WO2012143881A1

WO2012143881A1 - Spare wheel carrier for a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2012143881A1
Application number: PCT/IB2012/051969
Authority: WO
Inventors: Morris Gerhardus POTGIETER
Original assignee: BOTHA, Theunis Johannes; Price, Arnold
Priority date: 2011-04-19
Filing date: 2012-04-19
Publication date: 2012-10-26
Also published as: ZA201404716B

Abstract

The invention relates to a spare wheel carrier (10) for wheeled vehicles. The carrier (10) includes a slide arrangement (12) having a base member and a sliding member (16) which is slidably connected to the base member, as well as a mounting arrangement (22) which is tiltably connected to the sliding member (16) and which is configured for a wheel to be removably mountable thereto. The sliding member (16) is slidable relative to the base member between a stored position and a drawn-out position, the mounting arrangement (22) being configured to tilt, when the sliding member (16) is in the drawn-out position, relative to the sliding member (16) between a storage orientation and a mount orientation for facilitating the mounting or removal of a wheel to or from the mounting arrangement (22).

Description

SPARE WHEEL CARRIER FOR A VEHICLE

FIELD OF INVENTION

THIS INVENTION relates generally to spare wheel carriers for wheeled vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

A large percentage of transport vehicles do not carry spare wheels. Some of the reasons may be: that the spare wheels are expensive and therefore a theft risk; that it is difficult for an individual to handle a wheel due to its bulk and weight; and the possibility exists of the spare wheel being swopped without the owner's knowledge.

When travelling across international borders, a spare wheel is often a prerequisite for entering a country. Therefore, the absence of a spare wheel may be problematic in these circumstances.

Current spare wheel carriers are mainly based on a ratchet arrangement which is difficult to use. On older trucks, these arrangements sometimes become faulty, since they are not regularly tested and serviced. When a transport vehicle requires a tyre change, the driver may be forced to call for assistance even if the vehicle has a spare tyre, due to the handling difficulties mentioned above.

The Inventor wishes to alleviate at least some of the above identified problems by providing a spare wheel carrier which is relatively easy to operate and which provides secure storage.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a spare wheel carrier for a vehicle, the carrier including:

a slide arrangement having a base member and a sliding member which is slidably connected to the base member; and

a mounting arrangement which is tiltably connected to the sliding member and which is configured for a wheel to be removably mountable thereto, wherein the sliding member is slidable relative to the base member between a stored position and a drawn-out position, the mounting arrangement being configured to tilt, when the sliding member is in the drawn-out position, relative to the sliding member between a storage orientation and a mount orientation for facilitating the mounting or removal of a wheel to or from the mounting arrangement.

For the purposes of this specification, the term "vehicle" is to be interpreted to include any form of wheeled transport, such as motor vehicles, trucks, trailers, caravans, etc.

The base member may include a pair of guide members. The guide members may include bearings (e.g. roller or ball bearings). More specifically, the slide arrangement may include a pair of parallel, linear guide members defining respective guide paths with the bearings located therein, and the sliding member in the form of a tray having a bearing surface for engaging the bearings and thus being slidably movable along the length of the guide members. Preferably, the guide members should be heavy duty slides to support the weight of a wheel, when mounted on the mounting arrangement. In an alternative embodiment, the bearings may be provided on the tray and the compiemental bearing surfaces on the guide members.

The mounting arrangement may include a seat on which the wheel may be seated, thereby to facilitate the mounting or removal of the wheel to or from the mounting arrangement, when in the mount orientation. The mounting arrangement may include a securing mechanism for securing a part, e.g. a rim, of the wheel to the mounting arrangement.

The mounting arrangement may be configured to facilitate, when in the mount orientation, the mounting or removal of a wheel on or from the mounting arrangement, when the wheel is in an upright position where a rotational axis of the wheel is substantially parallel to a slide direction of the sliding member. Furthermore, the mounting arrangement may be configured to tilt from the mount orientation where a wheel, which is mounted on the mounting arrangement, is in its upright position, to a storage orientation where the wheel is in a recumbent position where its rotational axis is substantially perpendicular to the slide direction. Therefore, the mounting arrangement may be tiltable between an upright, mount orientation and a recumbent, storage orientation.

The mounting arrangement may be configured to be tiltable relative to the sliding member about a tilt axis which is substantially perpendicular to a slide direction of the sliding member. More specifically, the tilt axis may also be perpendicular to a rotational axis of a wheel, when the wheel is mounted on the mounting arrangement. Even more specifically, the tilt axis may intersect the rotational axis of the wheel, when mounted on the mounting arrangement. Alternatively, should the tilt axis and rotational axis not intersect each other, the mounting arrangement may include a counterweight which facilitates relative easy tilting of the mounting arrangement between the storage and mount orientations. The carrier may include a handle which is connected to the mounting arrangement for allowing a user to grasp and slide the sliding member between the stored and drawn-out positions. Additionally, the handle may be used to tilt the mounting arrangement between the storage and mount orientations.

The carrier may include a locking arrangement for locking the sliding member in the stored position. More specifically, the locking arrangement may be in the form of a dual locking arrangement including first and second locking mechanisms, wherein the first locking mechanism is configured to lock the sliding member releasably the drawn- out position when the sliding member is drawn out from the stored position to the drawn- out position. The second locking mechanism may include a locking rod and receiving housing for locking the sliding member in the stored position.

The slide arrangement may be connectable to a chassis of the vehicle. More specifically, the carrier may include a mounting plate which is connected to the base member of the slide arrangement for rendering the carrier mountable to the chassis of the vehicle. When mounted to the chassis of the vehicle, the sliding member may be slidable away from the chassis, in a generally horizontal direction, from the stored position to the drawn-out position. Furthermore, the mounting arrangement may as a result be tiltable about a substantially horizontal tilt axis.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a spare wheel securing arrangement which includes:

a spare wheel carrier as defined above; and

a tamper-evident device which is configured to send an alert signal once tapering of the spare wheel carrier is detected.

The tamper-evident device may be specifically adapted to detect tampering of a locking arrangement of the spare wheel carrier.

The tamper-evident device may be configured to send an alert signal via the Internet or by SMS to a specific entity or person, e.g. the owner. The tamper-evident device may thus include an electronic communication module, and associated components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In the drawings'.

Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a spare wheel carrier in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows a three-dimensional view of the spare wheel carrier of Figure 1 , with the sliding member in a drawn-out position and a mounting arrangement of the spare wheel carrier in a recumbent, storage orientation;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a part of Figure 2;

Figures 4(a) to 4(c) are side views of the spare wheel carrier of Figure 2, with the mounting arrangement in various positions; and

Figure 5 shows a side view of a truck to which a number of the spare wheel carriers of Figure 1 are mounted;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the Figures, reference numeral 10 refers generally to a spare wheel carrier for a vehicle 100 in accordance with the invention.

The spare wheel carrier 10 includes a slide arrangement 12. The slide arrangement 12 has a base member which includes a pair of parallel, linear guide members 14.1 , 14.2 defining respective guide paths. A series of bearings (not shown) are located in each guide member 14.1 , 14.2. The slide arrangement 12 also includes a pair of sliding members 16.1 , 16.2 each having a bearing surface for engaging the bearings of the respective guide members 14.1 , 14.2 and thus being slidably movable along the length of the guide members 14.1 , 14.2. The pair of sliding members 16.1 , 16.2 together form a tray. The guide members 14.1 , 14.2 are mounted to a mounting structure 19 for rendering the carrier 10 mountable to a chassis 110 of the vehicle 100.

A mounting arrangement 22 is tiltably connected to the tray 18. More specifically, the mounting arrangement 22 includes a base plate 41 which is connected to the tray by means of a hinge mechanism 24 which is positioned proximate an end 25 of the tray. The hinge mechanism 24 is oriented to allow the mounting arrangement 22 to tilt about a tilt axis 71 which is substantially perpendicular to a slide direction of the tray. More specifically, the tilt axis 71 is also substantially horizontal, when fitted to the chassis 110 of the vehicle 100.

When in a stored position (see Figures 4c), the guide members 14.1 , 14.2 and mounting structure 19 inhibit the mounting arrangement 22 from tilting. However, when the tray 18 is drawn out into a drawn-out position, the mounting arrangement 22 is free to tilt from a recumbent, storage orientation (see Figure 4b) to an upright, mount orientation (see Figure 4a).

The mounting arrangement 22 furthermore includes a retaining frame 31 or cradle for retaining the wheel 30 in position to help facilitate mounting and removal thereof on and from the carrier 10. The frame 31 includes a seat 42 on which the wheel 30 may be seated; a ramp (not shown) which projects from one end of the seat 42, thereby to allow the wheel 30 to be rolled onto the seat 42; and two generally L-shaped retaining members 37.1 , 37.2 which protect outwardly and upwardly from the base plate 41 , and are inclined relative to each other. A handle 32 may be defined by an upper part of the seat 42 thereby to allow a user to grasp and slide the tray 18 along the guide members 14.1 , 14.2 between the stored position (shown in Figure 4c) and the drawn-out position (shown in Figures 4a and 4b).

The mounting arrangement 22 includes a securing mechanism 29 which is configured to secure a rim 21 of a wheel 30 thereto. This securing mechanism can take many different forms, and the particular design is therefore not of concern insofar as the invention is concerned. Furthermore, the carrier 10 includes a dual locking arrangement which includes first and second locking mechanisms 300, 302. The first locking mechanism 300 includes a spring-loaded locking pin 304 which is configured to lock the tray 25 releasably in both the stored or drawn-out positions. The second locking mechanism 302 comprises a threaded bolt 302.2 that extends from the frame, and a complementary receiving bush 302.1 located on the displaceable part of the frame, and more particularly on the mounting arrangement. When the carrier 10 is displaced to the stored position (Figure 4c) the bolt 302.2 extends into the bush 302.1 , and can be secured relative to the bush by way of a special lock nut (not shown) requiring a special customized tool to operate.

Although not shown, a tamper-evident device may be connected to the locking arrangement 34, the tamper-evident device includes a communication module which is configured to send an alert signal to an entity or person, such as the owner, via the Internet or by SMS, once tampering of the locking arrangement has been detected.

In order to mount the spare wheel 30 on the spare wheel carrier 10 of the vehicle 100, the tray 18 is pulled out by the handle 32 from its stored position (see Figure 4c) to its drawn-out position (see Figure 4b). Once in the drawn-out position, the handle 32 is again used to tilt the mounting arrangement 22 from the recumbent, storage orientation (see Figure 4b) to an upright, mount orientation (see Figure 4a). In the upright, mount orientation, the ramp contacts a ground surface which allows the wheel 30 to be rolled onto the seat 42 (without needing to lift the whole wheel 30). The wheel 30 is therefore placed in the seat 42 in an upright position where a rotational axis of the wheel 30 is generally horizontal. The wheel 30 is then secured to the mounting arrangement 22 by means of the securing mechanism 29 (the securing mechanism 29 could be locked in place, e.g. by means of a padlock or the like).

When the wheel 30 is secured, the tilt axis 71 is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the wheel 30. Furthermore, the tilt axis 71 extends obliquely across the wheel 30 and intersects the rotational axis, thereby to allow the mounting arrangement 22 to be tilted relatively easily, since the wheel 30 is balanced about the tilt axis 71. In an embodiment where the wheel 30 is not balanced about the tilt axis 71 , a counterweight may be used to facilitate the tilting process. Once secured, the handle 42 may be used to tilt the mounting arrangement to the recumbent, storage orientation (see Figure 5), where after the tray 18 is pushed back into its storage position (see Figure 4).

The retrieval of a stored spare wheel 30 is conducted in a similar manner.

As shown in Figure 7, a vehicle 100, such as a truck, may have a number of these spare wheel carriers 10, thereby to allow the vehicle 100 to carry multiple spare wheels 30.

The Inventor believes that the spare wheel carrier 10, in accordance with the invention, is easy to use and can be operated by an individual (typically a truck driver). One of the key features which allows this is the slide-and-tilt action of the carrier 10. Another key feature is the fact that the wheel 30, when mounted, is balanced about the tilt axis 71. The Inventor further believes that the locking mechanism together with the tamper device provide an effective anti-theft arrangement.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A spare wheel carrier for a vehicle, the carrier including:

2. The spare wheel carrier of claim 1 in which the base member include a pair of guide members defining bearing surfaces for supporting complementary bearings provided on the sliding member.

3. The spare wheel carrier of claiml or claim 2 in which the mounting arrangement includes a seat on which the wheel may be seated, thereby to facilitate the mounting or removal of the wheel to or from the mounting arrangement, when in the mount orientation.

4. The spare wheel carrier of claim 3 in which the mounting arrangement includes a securing mechanism for securing a part of the wheel to the mounting arrangement.

5. The spare wheel carrier of any one of the preceding claims in which the mounting arrangement is configured to facilitate, when in the mount orientation, the mounting or removal of a wheel on or from the mounting arrangement, when the wheel is in an upright position where a rotational axis of the wheel is substantially parallel to a slide direction of the sliding member.

6. The spare wheel carrier of claim 5 in which the mounting arrangement is configured to tilt from the mount orientation where a wheel, which is mounted on the mounting arrangement, is in its upright position, to a storage orientation where the wheel is in a recumbent position where its rotational axis is substantially perpendicular to the slide direction.

7. The spare wheel carrier of any one of the preceding claims in which the mounting arrangement is configured to be tiltable relative to the sliding member about a tilt axis which is substantially perpendicular to a slide direction of the sliding member.

8. The spare wheel carrier of claim 7 in which the tilt axis is perpendicular to a rotational axis of a wheel, when the wheel is mounted on the mounting arrangement.

9. The spare wheel carrier of claim 8 in which the tilt axis intersects the rotational axis of the wheel, when mounted on the mounting arrangement.

10. The spare wheel carrier of any of the preceding claims including a locking arrangement for locking the sliding member in the stored position.

1 1. The spare wheel carrier of claim of claim 10 in which the locking arrangement is in the form of a dual locking arrangement including first and second locking mechanisms, wherein the first locking mechanism is configured to lock the sliding member releasably in the drawn-out position when the sliding member is drawn out from the stored position to the drawn-out position, and the second locking mechanism comprises a locking rod and receiving housing for locking the sliding member in the stored position.

12. The spare wheel carrier of any one of the inventions in which the slide arrangement is connectable to a chassis of the vehicle.

13. The spare wheel carrier of claim 1 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying representations.

14. A spare wheel securing arrangement including:

a spare wheel carrier as defined above; and

a tamper-evident device which is configured to send an alert signal once tapering of the spare wheel carrier is detected