초록 ▼

A nut cap and assembly therewith is provided. The capped nut assembly is made up of a nut body and a cap. The nut body has an elongated internally threaded member formed with polygonal side walls extending from a collar member at the inner end toward the outer end, and the cap has a hollow shell wit

A nut cap and assembly therewith is provided. The capped nut assembly is made up of a nut body and a cap. The nut body has an elongated internally threaded member formed with polygonal side walls extending from a collar member at the inner end toward the outer end, and the cap has a hollow shell with an end wall closing one end and being open at an opposite end. The cap is sleeved over said nut body with its side wall surrounding the polygonal side walls and its closed end overlies the outer end of the nut body, and the open end of the cap has a radially inwardly flared resilient lip portion that attaches to the collar member in a snap fitting relationship. The outer end of the nut body has an engagement member protruding therefrom, and the inside surface of the hollow shell has a ramping member at a location that it is adapted to strike the engagement member whenever the cap is rotated about the nut body such that the ramping member biases the resilient lip portion in a direction to release its holding force on the collar portion.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A cap for a nut, the cap comprising:a hollow shell portion with an open end for fitting over the nut; an inner cavity adapted to fit over and receive a portion of the nut; an inwardly extending lip located near the open end of the hollow shell, the lip being constructed and arranged to allow the

1. A cap for a nut, the cap comprising:a hollow shell portion with an open end for fitting over the nut; an inner cavity adapted to fit over and receive a portion of the nut; an inwardly extending lip located near the open end of the hollow shell, the lip being constructed and arranged to allow the cap to expand and be snap-fitted over the nut; and an engagement member being constructed and arranged such that when the cap is caused to rotate with respect to the nut after the cap has been placed on the nut, the engagement member will engage a portion of the nut such that upon continued rotation of the cap, the lip, being constructed and arranged to allow the cap to expand, allows the cap to expand in such a manner that the cap lifts off of the nut so as to allow the removal of the cap from the nut. 2. A cap as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cap includes a force receiving portion for receiving a force applying member for assisting in the rotation of the cap.3. A cap as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cap includes at least one relief slot which extends through the lip to further enhance a resilient feature of the cap.4. A nut cap assembly comprising:a nut having a body which includes a first body portion extending from an outer end and a spaced apart second body portion adapted to engage a complementary mating surface, a collar member defining a shoulder positioned between the outer end and the second body portion, and a first engagement member; and a cap having a hollow shell portion with an open end for fitting over the nut, a lip adapted to snap-over the shoulder of the nut when the cap is pushed onto the nut so as to securely attach the cap to the nut, and a second engagement member, wherein the engagement members are constructed and arranged such that when the cap is caused to rotate about the nut after the cap has been placed on the nut, the engagement members will engage one another in such a manner to force the cap off of the nut in an upward axial direction so as to allow the removal of the cap from the nut. 5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein the first body portion of the nut includes a force receiving portion for receiving a force applying member for turning the nut, and wherein the second body portion includes a frusto-conical seating surface for engagement with the complementary mating surface.6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein the collar member flares outwardly from an end of the first body portion to further define the shoulder.7. An assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein the first engagement member includes a pair of diametrically opposite cap ramps extending outwardly from the outer end.8. An assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein the cap includes an upper body portion and a lower body portion, the lower body portion being constructed and arranged to fit over a substantial portion of the nut.9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8, wherein the lower body portion of the cap includes an upper cavity section and a lower cavity section, the upper cavity section being adapted to house the first body portion of the nut, and the lower cavity section being adapted to house the collar member of the nut.10. An assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein the lower cavity section of the lower body portion of the cap terminates at the lip.11. An assembly as set forth in claim 10, wherein the lip is a radially-inwardly protruding, flared lip.12. An assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein the cap includes at least one relief slot in the hollow shell portion so as to enhance a relief feature of the cap.13. An assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein the cap includes a force receiving portion for receiving a force applying member for assisting in the rotation of the cap.14. An assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein the second engagement member includes a pair of diametrically opposite nut ramps formed within the hollow shell portion.15. A capped wheel nut assembly comprising:a nut having an elongated tubular like body, the body having a main body portion extending from a first end and a frusto-conical portion extending in an opposite direction from a second end, the frusto-conical portion being adapted to seat against a complementary mating surface, the body further having a collar member that is located between the main body portion and the frusto-conical portion, the collar member being constructed and arranged to flare outwardly from an end of the main body portion towards the frusto-conical portion to define a shoulder extending about the body, the nut further including an engagement means extending outwardly from the first end of the nut; and a cap having an elongated tubular like body and a hollow shell portion with an open end adapted for fitting over the nut, the body having an upper body portion and a lower body portion, the lower body portion includes an upper generally cylindrical cavity section and a lower generally cylindrical cavity section that has a slightly larger diameter than the upper cavity section, the upper cavity section being sized to receive and fit over the main body portion of the nut and the lower cavity section being sized to receive and fit over the collar member of the nut, the lower cavity section terminating in a radially-inwardly extending lip near the open end of the hollow shell, the lip being adapted to snap-over the shoulder of the nut when the cap is pushed onto the nut so as to securely attach the cap to the nut, the cap further having an engagement means formed inside the hollow shell member and within the upper cavity section of the lower body portion, such that the engagement means of the nut and the engagement means of the cap are constructed and arranged in such a manner that when the cap is rotated with respect to the nut after the cap has been snap-fitted onto the nut, the respective engagement means engage one another so that the lip moves up and over the shoulder to allow for the removal of the cap from the nut. 16. A capped wheel nut assembly as set forth in claim 15, wherein the first body portion of the nut includes a force receiving portion for receiving a force applying member for turning the nut, and wherein the upper body portion of the cap includes a force receiving portion for receiving a force applying member for tuning the cap.17. A capped wheel nut assembly as set forth in claim 15, wherein the lip of the cap has a flared shape.18. A capped wheel nut assembly as set forth in claim 15, wherein the lower body portion of the cap includes at least one relief slot which extends through the lip to further enhance a resilient feature of the cap.19. A capped wheel nut assembly as set forth in claim 15, wherein the engagement means of the nut includes a pair of diametrically opposite cap engaging ramps, and wherein the engagement means of the cap includes a pair of diametrically opposite nut engaging ramps.20. A capped wheel nut assembly as set forth in claim 15, wherein the upper body portion of the cap includes a cavity that is adapted to receive a threaded lug extending beyond the first end of the nut.