WO2009038391A1

WO2009038391A1 - Automobile wheel blinking device

Info

Publication number: WO2009038391A1
Application number: PCT/KR2008/005564
Authority: WO
Inventors: Chea En Yim
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-09-20
Filing date: 2008-09-19
Publication date: 2009-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 2010-03-20
Also published as: KR101396385B1; KR20090030556A

Abstract

An automobile wheel blinking device fixed in a logo cap hole of a wheel cap so as to blink under an electromotive force generated by the rotation of a permanent magnet and a coil, the blinking device including a support bracket inserted into the logo cap hole, an engaging bracket fitted into an engaging hole of the support bracket and screw-engaged with the support bracket so as to fix the support bracket in the logo cap hole, a connecting bracket connected at its lower face with the support bracket and having on its upper face a protrusion protruding upwards along a circumference thereof, and a cap housing connected with the connecting bracket via the protrusion and having therein an electromotive force-generating unit and a blinking unit which blinks under the electromotive force.

Description

[DESCRIPTION] [Invention Title]

AUTOMOBILE WHEEL BLINKING DEVICE [Technical Field]

The present invention relates, in general, to a blinking device of an automobile wheel, and more particularly, to a blinking device of an automobile wheel having self-powered light-emitting means, which upon the running of an automobile, emits light using an induced electromotive force induced in a coil depending upon variance in magnetic force. [Background Art]

As the automobile culture is well developed, it is generally accepted that a car owner characteristically decorates his or her car. A blinking device for an automobile wheel is one of the possible decorations. The blinking device is provided at the center of the wheel instead of a wheel cap and is marked with the logo of a car manufacturer, so as to blink at night.

The blinking device for an automobile wheel uses an induced electromotive force induced in a coil with variance in magnetic flux passing through the coil. The principle of creating the induced electromotive force is a well-known technology, and diverse devices using the principle are available at present. For example, there are casters which are provided on wheels of e.g. inline skates so as to blink a luminous body using the electromotive force created in the process of opposite rotation between a coil and a permanent magnet, thereby producing a decorative effect at night.

Meanwhile, the luminous body is called a luminescent diode or a light emitting diode (LED), which was implemented in the late 1960s, using luminescence occurring upon application of voltage to a semiconductor. The diode is suitable as a long-lasting luminous body used for automotive decoration because it has lower power consumption, rapid response time, and a semi-permanent lifetime which is advantageous as compared to that of a common light bulb.

Meanwhile, the blinking device for an automobile wheel may have at least one luminous body. If it has a plurality of luminous bodies, the power consumption increases proportional to the number of the luminous bodies. In order to create the electric power required to operate the luminous bodies, it is required that a permanent magnet should have high magnetic force, or that the variance in magnetic force should be enhanced. In case a plurality of luminous bodies is used, the construction becomes complex, and the blinking device is prone to fail.

Further, since the blinking device is coupled to the wheel, which directly receives shocks occurring during the operation of an automobile, powerful coupling with the wheel is required. Here, since the wheel may be fabricated in different forms according to the car or wheel manufacturer, even if there is an automobile wheel blinking device a user wants to use, its ability to be installed on the wheel is dependent on the kind of wheel. [Disclosure] [Technical Problem]

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automobile wheel blinking device having a plurality of illumination windows yet function effectively without increasing the quantity of electromotive force.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automobile wheel blinking device which can be generally installed in correspondence with the shapes of the center cap holes of diverse wheels. [Technical Solution]

In order to achieve the above objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automobile wheel blinking device fixed in a logo cap hole of a wheel cap so as to blink using an electromotive force generated by the rotation of a permanent magnet and a coil, the blinking device including: a support bracket inserted into the logo cap hole! an engaging bracket fitted into an engaging hole of the support bracket and screw-engaged with the support bracket so as to fix the support bracket in the logo cap hole; a connecting bracket connected at its lower face with the support bracket and having on its upper face a protrusion protruding upwards along a circumference thereof; and a cap housing connected with the connecting bracket via the protrusion and having therein an electromotive force- generating unit and a blinking unit which uses the electromotive force to blink.

Further, the blinking unit and an illumination window provided on an outer surface of the cap housing are connected by means of an optical fiber. [Advantageous Effects]

According to the automobile wheel blinking device of the present invention, the luminous body blinks under the electromotive force generated by the rotation of the coil and the permanent magnet, which occurs owing to the inertia of a balance weight when an automobile is in motion, so that a separate power supply is not required and the appearance looks simple and decorative.

Further, since the single luminous body transmits light to the plurality of illumination windows using a plurality of optical fibers or a bundle of optical fibers, even when a minimum number of luminous bodies are provided, the plurality of illumination windows may be provided.

Further, the blinking device can be easily mounted on diverse wheels through diversifying the shape of the engaging bracket. [Description of Drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating the state of an automobile wheel blinking device when in use according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the automobile wheel blinking device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a wheel having the blinking device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a support bracket provided in the blinking device of FIG.3; and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a blinking unit of an automobile wheel blinking device according to another embodiment of the invention.

*Description of Signs of major Parts in the Drawings*

100: Blinking Device 110: Support Bracket

111: Engaging Hole 112: First Fixing Hole

120: Engaging Bracket 121: Through-Hole

122: Screw 123: Bent Portion

124: Contact 125: Extension

126: Contact 130: Connecting Bracket

131: Second Fixing Hole 132: Protrusion

133: Third Fixing Hole 140: Cap Housing

141: Electromotive Force-Generating Unit

142: Coil Housing 142a: Inner Cavity

143: Permanent Magnet 144: Balance Weight

144a: Weight Body 145: Bearing

152: Blinking Unit 146: Circuit Board

147: Luminous Body 148: Optical Fiber

149: Rotation Shaft 150: Illumination Window

151: Transparent Color Window

200: Automobile 210: Wheel Cap

220: Logo Cap Hole 230: Inner Step [Mode for Invention]

Reference will now be made in greater detail to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating the state of an automobile wheel blinking device when in use according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the automobile wheel blinking device of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a wheel having the blinking device of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a support bracket provided in the blinking device of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a blinking unit of an automobile wheel blinking device according to another embodiment of the invention. Unexplained reference numeral 200 denotes an automobile.

The automobile wheel blinking device 100 of the invention includes a support bracket 110, an engaging bracket 120, a connecting bracket 130, and a cap housing 140.

The support bracket 110 is a circular plate, which is inserted into a logo cap hole 220. The support bracket 110 has engaging holes 111 along a circumference thereof so that the engaging bracket 120 is inserted into the engaging holes. The first fixing holes 112 are further provided in the center-side of the engaging holes 111 such that a screw 122 can be screwed thereto.

The engaging bracket 120 is a plate having opposite bent ends, wherein one end is provided with a through-hole 121 for a screw 122, and the other end protrudes in a direction opposite to the one end.

Particularly, the engaging bracket 120 includes a bent contact portion 124 having the through-hole 121 for screw-engagement with the support bracket 110, an extension 125 bent from one end of the contact portion 124 so as to be inserted into the engaging hole 111, and a pressing portion 126 bent from one end of the extension opposite the contact portion so as to press an inner step provided in the logo cap hole.

To assemble the device, the engaging bracket 120 is first inserted into the engaging hole 111 so that a bent portion 123 between the contact portion 124 and the extension 125 hooks in the engaging hole 111, and then a screw 122 is screwed into the first fixing hole 112 and the through-hole 121. As the screw 122 is fastened, the contact portion 124 of the engaging bracket 120 comes close to the support bracket 110, and the pressing portion 126 moves towards an inner wall of the logo cap hole 220 beyond a circumference of the support bracket 110 while the bent portion 123 is pivoted on the engaging hole. Consequently, the engaging bracket 120 is caught on the inner step 230 in the logo cap hole 220 so as to firmly fix the support bracket 110.

Herein, it is natural that circumferential Iy provided are plural engaging holes 110 of the support bracket 110 in order to provide stable fixation. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, three engaging holes are provided at regularly spaced angles from the center of the support bracket.

Further, the support bracket can be firmly fixed in the logo cap hole by making the shapes of the extension 125 and the pressing portion 126 according to the shape of the inner step, i.e. a width (or a thickness), a length of protrusion, an inclination to the inner wall, bent or round forms of the inner step.

The connecting bracket 130 is a circular plate the lower face of which is connected to the support bracket 110 by screw. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the connecting bracket may have the second fixing holes 131 located at the positions corresponding to some of the first fixing holes 112 of the support bracket 110. Screws then are screwed through both the fixing holes. Since the length from an inlet of the logo cap hole 220 to the inner step 230 is different according to the car or wheel manufacturer, the screw should be sufficiently lengthy.

The connecting bracket 130 is provided on its upper face with a peripheral protrusion 132 for engagement with the cap housing 140. The protrusion 132 interference-fitted into the cap housing 140, and may further have the third fixing holes 133 for reinforced screw-engagement between the protrusion and the cap housing.

Meanwhile, the cap housing 140 includes an electromotive force- generating unit 141 for generating an electromotive force using the rotation of a wheel cap 210, and a blinking unit 152 which blinks under a driving electromotive force generated by the electromotive force-generating unit 141.

The electromotive force-generating unit 141 is mounted around a rotation shaft 149 which protrudes inwards from the center of the cap housing 140. The electromotive force-generating unit 141 includes a cylindrical coil housing 142 to be fixed around the rotation shaft 149 of the cap housing 140, a permanent magnet 143 rotating in an inner cavity 142a of the coil housing 142, and a balance weight 144 allowing the permanent magnet 143 to rotate.

Here, the coil housing 142 has a coil wound around the inside thereof many times, and an outer case covering the coil. Then, when the permanent magnet 143 rotates in an inner cavity 142a of the coil housing 142, an electromotive force is generated owing to an electromagnetic induction.

Particularly, a bearing 145 is interposed between the rotating shaft 149 and the balance weight 144 so that the balance weight 144 and the circular permanent magnet 143 are coupled such that they rotate together. Here, the permanent magnet 143 is coupled so as to be positioned in the inner cavity 142a of the coil housing 142, so that, as the wheel cap 210 rotates, the permanent magnet rotates in the coil housing 142 due to inertia of the balance weight 144 to thereby generate an electromotive force.

Meanwhile, the balance weight 144 has a through-hole into which a weight 144a can be inserted in order to increase the load. In this case, since inertia of the balance weight 144 increases, when the wheel cap 210 starts to rotate, a relative speed of the permanent magnet 143 to the coil housing 142 increases to thereby increase the electromotive force.

In the meantime, the blinking unit 152 includes a circuit board 146 receiving an electromotive force created in the coil housing 142, and a luminous body 147 such as an LED coupled to an end of the circuit board 146. That is, the circuit board 146 transmits an electromotive force created in the coil housing 142 to the luminous body 147 so as to allow the luminous body 147 to blink.

Here, the circuit board 146 is interposed between the coil housing 142 and the balance weight 144, and its shape is a plate having an appropriate shape to make the luminous body 147 positioned at an illumination window 150 of the cap housing 140. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the circuit board has the shape of a disc in order not to hinder the rotation of the balance weight 144, and has an extension on which the luminous body 147 is positioned in correspondence with the illumination window 150 of the housing cap.

The shape of the circuit board 146 may be diversely changed according to an arrangement of plural luminous bodies 147.

Now description will be made of the blinking device 152 of the automobile wheel blinking device 100 having a blinking unit 152 according to another embodiment of the invention which has plural illumination windows 150 and featuring reduced power consumption.

The blinking unit 152 further includes an optical fiber in addition to the circuit board 146 and the luminous body 147 which have been previously described. The optical fiber totally reflects input light, so that one end thereof faces the luminous body 147 and the other end thereof is coupled onto the illumination window 150 which is provided on an outer face of the cap housing 140 using an adhesive or the like. Here, the optical fiber is installed separate from the luminous body 147, and may further include a luminous body cap 148a for maintaining a constant interval between the optical fiber and the luminous body.

For obtaining sufficient illumination, the plurality of optical fibers 148 may be provided in a bundle type and may be coupled onto the illumination window 150. If the number of the illumination windows is numerous, a bundle of optical fibers 148 is coupled onto the respective illumination windows 150. Here, the number of strands of the bundle of optical fibers 148 may be differentiated so as to make the illumination of the illumination windows different, thereby obtaining diverse qualities of light.

Further, transparent color windows 151 having diverse colors may be coupled onto the respective illumination windows 150 so as to express various colors of light. Further, two or three luminous bodies 147 may be provided such that they each blink during unique time periods, and that plural optical fibers 148 are coupled onto the respective luminous bodies 147, thereby blinking diverse colors of light without increasing power consumption.

In the drawings and specification, typical exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and are not for the purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims

[CLAIMS] [Claim 1]

An automobile wheel blinking device fixed in a logo cap hole of a wheel cap so as to blink under an electromotive force generated by the rotation of a permanent magnet and a coil, the blinking device comprising: a support bracket inserted into the logo cap hole! an engaging bracket fitted into an engaging hole of the support bracket and screw-engaged with the support bracket so as to fix the support bracket in the logo cap hole; a connecting bracket connected at its lower face with the support bracket and having on its upper face a protrusion protruding upwards along a circumference thereof; and a cap housing connected with the connecting bracket via the protrusion and having therein an electromotive force-generating unit and a blinking unit which blinks under the electromotive force. [Claim 2]

The automobile wheel blinking device of claim 1, wherein the engaging bracket includes: a contact portion having a through-hole for screw-engagement with the support bracket ; an extension extending from the contact portion so as to be inserted into the engaging hole; and a pressing portion extending from the extension so as to press an inner step provided in the logo cap hole, wherein connecting portions between the contact portion, the extension, and the pressing portion are bent portions. [Claim 3]

The automobile wheel blinking device to claim 2, wherein the extension and the pressing portion are formed in correspondence with a shape of the inner step. [Claim 4] The automobile wheel blinking device of claim 1, wherein the electromotive force-generating unit includes a cylindrical coil housing installed in the center of the inside thereof, and a permanent magnet and a balance weight coupled together in a center cavity of the coil housing so as to rotate in one piece so that upon the rotation of the wheel, the coil housing rotates to create an electromotive force, and wherein the blinking unit includes a circuit board interposed between the coil housing and the permanent magnet to receive an electromotive force created in the coil housing, and a luminous body coupled to an end of the circuit board. [Claim 5]

The automobile wheel blinking device of claim 4, wherein the cap housing has a protruding rotating shaft to which the balance weight is coupled, and a bearing is coupled to the balance weight in such a manner as to cover the rotating shaft. [Claim 6]

The automobile wheel blinking device of claim 5, wherein a weight is coupled to the balance weight in order to increase a load. [Claim 7]

The automobile wheel blinking device of claim 4, further comprising an optical fiber wherein one end thereof faces the luminous body and another end thereof is connected with an illumination window provided on an outer face of the cap housing. [Claim 8]

The automobile wheel blinking device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of optical fibers is provided in a bundle, the number of strands constituting the bundle being different so as to differentiate illumination. [Claim 9]

The automobile wheel blinking device of claim 7 or 8, wherein the illumination window is a transparent color window.