Tire carrier

A tire carrier assembly for a vehicle chassis, comprising:

• a tire carrier coupled to the vehicle chassis and configured to support a tire, the tire carrier having a first tire carrier end and a second tire carrier end defining a tire-sized aperture, the tire carrier comprising a plurality of tire constraint members formed as upturned wings to encircle at least a portion of the tire;
• a carrier support assembly which is lockable and unlockable and configured to support the tire carrier in a stowed position with the tire proximate to the vehicle chassis when locked and to lower the tire carrier toward a deployed position with the tire distant from the vehicle chassis when unlocked, the carrier support assembly comprising a first cable, a second cable, a first tubular cable guide member, and a second tubular cable guide member;
• and
• a hoist coupled to the vehicle chassis and to the carrier support assembly;
• wherein the hoist is configured to lock the carrier support assembly and to be selectively actuatable to unlock the carrier support assembly, and
• wherein the first cable passes through the first cable guide member from the hoist to the first tire carrier end and the second cable passes through the second cable guide member from the hoist to the second tire carrier end wherein the first cable guide member is a tubular member extending from the hoist to a first cable support member and the second cable guide member is a tubular member extending from the hoist to a second cable support member.

A vehicle, comprising:

• a chassis;
• a tire carrier configured to support a tire, the tire carrier having a first tire carrier end and a second tire carrier end defining a tire-sized aperture, the tire carrier comprising a plurality of tire constraint members formed as upturned wings to encircle it least a portion of the tire;
• a carrier support assembly which is lockable to and unlockable from the chassis and configured to support the tire carrier in a stowed position with the tire proximate to the chassis when locked and to lower the tire carrier toward a deployed position with the tire distant from the chassis when unlocked, the carrier support assembly comprising a first cable, a second cable, a first tubular cable guide member, and a second tubular cable guide member;
• and
• a hoist assembly coupled to the chassis and to the carrier support assembly;
• wherein the hoist is configured to lock the carrier support assembly in the stowed position and to be selectively actuatable to unlock the carrier support assembly from the deployed position, and
• wherein the first cable passes through the first cable guide member from the hoist to the first tire carrier end and the second cable passes through the second cable guide member from the hoist to the second tire carrier end wherein the first cable guide member is a tubular member extending from the hoist to a first cable support member and the second cable guide member is a tubular member extending from the hoist to a second cable support member.