The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 06, 2002
Filed:
Jun. 12, 2000
Bruce Daniel Kingsbury, Lake Orion, MI (US);
Scott Matthew Markiewicz, Grand Blanc, MI (US);
Garrett J. Wize, Sterling Heights, MI (US);
Madhu Posani, Bloomfield Hills, MI (US);
Ramakrishna Putumbaka, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Derek Lee Oxyer, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Dura Global Technologies, Inc., Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
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.