Abstract:
A device for preventing theft of a spare tire and rim comprising, a first cylinder having a length, an inner diameter and an outer diameter, a second cylinder having a length, an inner diameter and an outer diameter, a spring and a cable. The cylinders prevent access to a cable holding the spare tire and rim in place for storage. The cylinders protect the cable from being severed whereby the tire and rim would be released from storage and could be stolen.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV&#39;s), vans and pick up trucks have a spare tire located underneath the rear cargo area. The spare and rim are held in place with a cable that holds the tire and rim in a storage position. Theft of the tire and rim by cutting the cable has been an all too common occurrence. The present invention relates to preventing theft of a spare tire and rim from the storage area of the vehicle. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED TECHNOLOGY 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,195,231 to Murphy is directed to a spare tire security system including a plate or disk  30  that covers the rim C. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This application is directed to preventing theft of a spare tire and rim from SUV&#39;s, vans and pick up trucks. The present invention is a device for preventing such theft. The device comprises first and second cylinders which prevent access to a cable holding the spare tire and rim in place for storage. The cylinders protect the cable from being severed whereby the tire and rim would be released from storage and could be stolen. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of first and second cylinders. 
         FIG. 2  shows a view of the first cylinder of  FIG. 1  with the spring attached to the end of the cable and with the spring and cable end inside the first cylinder. 
         FIG. 3  shows the second cylinder being assembled onto the first cylinder. 
         FIG. 4  shows the first and second cylinders assembled on the end of the cable adjacent a retainer. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the cable, spring, retainer, spare tire, rim, cylinders and underside portion of the rear of a vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention is directed to a theft prevention device for a spare tire and rim. As seen in  FIG. 1  the device comprises a first cylinder  1  having a length L 1  from about 3 inches to about 6 inches, an inner diameter, an outer diameter of about 1 inch to about 3 inches, a first end  2 , a second end  3  and a second cylinder  11  having a length L 2  of about 3 inches to about 6 inches, an inner diameter, an outer diameter of about 1 inch to about 3 inches, a first end  12  and a second end  13 . The cylinders  1 ,  11  have a wall thickness of about one to three sixteenths of an inch. While the sizes of the cylinders are stated as about the same, as seen in the drawings the second cylinder  11  is slightly larger than the first cylinder  1 . The cylinders are made from a tough material that is highly resistant to being removed by cutting or crushing, e.g., carbon steel, stainless steel or other types of hardened materials. The cylinders  1 ,  11  depicted in the drawings have a round cross-section. Members  1 ,  11  having a square, oval or other cross-sectional shape (not shown) may be provided without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The term “tube” as used herein means “cylinder” except that a tube has a cross-sectional shape which can be round or oval, or otherwise, etc. The term “tube” thus is a member like cylinder  1  (of round cross-section) and/or cylinder  11  (of round cross-section) except that a “tube” is broader in that it means round or non-round cross-section, e.g., round cross-section, oval cross-section, square cross-section or other cross-section. 
       FIG. 2  shows the first cylinder  1  with an aperture or opening  5  at the first end  2  permitting a cable  20  to extend from outside the first cylinder  1  into the inside of the cylinder. The first cylinder  1  has a protrusion  6  extending from the exterior of the cylinder  1 . The protrusion  6  is generally elongated and is sized or constructed to fit into a slot or opening  14  in the second cylinder as seen in  FIG. 4 . The protrusion  6  extends part way along the length L 1  of first cylinder  1 . The protrusion  6  is shaped at its upper end to slide easily into the slot  14 . That is, the protrusion  6  has a tapered end portion facilitating easy entry of the protrusion  6  into the slot  14 . The protrusion is sized in a direction generally perpendicular to the exterior of the cylinder so as to extend from the exterior of the wall of the first cylinder  1  substantially through the thickness of the wall of the second cylinder  11 . The protrusion  6  is shown near the second end  3  of the first cylinder, but it may be located nearer or at the first end  2 . The protrusion  6  may be located anywhere along the length as its primary purpose is to prevent rotation of the first cylinder  1  with respect to the second cylinder  11 . First cylinder  1  has opening  4  that is located on a sidewall portion opposite the sidewall portion having protrusion  6 . The first cylinder  1  may have a drainage hole (not shown) in the second end  3 . A tube  1  (not shown) is like cylinder  1 , but may have a different shaped cross-section. 
     As seen in, for example,  FIG. 3 , the inner diameter of the second cylinder  11  is larger than the outer diameter of the first cylinder  1 . The first cylinder  1  is constructed to be slidable into the second cylinder  11  so that the cylinders are assembled in an operative configuration (e.g.,  FIG. 4 ). The first cylinder is constructed to be nonrotatable with respect to the second cylinder when the cylinders are in the operative configuration. 
     The first cylinder  1  and second cylinder  11  are shown in  FIG. 4  in their fully assembled operative configuration. In the operative position the end of the cable is surrounded by the first and second cylinders so that the cable cannot be seen which prevents the cable from being severed from underneath the vehicle. In the operative configuration, the protrusion prevents the rotation of the first cylinder with respect to the second cylinder. In the operative configuration slot  14  does not overlie any portion of opening  4 . 
     Opening  4  in the side wall between the first end  2  and the second end  3  of cylinder  1  is sized to permit spring  22  to be inserted into cylinder  1 . Spring  22  is coupled to the end of cable  20 . The first cylinder  1  has an opening or slot  5  in the first end  2  to permit the cable  20  to be assembled to cylinder  1  with cable  20  exiting the first end  2  of cable  20  through opening  5 . The first end  2  of the first cylinder  1  may have slightly rounded edges where the top  2  meets the side wall so that the cylinder  1  more easily fits into and is assembled with second cylinder  11 . 
     Second cylinder  11  includes a slot  14  extending along the length of the second cylinder  11  from the first end  12  to the second end  13 . The slot  14  is sized so that the width of the slot enables the second cylinder  11  to be placed over the cable  20 . That is, the width of the slot  14  is slightly larger than the thickness of the cable  20 . The first end  12  of the second cylinder  11  has an opening  15  for the cable to extend through the end  12  of the second cylinder  11 . The second end  13  of the second cylinder  11  has an opening to permit the first cylinder  1  to enter into and be assembled with the second cylinder  11 . In the operative configuration the second end  3  of the first cylinder  1  substantially closes opening  15  at the second end  13  of the second cylinder  11  which prevents any tool-like members from entering the opening  15  at the second end  13  of the second cylinder  11 . A tube  11  (not shown) is like cylinder  11 , but may have a different shaped cross-section. 
     A spring  22  is shown in  FIG. 2  and is depicted as spiral compression spring. The spring shown is preferred, but it is evident that other types of springs may be used. The spring is constructed for attachment to one end of the cable  20 . In the operative configuration the cable  20  extends through the opening  5  in the first end  2  of the first cylinder  1  and extends through the opening  15  in the first end  12  of the second cylinder  11 . In the operative position the spring  22  and cable  20  end are enclosed by the first and second cylinders  1 ,  11 . Flexible member  21  is located adjacent the opening  15  at the first end  12  of the second cylinder  11 . The flexible member  21  is located exterior to the second cylinder  11  and is coupled to the cable  20 . A retainer  30  is coupled to the cable with the flexible member  21  located between the retainer and the cylinders  1 ,  11 . 
     In the operative configuration the first cylinder  1  and second cylinder  11  are assembled with the spring being compressed between the end of the cable  20  and the inside first end  2  of the first cylinder  1 . As best seen in  FIG. 5 , the winch  31  pulls the assembled cylinders into abutment with retainer  30  which retainer  30  abuts the spare tire rim to press the tire and rim into its storage position. The washer  23  helps to retain the cable  20  in the center of the ends of the cylinders. Only one washer  23  is shown, but additional washers  23  may be provided. All of the washers  23  need not be identical. That is, one or more washers  23  may be of a flexible (rubber) material and other washers  23  may be of rigid material (steel, aluminum, etc.). Flexible member  21  is compressed between the washer  23  and the retainer  30 . Additional flexible like members  21  may be used. For example, first end  2  of the first cylinder  1  may have a flexible member  21  or washer  23  (not shown) placed or adhered thereto to permit flexible abutment between the first cylinder  1  and second cylinder  11 . As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the winch  31  may compress the spring a desired amount to ensure that the tire and rim are properly seated in the storage position. In the storage position the cable  20  is not exposed for cutting because the cable&#39;s end is enclosed by the cylinders  1 ,  11  and cylinders  1 ,  11  abut the retainer with the cable portion above the retainer not accessible from below. 
     As best seen in  FIG. 5 , when the winch  31  pulls the spare tire into its stored position the first end  12  of the second cylinder  11  abuts retainer  30  preventing access to the cable  20 . Retainer  30  has a recess which houses top portion of second cylinder  11 . That is, second cylinder  11  abuts retainer  30  in a recessed portion of retainer  30  with sides of the recess extending along an upper portion of cylinder  12  thereby providing further protection from access to the cable by a cutting implement. 
     The cylinders  1 ,  11  in their assembled operative configuration form an enclosure which is substantially closed to road grime including sand, salt, etc. That is, as noted above, slot  14  does not overlie opening  4  and end  3  of first cylinder  1  substantially closes opening  15  in second cylinder  11 . Opening or aperture  5  may have its edges lined with a flexible material (rubber, plastic, etc.) to permit entry of cable  20 , to grip the cable  20  and close the portion of opening  5  not occupied by the cable  20  and to prevent the cable from wear due to rubbing the cable  20  against the edges of the opening  5  of the cylinder  1 . 
     Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only, and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The spirit and scope of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.