for example, a barrel on which the prongs 80 are mounted).

When the barrel is turned the key is inserted into the locking recess 90 and turned about the axis A-A, causing the prongs 80 to be drawn radially inwards towards the shaft 62, fully into the recess 66, against the force of the biasing spring. This causes the front-facing surfaces 84 of the prongs 80 to disengage from the locking surface 86 of the adaptor 68. With these surfaces 84, 86 disengaged, it is possible for the cover 20 to be removed from the wheel 16 as the shaft 16 can be withdrawn from the adaptor 68, without obstruction by the prongs 80 impacting the locking surface 86.

The sequence of mounting the lockable cover 20 to the wheel assembly 14, and removing it again, is as follows.

In order to mount the cover 20 onto the wheel assembly, the cover 20 is brought towards the wheel assembly so that the shaft 62 is inserted into the internal passage 74 of the adaptor 68 along the axis A-A. As the prongs 80 engage with the insertion opening 75 in the adaptor 68 they guide the shaft 62 into the adaptor 68. The prongs 80 are forced radially inwards toward the shaft 62 through interaction with the walls of the internal passage 74, acting against the force of the biasing springs as the shaft 62 moves further through the internal passage 74. Once the prongs 80 emerge from the end of the internal passage 74, they are urged radially outwardly from the shaft 62 by the spring force so that their front-facing surfaces 84 click into engagement with the locking surface 86 of the adaptor 68. This is the locked state of the wheel cover 20. Trying to withdraw the shaft 62 from the adaptor 68 in this locked state along the axis A-A results in the front-facing surface 84 of the prongs 80 abutting against the locking surface 86 of the adaptor 68, so that cooperation between the engaged surfaces 84, 86 presents an obstruction to removal.

Actuating the key at this time, by inserting the key into the recess 90, actuates the barrel and causes the prongs 80 to be drawn radially inwards towards the shaft 62, into the recess 66, against the force of the biasing spring. With the prongs 80 fully in the recess 66 and the locking surface 86 disengaged by the prongs 80, it is then possible to withdraw the shaft 62 of the cover 20 from the internal passage 74, along the axis A-A, to allow removal of shaft 62 from the internal passage 74 and hence removal of the cover 20 from the wheel assembly 14.

It will be appreciated that with the cover 20 in place on the wheel assembly 14 it is not possible to access the nuts 52 beneath the cover portion 60 so that the wheel 16 cannot be removed from the mounting features 48 and from the mounting bracket 18. Only once the key actuates the biasing spring to remove the force acting on the prongs 80 can the shaft 62 and the cover portion 60 be removed from the wheel assembly 14 to enable access to the nuts 52.

Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment to that shown in Figures 2 to 4, but in which the adaptor is removed.

In this case the shaft 162 has a larger diameter, matched to the diameter of the openings 34, 42, so that there is no need for the adaptor. The prongs 80 engage directly with a locking surface 186 defined by a rear-facing surface of the mounting bracket 18 to prevent their removal from the wheel assembly 14 when in the locked state. All other features, where similar to those in Figures 2 to 4, are denoted with like reference numerals, and operation of the cover 20, to mount or remove it from the wheel assembly, is achieved in the same manner as described previously.

Figure 6 is a still further embodiment in which again the adaptor of Figure 4 is removed and the shaft 262 has a reduced axial length so that the prongs 80 engage with a locking surface 286 is defined by a rear-facing surface of the wheel 16, rather than the locking surface being defined by the mounting bracket 18. As is the case in Figure 5, there is no need for the adaptor in this embodiment because the diameter of the shaft 262 corresponds to the diameter of the first opening 34 in the wheel 16. All other features, where similar to those in Figures 2 to 4, are denoted with like reference numerals, and operation of the cover 20, to mount or remove it from the wheel assembly 14, is achieved in the same manner as described previously.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the movable prongs 80 of previous embodiments are replaced with an arrangement of movable locking members in the form of ball bearings 90. As best seen in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the ball bearings 90 are mounted in a carrier ring which is assembled onto the shaft 62 of the cover 20. Each ball bearing 90 has an associated spring 96 (only two of which are shown in the cross section of Figures 8(b) and 9(b)). The springs 96 serve to urge the ball bearings 90 radially outward from the shaft 62 into the locked position shown in Figure 7. An adaptor 68 is provided as before to ensure the openings 34, 42 in the wheel 16 and the mounting bracket 18 are compatible with the diameter of the shaft 62. All other features, where similar to those in Figures 2 to 4, are denoted with like reference numerals.

As for the previous embodiments, the cover 20 is provided with a lock actuator in the form of a key (not shown).

In this case the key is configured to rotate an axially-extending cam 92 mounted on the shaft 62. The cam 92 is rotatable about its axis B-B which is aligned with the axis A-A of the wheel 16. The cam 92 extends through the shaft 62 and is co-operable with the biasing springs 96 mounted around the cam 92. Two different angular positions of the cam 92 are shown in Figures 8(b) and 9(b). When the cam 92 is in the angular position in Figure 8(b), the springs 96 are uncompressed so that any force on the ball bearings 90, acting with a radial component inwardly towards the shaft 62, allows the springs 96 to compress and the ball bearings 90 to move towards the shaft 62. This is the unlocked state of the ball bearings 90. When the cam 92 is in the angular position in Figure 9(b), the springs 96 are compressed through interaction with the cam 92 so that any force acting on the ball bearings 90, acting with a radial component inwardly towards the shaft 62, cannot move the ball bearings 90 towards the shaft 92. This is the locked state of the ball bearings 90.

The adjustment of the cam 92 is effected by means of the key (not shown) which is inserted into a recess 94 at the end of the shaft 62, as illustrated in Figures 8(a) and 9(a), which show the key in the unlocked and locked states respectively.

The sequence of mounting the lockable cover 20 in Figures 7, 8 and 9 to the wheel assembly 14, and removing it again, is as follows.

In order to mount the cover 20 onto the wheel assembly 14, the key is inserted into the recess 94 and the cam is actuated into the position shown in Figures 8(a) and (b). The cover 20 is brought towards the wheel assembly 14 so that the shaft 62 is inserted along the axis A-A into the internal passage 74 of the adaptor 68. With the cover 20 in the unlocked state and the springs 96 compressible, as the head-end of the shaft 62 is introduced into the opening 75 in the adaptor 68, engagement of the ball bearings 90 with the internal passage 74 of the adaptor 68 causes the ball bearings 90 to move inwardly, relative to the shaft 62, to compress the springs 96. The spherical surfaces of the ball bearings 90 define guide surfaces which are co-operable with the opening 75 in the adaptor 68 to aid insertion of the shaft 62 into the opening 75. The shaft 62 is inserted further through the adaptor passage 74 and eventually the ball bearings 90 emerge from the tail-end of the adaptor 68. Without the internal passage 74 to engage with, the ball bearings 90 are urged radially outward, relative to the shaft 62, by means of the spring force to engage with the locking surface 86 of the adaptor 68. It will be appreciated that, at this stage, if a retraction force is applied to the shaft 62 by pulling in the opposite direction to the direction of insertion, the shaft 62 can be removed from the adaptor 68 as the guide surfaces of the ball bearings 90 ride over with the locking surface 86 and into the internal passage 74, with the ball bearings 90 moving against the spring force.

If in the alternative mode of operation the key is turned within the recess 94 to actuate the cam 92 into the position shown in Figure 9(b), the springs 96 are fully compressed so that the ball bearings 90 can no longer be urged radially inwards towards the shaft 62. If the retraction force is applied to withdraw the shaft 62 from the adaptor 68 at this stage, the shaft 62 cannot move because the ball bearings 90 are locked in position against the locking surface 86. This therefore means that the ball bearings are in a locked state and the cover 20 is locked in position on the wheel assembly 14.

Operation of the key to turn the cam 92 back into the position shown in Figure 8(b) serves to enable movement of the ball bearings 90 relative to the shaft 62, out of their locked states, to allow removal of the cover 20 from the wheel assembly 14.

It will be further appreciated that if the cover 20 is removed from the wheel assembly 14 and the key is turned to lock the springs 96 so that the ball bearings 90 cannot move radially inwards towards the shaft 62, it is not possible for the shaft 62 to be inserted into the internal passage 74 of the adaptor 68 and the cover 20 cannot be mounted on the wheel assembly 14.

Figure 10 shows a modification to the embodiment in Figures 7, 8 and 9 in which the adaptor 68 of Figure 7 is again removed and the shaft 62 has a reduced axial length so that the prongs 80 engage with a locking surface 86 defined by a rear-facing surface of the wheel 16, as opposed to the mounting bracket 18. All other features, where similar to those in Figures 7, 8 and 9, are denoted with like reference numerals. Operation of the cover in Figure 10 is the same as for the embodiment of Figures 7, 8 and 9.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application. For example, the ball bearings 90 shown in Figures 7 to 10 could be replaced with cylindrical movable members, whereby a cylindrical or part-cylindrical surface defines the guide surface for insertion and interacts with the locking surface of the wheel assembly 14 when in the locked state. In other embodiments, it is envisaged that springs 96 need not be used and another form of biasing means may be employed, such as compressible elastic materials. Other embodiments envisage only one ball bearing, instead of the plurality shown in the previous figures.

As an alternative to a mechanical key, an electronically-operable lock actuator may be used to enable a locking force to be applied to the locking members, or to retract movable members from the locking surface. This may be achieved by locking the springs 96 which act on the locking members or by enabling a physical obstruction to move the locking members. The electronically-operable lock actuator may take the form of a controller which sends a control signal to the lock actuator (e.g. the prongs in Figures 2, 3 and 4 or the cam in Figures 7 to 10) to apply the required locking force. The controller may be implemented on the vehicle so that is operated by a user in the vehicle cabin, for example, or may be a remote controller which can be operated by a user remote from the vehicle. In this way the cover 20 can be unlocked ready for removal as a user approaches the vehicle from the outside.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A lockable cover for a wheel fixing of a wheel assembly of a vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising a wheel, a non-rotatably mounted wheel support mounted on the vehicle, and a mounting feature for enabling the wheel to be mounted on the wheel support, the lockable wheel cover comprising: a cover member including a cover portion configured to engage with a front-facing mounting surface of the wheel assembly and to cover at least the mounting feature of the wheel assembly to prevent access thereto, and a shaft which is receivable through an opening of the wheel assembly; and at least one movable locking member which, when in a locked state, is engageable with a rear-facing locking surface of the wheel assembly, so as to prevent removal of the shaft from the opening.
2. The lockable cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shaft extends along a central axis of the wheel when the lockable wheel cover is mounted on the wheel assembly.
3. The lockable cover as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a bias arrangement for the at least one movable locking member which serves to urge the at least one movable locking member into the locked state.
4. The lockable cover as claimed any of claims 1 to 3, comprising a lock actuator actuable to enable movement of the at least one movable locking member out of the locked state into an unlocked state so that the shaft is removable through the opening, when in the unlocked state, to enable removal of the lockable wheel cover from the wheel assembly.
5. The lockable cover as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one movable locking member is engageable with a rear-facing locking surface defined by the wheel or the wheel support to prevent removal of the at least one movable member from the opening when in the locked state.
6. The lockable cover as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, comprising an adaptor for mounting in the opening of the wheel support, and wherein the at least one movable locking member is engageable with a rear-facing locking surface defined by the adaptor, the adaptor having a front face for locking engagement with the rear-facing locking surface of the wheel.
7. The lockable cover as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one movable locking member has a guide surface which is cooperable with the opening upon insertion of the shaft into the opening to facilitate said insertion.
8. The lockable cover as claimed in claim 7, wherein the shaft has a longitudinal shaft axis and wherein the at least one movable locking member includes a guide surface which is angled relative to the longitudinal shaft axis to aid insertion into the opening.
9. The lockable cover as claimed in claim 8, wherein the guide surface is at least a part-spherical surface and, optionally, the guide surface is defined by a movable locking member in the form of a ball which is carried by the shaft, the ball defining a spherical guide surface.
10. The lockable cover as claimed in claim 9 when dependent on claim 3, wherein the bias arrangement applies a biasing force to the at least one movable locking member to urge the at least one movable locking member into the locked state, the spherical guide surface being cooperable with the opening to allow the at least one movable locking member to move against the biasing force to enable removal of the shaft from the opening, and wherein the lock actuator is actuable to lock the biasing force to prevent said moving of the at least one movable locking member and removal of the shaft through the opening.
11. The lockable cover as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the lock actuator is a mechanical key which is receivable within the shaft and actuable to enable movement of the at least one movable locking member out of the locked state, and wherein optionally the lock actuator further comprises an optional electronically-controlled unit configured to provide a control signal to enable movement of the at least one movable locking member out of the locked state.
12. The lockable cover as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the cover portion is in the form of a disc.
13. A vehicle wheel assembly including a non-rotatable wheel support and a lockable cover as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12.
14. A vehicle comprising a wheel, a non-rotatably mounted wheel support, a mounting feature for enabling the wheel to be mounted to the non-rotatably mounted wheel support, and a lockable cover as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12.
15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein the non-rotatably mounted wheel support is mounted at the rear of the vehicle for carrying a spare wheel.