BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wheel arrangements and to wheel cover arrangements for such wheel arrangements, in particular for vehicles.

PRIOR ART

Several patents have already disclosed a wheel cover able to rotate relative to the wheel.

A first family of patents propose a wheel cover that is kept in the upright position with a gravity pendulum system, just to mention some: Patent US3769729, issued in 1973 to Engler, Patent US4280293, issued in 1981 to Kovalenko & Bowen, Patent US4388771, issued in 1983 to Lalonde, Patent JP3016801, issued in 1992 to Tamakasi, Patent EP0982154, issued in 2000 to Okamoto, Patent WO0020231, issued in 2000 to Nooijen, Patent EP1104352, issued in 2002 to Romijn, Patent US6536848, issued in 2003 to Goodman.

The purpose of these inventions is to display an advertisement, a brand name or a picture that stays in the appropriate orientation. However, this orientation cannot be kept during acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle.

A second family of patents propose a freewheeling wheel cover that is driven by air fins: Patent US3219391, issued in 1965 to Hettinger, Patent US3722958, issued in 1973 to Marshall, Patent DE10145897, issued in 2003 to Gruenert, patent US6702396, issued to Wang.

The purpose of these patents is to provide a decorative effect. But the drawback of these inventions is that the rotation of the cover depends on the relative wind, and that the rotation can also occur when the wheel is not rotating (vehicle at rest) .

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One purpose of the present invention is to avoid the above-mentioned drawbacks and to propose a wheel cover that provides an outstanding visual effect. To this end, according to the invention, a wheel arrangement comprises: a vehicle wheel having an axis of rotation, - a pendulum which is rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation of the vehicle wheel, an external cover which is also rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation of the vehicle wheel, an intermediate gear which is linked to the pendulum and which engages with both the vehicle wheel and the external cover, said intermediate gear being adapted to be driven by the vehicle wheel when said vehicle wheel is rotating in a first direction about the axis of rotation, and said intermediate gear being adapted, when driven by the vehicle wheel, to drive said external cover in rotation about the axis of rotation in a second direction opposite to said first direction.

Thanks to these dispositions, the wheel arrangement according to the invention avoids the drawbacks of the prior art and gives the visual impression that the vehicle is literally sliding on the ground. In various embodiments of the wheel arrangement according to the invention, one may use one and/or several of the following dispositions: - the vehicle wheel includes a rigid bracket which is in engagement with the intermediate gear and which is adapted to drive said intermediate gear when said vehicle wheel is rotating ; the bracket includes a spindle on which the pendulum and the external cover are rotatably mounted ; the wheel includes a rigid rim and the bracket is fixed to said rim ; - the pendulum includes a stem around which is mounted the intermediate gear ; the intermediate gear includes first and second gear wheels which are rigid with one another and which are rotatably mounted together around the stem of the pendulum, the first gear wheel engaging with the vehicle wheel and the second gear wheel engaging with the external cover ; the intermediate gear has at least a driving interface which is made of friction material and which is in , engagement with one element chosen between the vehicle wheel and the external cover ; the intermediate gear has at least a driving interface which includes a toothing, said toothing meshing with a complementary toothing which is rigid with one element chosen between the vehicle wheel and the external cover. Another object of the invention is a wheel cover arrangement adapted to be fitted on a vehicle wheel having an axis of rotation, said wheel cover arrangement comprising: a pendulum which is adapted to be rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation of the vehicle wheel, - an external cover which is also adapted to be rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation of the vehicle wheel, an intermediate gear which is linked to the pendulum and which is adapted to be in engagement with both the vehicle wheel and the external cover, said intermediate gear being adapted to be driven by the vehicle wheel when said vehicle wheel is rotating in a first direction about the axis of rotation, and said intermediate gear being adapted, when driven by the vehicle wheel, to drive said external cover in rotation about the axis of rotation in a second direction opposite to said first direction. In various embodiments of the wheel cover arrangement according to the invention, one may use one and/or several of the following dispositions: the wheel cover arrangement further includes a rigid bracket which is adapted to be secured to the vehicle wheel, said bracket engaging with the intermediate gear and being adapted to drive said intermediate gear when the vehicle wheel is rotating. the bracket includes a spindle on which the pendulum and the external cover are rotatably mounted ; the pendulum includes a stem around which is mounted the intermediate gear ; - the intermediate gear includes first and second gear wheels which are rigid with one another and which are rotatably mounted together around the stem of the pendulum, the first gear wheel being adapted to engage with the vehicle wheel and the second gear wheel engaging with the external cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages will appear from the following description of one embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view of the invention, Figure 2 is a face view of the invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the invention, - Figure 4 is a sectional view oh the gear arrangement, Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view of the spindle joint . MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The functionalities and the characteristics of the invention will be explained in the following comprehensive description.

The main goal of the invention is to propose the outstanding visual effect that the vehicle is sliding on the ground when moving.

This is achieved by driving the wheel cover in the direction opposite to the wheel rotation.

Figure 1 shows a sectional view of one embodiment of the invention. The wheel comprises a tyre 8 and a rim 2. The wheel rotates around the axis of rotation Al. A bracket 1 is fitted on to the rim 2, this bracket comprises a spindle 10. A pendulum 6 is rotatably mounted around the wheel axis Al on the bracket spindle 10. This pendulum comprises a stem 4. An intermediate gear 5 is rotatably mounted around said stem 4, rotating around the axis A2. The external cover 3 is rotatably mounted on the bracket spindle, the external cover 3 rotates around the wheel axis Al.

Figure 2 shows a face view of the invention, in conjunction with Figure 1. The wheel, including the tyre 8 and the rim 2, rotates towards the direction 71. The pendulum 6 is generally kept in the upright position due to the action of gravity g on the pendulum weight 68. The intermediate gear 5 is rotatably mounted around the pendulum stem 4. The intermediate gear is driven by the wheel rotation towards the direction 72. The external cover is driven by the intermediate gear 5 towards the direction 73.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the invention. The bracket 1 comprises 4 fitting clips 18, whose purpose is to achieve the fastening of the bracket on to the rim 2. The method of fixing the bracket on the rim is one of those known in the prior art, thus not detailed. The bracket includes a spindle 10, located on the axis of rotation Al. The bracket also includes a circular driving area 11, that drives the intermediate gear. On the spindle 10, are mounted several elements : a circlip 95a a bearing 90 - the pendulum ring 47 is mounted on said bearing 90 a second circlip 95b a second bearing 91 a third circlip 95c The intermediate gear 5 is rotatably mounted around pendulum stem 4, comprising a first wheel 53 which is driven by bracket area 11, and a second wheel 54. The wheels 53 and 54 are rigid with one another. The external cover 3 is mounted on the second bearing 91. The external cover comprises in the inner side a circular engagement area 32, which is driven by intermediate gear second wheel 54. Several areas 38, given as examples, are located on the external side of the external cover. The purpose of these areas 38 is to customize the style of the cover. The intermediate gear 5 is rotatably mounted around stem 4 between ring 47 and stop ring 48. The pendulum 6 comprises a weight 68, whose action is to keep the pendulum un the upright position under the action of gravity g. Figure 4 shows a sectional view focused on the intermediate gear arrangement . The bracket 1 is fixed on the wheel rim 2. The bracket comprises a circular engagement face 11, said circular face having a radius Rl from the axis Al. The intermediate gear comprises one first wheel 53, which engages in its outer face 51 with the bracket face 11. Therefore, the intermediate gear rotates around axis A2 in the direction 72. The intermediate gear 5 comprises a second wheel 54, which engages in its outer face 52 with the external cover engagement face 32, said face 32 having a radius R2 from the axis Al. The wheels 53 and 54 being rigid with one another, thus the rotation speed is the same for both wheels 53 and 54. The difference between radius Rl and R2 reflects into the relative speeds of the vehicle wheel and the external cover. The external cover 3 rotates slower than the vehicle wheel according to the ratio R1/R2. Consequently, it is possible to see the rotation of the cover even when the vehicle is running at high speed on a motorway. The intermediate gear 5 is located between ring 47 and stop ring 48. The engagement means between bracket circular driving area 11 and first wheel peripheral area 51 can be of different types : two non limitative examples are : friction material coating toothing The engagement means between second wheel peripheral area 52 and cover circular driving area 32 can be of different type : two non limitative examples are : friction material coating toothing Figure 5 shows a sectional view focused on the articulation joint arrangement on the bracket spindle 10. The bracket spindle 10 comprises 3 circlips 95a, 95b and 95c. A first bearing 90 is fitted between circlip 95a and 95b. This bearing is of a known technology (roller bearing, "Teflon" sleeve or other solution known in the art) . The pendulum ring 47 is fitted on this bearing. A second bearing 91 is fitted between circlip 95b and 95c. This bearing is of a known technology (roller bearing, "Teflon" sleeve or other solution known in the art) . On this bearing is fitted the external cover 3, by the means of several clips 35 distributed around the circumference. The following elements are all coaxial with main rotation axis Al : spindle 10, circlip 95a, bearing 90, pendulum sleeve ring 47, circlip 95b, bearing 91, circlip 95c, external cover 3.

BENEFITS OF THE INVENTION

The main benefit of the invention is to provide the visual effect that the vehicle is sliding on the ground when moving, even at low speed, thanks to the fact that the cover is rotating in the direction opposite to the wheel rotation.

Another benefit of the invention is that, as the rotation of the cover is slower than the wheel rotation, the rotation of the cover is always visible by human eye at all usual vehicle speeds.