US 11,796,018 B1
Vehicle wheel torque braces and methods of inhibiting vehicle wheel rotation
Ronald Scott Friend, Jeffersonville, KY (US); Robert Aaron Allex, Ewing, KY (US); Brian McElroy, Winchester, KY (US); David A. Britton, Florence, KY (US); and Billy D. Dooley, Irvine, KY (US)
Assigned to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed on Apr. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/717,348.
Int. Cl. B60T 3/00 (2006.01); F16D 63/00 (2006.01); B60B 30/02 (2006.01)
CPC F16D 63/00 (2013.01) [B60B 30/02 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle wheel torque brace for inhibiting rotation of a vehicle wheel, comprising:
a brace body comprising a relatively thick stopper portion and a relatively thin wedge portion that is stepped down in thickness relative to the stopper portion, the wedge portion decreases in thickness in a widthwise direction from one side of the brace body to an opposite side of the brace body; and
a contact pad is carried by the wedge portion, the contact pad and wedge portion are shaped and sized to be wedged between a tire of the vehicle wheel and a strut assembly to inhibit rotation of the vehicle wheel;
wherein the wedge portion decreases in thickness in a lengthwise direction from the stopper portion to a terminal edge of the wedge portion that extends between the one side of the brace body and the opposite side of the brace body.