Spare Tire Tool Kit

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle's spare tire tool used for lowering down a spare tire stowed underneath of a vehicle, such as pick-up truck, SUV or any other off-road vehicle. The tool can also be used for stowing the tire back to the bottom of the vehicle. The tool kit features a 13″ tubular rod, that is designed to fit into a cordless drill, using an integrated male connector for rotating the rod. The rod also accommodates a connecting tip for hooking into a winch system of the vehicle. The rod with the attached connecting tip is inserted into an access hole at the rear of the vehicle and is rotated by the cordless drill. The tool kit enables users of all ages to easily dismount spares without overexertion or strain.

Claims

1. A spare tire tool kit for lowering a spare tire from under a vehicle without manual rotation of a crank handle, the spare tire tool kit comprising: a tubular rod comprising a first end and a second end; a male connector positioned on the first end that connects to a drill for rotating the tubular rod in a desired direction; and a tip connector positioned on the second end for receiving a tip that fits into a vehicle's rear lowering mechanism port, wherein the vehicle's rear lowering mechanism port connects to a winch system of the vehicle to lower the spare tire.

2. The spare tire tool kit of claim 1, wherein the tubular rod is a solid, metal rod.

3. The spare tire tool kit of claim 2 further comprising the drill.

4. The spare tire tool kit of claim 3, wherein the tubular rod is 13″ long.

5. The spare tire tool kit of claim 4, wherein the tubular rod has a ½″ diameter.

6. The spare tire tool kit of claim 5, wherein the tubular rod is rigid and weighs approximately two pounds for ease of handling.

7. The spare tire tool kit of claim 1, wherein the male connector is configured to fit into a chuck of a ½″ drive drill.

8. The spare tire tool kit of claim 7, wherein the ½″ drive drill is cordless.

9. The spare tire tool kit of claim 3, wherein the drill provides a torque which rotates the tubular rod via the male connector fitted into the chuck in a manner like a drill bit.

10. The spare tire tool kit of claim 9 further comprising a plurality of different sized tips customized for different vehicles.

11. The spare tire tool kit of claim 10, wherein the tip connector fits into a threaded rod of the winch system of the vehicle.

12. The spare tire tool kit of claim 1, wherein the tubular rod, when connected to the tip at the tip connector, is long enough such that a bumper of the vehicle does not obstruct operation of lowering the spare tire.

13. A spare tire tool kit for lowering a spare tire from under a vehicle without manual rotation of a crank handle, the spare tire tool kit comprising: a cordless drill; a tubular rod comprising a first end and a second end; a male connector positioned on the first end and configured to fit into a chuck of the cordless drill for rotating the tubular rod; a tip connector positioned on the second end and configured for receiving a tip that fits into a vehicle's rear lowering mechanism port, wherein the vehicle's rear lowering mechanism port connects to a winch system of the vehicle to lower the spare tire from a stowed position via rotation of the tubular rod; and a plurality of different sized tips.

14. The spare tire tool kit of claim 13, wherein a trigger of the cordless drill is used to automatically rotate the tubular rod at a desired rotating speed.

15. The spare tire tool kit of claim 14, wherein the tip attached to the tip connector rotates a threaded rod of the winch system to lower the spare tire.

16. The spare tire tool kit of claim 15, wherein the male connector securely fits into the chuck by inserting the male connector into a chuck jaw and then rotating the chuck relative to a back portion of the chuck, thereby locking the male connector into the chuck.

17. The spare tire tool kit of claim 16, wherein when the spare tire tool kit is not in use, the male connector can be detached from the chuck, thereby allowing the tubular rod to be stored in the vehicle.

18. The spare tire tool kit of claim 13, wherein the tip connector is configured to receive each of the plurality of different sized tips.

19. The spare tire tool kit of claim 13, wherein the male connector is integrated as a single piece with the tubular rod.

20. A method of lowering down a spare tire from a stowed position underneath a vehicle using a spare tire tool kit, the method comprising the steps of: based on a type and design of the vehicle, securing a connecting tip to engage with the wrench tube inside the vehicle, wherein the connecting tip is attached to a tip connector of the spare tire tool kit; securing a male connector at an opposite end of a rod to a chuck of a cordless drill; inserting the connecting tip attached to the rod into an access hole disposed at the rear of the vehicle; activating the cordless drill via a trigger to rotate the rod and lower the spare tire from the stowed position; and removing the connecting tip from the rod and storing it in the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of the spare tire tool kit of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view showing components of one potential embodiment of the spare tire tool kit of the present invention attached to a cordless drill in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view showing use of one potential embodiment of the spare tire tool kit of the present invention, along with a cordless drill to lower a vehicle's spare tire in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0022] FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram showing the exemplary steps performed for lowering a spare tire from a stowed position underneath a vehicle using one potential embodiment of the spare tire tool kit of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture; and

[0023] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of another potential embodiment of the spare tire tool kit of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0024] The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.

[0025] As noted above, there exists a long felt need in the art for a spare tire tool kit that allows for easy access to spare tires stowed under truck beds, even with campers in tow. There is also a long felt need in the art for a spare tire tool kit that enables users of all ages to easily dismount spares without overexertion or strain. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a spare tire tool kit that eliminates the manual labor of rotating a crank handle for lowering a spare tire. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a spare tire tool kit that is portable, sturdy and easy to use. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for a spare tire tool kit that can be customized for use with any vehicle. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a spare tire tool kit that eliminates the manual lowering of the spare tire and allows for the dismount of spares without overexertion or strain.

[0026] The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, discloses a novel tool kit for lowering a spare tire of a pick-up truck. The tool kit includes a 13″ long, solid tubular rod with a ½″ diameter, a male connector integrated at one end of the rod and a hollow opposite end of the rod for receiving a connecting tip, and a ½″ cordless drill having a chuck for securing the male connector, wherein the connecting tip attaches to the hollow end and is inserted in a vehicle's rear lowering mechanism port. The cordless drill rotates the tubular rod, which rotates the connecting tip to lower down the spare tire from underneath the vehicle.

[0027] Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the spare tire tool kit 100 of the present invention. The spare tire tool kit 100 is designed as a solid, black metal rod that resembles a jack handle, but can be manufactured of any other suitable material as is known in the art. The tool kit 100 allows for easy access to spare tires under truck beds, SUVs, etc., and even vehicles with campers in tow. More specifically, the tool kit 100 is a 13″ long, tubular rod 102 having a ½″ diameter, or any other suitable length and/or diameter measurement as is known in the art. The tubular rod 102 is rigid yet ergonomic and acts as a convenient and reliable tool for lowering down and lifting a spare wheel. The rod 102 weighs approximately two pounds, there making the tool kit 100 lightweight and portable.

[0028] A first end 104 of the rod 102 has a male connector 106 that is designed to easily fit into the chuck of a ½″ cordless drill machine. The male connector 106 is designed to be compatible with any conventional ½″ drill and allows a user to rotate the rod 102, using the cordless drill with the male connector 106 fitted into the chuck, in a manner like a drill bit. The second end 108 of the rod 102 has a tip connector 110, for receiving a tip that fits into a vehicle's rear lowering mechanism port and for connecting to the winch system of the vehicle, to lower down the spare tire. The tip connector 110 can receive a plurality of different types of connecting tips as is known in the art, such as the tip shown at 112, 114, which are customized for different vehicles, thus enabling users to use the tool kit 100 with a plurality of vehicles.

[0029] The rod 102, when attached to a tip at the tip connector 110, can be rotated using the cordless drill in a manner like manual rotation of the crank handle. Use of the drill eliminates the manual labor of rotating a manual crank handle to lower down a spare from underneath a vehicle. The rod 102, with the connecting tip inserted inside the vehicle, fits into a threaded rod of the winch system of the vehicle. Then, the rod 102 is rotated using the cordless drill to lower the spare tire to the ground.

[0030] The rod 102, when connected to a tip at the tip connector 110 is long enough, such that the bumper of the vehicle does not obstruct the operation of lowering the spare tire. The tool kit 100 can be used with RVs, trailers, and trucks, etc., and provides enough clearance to lower the additional spare tire. Further, additional mounting hardware and a manual crank handle and spanner is not required during use of the tool kit 100. In one variant of the present invention, a plurality of connecting tips can be commercially available with the rod 102 and alternatively, the connecting tips for cranking the spare down can be purchased separately by users. It should be appreciated that the tool kit 100 eliminates the use of conventional crank handles for accessing the spare and the compatibility of the male connector 106, with a cordless drill makes the process quick, efficient, and labor free.

[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view showing the tool kit 100 of the present invention attached to a ½″ cordless drill. The male connector 106 at the first end 104 of the rod 102 is inserted into the chuck 202 of the cordless drill 200, which enables a user to rotate the rod 102. Specifically, the trigger 204 of the drill 200 can be used to automatically rotate the rod 102 at a desired rotating speed, such that a connecting tip attached to the tip connector 110 at the second end 108 can rotate a threaded rod of a winch system of the vehicle, to lower down or lift the spare tire. The male connector 106 securely fits into the chuck 202, by inserting the male connector 106 into the chuck jaw 2020 and then rotating the chuck 202 relative to the back portion 206 of the chuck 202. The male connector 106 is then locked into the chuck 202 and the torque applied to the rod 102 allows the winch system of the vehicle to easily dismount the spare tire.

[0032] When the tool kit 100 is not used, the male connector 106 can be detached from the chuck 202, allowing the rod 102 to be securely placed in the vehicle without occupying a lot of space. In one embodiment, the spare tire handle 100 along with the cordless drill 200 can be used with a jack to lift a vehicle. Any conventional jack, such as a scissor car jack, hydraulic jack, etc., or any other suitable jack as is known in the art, can be used with the tool kit 100 for lifting the vehicle to replace a blown-out tire.

[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view showing use of the tool kit 100 of the present invention, along with a cordless drill 200 to lower a truck's spare tire. The male connector 106 of the spare tire dismounting device 100 is secured to the chuck 202 of the cordless drill 200 and the connecting tip 304 (can also be one of 112, 114 shown in FIG. 1) attached to the second end 108 is inserted into the rear lowering mechanism port 302 of the vehicle 300. The rear lowering mechanism port 302 is disposed between the rear tailgate 310 and the bumper 308. The connecting tip 304 is detachably-secured to the tip connector 110, such that depending on the type of the vehicle, the connecting tip 304 can be replaced with a compatible tip as needed. The connecting tip 304 is engaged with a winch mechanism tube (not shown) positioned inside the vehicle 300, that is configured for lowering down the spare tire 306. The drill 200 provides a torque that rotates the rod 102 and also the connecting tip 304 in a counter-clockwise direction (or clockwise direction, as per the design) enabling the connecting tip 304 to disengage the winch mechanism tube and dismount or lower down the spare tire 306. The 13″ length of the rod 102 along with the length of the connecting tip 304 provides clearance from the bumper 308 of the vehicle 300 for a simple and automatic operation of lowering down the spare tire 306. The rod 102 being automatically rotated by the drill 200 replaces the manual operation of rotating a conventional bulky 2×4″ jack crank handles and thus can be used by women and elderly people.

[0034] In one embodiment, the male connector 106 can be integrated and molded to the rod 102 and alternatively, the male connector 106 can be detachably-secured to the rod 102, allowing a user to replace the male connector 106 in case the male connector 106 wears down or becomes damaged. The spare tire handle 100 can be used for lowering down spares and lifting heavy vehicles and eliminates the requirement of carrying bulky and long manual crank handles that need to be assembled, along with a wrench unit.

[0035] FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram showing the exemplary steps performed for lowering down the spare tire from a stowed position underneath a vehicle using the tool kit 100 of the present invention. It should be understood that the present embodiment states the basic flow performed by a user and additional actions may be used to add additional processes to the basic flow. Initially, based on the type and design of the vehicle, at 402 a connecting tip to engage with the wrench tube inside the vehicle is attached to the tip connector of the tool kit device. Then at 404, the male connector at the opposite end of the rod is secured to a chuck of the cordless drill. Thereafter, at 406 the connecting tip attached to the rod is inserted into the access hole disposed at the rear of the vehicle, and is engaged with the wrench tube of the vehicle. For lowering down the spare tire, at 408 the cordless drill is activated using the trigger and the rod is rotated to lower down the spare tire via rotating the wrench tube connected to the connecting tip. Finally at 410, the connecting tip is removed from the rod and both the rod and the connecting tip are stored in the vehicle.

[0036] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the spare tire tool kit of the present invention. The tool kit 500 of the present embodiment has a rod 502 comprising a hollow end 504 for receiving a connecting tip. The connecting tip can be detachably-screwed to the hollow end 504, or alternatively can be integrated as a single piece with the hollow end 504. The other end 506 comprises a male connector 508 for securing into the chuck of a cordless drill. The length of the rod 502 can range from approximately 13″ to 16″, and the diameter can range from approximately ½″ to 1″ to fit vehicles of various sizes and designs.

[0037] Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “spare tire tool kit”, “tool kit”, “spare tire handle”, “spare tire dismounting device”, “kit”, and “device” are interchangeable and refer to the spare tire tool kit 100 of the present invention.

[0038] Notwithstanding the forgoing, the spare tire tool kit 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration and material of the spare tire tool kit 100 as shown in FIGS. 1-5 is for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the spare tire tool kit 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the spare tire tool kit 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the spare tire tool kit 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.

[0039] Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof

[0040] What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.