Abstract:
A spare tire carrier featuring an integrated automotive jack, the jack used for manipulating the carrier into and out of a configuration suitable for transit. The jack may also be removed from the carrier, and used to elevate the vehicle. A strap and ratchet mechanism is also provided, helpful for securing the tire upon the carrier and also for leveraging the tire into place upon the carrier.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/964,749, filed by the present inventors on Aug. 14, 2007. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to the field of motorized vehicles. More particularly, the present invention pertains to the field of tire carriers used to secure spare tires to motorized vehicles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Spare tire storage on motorized vehicles can make the process of loading and unloading the tire cumbersome and inconvenient. Therefore what is needed is an easy and convenient storage and loading/unloading system. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention provides a spare tire carrier enabling a way to secure a tire to a motorized vehicle and leverage the tire on and off the carrier as needed. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view showing the tire carrier securing a tire in loading/unloading position. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the tire carrier securing a tire in transit position. 
         FIG. 3 . is a perspective view showing the tire carrier securing a tire in loading/unloading position. 
         FIG. 4 . is a detailed perspective view of the rachet mechanism. 
         FIG. 5 . is a perspective view showing the tire carrier securing a tire in loading/unloading position. 
         FIG. 6 . is a perspective view showing the tire carrier securing a tire in loading/unloading position. 
         FIG. 7 . is a perspective view showing the tire carrier securing a tire in loading/unloading position. 
         FIG. 8 . is a detailed perspective view of the ladder frame assembly and jack. 
         FIG. 9  is a detailed perspective view of the ladder frame assembly fixed to a motorized vehicle bumper and side. 
         FIG. 10  is a detailed perspective view of the lower portion of the ladder frame assembly, showing the fixed pipe/fixed tubular structure within the vehicle bumper and the insertion of the hinge pipe into the fixed pipe. 
     
    
    
     DRAWINGS LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     The following is a list of reference labels used in the drawings to label components of different embodiments of the invention, and the names of the indicated components. 
     
         
           10  spare tire carrier 
           11  basket strap 
           12  jack 
           13  pivoting strut 
           14  pivoting carriage 
           15  pivoting mount 
           16  pivoting linkage 
           25  travelling crossbeam 
           26  fixed crossbeam 
           27  ladder frame assembly 
           28   a  vertical support member 
           28   b  hinge pipe 
           30  top mount 
           30   a  adjustable arms 
           32  ratchet 
           34  cam lock 
           34   a  cam lever 
           34   b  U shaped member 
           36  fixed pipe/fixed tubular structure 
           500  vehicle bumper 
           501  vehicle hull 
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention is shown in attached  FIGS. 1-10 . 
     As can be seen from  FIGS. 1-10 , the invention provides a tire carrier  10 , which may include a hydraulic jack  12  used for lifting a vehicle and also for moving the tire carrier into and out of a transit position. The transit position is shown in  FIG. 2 , and the loading/unloading position is shown in  FIG. 1 . Instead of or in addition to the hydraulic jack, the invention may include a strap  11  and ratchet  32  used for securing the tire to the tire carrier and leveraging the tire onto the tire carrier. While a hydraulic jack is used in the present embodiment of the spare tire carrier, pneumatic, mechanical or motor operated jacks may also be used. Additionally, a removable cover is provided for the jack to protect it against the elements. 
     The tire carrier  10  comprises a pivoting carriage  14  in which a tire may be seated, and in some embodiments the carriage may be connected via a pivoting mount  15  to a ladder frame assembly  27  comprising a fixed vertical support member  28   a , a rotating vertical support member hinge pipe  28   b , a fixed crossbeam  26 , and a parallel travelling crossbeam  25  that slides up and down along the support members. In such embodiments, the travelling crossbeam is typically connected via pivoting struts  13  at pivoting linkage  16  to the pivoting carriage  14  in which the tire is seated so that, as the pivoting carriage  14  pivots about the ladder frame assembly, the crossbeam travels vertically along the support members  28   a ,  28   b  of the ladder frame assembly  27 . Some embodiments may also comprise means for locking the travelling crossbeam in place so that the frame in which the tire is seated may not freely pivot; such means for locking may include bolts or pins. 
     A jack  12  may be placed upon the fixed crossbeam  26  within the ladder frame assembly, so that the travelling crossbeam  25  rests on the jack&#39;s lifting surface. As the jack is extended, the travelling crossbeam is lifted, thereby pivoting the entire carriage  14  upwards. Lowering the jack will cause the carriage  14  in which the tire is seated to pivot in the opposite direction. The jack may be secured in place by virtue of the torque applied by the travelling crossbeam  25  by the mass of the carriage in which the tire is seated, or by securely torquing the jack in place against the locked travelling crossbeam, or by any alternate means of fastening, such as a strap or a bracket. Once the pivoting carriage  14  in which the tire is seated is elevated into a position suitable for transit (or lowered so as to facilitate removal of the tire from the carrier) the travelling crossbeam  25  may be locked into place and the jack removed. 
     As mentioned above, the tire may be secured to the pivoting carriage  14  by means of a strap, which may be what is sometimes called a basket strap  11  or may be any other suitable strap. A ratchet  32  may be fixed to either the ladder frame assembly  27  or the pivoting carriage  14  in which the tire is seated. The ratchet tensions the strap against the tire, holding the tire securely in place. The strap and ratchet may further be used to provide a mechanical advantage helpful in lifting the tire onto the pivoting carriage  14 . 
     Looking more specifically at  FIGS. 9-10 , the ladder frame assembly  27  attaches to the vehicle at two places. The first attachment location is at the vehicle&#39;s bumper  500 , where a fixed pipe/fixed tubular structure  36  is inserted into the bumper  500  and hinge pipe  28   b  inserts into the fixed pipe  36 , allowing the spare tire carrier to rotate around the hinge pipe  28   b  towards and away from the vehicle. This allows users of the invention to access storage spaces that may otherwise be obstructed by the spare tire carrier. The second attachment location is on the vehicle hull  501 , where hinge pipe  28   b  inserts into a top mount  30  having a plurality of adjustable arms  30   a  affixed to the hull  501 . A cam lock  34 , located directly beneath top mount  30 , and comprising a cam lever  34   a , a U-shaped member  34   b  surrounding hinge pipe  28   b , and a bolt penetrating the member  34   b , allows a user to lock the hinge pipe  28   b  in a desired position by pushing down on the cam lever  34   a  to compress the U-shaped member&#39;s ends together at the bolt, stopping free rotation of the hinge pipe  28   b.    
     The invention is of use, e.g., as an accessory for utility vehicles, including tactical military vehicles, such as the HMMWV (high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle). As is clear from the description, though, the invention is clearly of use in other than such vehicles, and in particular is of use in case of military or non-military vehicles with tires that cannot be easily manipulated by a single individual, such as the tire depicted in  FIGS. 1-10 . 
     It is to be understood that the arrangements shown and described above and in the attachments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements.