Method and means for accenting a wheel

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a method and means for accenting a wheel such as an automotive wheel, a truck wheel, a motorcycle wheel, an all-terrain vehicle wheel, etc. More particularly this invention relates to design segments which are comprised of a vinyl film and which are placed onto a wheel and adhered thereto.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many vehicle owners take great pride in the appearance of the wheels of their vehicles and go to considerable expense to purchase chrome wheels and other aesthetically appearing wheels. In some cases, the vehicle owner will purchase fancy wheel covers which completely cover the wheels of their vehicles. Such wheel covers are quite expensive and are frequently stolen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The method of this invention comprises the following steps: (1) providing a vinyl film; (2) cutting a design segment from the vinyl film; (3) positioning the design segment on a portion of the wheel; (4) applying pressure to the design segment to adhere the design segment to the wheel; and (5) applying heat to the design segment to further adhere the design segment to the wheel. In most cases, several of the design segments will be secured to the wheel. The configuration of the design segments will vary depending upon the owner's wishes and the particular wheel to which the segments are secured. The means of this invention is the design segment itself which will normally be cut from a sheet of vinyl film such as cast vinyl, dual cast vinyl film, calendered vinyl, etc.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method and means for accenting a wheel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive way to accent a wheel.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method and means for enhancing the appearance of a wheel.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method and means for enhancing the appearance of a wheel which is relatively simple.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method and means for accenting a wheel which is economical, durable in use and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one of the design segments being removed from a sheet of vinyl film;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating design segments being positioned or placed on a wheel;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the design segments which have been placed on a wheel being heated to enhance the adherence of the design segments to the wheel; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of a wheel which has been accented with a plurality of design segments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT AND METHOD

Embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures, which form a part hereof and show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense in that the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.

In FIG. 1, the numeral 10 refers to a sheet of material which is used in this invention with the sheet 10 being temporarily adhered to a backing sheet 12. The material 10 is a cast vinyl film which is available from two different sources. One source is Avery Dennison which identifies the product as Avery Dennison® SW 900 Supreme Wrapping Film. Avery Dennison describes the product as a cast vinyl film covered by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,630,049; 7,060,351; and 7,344,618. Another source of the material 10 is 3M. 3M describes the product as 3M™ Scotchprint® Wrap Film Series 1080. 3M also describes the material as a dual cast film. Although the preferred material is a cast vinyl film, the material could be other material such as dual cast vinyl film, calendered vinyl, or other suitable materials.

The sheet of material 10 is cut to create a plurality of design segments 14 which may take any shape depending on the particular parts of the wheel 16 to be accented and depending on the particular wheel which is to be accented. The wheel 16 may be an automotive wheel, a motorcycle wheel, a truck wheel, an all-terrain vehicle, or any other wheel.

The wheel 16 is accented as will now be described. The wheel 16 is first thoroughly cleaned. The design segments 14 are then removed from the backing sheet 12 and positioned on the wheel 16 as illustrated in FIG. 2. After the design segments 14 have been placed or positioned on the wheel 16 in the proper position, the installer presses the design segments 14 against the wheel 16 to adhere the design segments 14 to the various parts of the wheel 16. The design segments 14 are then heated by a heat gun 18 to firmly adhere the design segments 14 to the wheel 16. In certain situations, it may not be necessary to heat the design segments 14 but it is preferred that the design segments 14 be heated.

FIG. 3 illustrates that the design segments 14 are adhered to the sides of the spokes 20 of the wheel 16. FIG. 4 illustrates that the design segments 14 are adhered to the faces of the spokes of the wheel 16.

The design segments will normally be colored. The design segments accent the wheel 16 and enhance the appearance of the wheel in a relatively inexpensive fashion.

Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.

Although the invention has been described in language that is specific to certain structures and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures and/or steps described. Rather, the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.