Vehicle spare tire lift assembly

• US 10,246,144 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2018
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Farooq, S. M. Iskander, Faruque, Mohammed Omar, Jaradi, Dean M., Dunham, Scott Holmes
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Justin
• Application Number:
  US16/141,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20190023332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 189 Days
• Field of Search: 294165, 294166
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 43/002 Handling devices, mainly for heavy wheels via cables and chains B62D43/045
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 43/06 within the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 43/10 and arranged substantially horizontally

Abstract

A tire lift assembly including a body and a pair of moveable arms is provided. The body may include two handles. Each of the moveable arms extends from the body. Each arm may have an end to grasp a vehicle tire when in a first position and to release the vehicle tire when in a second position. Each of the movable arms may extend from the body at a living hinge to facilitate movement of each of the moveable arms. The body may be of a flexible material to facilitate movement of each of the pair of moveable arms. The body may further define a pair of handle through-holes. Each of the pair of handle through-holes may be located adjacent one of the two handles. Each of the pair of handle through-holes may be located adjacent a living hinge to facilitate pivotal movement of each of the moveable arms.

Claims

1. A tire lift assembly comprising:

a body including two handles; and

a pair of moveable arms each extending from the body at a living hinge, wherein each arm has an end to grasp a vehicle tire when in a first position and to release the vehicle tire when in a second position.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the body is of a flexible material to facilitate movement of each of the pair of moveable arms.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the body further defines a pair of handle through-holes, wherein each of the pair of handle through-holes is located adjacent one of the two handles.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein each of the pair of handle through-holes is located adjacent the living hinge to facilitate pivotal movement of each of the moveable arms.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the body defines an axle through-hole at a location on the body for alignment with a rim through-hole of the vehicle tire.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the body further defines one or more bolt through-holes spaced from one another to receive vehicle bolts at a vehicle tire mount location.