Protective rear accessory bumper with integrated spare tire carrier

• US 20090242600A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ibis Tek, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ibis Tek, LLC
• Inventors: Helms, James M., Barie, Mark R.
• Application Number:
  US12/381,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20090242600A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 224/489
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/48 combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 43/002 Handling devices, mainly for heavy wheels via cables and chains B62D43/045
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 43/02 external to the vehicle body

Abstract

A protective rear accessory bumper and integrated spare tire carrier for use on a host land vehicle providing protective features designed to minimize vehicle damage in rear-end vehicular collisions, and also providing rapid access to, and stowage of, a spare tire, by means of a pivoting tire carrier assembly, allowing a single person to change a heavy tire too heavy for the person to lift by hand.

Claims

1. An accessory bumper with an integrated spare tire carrier assembly for use on a posterior side of a host land vehicle, comprising:

a bumper assembly (400) comprising a two-ended protective frame element (402) having an attachment point (402a) at one end through which a holding mast (301) having a first end, extends through the frame element (402) and pivotably attaches to a first swivel hinge (408); and

a deployable tire carrier assembly (406) including a pivot arm (304) having a first end and a second end, the second end of the pivot arm for pivotably attaching to a spare tire (300) via a shaft (312), and the first end of the pivot arm penetrated by the holding mast (301) at the attachment point (402a), and a second swivel hinge (316) connected to the first end of the holding mast (301) and to the first end of the pivot arm (304) at the attachment point (402a), whereby the tire carrier can pivot away from the host vehicle via the first swivel hinge (408) and the spare tire (300) can be raised or lowered via the second swivel hinge (316); and

fastening means (320, 416) for securing the tire carrier assembly (406) in an upright position.

2. The accessory bumper of claim 1, wherein the deployable tire carrier assembly (406) is pivotably attached to the first swivel hinge (408) by at least one horizontal support member (410) having two ends, the first end of the at least one horizontal support member connected to the first swivel hinge (408), and the second end of the at least one horizontal support member connected to a first end of a vertical holding mast (301) having two ends, a second swivel hinge (316) connected to the first end of vertical holding mast (301), a first end of a pivot arm (304) having two ends attached to the second swivel hinge (316).

3. The accessory bumper of claim 1, wherein the deployable tire carrier assembly (406) includes a motor (314) for adjusting tension on a cable (306) connected to a second end of the pivot arm (304).

4. The accessory bumper of claim 1, wherein the deployable tire carrier assembly (406) includes features by which the spare tire carrier assembly (406) can be secured in an upright position by a hitch pin (320) and a retainer pin.

5. The accessory bumper of claim 1, wherein the deployable tire carrier assembly (406) includes an electric stop (308) connected to the holding mast for limiting upward travel of the pivot arm.

6. The accessory bumper of claim 1, wherein the two-ended protective frame element (402) is a c-channel weldment.

7. The accessory bumper of claim 1, wherein the fastening means for securing the tire carrier assembly (406) in an upright position locks the tire carrier assembly (406) against the bumper assembly (400), and comprises a latch (416) mounted to a striking face (404) of the bumper assembly (400) and aligned so that when the tire carrier assembly (406) is pushed against the latch (416), the tire carrier assembly (406) locks in place and is prevented from swinging freely.

8. The accessory bumper of claim 1, wherein the fastening means for securing the tire carrier assembly (406) in an upright position locks the tire carrier assembly (406) in an upright position and comprises a hitch pin (320) having an end with a hole, the hitch pin (320) being inserted into a hole (307a) created by a hollow cross section of a ladder arm (307) in the pivot arm (304) and a retainer pin threaded through the hole of the hitch pin.