Patent ID: 6053690
Filing Date: 2000-04-25
Classification: B62D,Y10S

Abstract:
A spare tire caddy comprising, in combination:a mounting assembly including a plate with a central extent having a planar square configuration with a periphery including a front edge, a rear edge, and a pair of side edges, each including a lip extending outwardly in a plane, the plane being level with and vertically offset from that in which the central extent of the plate resides, the central extent of the mounting assembly further including a rubber seal lining an entire lower surface thereof, wherein the plate is adapted for being mounted on an underside of a vehicle;a pair of swing arm assemblies each including a side member having a substantially C-shaped cross-section along a length thereof, a pair of arms, each pivotally mounted between the lips of the plate of the mounting assembly and an outer side face of the side member, a guide mounted on an inner surface of the side member with said substantially C-shaped cross-section;a tire pod including a circular bottom face, a cylindrical peripheral side wall coupled to the circular bottom face and extending upwardly therefrom to define an open top, an upper peripheral edge, and an interior space, the tire pod further including a peripheral flange integrally coupled to the upper peripheral edge and extending outwardly therefrom in perpendicular relationship with a square periphery, a pair of side bars each mounted on opposite sides of the peripheral flange of the tire pod and extending downward therefrom in perpendicular relationship, and a plurality of linearly aligned rollers mounted on outer surfaces of the side bars for being slidably received within the guides of the swing arm assemblies; anda retraction mechanism including a dowel mounted between a front pair of the arm assemblies, a sleeve rotatably mounted on the dowel, a pulley mounted on the front edge of the plate of the mounting assembly and extending upwardly therefrom, a motor adapted for being mounted to a rear bumper of the vehicle and adapted to rotate about an axis coincident with a longitudinal axis of the vehicle upon the actuation thereof, and a string having a first end coupled to a central extent of the sleeved dowel and a second end wrapped about a pulley of the motor such that the string resides above the plate of the mounting assembly and the tire pod may be transferred between a lowered orientation wherein a tire may be accessed therein and a raised orientation with the peripheral flange of the tire pod abutting the rubber seal of the mounting assembly.