Abstract:
A tire spoon may be provided. The tire spoon may include: a bar; and a spoon portion at one end of the bar, the spoon portion having two outer side edges and a middle portion located between the two outer side edges, and at a given cross section of the spoon portion, the middle portion cross sectional thickness is greater than a cross sectional thickness of the two outer side edges. A method of forming a tire spoon is provided. The method may include: providing a spoon portion on an end of a bar; and forming the spoon portion to have middle section that has a thicker cross section than either side portion of the spoon portion.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a tool for installing and removing pneumatic rubber tires on wheel rims. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cross sectional profile of a tire spoon used to install and remove tires from wheel rims. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Installing and removing tires from wheel rims is a common task performed by auto and truck mechanics. Modern tires may be difficult to install or remove from tire rims as modern tires have increasingly stiff side walls, which must be flexed in to order for the tires to fit over the wheel rim. 
         [0003]    Several tools are used by mechanics to perform this task. One common tool is referred to as a tire spoon. Current tire spoons include rods or bars which may be used to provide a handle for the user to provide leverage for the spoon portion located at the end of the rod or bar. The spoon portion of typical tire spoons have flat surface profiles on the top and bottom of the tire spoon portions. These flat surface profiles can maximize surface contact between the tire and the wheel rim resulting in the tool sticking when it is used to remove a rubber tire from the wheel rim. In order to remove the tool from between the tire and the wheel rim, operators must twist, rotate, pull or push the tool. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an apparatus or method which makes it easier to remove or manipulate a tire spoon when it is positioned between the tire and the wheel rim. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The forgoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein one aspect an apparatus is provided that in some embodiments a tool and/or method is provided that allows an operator to more easily manipulate a tire spoon when the tire spoon is located between the tire and a wheel rim. 
         [0006]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a tire spoon may be provided. The tire spoon may include: a bar; and a spoon portion at one end of the bar, the spoon portion having two outer side edges and a middle portion located between the two outer side edges, and at a given cross section of the spoon portion, the middle portion cross sectional thickness is greater than a cross sectional thickness of the two outer side edges. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a tire spoon is provided. The method may include: providing a spoon portion on an end of a bar; and forming the spoon portion to have middle section that has a thicker cross section than either side portion of the spoon portion. 
         [0008]    In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a tire spoon may be provided. The tire spoon may include: means for levering; and means for wedging attached at one end of the means for levering, wherein the means for wedging is thicker in a center portion then at side portions. 
         [0009]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0010]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0011]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a tire spoon tool in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a spoon portion of the tire spoon tool shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the spoon portion shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top view of a spoon portion of the tire spoon tool shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the spoon portion shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a spoon portion in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a perspective cross sectional view of a spoon portion in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a perspective cross sectional view of a spoon portion in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view of spoon portion in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view of a spoon portion in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view of spoon portion in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a cross sectional view of spoon portion in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  is a cross sectional view of spoon portion in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 14  is a cross sectional view of spoon portion in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]    The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a tire spoon tool having an improved tire spoon profile to reduce friction between the tire spoon, the tire and the wheel rim when the tire spoon tool is located between the wheel and the tire. 
         [0027]    An embodiment in accordance with the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  shows a tire spoon tool  20  having a shaft or bar  22 . The shaft or bar  22  may have a round, square, oval or any other suitable cross sectional shape. The shaft or bar  24  is terminated by spoon portions  24 . The spoon portions  24  are fit onto the ends  26  of the shaft or bar  22 . 
         [0028]    In some embodiments in accordance with the invention, the spoon portion  24  and the shaft or bar portion  22  are integral and comprised of a single material such as steel. However, in another embodiments are the materials may be used. Further, in another embodiments the spoon portion  24  and the shaft or bar  22  may not be made of the same material, but rather the spoon portion  24  is attached to the end  26  of the shaft or bar  22 . 
         [0029]    The shaft or bar  22  provides a handle for the user to use. The length of the shaft or bar  22  provides a lever for the user to exercise leverage for manipulating the spoon portion  24  when the spoon portion  24  is placed between the tire and wheel rim. 
         [0030]    The spoon portions  24  include flat portion  28  that is relatively flat in comparison to the shaft or bar  22  and a projection  30 . It will be understood that the flat portion  28  is not perfectly flat but it may have contors that will be described further below. The term “flat portion” is intended refer to the portion of the tire spoon tool  20  that is wider and thinner (thus “flatter”) than the shaft or bar portion  22 . 
         [0031]    The projection  30  may be used in some embodiments to reduce the likelihood of the spoon portion  24  to extend too far in between a wheel rim and a tire. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the two spoon portions  24  are not identical but have different shapes. In some embodiments of the invention, a tire spoon tool  20  may have similar spoons portions  24  located on either end  26  of the shaft or bar  22  or, as shown in  FIG. 1 , each end  26  may be equipped with a different type of spoon portion  24 . The spoon portions  24  shown in and described herein are merely intended to be exemplary and are not limited in any way by the embodiments shown. 
         [0033]      FIGS. 2-3  illustrate an example spoon portion  24  shown on the left-hand side of the tire spoon tool  20  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , the spoon portion  24  has a general “S” shape. The spoon portion  24  includes a top portion  34  and a bottom portion  36 . The terms top and bottom are used with reference to the figures and are merely intended to explain which portion of the spoon portion  24  is being referred to in the figures. 
         [0034]      FIGS. 4-5  are top and side views respectively of the spoon portion  24  illustrated on the right side of  FIG. 1 . The spoon portion  24  includes the flat portion  28  located on the opposite side of projection  30  than the shaft or bar portion  22 . The spoon portion  24  includes two side portions  38  and a middle or center portion  40 . The projection  30  project upwards from the top portion  34  in contrast to the projection  30  which extends downward projecting from the bottom portion  36  as shown in  FIGS. 2-3 . 
         [0035]    As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the side portions  38  have the thickness illustrated by arrows A and the middle or center portion  40  has a thickness illustrated by arrows B and the middle or center portion  40  is thicker than the thickness of the side portions  38 . In some embodiments of the invention, the flat portion  28  has contors of various thickness in order to disrupt the continuity of the tire spoon surface profile. A disruption of the continuity of the surface profile aids in reducing the likelyhood of the tire spoon  24  from sticking when located in between a tire and wheel rim. 
         [0036]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the tire spoon  24  illustrated in  FIGS. 4-5 . In  FIG. 6 , the projection  30  extends upwardly from the top portion  34  of tire spoon  24 . The middle or center portion  40  is thicker than the side portions  38 . The bottom portion  36  can also partially be seen in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 7  is a perspective partial cross sectional view of a spoon portion  24  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The cross section was taken along the middle or center portion  40 . The top  34  and bottom  36  portions can also be seen. 
         [0038]      FIG. 8  is perspective partial cross sectional view of a spoon portion  34  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The projection  30  can be seen projecting above the top surface  34 . The relative thicknesses between the side portions  38  and the middle or center portion  40  can readily be seen. Arrows A illustrate the thickness of the side portions  38  and Arrows B illustrate the thickness of the middle or center portion  40 . As can be seen in  FIG. 8 , the thickness illustrated by Arrows B is much thicker than the thickness illustrated by Arrows A. 
         [0039]      FIGS. 9-14  illustrates cross sectional views of the spoon portion  24  in various examples and embodiments. 
         [0040]      FIG. 9  illustrates a cross sectional area of a spoon portion  24  in an embodiment having a relatively flat bottom section  36  and angled top section  34 . The angled top section  34  moves up from the side portions  38  to a relatively flat top  42 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 10  illustrates a cross section of a spoon portion  24  in an embodiment. The top portion  34  goes up from the side portions  34  to a rounded top  43 . The bottom portion  36  is relatively flat. 
         [0042]      FIG. 11  shows a cross section of a spoon portion  24  according to another embodiment of the invention. The bottom portion  36  is relatively flat. The side portions  38  have a smaller cross sectional thickness than the peaks  44 . Between the peaks  44  is a valley  46 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 12  shows a cross sectional area of a spoon portion  24  in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 12 , the bottom portion  36  is relatively flat. The top  34  slopes upwardly from the side portions  38  to a top projection  48 . 
         [0044]      FIG. 13  is a cross sectional view of a spoon portion  24  according to another embodiment of the invention. The bottom portion  36  is relatively flat. The top portion  34  slopes generally upward from the side portions  38  to a rounded dome top  50 . The cross sectional view shown in  FIG. 13  is similar to that shown in  FIG. 10 , however rounded dome top  50  is more gently sloped than the rounded top  43  shown in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 14  illustrates a cross sectional view of a spoon portion  24  in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Spoon portion  24  includes a relatively flat bottom  36 . The top portion  34  slopes up from the side portions  38  to peaks  52 . In between the peaks  52 , are valleys  46 . 
         [0046]      FIGS. 11 and 14  illustrate embodiments where the thicker center or middle portions  40  are not located exactly in the middle between the side portions  38 . It should be noted that the middle or center portion  40  is between the side portions  38  but a discontinuously in the surface of the tire spoon portion  24  is not necessarily in the geometric center between the side portions  38 . 
         [0047]    While the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 9-14 , show generally flat bottom portions  36 . Other embodiments may have bottom portions  36  having other profiles than the flat one shown in  FIGS. 9-14 . For example, the bottom portion  34  may be a mirror image of the top portion  34  or may have other profiles as shown in  FIGS. 5-8 . Other cross sectional profiles might also be used in accordance with the invention. 
         [0048]    As discussed above, by having irregular and unusual surface profiles, the spoon portion  24  is less likely to bind and get stuck in between the tire and wheel rim during a tire installation or a removing procedure onto a wheel rim. 
         [0049]    The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.