WO1995015880A1

WO1995015880A1 - Fastening means for fastening a spare wheel in a vehicle and a spare wheel stowage compartment between a vehicle load floor and a vehicle body

Info

Publication number: WO1995015880A1
Application number: PCT/SE1994/001159
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lars Jonsson
Original assignee: Ab Volvo
Priority date: 1993-12-06
Filing date: 1994-12-02
Publication date: 1995-06-15
Also published as: SE9304092L; SE502149C2; SE9304092D0

Abstract

The invention relates to means for fastening a spare wheel (W) in the space between the bodywork (19) and load floor (16) of a vehicle. The means comprises an elongate rod (1) having an enlarged head portion (2) at one end and a guide member (3) attached to the rod (1) proximate to but spaced from the head portion (2). The fastening means further comprises a mounting part (4, 4a, 4b) attached to, or formed in, the vehicle, whereby the mounting part has a wall (6, 6a, 6b) delimiting an internal cup-shaped space (7) with an inner guiding surface adapted for centralizing the guide member (3). The mounting part (4, 4a, 4b) further includes a base portion (8, 8a, 8b) with an aperture (10, 10a, 10b) therein for reeceiving said head portion (2).

Description

Fastening means for fastening a spare wheel in a vehicle and a spare wheel stowage compartment between a vehicle load floor and a vehicle body.

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a fastening means for fastening a spare wheel in a vehicle.

State of the art

Fastening means of the aforementioned type are known in the prior art and are often used for fastening the spare wheel located in a bodywork well of a vehicle luggage compartment. The wheel is commonly fastened in its stowed position by means of a threaded rod, bolt or the like having a large plate member or similar thereon, whereby the bolt is introduced through the hub or bolt hole of the wheel rim and screwed down until the plate member presses the wheel firmly against the vehicle body. The fastened wheel is then normally covered by a wooden panel or the like to provide a load floor which acts as the base for the luggage compartment. The vehicle lifting jack may first be placed on top of the wheel and secured, for example by some type of elastic strap or the like, before replacing the load floor on top of all these, or alternatively may be stowed separately.

Background to the invention

Conventional fastening arrangements as mentioned above have several drawbacks. Firstly, the fitting of the bolt through the wheel hub and into the threaded aperture in the bodywork below is an awkward operation since the threaded aperture is obscured by the wheel, thus making proper thread engagement particularly difficult. This is notably the case for example when changing a wheel at night or in the cold when this operation is made even more difficult. One main object of the invention is to overcome this difficulty.

A further problem which arises is that in order to remove the spare wheel, the securing bolt for the spare wheel must be unscrewed from the threaded aperture. Due to ingress of dirt, rust formation and the like, this operation itself can be extremely difficult and, even where all surfaces are clean and free-running, the problem arises of where one should put the bolt when requiring two hands to remove the wheel. These securing bolts are thus often placed on the road or elsewhere (e.g. in the luggage space) whilst the wheel is being removed and as a result are frequently left by the roadside or roll away inaccessibly in the luggage space.

A still further problem which presents itself is the securing of the jack after wheel stowage, requiring thus additional means such as a strap and securing brackets for holding the jack in place, which increases costs.

The bolt for fastening the wheel in place is often of a length which is suitable for the standard wheels of a vehicle when supplied originally. A problem thus may arise when fitting e.g. alloy wheels as an accessory if the hub is located at a different distance from the outer plane of the wheel, the bolt then being either too long or too short.

Summary of the invention

One or more of the above mentioned problems are solved by the invention which is defined by the features of claim 1. Preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. Further advantages of the invention will also become apparent to the skilled man upon reading the following description.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig.l shows a view of the fastening means in accordance with the present invention in a fastened position;

Fig.2 and Figs. 3 and 4 show respective views of one embodiment of a mounting portion in accordance with the present invention;

Fig.5 shows a side view of one embodiment of the threaded rod used in accordance with the invention;

Fig.6 shows a view from below of the rod of Fig.5;

Fig.7 shows a second embodiment of the invention whereby the mounting part has been formed in a vehicle floor panel, and

Fig.8 shows a third embodiment of the invention wherein the mounting part is formed both in the vehicle floor and with an added fixture.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments Fig.l depicts a wheel W in cross section, positioned in the spare wheel stowage space of a vehicle formed between a part of the vehicle bodywork 19 and a load floor 16 upon which luggage or other items are placed in normal everyday use. A mounting portion 4, which will be described in more detail later, is attached to the vehicle bodywork 19 by appropriate means such as welding. Alternatively, as will be described in relation to Figs. 7 and 8, the mounting portion 4 may be formed in the vehicle bodywork.

The enlarged head portion 2 of a threaded rod 1 is located below the raised base 8 (see Fig.2) of the mounting 4 and is restrained against upward movement thereby. The rod 1 extends through holes arranged in the sides of a lifting jack 15 to a location below the load floor 16 and a nut 12 (e.g. a nut having a nylon insert to prevent loosening due to vibrations) is tightened down on the threaded rod 1 against the jack 15, thus holding the wheel and jack firmly secured in said space for transport.

The mounting part 4 and its function will now be described in more detail with respect to Figs. 1 to 4.

The mounting member 4 may for example consist of a single stamped metal part which has a generally circular flange portion 9 (for attachment to the vehicle bodywork 19) continuing into an upwardly extending outer wall portion 5 which is roundly curved at the top edge before extending downwardly as an inner wall portion 6.

It should be noted that whilst the wall 6 has been shown as being substantially vertical with a rounded top edge, the wall 6 may also be given a slope of any suitable angle (e.g. cone angle 60°) so as to give an inwardly sloping conical wall surface (in a direction downwards) . Similarly a flat upper edge between walls 5 and 6 may be provided.

Attached to the inner wall 6 is a base portion 8 which is raised a distance "a" above the flange 9, thus forming a raised inner cup-shaped space 7. In the raised base 8 , an aperture 10 is formed having a substantially rectangular shape (see the plan view in Fig.3) .

As can be seen, two integral projections 14 are arranged pointing downwardly into the space below the base 8. These are suitably formed by leaving adequate material for their formation in the plane of the aperture 10 upon stamping and then subsequently bending this material downwardly into the vertical position shown. The bent material sections 14 can also be seen in the view shown in Fig.4.

An example of the threaded rod 1 used in the invention is depicted in Figs. 5 and 6. At one end the rod is provided with an enlarged head portion 2 which may be integral or attached to said end. The other end of the rod has a threaded portion 11. The head portion 2 has a depth "b" which is less than the depth "a" of the mounting part 4 and has rectangular dimensions less than those of the corresponding aperture 10, such that the head 2 may pass all the way through the aperture 10 and then be rotated beneath the base portion 8 of the mounting part 4 about a vertical axis in the manner of a bayonet fitting.

A washer 3, plate or other similar member is located on the rod 1 at a distance above the enlarged head such that the head 2 may fit into the space below the base 8 of the mounting part without the washer 3 interfering with inner surfaces 6, 8 of the mounting part 4. The washer 3 preferably has a length (or in this case, since it is circular, a diameter) "x" which is larger than the length "y" of the head portion 2. The dimension "x" may however be substantially the same as "y" . Similarly, the inner diameter of the space 7 in the mounting part defined by wall 6 is slightly larger than the dimension "x", so that the washer 3 is spaced from the wall 6 in the position shown in Fig.l. In this way, the washer 3 acts as a guide member for the rod 1 and head portion 2 by first engaging the rounded upper edge of the wall portions 6, 7 and then by centralizing the washer 3 and thus the head portion 2 during its passage into the cup-shaped space 7. When the head 2 reaches the base 8 it need then merely be rotated until it aligns with the aperture 10 to be able to pass therethrough. Once it has passed through the aperture 10 it may be rotated about 90° (normally clockwise) to a position where its rotation is blocked by the projections 14. The actual angle of rotation will be dependent on the longitudinal distance separating the projections 14 and the dimensions of the head 2. The rotation of the rod and head respectively may normally be effected merely by the rotation of the locking nut 12 (see Fig.l) .

The rod 1 is coupled in a suitable manner to the jack 15 so that it may rotate and slide with respect thereto. For this purpose, the jack is foreseen with holes in the sidewalls thereof to allow the rod 1 to pass therethrough. Circlips or other restraining means may of course be used if desired to limit this sliding and/or rotational movement.

Although the jack handle 22 has been shown (for reasons of clarity) in Fig.l as broken into two sections, a lever part 22 and a handle part 23, it should be noted that these two parts are normally connected.

In order to secure the wheel W to the vehicle, a nut 12 is provided on the other side of the jack 15. The nut 12 is welded or otherwise securely attached to a wing 13 which acts as a means for easier gripping and turning by the user.

Since the rod 1 is coupled to the jack unit 15, removal of the jack 15 does not require separate removal and possible loss of the rod 1, since mere loosening of the nut 12 and rotation of the rod 1 is sufficient to remove the jack. The rod 1 also does not obstruct the ordinary use of the jack since the handle 22 operates clear of this. Additionally, it will be clear that no extra securing parts are required for the jack 15 such as cords, brackets or hooks of any type which thus means a significant cost saving.

The outer diameter of the upstanding wall 5 of the mounting portion 4 of the fastening means can be made very small whilst still maintaining its guiding function, which is particularly advantageous since this allows it to be used with wheel rims having constructions different to that shown where the hub may be very low (e.g. some alloy wheels) for example. In this way the fastening means can be fitted to many different types of vehicle and adapted for small and large wheels of different types. As will be seen in relation to the embodiment in Fig.7 for example, the height of the mounting part 4 above the floor can even be reduced to zero.

The upper end of the rod 1 is adapted to support the load floor 16 of the vehicle. This load floor is usually made of a wooden panel or the like and heavy loads often lead to sagging or breakage in the area above the spare wheel due to the unsupported space above the rim. The rod 1 in this invention thus obviates this drawback by supporting the load floor 16. The rod 1 could merely be positioned under the load floor with suitable strengthening at the point of contact with the load floor, but in the preferred embodiment shown, a resilient block 17 of rubber or plastics material has been fitted, e.g. by screwing or pushing, to the upper end of the rod 1. Similarly a support block, plate or buffer member 18, preferably of plastics material (e.g. injection moulded) has been attached to the underside of the load floor 16 to act as a load spreader and strengthener for the floor. It will be noted that the width of the wheel or the position of the hub relative to the wheel plane etc. will not affect the function of the rod 1 to act as a support for the load floor 16 since the height of the rod 1 above the bodywork 19 will always be the same. This is thus a further improvement over the prior art bolt-type securing methods.

In order to reduce the effects of squeaking and other noises caused by the relative movement of contacting parts, the upper surface 21 of the block 17 (or of the rod 1 if no block 17 is fitted) has been separated from the surface 20 of block 18 by a small distance "d" such that in the unloaded state there will be no contact, whilst in a loaded state the block 18 will contact block 17 and thus support said load floor 16. The rod 1 can thus, in its most preferred form, be seen to perform many functions whilst at the same time not only resulting in material and cost savings but also easier use.

It will be remarked that the length of the rod 1 in the aforementioned embodiment is necessarily long enough to pass through the jack as well as support the load floor. In addition, a nut 12 is applied to said rod 1. As such, the rod length will always be suitable for securing all wheel widths to be stowed in the space, which is in stark contrast to previous bolt-type wheel stowing arrangements.

In the following description of Figs. 7 and 8 the elements of the mounting part 4 corresponding to the elements of Figs. 1 to 6 have been denoted by the suffixes "a" and "b" respectively.

Fig.7 shows a further embodiment of the mounting part 4a which has been formed by pressing the vehicle floor panel 19 downwardly such that the wall 6a slopes conically inwardly down into a short vertical section (which further ensures centring) and then into a horizontal base portion 8a. An aperture 10a is formed in the base portion 8a and corresponds, for example, to the shape of the aperture 10 in the first embodiment. Equally, the aperture 10a is provided with downwardly projecting portions 14a to prevent rotation of the head member 2 on the rod 1. The rod 1, head 2 and washer 3 are here depicted in a non-tightened position of nut 12 such that the washer 3 is in contact with the base portion 8a.

In order to prevent ingress of dirt or water through the aperture 10a, the area below the aperture is sealed. In the depicted embodiment this has been effected by adding (e.g. by welding) a cover panel 24.

The manner of securing the wheel and jack is as described above and thus no further explanation is required here.

In the embodiment of Fig.8 the mounting part 4b has been formed partly by the additional fixture having inner and outer walls 5b and 6b and partly by the floor panel 19 which has had an aperture 10b with projections 14b arranged therein. In this case, the base 8b of the mounting part 4b comprises the vehicle floor panel 19 itself. As with the embodiment of Fig.7, a sealing cover 25 should ideally be fitted. The inner wall 6b of the mounting part 4b is made conical at the upper part with a small vertical wall section 26 (similar to that shown in Fig.7) attached to the base 8b for further centring assistance. It should also be noted that Fig.8 depicts a tightened position of the arrangement such that head 2 is in contact with the base portion 8b.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to these but may be varied within the scope of the invention defined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. Fastening means for fastening a spare wheel (W) in a vehicle, said fastening means comprising an elongate rod (1) provided at one end with an enlarged head portion (2) and a guide member (3) attached to said rod (1) proximate to and spaced from said enlarged head portion (2) , said fastening means further comprising a mounting part (4, 4a, 4b) attached to or formed in said vehicle, wherein said mounting part (4, 4a, 4b) is provided with a wall (6, 6a, 6b) delimiting an internal space (7) , said wall having an inner guiding surface (6, 6a, 6b) adapted for centralizing said guide member (3) , and wherein said mounting part (4, 4a, 4b) further comprises a base portion (8, 8a, 8b) with an aperture (10, 10a, 10b) therein sized to receive said head portion (2) and allow said head portion (2) to pass therethrough.

2. Fastening means according to claim 1, characterized in that said elongate rod (1) has an outer threaded portion (11) and in that said rod (1) is coupled to a jack unit (15).

3. Fastening means according to claim 2, characterized in that a tightening nut (12, 13) is threadably engaged with a threaded portion (11) of said rod.

4. Fastening means according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the other end of the rod (1) , opposite said one end, is arranged to support the underside of a vehicle load floor (16) .

5. Fastening means according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said head portion (2) and said aperture (10, 10a, 10b) are substantially rectangular, said aperture (10, 10a, 10b) being foreseen with at least one downwardly pointing projection (14, 14a, 14b) for preventing rotation of said enlarged head portion (2) when received within said aperture.

6. Fastening means according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said inner guiding surface is a conical surface (6a, 6b) .

7. Fastening means according to any of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that said rod (1) passes through aligned holes in side portions of said jack (15) .

8. Fastening means according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said guide member (3) is in the form of a cylindrical plate or washer, said plate or washer having a diameter (x) equal to or larger than the length (y) of said enlarged head portion (2) .

9. Spare wheel stowage compartment between a vehicle load floor (16) and a vehicle body (19) , characterized by the provision of fastening means in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, and further characterized in that the underside of said load floor (16) is provided with a buffer or plate member (18) , the lower side (20) of which is arranged, in the unloaded state, to be at a small distance (d) from the upper side of the rod (1) or, where a block (17) is fitted, from the upper side (21) of said block (17) .

10. Spare wheel stowage compartment according to claim 9, characterized in that said block (17) and/or said buffer member (18) comprises a resilient material.