Dura Global Technologies, Inc.

Scott Matthew Markiewicz

Bruce Daniel Kingsbury

Madhu Posani

Ramakrishna Putumbaka

Garrett J Wize

Derek Lee Oxyer

A tire carrier assembly for storing a spare tire of a motor vehicle includes a tire carrier adapted for supporting the spare tire, a winch assembly operably connected to the tire carrier to raise and lower the tire carrier between a stowed position wherein the tire is inaccessible and a deployed position wherein the tire is accessible, and a latch assembly. The latch assembly includes at least one latch member and an actuator adapted to selectively move the latch member between a locking position wherein the latch member prevents movement of the tire carrier from the stowed position to the deployed position and an unlocking position wherein the latch member permits movement of the tire carrier from the stowed position to the deployed position. The actuator includes a push-pull cable and a pull handle such that the operator manually pulls the cable to move the latch member from the locking position to the unlocking position. In one embodiment, a single latch member moves along a linear path while in other disclosed embodiments a pair of hooks pivot in opposite directions. Other embodiments are disclosed having actuators which automatically pivot a pair of hooks between the locking and unlocking positions.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Blanc, MI, United States of America

Scott Matthew Markiewicz