Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Auxiliary article compartments
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-24
2001-05-15
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Auxiliary article compartments
C296S182100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231097
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to spare wheels for vehicles and, more particularly, to a rotatable spare wheel carrier for a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to provide a spare wheel for a vehicle in the event of a flat or blowout of one of four wheels of the vehicle. The spare wheel may be carried interior or exterior to the vehicle. Typically, the vehicle has a rear compartment, which contains the spare wheel such that it is packaged between rails of the rear compartment on either a dry or wet side of sheetmetal for the rear compartment. For passenger vehicle applications, the spare wheel is mounted on a spare wheel carrier on the dry side and is pre-tilted to help enable the spare wheel to rotate during a rear impact on the vehicle. During a rear impact, the rails of the rear compartment and the spare wheel carrier move dependent upon one another and hence the rails absorb energy through bending.
Although the above has worked, it is desirable to provide a spare wheel carrier that is rotated to allow the rails to dissipate energy during axial crush. It is also desirable to provide a spare wheel carrier that moves independently of rails for a rear compartment of a vehicle. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a rotatable spare wheel carrier for a vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a rotatable spare wheel carrier for a vehicle.
It is another object to provide a rotatable spare wheel carrier for a rear compartment of a vehicle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a rotatable spare wheel carrier for a rear compartment of a vehicle that moves independently of rails for the rear compartment.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is a rotatable spare wheel carrier for a rear compartment of a vehicle including a base portion adapted to engage a spare wheel and be spaced above a base wall of a recess in a rear compartment of a vehicle. The rotatable spare wheel carrier also includes a leg portion extending downwardly and longitudinally from the base portion and a foot portion extending longitudinally from the leg portion and adapted to be secured to the base wall. The rotatable spare wheel carrier further includes a living hinge between the base portion and the leg portion to allow the base portion to rotate relative to the leg portion upon an impact on a rear of the vehicle.
One advantage of the present invention is that a rotatable spare wheel carrier is provided for a rear compartment of a vehicle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the rotatable spare wheel carrier provides more styling and packaging flexibility for a given mass and cost.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3595335 (1971-07-01), Wessells, III et al.
patent: 3642296 (1972-02-01), Froumajou
patent: 5-178240 (1993-07-01), None
Bryer Giles David
Cannon Marcel R.
Heath Peter W.
Schell Brian Cameron
Syed Sajid
Dayoan D. Glenn
Engle Patricia
General Motors Corporation
Sedlar Jeffrey A.
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