Patent ID: 8839995
Filing Date: 2014-09-23
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
1. A safety device for a tire carrier of a vehicle comprising: a substantially hollow longitudinal sleeve attached to the vehicle with at least one window extending between inner and outer surfaces of the sleeve, a support shaft having a first end and a second end, the support shaft at least partially housed and moveable in the longitudinal sleeve, the first end of the support shaft comprising a limiter and being coupled to a cable that is adapted to move the support shaft upward or downward within the longitudinal sleeve, the second end of the support shaft attached to a structure that carries the tire, an arm with a coupling section that pivots about an axis of rotation between a first rotational position in which the coupling section extends through the window of the longitudinal sleeve and a second rotational position in which the coupling section resides at least partially outside the window, the coupling section and the limiter of the support shaft comprising co-operable parts that engage one another to limit downward movement of the support shaft when the arm is in the first rotational position, in a first position the cable provides sufficient tension to cause the support shaft to maintain a separation distance between the co-operable parts of the coupling section and the limiter, the arm comprising a feature engageable with the longitudinal sleeve, the feature adapted to engage with the longitudinal sleeve to inhibit the arm from being moved from the first rotational position to the second rotational position upon there being insufficient cable tension to maintain a separation distance between the co-operable parts of the coupling section and the limiter when the arm is in the first rotational position, the axis of rotation of the arm being supported by a support piece, the axis of rotation moveable between a first position and a second position on the support piece, the axis of rotation being displaceable in a downward direction from the first position to the second position upon there being insufficient cable tension to maintain a separation distance between the co-operable parts of the coupling section and the limiter when the arm is in the first rotational position.