Spare tire handling device with a wheel retainer

Abstract

A spare tire handling device mounted on a vehicle and adapted for moving a spare tire between a stored and an accessible position relative to the vehicle, and including a winch and a flexible member attached to the winch at one end and the other end to the spare tire. The device includes a tire carrier with a housing and one extending portion pivotally connected to the housing. The extending portion being movable from a retracted to an extended position. Additionally a biasing member urges the extending portion to an extended position. A secondary lock assembly and a rim spacer are also disclosed.

1 . A spare tire handling device adapted for moving a spare tire relative to a vehicle, the device comprising, in combination: 
 a winch apparatus;    a flexible member having one end attached to the winch and the other end detachably engageable with the tire, the tire being displaceable from an accessible position to a stored position in response to the rotation of the winch in one direction and from the stored position to the accessible position in response to the rotation of the winch in the opposite direction;    a wheel retainer member adjacent to the other end of the flexible member, the wheel retainer member having a housing and at least one extending portion being rotatable from a retracted position to an extended position;    a secondary lock assembly attached to the housing;    a stop adjacent the housing, the stop preventing over-rotation of the at least one extending portion beyond the extended position; and    a biasing member urging the at least one extending portion toward the extended position.    
     
     
         2 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the biasing member is a torsional spring  
     
     
         3 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in claim I wherein the extending portion is a pair of opposite extended members.  
     
     
         4 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the spare tire has a rim including an aperture, the wheel retainer being insert able into the aperture when the at least one extending portion is in the retracted position and being sized greater than the aperture when the extending portion is moved by the biasing member toward the extended position.  
     
     
         5 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the at least one extending portion has a hole, and the housing has an opening, and further comprising: a pivot pin disposed in the hole and the opening to connect the extending portion to the housing, the biasing member is adjacent the pivot pin.  
     
     
         6 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the biasing member is a torsional spring member having one end adjacent to the housing and the other end adjacent to the at least one extending portion, and further comprising: a pivot pin connecting the extending portion to the housing.  
     
     
         7 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising: a rim spacer member adjacent the rim.  
     
     
         8 . (canceled)  
     
     
         9 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the spare tire having a rim, the rim including a radial web portion axially oriented with respect to a face of the tire and further comprising a rim spacer member adjacent the rim, the rim spacer member having a portion forming a hole and an axial extending stand-off portion adjacent the hole, the flexible member being disposed in the hole, the stand-off portion limiting the axial movement of the wheel retainer member into the radial web portion of the rim wherein the at least one extending portion passes through the aperture in the rim when a face of the tire is in one position, and the at least one extending portion is prevented from passing through the aperture when the face of the tire is in another position.  
     
     
         10 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the tire having a rim portion, the rim portion including a recess, and further comprising: a rim spacer member adjacent the rim, the spacer member having a radial wing portion contacting the recess to orient the rim spacer in the rim.  
     
     
         11 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising: a rim spacer member adjacent the tire, the rim spacer member being sized to permit a predetermined size of tire to be accommodated by the spare tire handling device.  
     
     
         12 . A spare tire handling device mounted on a vehicle and adapted for moving a spare tire between a stored and an accessible position relative to the vehicle, the device including. 
 a winch member; and    a flexible member attached at one end to the winch member and the other end detachably engageable with the spare tire whereby the tire is displaceable from the accessible to the stored position in response to the operation of the winch member in one direction and from the stored to the accessible position in response to the operation of the winch member in the direction opposite to the one direction;    a tire carrier having a housing and a wheel retainer member with at least one extending portion pivotally connected to the housing, the extending portion being movable from a retracted position to an extended position; and a biasing member biasing the extending portion toward the extended position; and    a secondary latch connected to the housing.    
     
     
         13 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in  claim 12  further comprising: a pivot pin connecting at least one extending portion to the housing, the biasing member being disposed about the pivot pin.  
     
     
         14 . (canceled)  
     
     
         15 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in  claim 12  further comprising a saddle member positioned adjacent to the housing the saddle member including a first stop member to prevent over-rotation beyond the extended position and a second stop member to prevent over-rotation beyond the retracted position.  
     
     
         16 . The spare tire handling device as claimed in  claim 12  further comprising a rim spacer member positioned adjacent the tire, the rim spacer member having an axial standoff portion.  
     
     
         17 - 20 . (canceled)  
     
     
         21 . A spare tire handling device for attachment to a vehicle with a flexible member, the device comprising: 
 a tire carrier;    a wheel retainer member connected to the tire carrier for supporting a tire in a stowed position on a vehicle, the wheel retainer member including an extending portion movable between an extended position and a retracted position, the wheel retainer member in the extended position having a length that is greater than a diameter of an aperture of a tire to be supported and the wheel retainer member in the retracted position having a length that is less than the diameter of the aperture of the tire to be supported; and    a secondary lock connected to the wheel retainer for preventing a tire from disengaging from a vehicle should the flexible member break.    
     
     
         22 . The spare tire handling device of  claim 21 , wherein the extending portion is biased to the extended position.  
     
     
         23 . The spare tire handling device of  claim 21 , wherein the extending portion includes a pair of rotating members attached to the tire carrier for supporting a spare tire by the underside when the spare tire is in a stowed position.  
     
     
         24 . The spare tire handling device of  claim 23 , wherein the tire carrier includes an elongate body for passing through an aperture in a tire rim, the pair of extending members rotatably supported by the elongate body.  
     
     
         25 . The spare tire handling device of  claim 24 , wherein the secondary lock includes a pair of locking arms connected to the elongate body, each lock arm having a cam for biasing each lock arm in a locking position.