Tire fixing device

Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – For rim – tire – or wheel

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C224S042120, C224S042130, C224S042260

Reexamination Certificate

active

06189749

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tire fixing device.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
As shown in
FIG. 13
, generally, a space for accommodating a spare tire is provided behind a rear seat on an automobile; that is, a tire is fixedly accommodated in the space. There are available a variety of spare tire accommodating and fixing methods in the art. For instance, Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 6-74589 has disclosed a spare tire carrier which is so designed that a spare tire is fixed with a locking element which is built in a center pole which penetrates the central hole of the wheel of the spare tire. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 10-81264 has disclosed a spare tire fixing device which comprises: a tightening member which is in the form of a shaft having the lower end portion which is threaded, and the upper end portion which is a screwing head; and a disk-shaped tire retainer which has a great step corresponding to the difference in width between a normal tire and a temporary tire between the lower end face and the lower surface of the flange of a cylindrical shaft section whose both ends are first and second annular receiving seat surfaces.
The above-described prior arts are spare tire fixing devices, not concerning the fixing of flat tires. A spare tire is generally smaller in width than a normal tire, and therefore it is impossible to accommodate a flat tire in the spare tire accommodating space. Hence, in general, until the vehicle arrives at a repair shop (station), the flat tire is left in the vehicle without being fixed. If a big object such as a tire is left in the vehicle without being fixed, then it may be unsteady in the traveling vehicle while rattling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a method of positively fixing a puncture tire (this is, a flat tire) not only when the bucket seat is held raised but also when it is folded, and a device for practicing the method.
The inventors have conducted intensive research on the securing of a vehicle tire, such as a flat tire, to a vehicle body, and, paying attention to the fact that, in an automobile, especially in a mini-van type automobile, the rear-most seat is folded and an accommodated, reached the present invention: That is, they have so modified the vehicle body that a screw hole for holding a flat tire fixing bracket by threadably engaging the latter is formed at the corner of a seat accommodating space provided behind the rearmost seat. Hence, (1) in the case where the rearmost seat is held raised, the bracket is threadably engaged with the screw hole, and the flat tire is secured to the bracket with a screw; and (2) in the case where the rearmost seat is accommodated in the space, the flat tire is secured directly to the screw hole with a screw. In both cases, the flat tire can be readily and positively secured.
That is, a flat tire fixing device for fixing a flat tire in an automobile which has a space behind a bucket seat in which the folded bucket seat is accommodated, according to the invention, comprises:
(a) a flat tire fixing threaded member adapted to fix the flat tire; and
(b) a vehicle body screw hole which is located near the front edge of the accommodating space, and is threadably engaged with the threaded member.
It is preferable that the flat tire fixing device of the invention further comprises:
(c) a substantially L-shaped bracket which has a first screw hole which is threadably engaged with the vehicle body screw hole, and a second screw hole with which said flat tire fixing threaded member is threadably engaged,
the first screw hole being formed in the horizontal section of the L-shaped bracket,
the second screw hole being formed in the vertical section of the L-shaped bracket.
To an automobile having a space behind a bucket seat in which the bucket seat is accommodated after being folded, a flat tire is fixed as follows: In the case where the bucket seat is accommodated which has been folded, one of the bolt holes of the flat tire is set in alignment with the vehicle body screw hole, and the flat tire is threadably secured to the vehicle body screw hole with the threaded member. In the case where the bucket seat is held raised, a substantially L-shaped bracket is employed which has the horizontal section having the first screw hole and the vertical section having the second screw hole. With the first screw hole set in alignment with the vehicle body screw hole, the bracket is threadably secured to the vehicle body. Thereafter, one of the bolt holes of the flat tire is set in alignment with the second screw hole of the bracket, and the flat tire is secured to the second screw hole with the threaded member. In this connection, it is preferable that the lower end of the tread of the flat tire is in contact with the bottom surface of the accommodating space, and the upper end of the same is in contact with the rear surface of the backrest of the bucket seat.
The flat tire fixing device of the invention functions not only in the case where the bucket seat has been accommodated in the tire accommodating space but also in the case where it has been set raised. That is, in the case where the bucket seat has been accommodated, the bottom surface of the seat of the bucket seat is flush with the floor mat. Therefore, one of the bolt holes of the flat tire can be readily set in alignment with the vehicle body screw hole located near the front edge. Under this condition, the threaded member is threadably engaged with the vehicle body screw hole through the bolt hole of the flat tire, so that the latter can be positively secured. In the case where the bucket seat has been set raised, the tire accommodating space is opened, and therefore it can be utilized as it is. That is, the substantially L-shaped bracket is secured by threadably inserting the screw into the vehicle body screw hole, and with the screw hole formed in the vertical section of the bracket set in alignment with the bolt hole of the flat tire, the threaded member is threadably engaged with the screw hole until the flat tire is secured to the vertical section. In this case, the lower end of the tread of the flat tire is in contact with the bottom surface of the accommodating space, and the upper end of the same is in contact with the rear surface of the backrest. Therefore, the flat tire is positively fixed.
The nature, utility and principle of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and the appended claims when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1297942 (1919-03-01), Wahrenberger
patent: 2709545 (1955-05-01), Cryer
patent: 3428230 (1969-02-01), Korf et al.
patent: 5154385 (1992-10-01), Linberg et al.
patent: 5845825 (1998-12-01), Utsuno et al.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Tire fixing device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Tire fixing device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tire fixing device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2596167

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.