A wheel assembly that provides a simulated center lock wheel look that also enables exchanging of ornamental face plates with a center hub attachment device that will allow car enthusiasts to easily change the look of their automotive wheels while maintaining a center lock wheel appearance. The assembly includes three components: a base wheel, a plurality of ornamental face plates, and a center hub attachment extending from one of either the hub or the ornamental face plate.

A wheel cover assembly has a mounting ring, an outer wheel cover, and an inner wheel locking structure. The mounting ring attaches to a vehicle wheel hub via latch mechanisms that latch over an axle flange of the wheel hub. The outer wheel cover has axially-inwardly-extending latches that secure the outer wheel cover to the mounting ring. The inner wheel locking structure includes axially-inwardly-extending latches that pass through openings in the outer wheel cover, securing the outer wheel cover to the mounting ring. The inner locking structure includes latches that pass through openings in the outer wheel cover. This inner locking structure includes locking pins that extend into the locking ring to lock the wheel cover latches to the mounting ring. A pair of inner locking faces on the inner locking structure lock the mounting ring latches to the wheel hub.

A wheel assembly includes a wheel having a surface and defining a plurality of slots and a cap having a cap surface. The cap includes a plurality of positioning posts extending from the cap surface, each positioning post including a pillar and a stop fixed to the pillar. The pillar extends farther from the cap surface than the stop. The stop has a distal end. Each pillar is received by one of the slots of the wheel and the distal end of each stop is engaged with the surface of the wheel.

A wheel guard includes a cover having a cone shape with an outer surface, an inner surface, a top end, a bottom rim, a first terminal edge running from the top end to the bottom rim, and a second terminal edge opposite the first terminal edge and running from the top end to the bottom rim. A coupler is configured to releasably couple the first terminal edge to a plurality of different radial points of the cover, thereby adjusting a diameter of the bottom rim.

A shading system for tires and wheels being built to a customized shape and size to cover at minimum the sidewall of a tire. The shading system may be comprised of, but is not limited to, multiple layers of shading material offering ultraviolet and heat protection for the covered area and a multipoint harness to secure the shade to the tire.

A wheel assembly having an outboard portion and an inboard portion including a wheel hub configured to enable fastening of the wheel assembly to a vehicle such that the outboard portion is oriented away from a centerline of the vehicle and the inboard portion is oriented toward the centerline of the vehicle, a wheel rim positioned concentrically with the wheel hub, and configured to receive one or more friction elements, and one or more wheel spokes radially connecting the wheel hub and the wheel rim, each of the one or more wheel spokes having a retainer positioned at an inboard portion, the retainer being configured to enable retaining one or more decorative parts at an outboard portion of the wheel assembly.

A vehicle wheel assembly includes a wheel. A tire is disposed around the wheel. A wheel cap is coupled to the wheel and includes a polymeric base. A substantially transparent cap is positioned on the base which defines a first surface and a second surface. The second surface integrally defines an optical grating.

Methods for wirelessly communicating with vehicle adapted to be at least partially powered by a human are disclosed. An example method may include transmitting data from a device remote from the vehicle and configured to communicate with the vehicle, receiving the data at the vehicle, and configuring a parameter of the vehicle based on the data.

In one embodiment, a vehicle wheel cover assembly is provided that includes a mount having an attachment portion with a release configuration that permits the attachment portion to engage inboard and outboard surfaces of a wheel hub flange of a wheel and a secured configuration that fixes the attachment portion to the wheel hub flange. The wheel cover assembly includes a retainer shiftable relative to the attachment portion of the mount from an unlocked position wherein the retainer permits the attachment portion to be reconfigured between the release configuration and the secured configured configuration to a locked position wherein the retainer maintains the attachment portion in the secured configuration. The wheel cover assembly further includes a cover assembly configured to be releasably secured to the mount to cover an opening of the wheel.

The present invention relates to a fastener, such as a bolt or a nut, for fastening a wheel to a vehicle, comprising: a body comprising: a cap receiving portion, a threaded portion and a central axis; and a cap, arranged to be received by and cover said cap receiving portion characterized in that said cap receiving portion comprises a recess or a protrusion against which said cap can be deformed, or has been deformed, such that said cap forms a mutual matching protrusion or recess, wherein said recess or protrusion of said cap receiving portion has a longitudinal extension essentially parallel to said central axis. The present invention also relates to a method for assembling a fastener.