Spare wheel carrier with a rotatable latch for rotating the spare wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12503178-B2
Application number	US-202118564249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2021
Priority date	Jun 25, 2021
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A spare wheel carrier intended to be mounted on a motor vehicle comprising a chassis for storing a spare wheel, the spare wheel carrier comprising a mounting bracket intended to be mounted on the chassis of the motor vehicle; a latch mounted on the mounting bracket, the spare wheel being intended to be attached to the latch, wherein the latch is movable, with at least a rotation movement relative to the mounting bracket, between a storage position in which the spare wheel is intended to extend in a horizontal plane, in a horizontal position and a release position in which the spare wheel is intended to extend in a vertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane, in a vertical position perpendicular to the horizontal position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A spare wheel carrier intended to be mounted on a motor vehicle comprising a chassis for storing a spare wheel, the spare wheel carrier comprising:
a mounting bracket intended to be mounted on the chassis of the motor vehicle; and a latch mounted on the mounting bracket, the spare wheel being intended to be attached to the latch; wherein the latch is movable, with at least a rotation movement relative to the mounting bracket, between a storage position in which the spare wheel is intended to extend in a horizontal plane, in a horizontal position and a release position in which the spare wheel is intended to extend in a vertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane, in a vertical position perpendicular to the horizontal position; wherein one of the mounting bracket and the latch comprises at least one first pin and the other one of the mounting bracket and the latch comprises at least one first groove in which the first pin is slidably engaged, the first groove defining a first path intended to be followed by the first pin to guide the latch when the latch is moved between the storage position and the release position; wherein the at least one first groove comprises a straight part vertically extending when the latch is in the storage position, and a circular part extending along a circular arc; and wherein the at least one first pin comprises a main pin, the main pin being engaged in the straight part of the first groove when the latch is in the storage position, and in the circular part of the first groove when the latch is in the release position.

2 . The spare wheel carrier of claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket comprises a planar mounting surface through which the mounting bracket is intended to be mounted on the chassis and extending in an attaching plane, the vertical plane being parallel to the attaching plane.

3 . The spare wheel carrier of claim 1 , wherein the latch is movable with a vertical translation movement relative to the mounting bracket between the storage position and the release position, the vertical translation movement extending in a plane parallel to the vertical plane.

4 . The spare wheel carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first groove comprises at least a recess for locking at least one of the at least one first pin when the latch is in the storage position or in the release position.

5 . The spare wheel carrier of claim 1 , comprising a securing holder comprising:
a fastener part attached to the mounting bracket; a chain comprising a first extremity attached to the fastener part and a second extremity opposed to the first extremity; and an attachment part attached to the second extremity of the chain; the attachment part being intended to be attached to the mounting bracket by enclosing the spare wheel between the attachment part and the mounting bracket when the latch is in the storage position to bind the spare wheel to the mounting bracket.

6 . The spare wheel carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first pin comprises an additional pin, the additional pin being engaged in the straight part of the first groove and being arranged to move in the straight part of the first groove when the latch is moved between the storage position and the release position.

7 . The spare wheel carrier of claim 6 , wherein the main pin and the additional pin are vertically spaced from a reference distance, and the circular arc has a radius equal to the reference distance.

8 . The spare wheel carrier of claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket comprises a first lateral side and a second lateral side, the first lateral side and the second lateral side being parallel to each other and each comprising an inner face facing each other;
wherein the latch is disposed between the inner faces and comprises a first lateral arm, a second lateral arm parallel to each other and a transversal support joining the first lateral arm and the second lateral arm, the first lateral arm facing the inner face of the first lateral side, the second lateral arm facing the inner face of the second lateral side, and the spare wheel being attached to the transversal support; wherein one of the inner face of the first lateral side and the first lateral arm comprises the at least one first pin, and the other one of the inner face of the first lateral side and the first lateral arm comprises the at least one first groove; and wherein one of the inner face of the second lateral side and the second lateral arm comprises at least one second pin, and the other one of the inner face of the second lateral side and the second lateral arm comprises at least one second groove in which the second pin is slidably engaged, the second groove defining a second path intended to be followed by the second pin to guide the latch when the latch is moved between the storage position and the release position.

9 . The spare wheel carrier of claim 8 , wherein the at least one second groove is formed by a straight part vertically extending when the latch is in the storage position; and
wherein the at least one second pin comprises a primary pin, the primary pin being engaged in the straight part of the second groove when the latch is in the storage position and when the latch is in the release position.

10 . The spare wheel carrier of claim 8 , wherein the transversal support comprises an extension comprising a hole configured to attach the spare wheel.

11 . A motor vehicle comprising:
a chassis; a spare wheel; and the spare wheel carrier of claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket is mounted on the chassis, and the spare wheel is attached to the latch; and wherein the spare wheel extends in the horizontal plane, in the horizontal position, when the latch is in the storage position and the spare wheel extends in the vertical plane, in the vertical position, when the latch is in the release position.

12 . The motor vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the mounting bracket is attached to an external side of the chassis.

13 . A method for releasing the spare wheel from the motor vehicle of claim 11 , comprising:
grabbing the spare wheel in the horizontal position; rotating the latch relative to the mounting bracket from the storage position to the release position, so as to swivel the spare wheel from the horizontal position to the vertical position; and releasing the spare wheel in the vertical position.

14 . The method of claim 13 , adapted for a motor vehicle comprising a spare wheel carrier, comprising:
a securing holder comprising:
a fastener part attached to the mounting bracket;
a chain comprising a first extremity attached to the fastener part and a second extremity opposed to the first extremity; and
an attachment part attached to the second extremity of the chain; the attachment part being intended to be attached to the mounting bracket by enclosing the spare wheel between the attachment part and the mounting bracket when the latch is in the storage position to bind the spare wheel to the mounting bracket;
the method comprising:
detaching the attachment part from the mounting bracket to unbind the spare wheel and the securing part prior to grab the spare wheel in the horizontal position; and
removing the attachment part from the spare wheel before releasing the spare wheel.

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Kolla Kamal
• Lohar Rakesh
• Kalita Prabandhana

Classifications

• B62D43/04

  attached beneath the vehicle body · CPC title

• B62D43/002 Primary

  Handling devices, mainly for heavy wheels (via cables and chains B62D43/045) · CPC title

• B62D43/045 Primary

  the wheel or its cradle being attached to one or more chains or cables for handling · CPC title