AU2009201115B2

AU2009201115B2 - Wheel changing device

Info

Publication number: AU2009201115B2
Application number: AU2009201115A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Michael Kym Schmidt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-03-19
Filing date: 2009-03-19
Publication date: 2014-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 2029-03-19
Also published as: AU2009201115A1

Abstract

A device to assist in the changing of a tyre for a four-wheel drive or SUV motor vehicle, said device including: an elongated body with a handle or lever extending there from the length of said body; a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel 5 members having first and second ends, a connecting member to rotably connect the parallel members at their respective first ends to the elongated body; ground engaging wheels positioned at the second end of each of these substantially parallel members; such that when a tyre requires changing the vehicle is jacked up and the device is then slid in under the tyre such that the first and second 10 parallel members are positioned with one on each side of the ground-engaging portion of the tyre, and the elongate member supporting the handle extends in the direction of the axis of rotation of the wheel so the device supports the tyre with a lever effect. Lni

Description

58930 JOM:JO P/00/0 11 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: MICHAEL KYM SCHMIDT Actual Inventor: MICHAEL KYM SCHMIDT Address for Service: COLLISON & CO., 117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: WHEEL CHANGING DEVICE Details of Associated Provisional Application: Australian Patent Application No. 2008901332 dated 19 March 2008 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a device to assist in the changing of a vehicle wheel assembly. For the purposes of explanation, reference will be made to use of the present 5 invention with respect to wheel assemblies (i.e. a tyre fitted to a rim) for four wheel drive or Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV's). It would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art however that the invention is not necessarily limited to use with wheel assemblies of this type and size, its application could instead extend to use with smaller or indeed larger wheel assemblies. 10 BACKGROUND ART The wheel assembly of a four-wheel drive or SUV is large, heavy and awkward to handle. This makes the task of changing one of these wheel assemblies especially challenging. The tasks of lifting or lowering the wheel assembly can be particularly strenuous and dirty, and they places the person changing the wheel 15 at risk of sustaining a musculoskeletal injury. It is an object of this invention therefore to provide a device that will reduce the likelihood that a person will sustain a musculoskeletal injury when changing a vehicle wheel assembly. It is a further object of the invention to provide a device that will assist a person to 20 handle and lift a vehicle wheel assembly. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, 3 wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In one form of this invention there is proposed a device to assist in the changing 5 of a vehicle wheel assembly including a substantially elongate body having a handle at or toward a first end, a portion adapted to contact the ground at or toward a second end, and a portion adapted to support a vehicle wheel positioned between these Preferably, the portion adapted to support the vehicle wheel is bifurcate. 10 Preferably, the bifurcate portion includes a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel members having first and second ends Preferably, a connecting member connects the parallel members at or toward their respective first ends. Preferably, there is a ground-engaging wheel positioned at or toward the second 15 end of each of these substantially parallel members. Preferably, the first and second parallel members are spaced far enough a part that they can be positioned one on either side of the ground engaging portion of the tyre, but not so far apart that this separating distance is greater than the diameter of the tyre. 20 Preferably, the first and second parallel members are longer than the width of the widest tyre they are adapted to lift.

4 Preferably, the device is articulated at a point at or near the connecting member so that the device can be folded. In a further form, the invention may be said to lie in a method of lifting a vehicle wheel using the device described above, including the steps of positioning the 5 device such that the first and second parallel members are positioned with one on each side of the ground engaging portion of the tyre, and the handle extends in the direction of the axis of rotation of the wheel, and lifting the handle so as to provide a levering action that lifts the wheel. Preferably, the fulcrum for the lever action is the point at which the devices i wheels contact the ground. In yet a further form, the invention may be said to lie in a kit of parts including the device described above, and a surface or track upon or in which the device's wheels can roll. Preferably, the kit includes a track providing a pair of channels in which the 15 device's wheels can roll. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of this invention it will now be described with respect to the preferred embodiment which shall be described herein with the assistance of drawings wherein; 20 Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device, illustrating it with the handle extended; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device in Figure 1, illustrating it with the handle folded; 5 Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device in Figure 1 with the handle extended, from a different viewpoint; Figures 4 and 5 are side views of the device in Figure 1, showing it in use, lifting a wheel assembly relative to a vehicle; and 5 Figure 6 is a perspective view of the device in Figure 1, showing it supporting a vehicle tyre, and running on a track. Referring now to Figure 1, where there is a device 1 to assist in the changing of a vehicle wheel assembly having a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel members 2 having first 2a and second 2b ends, and a connecting member 4 10 connecting the parallel members at their respective first ends 2a. There is a ground-engaging wheel 6 positioned at the second end 2b of each of these substantially parallel members 2. The parallel members 2 are adapted to support a vehicle wheel assembly, and so they are spaced far enough a part that they can be positioned one on either side 15 of the ground engaging portion of the tyre, but not so far apart that this separating distance is greater than the diameter of the tyre. Furthermore, these members 2 are longer than the width of the widest tyre they are adapted to lift. There is a collar 10 passing around the connecting member 4, and an elongate member 12 supporting a handle 14 connected to the collar 10. This collar 10 can 20 rotate around the connecting member 4 so as to allow the elongate member 12 supporting the handle 14 to be folded between an extended position as shown in Figures 1 and 3, and a folded position. In the folded position, the elongate member 12 supporting the handle 14 passes between the pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel members 2, as shown in Figure 2.

6 In practice, the substantially parallel members 2 and the connecting member 4 are made from steel rod or tubing, and they are welded together. There is a steel roller 15 running on each of the parallel members 2, in use, these rollers contact the tyre of the wheel assembly being supported by the device. These rollers 15 s permit the wheel assembly to be rotated whilst it is being supported on them, so that the holes in the wheel can be aligned with the wheel studs. There is a short length of steel bar 20 welded to each end of the collar 10, so as to extend beyond the ends of the collar. These can be best seen in Figure 3. These are fixed to the collar 10 in such a position, and extend so far, that they act 10 as stops, that prevent the elongate member 12 supporting the handle 14 from folding when the device 1 is supporting a wheel assembly upon the spaced apart, substantially parallel members 2. In use, the device 1 can be stored in a vehicle 32 in its folded position. When required, the elongate member 12 supporting the handle 14 is rotated about the 15 connecting member 4 until extended. When removing a wheel assembly 30 from the vehicle 32 the nuts should be loosened very slightly (cracked) while the tyre is in contact with the ground. The vehicle should be jacked up until the tyre to be changed is just clear of the ground; the wheel nuts are then removed from the studs. The device 1 is then 20 slid in under the wheel assembly 30 such that the first and second parallel members 2 are positioned with one on each side of the ground-engaging portion of the tyre, and the elongate member 12 supporting the handle 14 extends in the direction of the axis of rotation of the wheel In this position, the point at which the device's wheels 6 contact the ground C is on the opposite side of the wheel 25 assembly 30 to the handle 14. The distance CB between this point C and the point B at which the device supports the wheel assembly 30 on the rollers 15 is much shorter than the distance CA between this point C and the handle 14, 7 creating a lever effect with a mechanical advantage that benefits the user. Accordingly, the device 1 reduces the load that must be lifted by the user to lift the wheel assembly 30. The user can then lift the wheel assembly 30 with one hand via the handle 14, and use their free hand to steady the wheel assembly 30 5 on the device 1. In cases where the vehicle 32 is being driven upon a surface such as sand or mud, a user of the device 1 may experience difficulties rolling the device's wheels 6 on this surface. In such instances, it was considered that it would be useful to provide a surface or track upon or in which the device's wheels 6 can roll. 10 Referring now to Figure 6 then, which illustrates a portable track 40, which can be laid upon the ground, and which includes a pair of spaced apart channels 42 in which the wheels 6 of the device 1 can run when changing a wheel assembly 30. It is considered that the device according to the present invention will be of 15 particular use to those requiring assistance to lift and handle a wheel assembly when changing said wheel assembly. Throughout this specification the purpose has been to illustrate the invention and not to limit this.

Claims

1. A device to assist in the changing of a tyre for a four-wheel drive or SUV motor vehicle, said device including: an elongated body supporting a handle or lever extending there from the length of said elongated body; a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel members having first and second ends; a connecting member to rotatably connect the pair of substantially parallel members at their respective first ends to the elongated body; at least one pair of ground-engaging wheels positioned at the second end of each of the substantially parallel members; a collar passing around the connecting member such that the collar is rotatable around the connecting member so as to allow the elongated body supporting the handle to be folded between an extended position and a folded position; at least one bar being connected to each end of the collar, so that each bar extends beyond the ends of the collar so that each bar acts as a stop to maintain the elongated body supporting the handle in an extended position when the device is in use; wherein use to change the tyre of the vehicle, the vehicle is jacked up, the elongated body supporting the handle is moved into an extended position and the device is then slid in under the tyre such that the first and second parallel members are positioned with one on each side of the ground engaging portion of the tyre, and the elongated body supporting the handle 9 extends in the direction of the axis of rotation of the wheel so the device supports the tyre with a lever effect.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the pair of substantially parallel members are spaced far enough a part that they can be positioned one on either side of the ground engaging portion of the tyre, but not so far apart that this separating distance is greater than the diameter of the tyre to be changed.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the pair of substantially parallel members are longer than the width of the widest tyre they are adapted to change.

4. The device of any one of the preceding claims wherein the folded position has the elongated body supporting the handle passing between the pair of substantially parallel members.

5. The device of any one of the preceding claims further including a roller on each of the substantially parallel members wherein in use, each roller contacts with the tyre of the wheel assembly being supported by the device such that the rollers permit the wheel assembly to be rotated whilst it is being supported on them, so that the holes in the wheel can be aligned with the wheel studs of the motor vehicle.

6. The device of any one of the preceding claims further including a pair of channels positional about the tyre to be changed in which the ground engaging wheels can roll upon.

7. A method of changing a tyre for a four wheel drive or SUV motor vehicle using the device as in any one of the preceding claims, , including the steps of positioning the device such that the first and second parallel members are positioned with one on each side of the ground engaging portion 10 of the tyre, and the handle extends in the direction of the axis of rotation of the wheel, and lifting the handle so as to provide a levering action that lifts the wheel.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the fulcrum for the lever action is the point at which the pair of ground-engaging wheels of the device contact the ground.