Abstract:
In one embodiment, a vehicle accessory carrier includes: a first assembly including a flat top surface, a bottom surface and a vehicle mounting part attached to the bottom surface, the vehicle mounting part configured to mount the first assembly to a vehicle; and a second assembly configured to carry a vehicle accessory, the second assembly attached to the first assembly and the second assembly including a flat surface overlaying the flat top surface of the first assembly when the second assembly is attached to the first assembly.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     A flat tire on an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) is inconvenient at best and potentially dangerous for a rider many miles into the backcountry. ATV&#39;s presently are not equipped with a spare tire carrier. ATV owner&#39;s manuals instruct the rider to deflate a second tire in the event one tire goes flat and then ride on until the flat tire can be fixed or replaced, often ruining two tires and two wheels in the process. If a rider wants to carry a spare tire, he must strap the spare tire to the front or rear of the ATV or otherwise fashion some type of crude carrier. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0002]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a spare tire carrier mounted to the back of an ATV.  
         [0003]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are plan and elevation views of a vehicle mounting part of an accessory carrier such as might be used for mounting to an older model Polaris ATV.  
         [0004]      FIGS. 5-7  are plan and elevation views of a vehicle mounting part of an accessory carrier such as might be used for mounting to a newer model Polaris ATV.  
         [0005]      FIGS. 8-10  are plan and elevation views of an accessory carrying part of an accessory carrier. The accessory carrying part shown in  FIGS. 8-10  is configured for carrying a spare tire.  
         [0006]      FIGS. 11-13  are exploded assembly elevation views of an accessory carrier that includes the vehicle mounting part of  FIGS. 3-4  and the accessory carrying part of  FIGS. 8-10 .  
         [0007]      FIGS. 14-16  are plan and elevation views of a spare tire carrying part that includes features for carrying a jack and other tire changing tools.  
         [0008]      FIGS. 17-20  are assembly elevation views of a spare tire carrier.  
         [0009]      FIG. 21  illustrates a spare tire carrier mounted to the front of an (ATV).  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0010]     Embodiments of the invention were developed as spare tire carriers for All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). Exemplary embodiments, therefore, will be described with reference to a spare tire carrier mounted to an ATV. Embodiments of the invention, however, are not limited to spare tire carriers and ATVs. Embodiments may be adapted to mount to other vehicles and to carry other accessories. The exemplary embodiments shown in the figures and described below illustrate but do not limit the invention. Other forms, details, and embodiments may be made and implemented. Hence, the following description should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined in the claims that follow the description.  
         [0011]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a spare tire carrier  10  mounted to the back of an ATV  12 .  FIG. 21  illustrates spare tire carrier  10  mounted to the front of ATV  12 . Carrier  10  carries a spare tire  14 . In the back-mounted embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , carrier  10  includes a trailer hitch receiver  16 . A trailer hitch ball mount  18  with a ball  20  is inserted into receiver  16  and secured with a hitch pin  22 . Carrier  10  also carries a jack  24  and other tire changing tools, lug wrench  26  and jack handle  27  for example. A cable  28  connects a tail light  29  ( FIG. 2 ) on carrier  10  to the ATV electrical system.  
         [0012]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are top down plan and front elevation views, respectively, of one embodiment of a vehicle mounting assembly  30  for an accessory carrier such as spare tire carrier  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , mounting assembly  30  includes a flat plate  32  and a pair of mounting tubes  34  and  36  welded or otherwise attached to the bottom  38  of plate  32 . Tubes  34  and  36  extend along opposite sides of plate  32  and project out from the front  40  of plate  32 . In the embodiment shown, each tube  34 ,  36  consists of two parts—an outer tube  35  along plate  32  and an inner tube  37  nested in outer tube  35  and extending out from plate  32 . Tubes  37  are configured to fit into holes in the frame of an older model Polaris ATV. Vehicle mounting assembly  30  may also include a trailer hitch receiver  42  welded or otherwise attached to plate bottom  38 , facing to the rear to accommodate insertion of a corresponding ball mount (not shown). Holes  44 ,  46  and  48  are formed in a triangular pattern  49  on plate  32 . Holes  44 ,  46  are located on each side of plate  32  near the rear and a third through hole  48  is located at the center of plate  32  near the front over a hole in the ATV frame. A bolt inserted through hole  48  extends through the hole in the ATV frame to secure mounting assembly  30  to the ATV. The hole in the older model Polaris ATV frame typically is a trailer ball mounting hole formed in a hitch extension coming off the rear part of the ATV frame. Holes  44 ,  46  and  48  and the top  50  of plate  32  form a triangular three point attachment platform for the accessory carrying assembly discussed below. In the embodiment shown, front hole  48  is slotted to allow for some front to rear adjustment of the position of the accessory carrying assembly.  
         [0013]      FIGS. 5-7  are top down plan, rear and side elevation views, respectively, of another embodiment of a vehicle mounting assembly  52  for an accessory carrier such as spare tire carrier  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Referring to  FIGS. 5-7 , mounting assembly  52  includes a primary flat plate  54  and a mounting tube  56  welded or otherwise attached to the bottom  58  of plate  54 . Tube  56  extends down the middle of primary plate  54  and projects out from the front  60  of primary plate  54 . Tube  56  is configured to fit into a hole in the frame of a newer model Polaris ATV. A secondary plate  62  is welded or otherwise attached to the front of the top  59  of primary plate  54 . Secondary plate  62  extends forward out over mounting tube  56 . Holes  64 ,  66  on each side of secondary plate  62  in tube  56  are used to secure mounting assembly  52  to the vehicle frame. Hole  68  may be used with a bolt or pin to properly locate holes  64  and  66  over the corresponding holes in the ATV frame, as well as to help secure mounting assembly  52  to the ATV.  
         [0014]     Vehicle mounting assembly  52  may also include a trailer hitch receiver  70  welded or otherwise attached to plate bottom  58 , facing to the rear to accommodate insertion of a corresponding ball mount (not shown). In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , mounting tube  56  is nested in hitch receiver  70 . Four holes  72 ,  74 ,  76  and  78  are formed in a rectangular pattern  79  on primary plate  54 . Two pairs of holes  72 ,  74  and  76 ,  78  on each side of primary plate  54  near the front and rear form a rectangular four point attachment platform for the accessory carrying assembly discussed below. All four holes  72 - 78  may be slotted to allow for front to rear adjustment of the position of the accessory carrying assembly.  
         [0015]      FIGS. 8-10  are top down plan, elevation and bottoms up plan views, respectively, of an accessory carrying assembly  80  for an accessory carrier such as spare tire carrier  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The accessory carrying assembly  80  shown in  FIGS. 8-10  is configured for carrying a spare tire. Referring to  FIGS. 8-10 , carrying assembly  80  includes a flat plate  82  and a stanchion  84  extending up from a rear part  86  of plate  82 . A gusset  88  may be used if necessary or desirable to strengthen stanchion  84 . A tire mounting plate  90  is attached to a horizontal extension  92  at the top of stanchion  84 . Extension  92  serves as a spacer to provide clearance between the spare tire and stanchion  84 . A gusset  94  may be used if necessary or desirable to strengthen extension  92 . Threaded tire/wheel lugs  96  protrude from the face of plate  90 . A ring shaped tire mounting plate  90  is used when a tail light is included as part of tire carrying assembly  80 , as shown in  FIGS. 17-20 .  
         [0016]     Holes  98 ,  100 ,  102 ,  104  and  106  are formed through plate  82  in a pattern  108  matching each hole pattern  49 ,  79  in both vehicle mounting assembly plates  32  and  54 . One or more of holes  98 - 106  may be slotted to allow for front to rear adjustment of the position of tire carrying assembly  80 . Patterning the holes in carrying assembly plate  82  to match the hole pattern in multiple vehicle mounting assembly plates allows the use of the same tire carrying assembly  80  with different vehicle mounting assemblies  30  and  52 . In this way, the same “universal” accessory carrying assembly may be used with two or more different “interchangeable” vehicle mounting assemblies specifically configured for mounting to different vehicles.  
         [0017]      FIGS. 11-13  are exploded assembly elevation views of an accessory carrier  10  that includes vehicle mounting assembly  30  shown in  FIGS. 3-4  and tire carrying assembly  80  shown in  FIGS. 8-10 . Referring to  FIGS. 11-13 , tire carrying assembly  80  is attached to vehicle mounting assembly  30  with nuts/bolts  109  through the holes matching hole pattern  49  ( FIG. 3 ) on vehicle mounting assembly plate  32  (holes  44 ,  46  and  48  on plate  32  and holes  98 ,  100  and  102  on plate  82 ). Any suitable fastener may be used to attach carrying assembly  80  to vehicle mounting assembly  30 . If a more permanent attachment is desired, for example, then carrying assembly plate  82  may be welded to vehicle mounting assembly plate  32  and the holes in both plates may be omitted. If a more easily removable attachment is desired, for example, then carrying assembly plate  82  may be bolted to vehicle mounting assembly plate  32  as shown in the figures.  
         [0018]     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 14-16 , spare tire carrying assembly  80  includes features for carrying a jack and other tire changing tools.  FIGS. 17-20  show a full assembled spare tire carrier  10  with a jack, jack handle and lug wrench on the carrier. Referring to  FIGS. 14-20 , round holding tubes  110  and  112  are attached to opposite sides of stanchion  84  to hold lug wrench  26  and jack handle  27 . Set screws  114  and  116  may be used to help retain the tools in tubes  110  and  112 . A threaded lug  118  protrudes out from one side of angle brace  88  to help hold a jack  24  in place on plate  82 . In the embodiment shown, lug  118  is adapted to a typical smaller hydraulic jack that includes a round handle holder  120  that slides down over lug  118 . As best seen in  FIGS. 17 and 20 , jack  24  is held in place on lug  118  with a washer  122  and nut  124 . A stop  126  protruding from plate  82  also helps retain jack  24  in place on plate  82 . A ring  128  or other suitable feature protruding from plate  82  helps stabilize lug wrench  26  in tube  112 .  
         [0019]      FIGS. 17-20  show a fully assembled spare tire carrier  10 . Referring to  FIGS. 17-20 , tire carrier assembly  80  is attached to vehicle mounting assembly  30  with bolts  109 . Mounting assembly  30  includes a trailer hitch receiver  16 / 42 . A trailer hitch ball mount  18  with a ball  20  is inserted into receiver  16 / 42  and secured with a hitch pin  22 . Tire carrier assembly  80  carries jack  24  and other tire changing tools  26  and  27 . Cable  28  connects tail light  29  on carrier assembly  80  to the ATV electrical system.  
         [0020]     The structural elements of carrier  10  may be formed from any suitable structurally stable materials. For example, it is expected that plates  32 ,  54 ,  82  and  90  made from ¼″ steel plate; mounting tubes  34 ,  36  and  56  made from 1″ square 10 gauge steel tubing; and stanchion  84  and extension  92  made from 1″×2″ 10 gauge steel tubing will adequately support loads typical for an ATV spare tire carrier.  
         [0021]     The present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing exemplary embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that other forms, details, and embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is defined in the following claims.