DESC:CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[001] This application is based on and derives the benefit of Indian Provisional Application 201741011830, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[002] The embodiments herein generally relate to spare wheel tire covers for vehicles, more particularly to a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly and a locking mechanism to protect the spare tire cover and a spare wheel thereby.
BACKGROUND
[003] A cover for a spare wheel tire that is carried externally on a vehicle is widely popular. The tire cover serves to protect the spare wheel and additionally enhances the aesthetics of the vehicle on which it is fitted. The tire covers which display logos or messages thereon are especially popular with both the end user as well as advertisers. Over the years, various tire covers have been designed for the spare wheel. One such tire cover assembly includes a metal cover fabricated from two hats joined together by suitable latches. Another, economical design is constructed as a canvas cover or skirt whose outer periphery is provided with an elastic band smaller than the outer diameter of the tire, the cover fits over the tire and is retained on it by the elastic band.
[004] Existing tire covers include three mounting points, which are common for both spare wheel as well as tire cover as shown in FIG. 1.Both the parts (spare wheel and tire cover) are required to be held in appropriate orientation and position, during assembling the parts to the vehicle door. It is very hard for an operator or an assembler to handle or assemble both the spare wheel and the spare tire cover together to the vehicle door, as they weigh heavy. Moreover, any misalignment in the position of mounting points of spare wheel and tire cover leads to additional time consumption in aligning the parts. Further, these types of mountings do not provide anti-theft features. Hence, the spare wheel and the tire covers are vulnerable to theft. Further, many competitors use additional bracket cover as shown in FIG. 2, to snap fit the spare tire cover to the spare wheel thereby avoiding the direct mountings(bolt or nut). It impacts on cost and weight of the vehicle.
[005] Therefore, there exists a need for a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly and a locking mechanism for the spare wheel tire cover that eliminates the aforementioned drawbacks.
OBJECTS
[006] The principal object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly for mounting spare tire cover to a vehicle door.
[007] Another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly having a locking mechanism for locking the spare wheel tire cover to the vehicle door.
[008] Yet another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly which is less expensive and having less weight.
[009] The objects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0011] FIGS. 1and 2 depicts a conventional spare wheel assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0012] FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of conventional carrier bracket, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0013] FIG. 4 depicts a cross section view of spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0014] FIG. 5 depicts a perspective view of a mounting bracket, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0015] FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of supporting structure, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0016] FIG. 7a, 7b and 7c depicts a perspective view, front view and side view of a mounting member, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0017] FIG. 8 depicts a perspective view and enlarged view of the mounting member assembled in an attaching portion of the spare wheel tire cover, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0018] FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of the spare wheel tire cover mounted to a vehicle door, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0019] FIG. 10a, 10b and 10c depicts a perspective view of vinyl wrap to hide spare wheel cover edges and tire, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0020] FIG. 11 depicts a perspective view of a radial ribbing structure of the spare wheel tire cover, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0021] FIG. 12a depicts an exploded view of a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0022] FIG. 12b depicts a method of assembling a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0023] FIG. 13 depicts a conventional spare wheel cover locking means, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0024] FIG. 14 depicts a cross-sectional view of a locking mechanism, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein; and
[0025] FIG. 15a, 15b and 15c depicts a perspective view of a locking mechanism, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0027] The embodiments herein achieve a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly for mounting spare tire cover to a vehicle door. Further, the embodiments herein achieve a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly having a locking mechanism for locking the spare wheel tire cover to the vehicle door. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 15c,where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown embodiments.
[0028] FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 depicts a conventional spare wheel assembly and carrier bracket, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The conventional spare wheel covers used in the automobile industry includes three mounting points provided on a carrier bracket, which are common for both spare wheel as well as spare wheel tire cover mounting as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.Further, the competitors in the automobile industry use additional bracket cover to snap fit the spare wheel tire cover into the spare wheel, thereby avoiding the direct mountings(bolt or nut), as shown in FIG. 2. It impacts on cost and weight of the vehicle.
[0029] FIG. 4 depicts a cross section view of spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The embodiments herein are described with reference to a vehicle having a rear door 122 and a spare wheel 120 being mounted on the vehicle door 122. In an embodiment, the spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly 100 includes a spare wheel tire cover 102 having a front end 102a and a rear end 102b, a mounting bracket 104, a supporting structure 106, a plurality of ribs 108 defined in the spare tire cover 102, a mounting member 110, a stopper member 112, an attachment member 114, an attaching portion 116, and a locking member 118.
[0030] FIG. 5 depicts a perspective view of a mounting bracket, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly 100 includes the mounting bracket104. The mounting bracket 104 is affixed on the door 122 of the vehicle. The mounting bracket 104 is affixed to the door 122 by a plurality of fasteners (not shown). The mounting bracket 104 is configured to carry the load and support the spare wheel 120 and the spare tire cover 102.
[0031] FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of supporting structure, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The mounting bracket 104 further includes at least one supporting structure 106. The supporting structure 106 includes a first end 106a and a second end 106b. The first end 106a is disposed away from the vehicle door 122 and the second end 106b is affixed to the mounting bracket 104. The supporting structure 106 further includes a first portion 106c disposed at second end 106b, a second portion 106d extending from first portion 106c and a third portion 106e extending from the second portion 106d and disposed at first end 106a. The first portion 106c of the supporting structure 106 is configured to receive the mounting member 110. The second portion 106d of the supporting structure 106 is configure to receive the stopper member 112. The third portion 106e of the supporting structure 106 includes at least aperture A to receive the locking member 118.
[0032] The supporting structure 106 is designed or fabricated to meet the following requirements, i.e. to carry complete load of the spare wheel tire cover, to prevent rotation of the spare wheel tire cover, and to accommodate the locking mechanism. For example, the supporting structure 106 may be considered as a metal stud. However, it is also within the scope of this invention to provide any type of stud or strip or structure to fabricate the supporting structure without otherwise deterring the intended function of the supporting as can be deduced from this description. The supporting structure 106 is welded to central portion of the mounting bracket 104.However, it is also within the scope of this invention to provide any type of attachment between the supporting structure and the mounting bracket without otherwise deterring the intended function of the attaching as can be deduced from this description.
[0033] FIG. 7a, 7b and 7c depicts a perspective view, front view and side view of a mounting member, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the spare tire cover 102 may be made up plastic material. However, it is also within the scope of this invention to provide any type of material to fabricate the cover without otherwise deterring the intended function of the covering as can be deduced from this description. As the spare wheel tire cover 102 is mounted on single supporting structure 106, and the plastic material being fragile cannot with stand the load of the tire cover 102in static as well as in dynamic condition. In-order to carry the weight of the entire spare tire cover 102 and to with stand the additional torque, the mounting member110 (as shown in FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7c) is inserted in the spare tire cover 102. The spare tire cover 102 includes the attaching portion 116. The attaching portion 116 includes a first opening O1 having a predetermined shape and size. The first opening O1 is configured to receive the mounting member 110. The mounting member 110 may be molded to the attaching portion 116, as shown in FIG. 8. The mounting member 110 includes a second opening O2 having a predetermined shape and size. The second opening O2 of the mounting member 110 is configured to receive the supporting structure 106. The mounting member 110 is configured to be passed through the first end 106a of the supporting structure. The first portion 106c of the supporting structure 106 is configured to receive the mounting member 110. The second opening O2 is fabricated in a shape corresponding to shape of the first portion 106c of the supporting structure 106.
[0034] For example, Table 1 shows the material property of mounting member 110 for carrying the entire load of the spare wheel cover 102.The mounting member 110 is made up material selected from group consisting of metals and non-metals. However, it is also within the scope of this invention to provide any type of material to fabricate the mounting member without otherwise deterring the intended function of the supporting as can be deduced from this description.
Table 1
MOUNTING MEMBER MATERIAL PROPERTY
GRADE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES Supply
Condition
T.S. (MPa)
min. Y.S. (MPa)
min. %E
min. Hardness (HRB)
max.
M0120 380 210 25 111 HR
[0035] FIG. 10a, 10b and 10c depicts a perspective view of vinyl wrap to hide spare wheel cover edges and tire, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly 100 includes at least one vinyl wrap with J-strip riveted at edge of the spare wheel cover 102 in order to hide the tire and edges of the molded spare wheel cover 102 and to achieve good craftsmanship, and aesthetic appearance.
[0036] FIG. 11 depicts a perspective view of a radial ribbing structure of the spare wheel tire cover, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly 100 is designed to carry the load from single mounting member 110. The spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly 100 includes the spare wheel tire cover 102. The spare wheel tire cover 102 includes a front end 102a and a rear end 102b. The front end 102a of the spare wheel tire cover 102 is disposed away from the vehicle door 122 and the rear end 102b of the spare tire cover 102 is connected to the rear end 102b. Furthermore, the spare wheel tire cover 102 includes a plurality of ribs 108 disposed radially in the spare wheel cover 102, in order to uniformly distribute the torque and load acting on the spare wheel tire cover 102. The spare tire cover 102 further includes a third opening O3 of predetermined shape to receive an attachment member 114.
[0037] The spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly 100 includes the stopper member 112. The stopper member 112is engaged with the supporting structure to lock the spare tire cover 102 to the mounting bracket 104. The stopper member 112 is configured to pass through the first end 106a of the supporting structure and is locked at the second portion 106d of the supporting structure 106. The stopper member 112 is configured to restrict the movement of the spare tire cover 102. For example, the stopper member may be a M14 Nut of 20 Nm. However, it is also within the scope of this invention to provide any type of stopper member without otherwise deterring the intended function of the locking as can be deduced from this description.
[0038] The spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly 100 includes the attachment member 114. The attachment member 114 is configured to be disposed in the third opening O3 of the spare tire cover 102. For example, the attachment member 114 is a logo of a car manufacturer. However, it is also within the scope of this invention to provide any type of attachment member (such as number plate, message plate, etc)without otherwise deterring the intended function of the displaying as can be deduced from this description. Further, the attachment member 114 is snap fitted in the third opening O3. However, it is also within the scope of this invention to provide any type of attachment between the attachment member and the cover 102without otherwise deterring the intended function of the attaching as can be deduced from this description.
[0039] FIG. 12a depicts an exploded view of a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly includes the mounting bracket 104 mounted on the door 122. The mounting bracket 104 includes the supporting structure 106. Further, spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly includes a spare wheel 120 mounted to the mounting bracket 104. The spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly further includes the spare wheel tire cover 102 assembled on the spare wheel 120. The spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly further includes the stopper member 112 engaged with the supporting structure 106. Furthermore, the spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly includes the attachment member 114 attached to the spare tire cover 102.
[0040] FIG. 12b depicts a method 1000 of assembling a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The sequence of assembling the spare wheel cover includes at step 1002 installing a mounting bracket 104 on the door 122. At step 1004, the method includes providing a supporting structure 106 in the mounting bracket 104. At step 1006, the method includes mounting a spare wheel 120 on the mounting bracket 104. At step 1008, the method includes mounting a spare wheel tire cover 102 on the spare wheel 120. At step 1010, the method includes engaging a stopper member 112 with the supporting structure 106. At step 1012, the method includes disposing an attachment member 114 in the spare tire cover 102.
[0041] FIG. 13 depicts a conventional spare wheel cover locking means, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the conventional vehicles use a separate locking mechanism to lock the spare wheel and spare wheel tire cover.
[0042] FIG. 14 depicts a cross-sectional view of a locking mechanism, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The spare wheel cover 102 in a vehicle is a molded two-piece component which is mounted on the single supporting structure 106 from a tailgate plate. The spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly includes the locking mechanism. A space which is available between the attachment member 114 and the supporting structure 106 is utilized for disposing the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes the supporting structure 106 mounted on the mounting bracket 104. The third portion 106e of the supporting structure 106 includes at least one aperture A to receive the locking member 118.In an embodiment, a standard 16 x 16 locking stud is used for locking the spare tire cover 102. However, it is also within the scope of this invention to provide any type of locking member without otherwise deterring the intended function of the locking as can be deduced from this description.
[0043] FIG. 15a, 15b and 15c depicts a perspective view of a locking mechanism, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The space between the attachment member 114 and the supporting structure 106 is utilized for attaching the locking mechanism 118 as shown in FIGS. 15a, 15b and 15c. In an embodiment, the need for separate locking mechanism is omitted due to the optimized design of the locking mechanism.
[0044] The technical advantages provided by the embodiments herein includes, avoiding use of multiple stud mountings on mounting bracket thereby saving the fixation time and avoided the complex fixation, eliminating the need for additional bracket cover thereby reducing the number of parts for assembly, saving cost overhead and reducing weight of the assembly, zero interface concerns with spare wheel tyre, even distribution of load from a single axis with the help of radial ribbing structure, simple locking provision behind the logo, customers can use various locks of their choice with respect to the locking provision, most effective and cost saving anti-theft feature for spare wheel cover, and locking mechanism hidden by logo and not visible externally.
[0045] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
,CLAIMS:We claim,
1. A spare tire cover mounting assembly 100 for a vehicle, said vehicle having at least one door 122 and a mounting bracket 104 disposed on said door 122 to carry a spare wheel120,said mounting assembly 100 comprising:
a spare wheel tire cover 102, having a front end 102a and a rear end 102b, said rear end 102b includes an attaching portion 116 having a first opening O1;
a mounting member 110 disposed in said first opening O1 of said spare wheel tire cover 102; said mounting member 110 having a second opening O2;
a supporting structure 106 defined in said mounting bracket 104, said supporting structure 106 having a first end 106a and a second end 106b, said first end 106a of said supporting structure 106 configured to receive mounting member110 and second end 106b affixed to said mounting bracket 104; and
a stopper member 112 engaged with said supporting structure106 at said first end 106a,
wherein
said stopper member 112 is configured to lock said spare wheel tire cover 102 to said mounting bracket 104.

2. The spare tire cover mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supporting structure 106 includes:
a first portion 106c disposed at second end 106b;
a second portion 106d extending from first portion 106c; and
a third portion 106e extending from said second portion 106d disposed at first end 106a,
wherein
said first portion 106c is configured to receive said mounting member110; and
said second portion 106d is configure to receive said stopper member 112.

3. The spare tire cover mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mounting member 110 is made up material selected from group consisting of metals and non-metals.

4. The spare tire cover mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spare wheel tire cover 102 is made up material selected from group consisting of metals and non-metals.

5. The spare tire cover mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tire cover 102 includes a plurality of ribs 108 radially disposed throughout said spare tire cover 102.

6. A locking mechanism for said spare wheel tire cover, said locking mechanism comprising:
said supporting structure 106 defined in said mounting bracket 104, said supporting structure 106 having said third portion 106e,
wherein
said third portion includes at least one aperture A to receive a locking member118.

7. The spare tire cover mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front end of said spare tire cover 102 includes a third openingO3 of predetermined shape to receive an attachment member 114.

8. A method 1000 of assembling a spare wheel tire cover mounting assembly, said method comprising:
installing a mounting bracket 104 on said door 122;
providing a supporting structure 106 in said mounting bracket 104;
mounting a spare wheel 120 on said mounting bracket 104;
mounting a spare wheel tire cover 102 on said spare wheel 120;
engaging a stopper member 112 with said supporting structure 106; and
disposing an attachment member 114 in said spare tire cover 102.