The present invention relates to a cover or bag for a spare wheel, and more particularly to a cover which can be used during the changing of a wheel on a vehicle.

Bags for storing or carrying wheels are known. They are generally made of flexible material and comprise two circular panels to cover the front and rear faces of the wheel

interconnected by a cylindrical wall which covers the tread of the tyre. Access to the wheel inside is usually provided by means of a zip or a drawstring arrangement.

However, none of the currently available storage bags is designed for use during the operation of changing a wheel, for example when a tyre is punctured. A vehicle wheel is usually dirty, especially if it has been on the vehicle for some time. The inventor has recognised that there is a need for an improved way to protect the person changing the wheel from mud, brake dust, grease, liquids, etc. during the operation. Furthermore, many vehicles run with a narrower, space-saver spare wheel and the deeper standard road wheel will not fit in the spare wheel compartment. Therefore, the wheel has to be placed in the normal luggage compartment until it can be repaired, so there is also a need to protect the inside of the vehicle and any contents once the road wheel has been removed from the vehicle.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a cover for a vehicle wheel comprising spaced front and rear circular panels interconnected by a cylindrical wall, wherein the rear panel is at least partially separable from the cylindrical wall to provide an opening to allow the cover to be placed over the wheel and wherein the front panel is provided with an opening to allow access to the centre of the wheel when inside the cover, the cover further comprising an inner retaining member for retaining the cover on the wheel while the rear panel is open. The wheel cover is designed to be completely compatible with the normal wheel-changing procedure. The wheel nuts (or bolts) of the wheel to be changed are first loosened slightly with the vehicle still on the ground. The vehicle is then raised on a jack so that the wheel is off the road surface. The rear panel of the wheel cover is opened and the cover is placed over the wheel while it is still on the vehicle (the opening provided by the rear panel allows room to accommodate the vehicle axle and/or hub components). Through the front panel opening, the wheel nuts can be accessed and removed. The wheel can then be removed from the hub, the rear panel closed and the wheel, protected by the cover, placed inside the vehicle. The wheel cover in accordance with the invention provides a high degree of protection from dirt, brake dust, grease, moisture, etc. on the road wheel both during and after the removal operation. It protects both the person removing the wheel and the interior of the vehicle in which it is placed. The wheel cover design particularly benefits from the provision of an inner retaining member to retain the cover in place on the wheel while the rear panel is open, during the wheel-changing procedure described above.

The inner retaining member may comprise one or more straps inside the cover which fit over or around the wheel in use so that the cover is retained in position. The straps could be secured and/or adjusted by means of a hook-and-loop fastening system, or they could be elasticated so that different diameters and widths of wheel can be accommodated.

Preferably, the inner retaining member comprises one or more elasticated straps which fit over the wheel in use to retain the cover in position on the wheel.

In an alternative embodiment, the inner retaining member preferably comprises an inner retaining cover. The inner retaining cover has an opening through which the wheel is inserted when the cover is placed over the wheel in use. Preferably, the inner retaining cover is elasticated, wholly or at least in part, so that the retaining cover fits snugly over the wheel, thereby holding the cover in position on the wheel even when the rear panel is open. In a preferred embodiment, the inner retaining cover is elasticated around its opening. In shape, the inner retaining cover is preferably annular. It may extend inwardly from the inner surface of the cylindrical wall, or it may be attached to the inside surface of the front panel and extend rearwards in use. The function of the inner retaining member, and the preferred elasticated inner retaining cover, is to ensure the cover is fully mounted on the wheel by urging the front face of the wheel and the inside of the cover front panel into contact.

In order to maximise the protection, the front panel opening can preferably be closed. In a preferred embodiment, the front panel is provided with an openable section, which forms the central opening when open. When the openable section is closed, it is substantially co- planar with the front panel. In this way, the entire front surface of the wheel is then covered. In combination with the closed rear panel, the wheel cover then provides complete isolation of the removed wheel from contact.

The openable section is preferably formed by a flap in the front panel. The flap can be any suitable shape to allow formation of the central opening when open. In a preferred embodiment, the flap is circular so that, when open, it forms a circular, or at least partially- circular, opening. In the open condition, part of the periphery of the flap will remain connected to the front panel. The flap may be opened and closed by any suitable means, including a zip fastener, poppers, or a hook-and-loop type fastener. The flap can be formed in the front panel and therefore unitary with it, or alternatively the flap could be formed from a separate piece of material which is attached to the front panel.

As mentioned above, the rear panel is at least partially separable from the cylindrical wall to provide an opening to allow the cover to be placed over the wheel. The line of separation is ideally at the junction between the rear panel and the wall, but the same function would be achieved by having the line of separation within the rear panel itself, close to the join with the cylindrical wall. There could therefore be a small lip of the rear panel left attached to the cylindrical wall when the two are separated, and this is within the scope of the invention.

It is possible for the rear panel to be completely detachable from the cover, but to simplify the design and to prevent the loss of the separated panel, it is preferable that the rear panel is partially separable, leaving part of its periphery permanently attached to the cylindrical wall of the cover. The rear panel can be a separate component which is then attached to the cylindrical wall during manufacture, or it could be made from the same piece of material as the cylindrical wall and therefore unitary with it. Preferably, the rear panel is opened or closed through the provision of opening means around at least part of its circumference. This may be any suitable opening and closing means, including a zip fastener or a hook-and-loop type fastener. In a preferred

embodiment, at least half of the circumference of the rear panel is separable from the cylindrical wall to provide the opening, but in general, the greater the extent of separation, the easier it will be to place the cover over a wheel.

As will be understood from the above description, the front panel flap (if present) and the rear panel each have a section of their periphery permanently attached to or unitary with the rest of the cover. In a particularly preferred aspect of the invention, when both panels are present, the centre points of these sections lie on substantially the same radius of the generally cylindrical cover. In this way, when the cover is held in a vertical orientation with the front and rear panels vertical, as would be the situation when the cover is being placed over a wheel before removal, the cover can be oriented so that both the front panel flap and rear panel will hang down naturally, facilitating fitment of the cover and access to the wheel nuts. The wheel cover may be provided with one or more handles to facilitate carrying of the wheel once inside. The user can then conveniently and safely carry the wheel to the luggage compartment. Preferably, the attached section of the rear panel and the handle (or its effective point of support) are arranged so as to lie on opposite radii of the same diameter of the generally cylindrical cover. This further assists the user when fitting the cover, since by placing the handle at the top of the wheel being changed, the rear panel will hang down automatically to allow access. When the front panel flap is present, its attached section may also lie on the same radius as the attached section of the rear panel, this radius being diametrically opposite that on which the handle, or its effective point of support, lies. In this way, the front panel flap will also hang down naturally when the handle is placed at the top of the wheel.

A further benefit of the present invention is that, when the rear panel hangs down during the wheel-changing operation, it can be used as a mat or pad on which the user can kneel by arranging the panel to lie towards the user. The wheel cover is preferably made of a flexible material, which should be strong enough to take the weight of a wheel without ripping or tearing. A particularly preferred material is nylon, but any other man-made or natural fabrics of the appropriate weight or strength will be suitable. The inner retaining cover may be made from a flexible material, which may be elasticated as discussed above. It may be made from the same material as the outer cover, although it can suitably be made from material of a lower basis weight in order to save weight and cost, since it does not have to carry the weight of the wheel.

In further embodiments, additional features may be provided such as a pouch on the cover for containing the wheel nuts temporarily while the wheel is being changed, and reflective strips or markers on the cover for increased visibility and safety. The cover/bag of the present invention may also be sold as part of a kit, additionally including a pair of gloves, a mat to kneel on while changing the wheel, and a hand cleanser.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, with reference to the

accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a front view of the cover with the front aperture closed; Fig. 2 shows a rear view of the cover with the rear panel closed; Figs. 3 & 4 show front and rear views respectively with both the front flap and rear panel open;

Figs. 5 & 6 show the inner retaining cover in more detail, by means of cross-sectional views of the cover - Fig. 5 shows the cover before use with the rear panel closed, and Fig. 6 shows the cover as fitted to a wheel, with the rear panel still open;

Fig. 7 shows the cover having been initially placed over a wheel to be removed from a vehicle;

Fig. 8 shows the front aperture open to allow access to the wheel nuts; and

Fig. 9 shows the wheel removed from the vehicle before the rear panel is closed to cover the wheel.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the wheel cover 10 comprises front panel 20, rear panel 30 and cylindrical wall 40. A handle 41 is provided, attached to the cylindrical wall 40.

Front panel 20 is provided with a circular, openable flap 21 by means of a zip fastener 22 having a generally circular shape. Flap 21 is made from the same piece of material as front panel 20. When fastener 22 is opened, the flap remains connected to front panel 20 by means of contiguous section 23.

Circular rear panel 30 is partially separable from cylindrical wall 40 by means of a zip fastener 31 to form an opening to allow the cover to be placed over the wheel or removed from the wheel. Section 32 remains attached to the cylindrical wall 40 even when zip fastener 31 is open.

Inner retaining cover 50 is shown dotted in Figs. 1 and 2, and is described in more detail below.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the cover open. Fig. 3 shows front panel 20 with flap 21 in the open position forming a central aperture 24, which allows access to the wheel nuts or bolts in use. Fig. 4 shows the rear panel 30 in an open position. Inner retaining cover 50 extends into the central space of the cover and is provided with an elasticated inner edge 51.

As can be seen in Figs. 3 and 4, contiguous section 23 of the front panel flap 21 and attached section 32 of the rear panel 30 are positioned along the same radius of the cover 10. Furthermore, handle 41 is positioned on a radius diametrically opposite that on which sections 23 and 32 lie. In this way, when the cover is carried or supported in a vertical orientation by means of handle 41, both the front panel aperture flap 21 and the rear panel 30 will automatically hang down. Cross-sectional views of the cover in accordance with aspects of invention are shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In Fig. 5, before the cover is placed on a wheel, front flap 21 and rear panel 30 are closed. Inner retaining cover 50 is shown, which essentially comprises an annular piece of material attached to the inside of cylindrical wall 40. The inner edge 51 of retaining cover 50 is elasticated. Preferably, inner retaining cover 50 is attached to cylindrical wall 40 forwards of the rear face of the wheel for which the cover is designed, so that it can perform the retaining function as described above. Alternatively, it is preferably attached forward of the centreline of the cover.

In Fig. 6, the cover is shown in the process of being fitted to a wheel 60. Through the action of the inner retaining cover and its elasticated inner edge 51, the front face of the wheel 61 and front panel 20 are urged together and the cover is held securely on the wheel.

Turning to Figs. 7-9, use of the wheel cover will now be described. Firstly, the wheel nuts or bolts of the wheel to be removed are loosened slightly with the vehicle still on the ground. Next, vehicle 70 is jacked up and, as shown in Fig. 7, the wheel cover 10 (with rear panel 30 open) is placed over the wheel while still attached to vehicle 70. In order to fit the cover over the wheel, inner retaining cover 50 is stretched over the wheel and the cover adjusted until it is in the configuration shown in Fig. 6.

Next, as shown in Fig. 8, flap 21 is opened which allows access to wheel nuts 62. These are removed, and flap 21 closed again. The wheel is then pulled forward off the hub 63, and can be positioned on the ground as shown in Fig. 9 so that rear panel 30 can be closed. Alternatively, to minimise contact of the cover with the ground, the wheel could be kept in a vertical orientation after removal from the hub while rear panel 30 is closed. The cover 10 containing the wheel can then be carried to the luggage compartment, and the spare wheel fitted as normal.