US 11,667,150 B2
Hub cap vent shield
Daniel T. Jimenez, Diana, TX (US); Herman E. Goins, Jr., Kilgore, TX (US); Mark N. Gold, Hallsville, TX (US); and Lucia Santamaria, Katy, TX (US)
Assigned to Stemco Products, Inc., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by STEMCO PRODUCTS, INC., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed on May 27, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/332,582.
Application 17/332,582 is a continuation of application No. 16/606,719, granted, now 11,021,009, previously published as PCT/US2019/016475, filed on Feb. 4, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/629,266, filed on Feb. 12, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0354506 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. B60B 7/00 (2006.01); B60B 7/04 (2006.01)
CPC B60B 7/002 (2013.01) [B60B 7/04 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vent plug for a hub cap comprising, a cover comprising a plurality of cover ribs forming concentric rings extending from the cover;
a base coupled to the cover and defining an interface, the base being inboard of the cover and comprising a plurality of base ribs forming concentric rings extending from the base, wherein the plurality of base ribs extending from the base are offset from the plurality of cover ribs extending from the cover to form a labyrinth path between the cover and the base;
a chamber between and defined by the cover and the base;
an annular vent plug body extending in an inboard direction from the base where the base and the annular vent plug body defines a hollow cavity having a shield inboard of the base such that the shield generally traverses the hollow cavity;
wherein
a vent path configured to place a lubrication cavity of a wheel end assembly in fluid communication with the hollow cavity that inhibits liquid leaking between the wheel end assembly and the hollow cavity of the vent plug.