US 5,469,998 AGranted

Spare tire carrier for a tow hitch

AssigneeMascotech Accessories, Inc.

InventorsDonn S. Van Dusen, Douglas P. Gibbs

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a tire carrier for an automotive vehicle and, more particularly, to a hitch mounted tire carrier. The invention includes a cantilever construction having the combination of an elongated arm having the tire mount structure, and a bracket for the arm connectable, for example, to a tow hitch of a vehicle. The arm is movable relative to the bracket between the transportation position and in inactive position, and a cinch is provided on the bracket for normally maintaining the arm in the transportation position but releasing the same for movement to the inactive position. The cinch has a lever latch which, in keeping with the invention, is manipulatable of the cinch to an over-center position. A tightener is provided as a protuberance on the lever latch which is mounted for pivoting to a stop position beyond a center position at which it would be generally orthogonal to a bearing surface it engages. The combination also preferably includes a coupler having a drawbar and a tightener designed to maintain intimate contact between a surface of the drawbar and a surface of the tow hitch irrespective of vehicle movement.

Claims21

Dependent claims

In a spare tire carrier having tire mount structure to project from a vehicle having a hitch receiver, for movement between a position for transportation of a tire and an inactive position, the improvement comprising the combination of:

(a) an elongated arm connected to and projecting from said tire mount structure;
and
(b) a bracket for interacting with said arm as said tire mount structure moves with said arm between said transportation position and said inactive position, said bracket having a cinch to maintain said arm with said tire mount structure selectively in said transportation position, said cinch having a latch for holding said arm when said tire mount structure is in said transportation position and a lever for manipulating said latch to release said arm and said tire mount structure from said transportation position, said arm including a bearing surface having an over-center location thereon, said lever being rotatable about an axis adjacent said arm, said lever further including a protuberance rotatable about an axis between a release position in which said protuberance is on one side of said over-center location on said bearing surface when said lever releases said latch and a locked position in which said protuberance is on the other side of said over-center location at which said protuberance engages said bearing surface, thereby holding said elongated arm and said tire mount structure in said transportation position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/373,486Filed 17 Jan 1995 · continuation
Priority: 28 Oct 1993
Granted: 28 Nov 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B62D 43/02
Spare wheel stowing, holding, or mounting arrangements: external to the vehicle body
B60D 1/52
Characterised by the mounting: removably mounted
B60R 9/06
Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like: at vehicle front or rear
B60R 9/10
Specially adapted for sports gear: for cycles