Height-adjustable Spare Tire Carriers Having Chebyshev Linkages

Content Provider	The Lens
Abstract	Height-adjustable spare tire carriers having Chebyshev linkages are described. An example spare tire carrier is to be coupled to a vehicle. The spare tire carrier includes a Chebyshev linkage having an output shaft to carry a spare tire of the vehicle. The output shaft is movable between a raised position and a lowered position.
Related Links	https://www.lens.org/lens/patent/009-287-148-327-658/frontpage
Language	English
Publisher Date	2019-07-30
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Patent
Jurisdiction	United States of America
Date Applied	2017-09-29
Agent	Vichit Chea Hanley, Flight & Zimmerman, Llc
Applicant	Ford Global Tech Llc
Application No.	201715721386
Claim	An apparatus, comprising: a spare tire carrier to be coupled to a vehicle, the spare tire carrier including a Chebyshev linkage, the Chebyshev linkage including: a post having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end of the post, the post to be coupled to the vehicle; a first link having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end of the first link; a second link having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end of the second link; and a third link having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end of the third link, the third link including an output shaft to carry a spare tire of the vehicle, the output shaft being movable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to an underlying ground surface on which the vehicle is positioned; wherein the first end of the first link is rotatably coupled to the first end of the post, the second end of the first link is rotatably coupled to the first end of the third link, the first end of the second link is rotatably coupled to the second end of the post, and the second end of the second link is rotatably coupled to the second end of the third link. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the output shaft is to move between the raised position and the lowered position along a vertical axis. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spare tire is removably coupled to the output shaft. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the raised position has a first height relative to the underlying ground surface and the lowered position has a second height relative to the underlying ground surface, the second height being less than the first height. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second height is approximately one-half of the first height. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the post includes a first shaft proximate the first end of the post and a second shaft proximate the second end of the post; the first link includes a first through hole formed proximate the first end of the first link and a second through hole formed proximate the second end of the first link; the second link includes a first through hole formed proximate the first end of the second link and a second through hole formed proximate the second end of the second link; and the third link includes a first shaft proximate the first end of the third link, a second shaft proximate the second end of the third link, and the output shaft positioned midway between the first end of the third link and the second end of the third link. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first shaft of the post is positioned within the first through hole of the first link, the first shaft of the third link is positioned within the second through hole of the first link, the second shaft of the post is positioned within the first through hole of the second link, and the second shaft of the third link is positioned within the second through hole of the second link. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first link has a bent shape. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first link includes a linear section having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end of the linear section, a first angled section extending at a first angle from the first end of the linear section, and a second angled section extending at a second angle from the second end of the linear section. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first link includes a detent formed proximate a juncture of the linear section and the second angled section of the first link, the output shaft to be received in the detent when the output shaft is in the lowered position. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spare tire carrier further includes a spring having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end of the spring, the first end of the spring being coupled to the second end of the post, the second end of the spring being coupled to the output shaft, the spring to bias the output shaft away from the lowered position and toward the raised position. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second link is approximately perpendicular to the post when the output shaft is in the raised position. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the spare tire carrier further includes a lock to engage the second link to prevent the second link from rotating beyond perpendicular when moving the output shaft from the lowered position to the raised position. An apparatus, comprising: a spare tire carrier to be coupled to a vehicle, the spare tire carrier including a Chebyshev linkage, the Chebyshev linkage including: a post having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end of the post, the post to be coupled to the vehicle; a first link having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end of the first link; a second link having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end of the second link; and a third link having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end of the third link, the third link including a shaft to carry a spare tire of the vehicle, the shaft being movable along a vertical axis between a raised position having a first height relative to an underlying ground surface on which the vehicle is positioned, and a lowered position having a second height relative to the underlying ground surface, the second height being less than the first height; wherein the first end of the first link is rotatably coupled to the first end of the post, the second end of the first link is rotatably coupled to the first end of the third link, the first end of the second link is rotatably coupled to the second end of the post, and the second end of the second link is rotatably coupled to the second end of the third link. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second height is approximately one-half of the first height. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the post, the second link, and the third link have respective linear shapes, and the first link has a bent shape. An apparatus comprising: a spare tire carrier to be coupled to a vehicle, the spare tire carrier including a Chebyshev linkage having an output shaft to carry a spare tire of the vehicle, the output shaft being movable in an approximately straight line along a vertical axis between a raised position and a lowered position relative to an underlying ground surface on which the vehicle is positioned, the Chebyshev linkage including: a post to be coupled to the vehicle; a first link rotatably coupled to the post; a second link rotatably coupled to the post; and a third link rotatably coupled to the first link and further rotatably coupled to the second link, the third link including the output shaft. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the spare tire carrier further includes a spring having a first end coupled to the post and a second end coupled to the output shaft, the spring to bias the output shaft away from the lowered position and toward the raised position. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the post has a first length, the first link has a second length, the second link has a third length, and the third link has a fourth length, the ratio between the first, second, third and fourth lengths being approximately 4:5:5:2.
CPC Classification	MOTOR VEHICLES;TRAILERS Vehicles; Vehicle Fittings; Or Vehicle Parts; Not Otherwise Provided For
Examiner	Brian D Nash
Extended Family	089-755-862-930-83X 087-122-438-220-131 177-191-355-105-973 009-287-148-327-658 128-074-138-125-003
Patent ID	10363977
Inventor/Author	Cherry William Reese Lazarevski Peter Rutman Matt
IPC	B62D43/00 B60R9/06 B62D43/02
Status	Active
Owner	Ford Global Technologies Llc
Simple Family	089-755-862-930-83X 087-122-438-220-131 009-287-148-327-658 177-191-355-105-973 128-074-138-125-003
CPC (with Group)	B62D43/02 B62D43/002 B60R9/06
Issuing Authority	United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Kind	Patent/New European patent specification (amended specification after opposition procedure)