A support assembly for a spare wheel of a vehicle

Abstract: A support assembly (1) for a spare wheel (2) of a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, of the type provided with a support plate (6) designed to be mounted on the wheel (2), with a plurality of bolts (8) for releasably connecting the plate (6) to attachment means (3) for a frame (5) of the vehicle in a first operative position, in which the attachment means (3) and the plate (6) keep the wheel (2) raised from the ground, and with a screw-nut device (10) which is interposed between the support (6) and the attachment means (3) and which can be actuated selectively and following the release of the bolts (8) so as to displace the plate (6) with respect to the attachment means (3) between the first operative position and a second operative position, in which the wheel (2) rests on the ground.

Description: The present invention relates to a support assembly for a spare wheel of a vehicle, in particular of an industrial vehicle. A support assembly according to the preamble of claim 1 is generally known. Support assemblies for a spare wheel are known which substantially comprise an attachment bracket fixed to a frame of the vehicle. and a support, generally a rectangular plate, designed to be mounted on the wheel and to be releasably connected to the bracket itself by means of a plurality of bolts in a first operative position, in which the bracket and the support keep the wheel raised from the ground. The aforementioned support assemblies further comprise an actuating device, generally formed by a winch, which can be actuated selectively and following the release of the bolts so as to displace the support, and therefore the spare wheel, with respect to the bracket between the first operative position and a second operative position, in which the spare wheel rests on the ground. The above-described support assemblies have the disadvantage of being relatively complicated and expensive, particularly because the winch generally requires the provision of a gear-type transmission which is disposed-upstream of the winch itself and which is adapted to reduce accordingly the effort of raising the spare wheel (which in the case of commercial vehicles may weigh more than 100 kg). The object of the present invention is to devise a support assembly for a spare wheel of a vehicle, which makes it possible to obviate the disadvantages associated with the above-mentioned known assemblies. This object is achieved by the present invention in that it relates to a support assembly for a spare wheel of a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, of the type comprising a support designed to be mounted on the wheel, releasable connecting means for connecting said support to attachment means on a frame of said vehicle in a first operative position, in which said attachment means and said support keep said wheel raised from the ground, and actuator means which can be actuated selectively and following the release of said connecting means so as to displace the support with respect to said attachment means between said first operative position and a second operative position, in which said spare wheel rests on the ground, characterised in that said actuator means comprise a screw-nut device interposed between said support and said attachment means. With a view to a better understanding of the present invention a preferred embodiment will be described non-restrictively by way of example below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view from above of a support assembly for a spare wheel of a vehicle, in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded front view of the support assembly in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view partly in section of the support assembly in Figure 1, in a rest configuration in which it keeps the spare wheel raised from the ground; Figure 4 illustrates on an enlarged scale and in a partly sectional side view a detail of the support assembly of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a section along the line V-V in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side view on a reduced scale of the support assembly in Figure 1, in the removal stage of the spare wheel; and Figure 7 is a view from above of the support assembly in Figure 6. Referring now to Figures 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7, the reference numeral 1 generally denotes a support assembly for a spare wheel 2 of a commercial vehicle (not shown), said spare wheel having an axis A. The assembly 1 essentially comprises an attachment bracket 3 which is substantially L-shaped in side view and which is securely connected to a side member 4 of a frame 5 of the vehicle, a substantially rectangular support plate 6 adapted to be mounted from the inside on a rim 7 of the horizontally arranged wheel 2, i.e. with its axis A orthogonal to the ground, a plurality of bolts 8, in this case four, for releasably connecting the plate 6 to the bracket 3 in a first operative position or raised position (Figure 3), in which the bracket 3 and the plate 6 maintain the wheel 2 at a distance from the ground, and an actuating device 10 which can be actuated selectively and following the release of the bolts 8 so as to displace the plate 6, and therefore the wheel 2, with respect to the bracket 3 between the first operative position and a second operative position or lowered position, in which the wheel 2 itself is released from the device 10 and is resting on the ground. In particular, the bracket 3 comprises a first plate-shaped portion 14, which secured to the side member 4 by means of a plurality of bolts 15, and a second portion 16 which is also plate-shaped and extends orthogonally projecting from the portion 14 towards the exterior of the vehicle and adapted to enable the wheel 2 to be secured with its axis A orthogonal to the portion 16 itself. The plate 6 is adapted to be secured below and parallel to the portion 16 of the bracket 3, with the interposition of a lateral portion of the rim 7 of the wheel 2 on which the plate 6 itself is mounted. According to the present invention the actuating device 10 is a screw and nut which can be separated from the bracket 3 and from the plate 6 and comprising a screw 17 and a nut 18 mounted on a shank 19 of the screw. 17 itself. In particular, the screw 17 can be installed from above in an axially withdrawable manner on the portion 16 of the bracket 3 through a slot 20 passing through the portion 16 itself and is provided, on the shank 19 and in the vicinity of a head 21 thereof, with a circular washer 22 adapted to abut from above, i.e. on the opposite side with respect to the plate 6, against a lateral edge of the slot 20. Referring particularly to Figure 1, the slot 20 has an intermediate circular portion 23 of enlarged section so as to allow the nut 18 to pass with clearance through the portion 16 of the bracket 3 and opposing straight lateral portions 24,25 of constant transverse dimensions smaller than the diameter of the intermediate portion 23 and directed towards the portion 14 of the bracket 3 and, respectively, towards a free end of the portion 16 of the bracket 3 itself; more precisely, the intermediate portion 23 is of smaller diameter than the diameter of the washer 22. With reference to the first operative position of the plate 6, i.e. to the securing position of the wheel 2 between the plate 6 itself and the bracket 3, the slot 20 has one end 26 disposed in the vicinity of the axis A of the wheel 2 and it extends from the end 26 itself towards the free end of the portion 16. With reference to Figures 2 to 4, the nut 18 is substantially in the shape of a square-based pyramidal frustum, is of increasing section starting from an upper end facing towards the head 21 of the screw 17 and, on the opposite side, it ends in a lower circular portion 27. Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the plate 6 is also provided with a through-slot 28 adapted to be engaged by the nut 18. The slot 28 (Figure 1) has a pair of circular end portions 29 of enlarged section to enable the nut 18 to pass with clearance, and a central portion 30 of square section adapted to be coupled with an intermediate portion 36 of the nut 18 (Figure 4) so as to render the nut 18 itself angularly secured to the plate 6. More precisely, the circular portion 27 of the nut 18 is of larger diameter with respect to the side of the section of the central portion 30, the lateral edge of which thus defines at the bottom, i.e. on the opposite side with respect to the bracket 3, an abutment for the circular portion 27 itself. The slot 28 also has a pair of straight intermediate portions 31 which are interposed between the central portion 30 and the respective end portions 29 and which are of reduced cross-sectional size with respect to the transverse dimensions of the sections of the portions 29 and 30 so as to allow sliding engagement only of the shank 19 of the screw 17. With reference to the first operative position of the plate 6, i.e. to the securing position of the wheel 2 between the plate 6 itself and the bracket 3, the slot 28 has one end of the portions 29 in alignment with the intermediate portion 23 of the slot 20 and the central portion 30 disposed coaxial to the axis A of the wheel 2. Therefore, the slot 28 is of symmetrical form with respect to a plane orthogonal to the plate 6 and passing through the axis A of the wheel 2. This symmetrical form makes it possible to facilitate the mounting of the plate 6 on the wheel 2, it making no difference how the plate 6 itself is oriented in a longitudinal direction with respect to the slot 28. Finally, each bolt 8 comprises a nut 32 protruding from and integral with an associated apex portion of the plate 6 and adapted to engage in operation in an associated through-hole 33 provided in the rim 7 of the wheel 2, and a screw 34 fitted through a through-hole 35 in the portion 16 of the bracket 3 and adapted to be connected with the nut 32 itself so as to define the first operative position of the plate 6. The mode of operation of the support assembly 1 will now be described starting from the rest condition illustrated in Figure 3. In the aforementioned condition, the plate. 6 is disposed in its first operative position and is securely connected to the bracket 3 by means of the bolts 8 and the wheel 2 is held between the plate 6 and the bracket 3 in a horizontal position raised from the ground, i.e. with its axis A orthogonal to the ground itself. The removal of the spare wheel 2 takes place as follows. Firstly, the device 10 is inserted from above through the intermediate and end portions 23 and 29 of the respective slots 20,28, each of which is positioned in registration with the other, until the nut 18 is disposed below the plate 6. At this point, the screw 17 is displaced through the lateral and intermediate portions 24 and 31 of the respective slots 20,28 so as to bring the shank 19 into abutment against the end 26 of the slot 20 and into engagement in the central portion 30 of the slot 28. Therefore, by arranging the washer 22 to abut from above against the edge of the slot 20 and by acting on the screw 17, the nut 18 is caused to undergo translation along the shank 19 of the screw 17 until the nut 18 itself engages the central portion 30 of the slot 28. After the bolts 8 have been released, it is merely necessary to act on the screw 17 so as to cause the nut 18 and the wheel 2 to undergo translation along the shank 19 until the wheel 2 itself comes to rest on the ground and, therefore, in a position available for the wheel change. Alternatively, by utilising the high inertia of the wheel 2 it is possible to achieve the same result by acting initially on the screw 17 so as to bring about an initial displacement of the nut 18 with respect to the screw 17 itself and subsequently by simply applying pressure to the wheel 2 in a tangential direction. When the nut 18 -is arranged in engagement in the portion 30 of the slot 28 and the bolts 8 are released, i.e. when the wheel 2 is supported exclusively by the device 10 and by the plate 6 and is still raised with respect to the ground, it is possible to move the wheel 2 itself to the outside with respect to the lateral profile of the vehicle by displacing the screw 17 along the portion 25 of the slot 20 (Figures 6 and 7). In this way, at the end of the removal manoeuvre, the wheel 2 is arranged in a position which is readily accessible for the user. The fastening of the spare wheel 2 to the bracket 3 takes place as follows. Firstly, the wheel 2, which is resting on the ground in horizontal position, is disposed below the portion 16 of the bracket 3 in such way that as far as possible it is in alignment with the slot 20 and the plate 6 is inserted inside the rim 7. At this point, the device 10, which has the nut 28 suitably positioned level with one end of the shank 19 of the screw 17 opposite the head 21, is inserted through the intermediate and end portions 23 and 29 of the respective slots 20,28 until the nut 18 is disposed below the plate 6. After the nut 18 has been brought into engagement in the central portion 30 of the slot 28 and the washer 22 abuts from above against the edge of the slot 20, by turning the screw 17 the nut 18 and the plate 6 secured thereto are caused to undergo translation. Therefore, the shank 19 of the screw 17 is displaced through the associated lateral portion 24 of the slot 20 until the nuts 32 of the plate 6 are positioned in alignment with the holes 33 of the rim 7 itself and, therefore, it is possible to effect the raising of the wheel 2 with respect the ground. When the rim 7 of the wheel 2 supported by the plate 6 is in the vicinity of the portion 16 of the bracket 3, the wheel 2 is pushed towards the centre of the vehicle until the screw 17 is situated in abutment against the end 26 of the slot 20, the nuts 32 then disposed in alignment with the holes 35 of the portion 16 itself of the bracket 3. In the meantime, one of the end portions 29 of the slot 28 is brought into alignment with the intermediate portion 23 of the slot 20. The translation of the plate 6 ends when the rim 7 of the wheel 2 is arranged to abut against the portion 16 of the bracket 3 (first operative position of the plate 6). At this point, the screws 34 are fitted into the respective nuts 32 of the plate 6 and it is possible to proceed with the removal of the device 10. In particular, since the nut 18 is locked in abutment against the central portion 30 of the slot 28 of the plate 6, and by continuing to act on the screw 17 in the same direction, the translation upwards of the screw 17 itself with respect to the nut 18 is obtained. When the washer 22 is moved upwards to a sufficient extent from the portion 16 of the bracket 3, the screw 17 can be pushed downwards so to induce the disengagement of the nut 18 from the central portion 30 of the slot 28 and moved along the lateral and intermediate portions 24 and 31 of the respective slots 20,28 until reaching the intermediate and end portions 23 and 29, through which the device 10 can be removed by pulling it upwards. Alternatively, the device 10 could also be left permanently in the operative position. If this solution is chosen, the device 10 could preferably be made of a material not subject to oxidation and, moreover, the pitch of the screw 17 itself could be chosen to be sufficiently wide so that any dirt accumulating during normal use of the vehicle could easily be eliminated during the actuation of the plate 6 when changing the spare wheel. The advantages achieved with the present invention are apparent from a study of the features of the support assembly 1 designed in accordance with therewith. In particular, the support assembly 1 is particular simple and economical since. it comprises a relatively low number of components, in this case the plate 6, the screw and nut device 10 and the bolts 8. It is evident that the support assembly 1 can be subject to modifications and variants which do not depart from the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims: A support assembly (1) for a spare wheel (2) of a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, of the type comprising a support (6) designed to be mounted on said wheel (2), releasable connecting means (8) for connecting said support (6) to attachment means (3) on a frame (5) of said vehicle in a first operative position, in which said attachment means (3) and said support (6) keep said wheel (2) raised from the ground, and actuator means (10) which can be actuated selectively and following the release of said connecting means (8) so as to displace said support (6) with respect to said attachment means (3) between said first operative position and a second operative position, in which said wheel (2) rests on the ground, characterised in that said actuator means comprise a screw-nut device (10) interposed between said support (6) and said attachment means (3). An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the screw-nut device (10) comprises a screw (17) and nut (18), and in that at least said screw (17) is mounted in an axially withdrawable manner through a first through-seating (20) of said attachment means (3) and is provided, in alignment with a head (21) thereof, with stop means (22) adapted to abut against a lateral edge of said first seating (20) on the opposite side with respect to said support (6). An assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that said nut (18) is mounted on a shank (19) of said screw (17) and defines with the screw (17) itself an assembly which can be separated from said support (6) from said attachment means (3); said first seating (20) having at least one first portion (23) of enlarged section so as to allow said nut (18) to pass wits clearance; said support (6) having a second through-seating (28) adapted to be engaged by said screw (17) and comprising at least one second portion of enlarged section (29) in alignment with said first portion (23) of enlarged section so as to allow said nut (18) to pass with clearance, and at least one shaped portion (30) adapted to be coupled with an engagement portion (36) of complementary shape of said nut (18) for angularly securing the nut (18) to said support (6), and adapted to define with a lateral edge thereof and on the opposite side with respect to said attachment means (3) an abutment for a thrust portion (27) of said nut (18) with a section of larger dimensions than the dimensions of the section of said engagement portion (36). An assembly according to claim 3, characterised in that said first seating (20) is a slot having said first portion (23) of enlarged section in an intermediate position. An assembly according to claim 4, characterised in that said first seating (20) has two straight lateral portions (24,25) extending on opposite sides of said first portion (23) of enlarged section and having smaller transverse dimensions than the transverse dimensions of the first portion (23) of enlarged section itself. An assembly according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that said shaped portion (30) of said second seating (28) is of square section, and in that said nut (18) is substantially in the shape of a square-based pyramidal frustum, is of increasing section starting from an upper end facing towards said head (21) of said screw (17), is adapted to co-operate with said shaped portion (30) through an intermediate portion (36) thereof defining said engagement portion and ends, in alignment with an opposite end, in a circular portion (27) defining said thrust portion. An assembly according to any of claims 3 to 6, characterised in that said first and second portions (23,29) of enlarged section of said first and second seatings (20,28) are disposed mutually in alignment in said first operative position of said support (6). An assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterised in that said second seating (28) is a slot and has, between said second portion (29) of enlarged section and said shaped portion (30), a straight intermediate portion (31) having a section of reduced dimensions with respect to the dimensions of the sections of said second portion of enlarged section (29) and with respect to said shaped portion (30) so as to allow the sliding engagement only of said shank (19) of said screw (17). An assembly according to claim 8, characterised in that said second seating (28) has two second portions of enlarged section (29) defining the opposite ends of said second seating (28) itself and one shaped portion (30) disposed centrally and connected with said second portions (29) of enlarged section by respective intermediate portions (31). An assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterised in that said attachment means comprise a bracket (3) which is substantially L-shaped in side view and which has a plate-like portion (16) adapted to allow the fastening of said wheel (2) with its axis (A) orthogonal to the plate-like portion (16) itself and is provided with said first seating (20). An assembly according to claim 10, characterised in that said support (6) is formed by a plate designed to be mounted on one side of said wheel (2) and to be secured to said plate-like portion (16) of said attachment means (3) in a position parallel to the plate-like portion (16) itself. An assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 11, characterised in that said stop means comprise a washer (22) carried by said screw (17). An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said releasable connecting means comprise a plurality of bolts (8). An assembly according to claim 13, characterised in that each bolt (8) comprises a nut (32) protruding from and integral with said support (6) and adapted to engage in operation in an associated through-hole (33) provided in a rim (7) of said wheel (2), and a screw (34) fitted through a through-hole (35) in said plate-like portion (16) of said attachment means (3) and adapted to be connected with the nut (32) itself so as to define said first operative position of said support (6).

Inventors: VISCHI ALESSANDRO, VISCHI, ALESSANDRO
Applicants: IVECO FIAT, IVECO FIAT S.P.A.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B62D43
IPC codes: B62D43