VEHICLE WITH A SPARE WHEEL IN AN OPENING

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle (1) comprising an opening (2) with an outer skin (21) and an inner lining (22), said opening (2) having a cavity (23) formed between said outer skin (21) and said inner lining (22), said opening (2) having a first open position allowing access to said cavity (23) and a second closed position blocking access to said cavity (23), such that said cavity (23) is adapted to contain a spare wheel (3) of said vehicle (1). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 3

Description

Title of the invention: VEHICLE COMPRISING A SPARE WHEEL IN AN OPENING PANEL

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle which comprises an opening with an outer skin and an inner lining, said opening comprising a cavity which is formed between said outer skin and said inner lining, said opening having a first open position allowing access to said cavity and a second closed position blocking access to said cavity, said cavity comprising, according to the invention, a spare wheel.

[0002] The spare wheel for utility vehicles is necessarily the same size as the other wheels of the vehicle (for a question of load resistance) and is generally positioned under the load floor or in a well of the load floor. But, because of the new architectures of electric or hydrogen vehicles which include batteries or hydrogen tanks under the load floor, the spare wheel poses a positioning problem.

[0003] It is known from document FR-A1-2839938 to have a vehicle which has a spare wheel which is positioned at the rear door of the vehicle, but in the case of a utility vehicle, the entire rear part of the vehicle is used with the need to have a loading length which is maximum, in addition it is necessary that the rear doors fold down on each side of the bodywork when the vehicle is being loaded while taking up the least possible space in width, it is therefore impossible to have the spare wheel positioned at this location.

[0004] The device according to the invention makes it possible to overcome these drawbacks.

[0005] It comprises, in fact, according to the invention, a vehicle which comprises an opening with an outer skin and an inner lining, said opening comprising a cavity which is formed between said outer skin and said inner lining, said opening having a first open position allowing access to said cavity and a second closed position blocking access to said cavity, such that said cavity is adapted to contain a spare wheel of said vehicle.

[0006] According to a first characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, said opening is a side door, said side door generally being a sliding side door.

[0007] According to a second characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, said access to said cavity is via an opening formed along a front or rear lateral edge of said opening.

[0008] According to a third characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, said opening includes closing means adapted to close access to said cavity.

[0009] According to a fourth characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, said opening comprises a reinforcing element which extends along the cavity, under the spare wheel.

[0010] According to a fifth characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, said opening comprises retaining means adapted to lock said spare wheel in position in said cavity. According to a preferred embodiment, the retaining means comprise at least one part made of expanded polystyrene which is adapted to be positioned in support between a part of the spare wheel and the outer skin of the opening or the inner lining of said opening. At least one part made of expanded polystyrene of the retaining means comprises a recess adapted to receive at least one tool adapted to install said spare wheel as a replacement for another wheel of said vehicle.

[0011] The present invention relates in particular to a vehicle of the utility vehicle type, said opening allowing lateral access to a rear loading volume of said utility vehicle.

[0012] The attached drawings illustrate the invention:

[0013] [Fig-1] represents a side view of a vehicle having a side door cou smoothing according to the invention as shown in the closed position.

[0014] [Fig.2] represents a side view of the vehicle with the sliding side door according to the invention shown in the open position allowing access to a spare wheel.

[0015] [Fig.3] represents a partial sectional view of the vehicle at the location of the door sliding side according to the invention and the spare wheel.

[0016] With reference to these drawings, the present invention relates to a vehicle 1 of the utility vehicle type, which comprises a large side door 2 with a fixed or partially openable window 3 or a fully sheet metal side door.

[0017] Such a side door 2 is generally of the sliding type and comprises an outer skin 21 and a lining 22 on which the holding device is fixed on rails which are fixed to the structure of the vehicle.

[0018] Between the outer skin 21 and the lining 22, the side door 2 has a cavity 23 in which a spare wheel 3 is positioned.

[0019] On such a utility vehicle 1, the spare wheel 3 is of identical dimensions to the other wheels of the vehicle because in the event of a puncture in one of the rear wheels of the vehicle while the latter has its rear loading space loaded, it would be impossible to use a space-saver type spare wheel which does not support such a load.

[0020] The spare wheel 3 therefore requires having a large cavity 23, but the fact of having a sliding side door 2 which has a significant width does not modify the width of lateral access 24 to the rear loading space of the vehicle. utility vehicle 1 and once the sliding side door 2 is closed, the width of the sliding side door 2 does not change the loading capacities of the rear loading space of the utility vehicle 1; the sliding side door 2 once closed remains in the extension of the rear wheel arch without protruding laterally into the rear loading space.

[0021] Once the sliding side door 2 is positioned in the closed position, as shown in [Fig.l], the spare wheel 3 is inaccessible, protecting it from damage and theft.

[0022] Once the sliding side door 2 is positioned in the open position, as shown in [Fig. 2], the spare wheel 1 can either be removed by sliding it either towards the front of the vehicle or towards the rear of the vehicle, depending on the positioning of an opening 25 allowing access to the cavity 23.

[0023] The opening 25 comprises closing means such as a cover which is clipped into the opening 25 (the cover not being shown).

[0024] The sliding side door 2 comprises under the cavity 23, a reinforcing part 26 formed by a beam which extends from one edge to the opposite edge of the sliding side door 2, stiffening the sliding side door 2 so that the weight of the spare wheel 3 does not pose a problem.

[0025] Between the reinforcing beam 26 and the spare wheel 3 a sliding tray can be provided to facilitate the positioning and removal of the spare wheel 3 from the sliding side door 2.

[0026] In [Fig.3] is shown a partial sectional view AA' of the sliding side door 2 and the structure of the vehicle of [Fig.2].

[0027] In this partial sectional view, the profile of the reinforcement beam 26, the positioning of the spare wheel 3, a first holding block 41 and a second holding block 42 are more particularly visible, the two holding blocks being formed from expanded polystyrene and are adapted to fill the space remaining free between, respectively, the inner face of the web 31 of the rim 32 of the spare wheel 3 and the lining 22 and between the outer face of the web 31 of the rim 32 of the spare wheel 3 and the outer skin 21 of the sliding side door 2.

[0028] The first holding block 41, which has a larger dimension than the second holding block 42, can be hollowed out to insert locations for the positioning of tools allowing the mounting of the spare wheel 3.

[0029] Thus positioned, the spare wheel 3 does not reduce the rear loading volume of the vehicle 1, leaving the space under the floor free for positioning traction batteries or hydrogen tanks, while being easy to access even when the vehicle 1 has its rear loading space full.

Claims

Claims

1. Vehicle (1) comprising an opening (2) which comprises an outer skin (21) and an inner lining (22), said opening (2) comprising a cavity (23) which is formed between said outer skin (21) and said inner lining (22), said opening (2) having a first open position allowing access to said cavity (23) and a second closed position blocking access to said cavity (23), characterized in that said cavity (23) is adapted to contain a spare wheel (3) of said vehicle (1).

2. Vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said opening (2) is a side door.

3. Vehicle (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said side door (2) is a sliding side door.

4. Vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said access to said cavity (23) is via an opening (25) formed along a front or rear lateral edge of said opening (2).

5. Vehicle (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that said opening (25) comprises closing means adapted to close access to said cavity (23).

6. Vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said opening (2) comprises a reinforcing element (26) which extends along the cavity (23), under the spare wheel (3).

7. Vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said opening comprises retaining means (41, 42) adapted to lock said spare wheel (3) in position in said cavity (23).

8. Vehicle (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the retaining means (41, 42) comprise at least one part made of expanded polystyrene which is adapted to be positioned in support between a part (31) of the spare wheel (3) and the outer skin (21) of the opening (2) or the inner lining (22) of said opening (2).

9. Vehicle (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that at least one part (41) made of expanded polystyrene of the retaining means (41, 42) comprises a recess adapted to receive at least one tool adapted to install said spare wheel (3) as a replacement for another wheel of said vehicle (1).

10. Vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, ca- characterized in that said vehicle (1) is a utility vehicle, said opening (2) allowing lateral access to a rear loading volume of said utility vehicle (1).

Images