Crank handle device

Abstract

To facilitate the mounting and dismounting work of a spare tire and enable an open front bumper to be fixed.SOLUTION: A crank handle device is provided, which is disposed beneath a floor near a front bumper of a vehicle comprising an opening / closing type front bumper 7 and rotates a chain wheel 12 around which a chain 13 for locking a spare tire 6 is wound, and which includes: a crank handle 20 which has a shaft portion 21 having an engaging end portion 22 which engages with a rotation input portion 14 of the chain wheel at its front end, and a crank-shaped handle portion 24 connected to the rear end side of the shaft portion via a universal joint 23; a first support portion 31 which supports the front end side of the shaft portion to be movable forward and backward; a second support portion 32 which supports the rear end side of the shaft portion which is movable forward and backward; a handle locking portion 42 which is installed on a vehicle body side member 2; and a handle engaging portion 41 which is formed on the rear surface of the front bumper 7. The universal joint 23 becomes inflexible when the shaft portion is at a forward position and becomes flexible when the shaft portion is at a retracted position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a crank handle device for raising and lowering a spare tire mounted under the front floor of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In vehicles such as buses and trucks, some are equipped with a spare tire attached to a tire carrier mounted under the floor. That is, the tire carrier is equipped with a chain wheel around which a chain is wound. A spare tire is locked to the free end of the chain, the chain wheel is rotated to wind up the chain to raise the spare tire, and the spare tire is fixed at a predetermined storage position under the floor. When using the stored spare tire, the chain wheel is rotated in the reverse direction to pay out the chain to lower the spare tire, and the chain is removed from the spare tire.

[0003] When rotating the chain wheel, it is generally performed using a crank handle. The crank handle includes a shaft portion having an engaging end portion at the tip that engages with the rotation input portion of the chain wheel, and a handle portion formed by bending in a crank shape at the rear end of the shaft portion. When storing the spare tire under the floor, generally the spare tire storage position is at the back under the floor. Therefore, when inserting the shaft portion of the crank handle from the outside of the vehicle and engaging the engaging end portion at the tip of the shaft portion with the rotation input portion of the chain wheel, a long shaft portion is required.

[0004] However, when the shaft portion becomes long, it becomes difficult to operate the position of the engaging end portion when engaging the engaging end portion at the tip of the shaft portion of the crank handle with the rotation input portion of the chain wheel, and the work is not easy. Therefore, when inserting the shaft portion of the crank handle from the outside of the vehicle during storage or use of the spare tire, a guide device is provided to guide the movement of the shaft portion so that the tip of the shaft portion faces the rotation input portion of the chain wheel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-88935 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0006] By the way, depending on the vehicle, there is a vehicle in which a spare tire is attached to and stored in a tire carrier installed under the floor at the front of the vehicle. Further, there is a vehicle in which the front bumper is made openable and closable, and when attaching and detaching the spare tire, the front bumper is opened and the shaft portion of the crank handle is inserted to rotate the chain wheel.

[0007] In such a configuration, since the distance from the front of the vehicle to the rotation input portion of the chain wheel further increases, it is necessary to make the shaft portion of the crank handle longer. Even if a guide device is provided, the tip of the shaft portion is likely to wobble, and the work of attaching and detaching the spare tire becomes more difficult. Also, in the case of an openable and closable front bumper, for example, there is a vehicle in which a towing hook for the vehicle is installed inside the front bumper, and when towing the vehicle, the front bumper is opened and the vehicle is towed. In this case, it is desired to fix the opened front bumper so that it does not swing during running.

[0008] The present invention was conceived by paying attention to the above problems. In a vehicle in which an openable and closable front bumper is opened and a chain wheel is rotated by a crank handle when attaching and detaching a spare tire, the first object is to provide a crank handle device that enables the attaching and detaching work of the spare tire to be easily performed and that can fix the opened front bumper during vehicle running. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve at least a part of the above problems and can be realized as the following aspects or application examples. The crank handle device according to this application example is a crank handle device that is disposed under the floor near the front bumper of a vehicle equipped with an openable and closable front bumper, and rotates a chain wheel around which a chain for locking a spare tire is wound. The crank handle device includes a shaft portion having an engaging end portion at its tip that engages with a rotation input portion for inputting a rotational force to the chain wheel, and a crank-shaped handle portion connected to the rear end side of the shaft portion via a universal joint. The crank handle is installed on a vehicle body side member near the rotation input portion, and a first support portion that supports the tip side of the shaft portion in the axial direction so as to be able to advance and retreat between a forward position where the engaging end portion engages with the rotation input portion and a rearward position where the engaging end portion disengages from the rotation input portion is provided on the outer periphery of the shaft portion. A second support portion is installed on a vehicle body side member covered by the front bumper when the front bumper is closed, and supports the rear end side of the shaft portion in the axial direction so as to be able to advance and retreat from the outer periphery of the shaft portion. A handle locking portion that can lock the handle portion bent by the universal joint is installed on a vehicle body side member covered by the front bumper when the front bumper is closed. A handle engaging portion is formed on the back surface of the front bumper and can engage with the handle portion bent by the universal joint. The second support portion is arranged such that when the shaft portion is in the forward position, the universal joint enters the inside of the second support portion and cannot be bent, and when the shaft portion is in the rearward position, the universal joint disengages from the second support portion and can be bent.

[0010] According to this application example, the shaft portion of the crank handle is always supported by the first support portion and the second support portion so as to be able to move forward and backward between the forward position and the backward position. Therefore, the difficult operation of inserting the crank handle is unnecessary. When the front bumper is opened and the shaft portion is in the forward position, the engaging end portion of the shaft portion engages with the rotary input portion, and the universal joint enters the inside of the second support portion and becomes non-bendable. Thus, the handle portion can be operated to input a rotational force to the chain wheel, enabling the spare tire to be detached and attached. Also, when the shaft portion is in the backward position, the universal joint disengages from the second support portion and becomes bendable. Then, the handle portion bent by the universal joint can be engaged with the handle engaging portion formed on the back surface of the front bumper to lock the open front bumper with the crank handle. Therefore, the front bumper can be fixed during vehicle travel.

Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present case, the work of detaching and attaching the spare tire can be easily performed, and the opened front bumper can be fixed during vehicle travel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

[0013] With reference to the drawings, embodiments of the present case will be described. The following embodiments are merely examples, and there is no intention of excluding various modifications and applications of technologies not explicitly shown in this embodiment. Each configuration of the following embodiments can be variously modified and implemented without departing from their gist. Also, they can be selectively adopted or appropriately combined as necessary.

[0014] Note that the vehicle 1 according to the embodiment described below is a bus. Also, in FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, and 6 for reference, it is assumed that the vehicle is on a horizontal plane, and the front of the vehicle is indicated by "FR", the rear of the vehicle is indicated by "RR", the right side in the vehicle width direction is indicated by "RH", the left side in the vehicle width direction is indicated by "LH", the vertically upward direction is indicated by "UP", and the vertically downward direction is indicated by "DW", and is shown by arrows.

[0015] [1. Configuration] First, a tire carrier for a spare tire equipped with a chain wheel according to an embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tire carrier 10 according to this embodiment is disposed under the floor of the front portion of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is provided with a pair of left and right side rails 2, 2 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 and spaced apart in the vehicle width direction (FIG. 2 shows only the left side rail). A front end cross member (hereinafter simply referred to as "front end") 3 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided between the front ends of the side rails 2, 2.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, a floor panel 4 is disposed on the side rails 2, 2, and the tire carrier 10 is disposed under (under the floor) the floor panel 4 at the front portion of the vehicle 1. As shown in FIG. 3, between the two side rails 2, 2 behind the front end 3, a support bracket 5 extending in the vehicle width direction is supported and fixed to the two side rails 2, 2. The carrier body 11 of the tire carrier 10 is attached to this support bracket 5 with fasteners 16 such as bolts and nuts. As shown in FIG. 1, the carrier body 11 is provided with a chain wheel 12 around which a chain 13 is wound, and a rotation input portion 14 for inputting an operating force for rotating the chain wheel 12.

[0017] The tire carrier 10 includes such a carrier body 11 and a tire hanger 15 connected to the free end of the chain 13. The spare tire 6 is fastened to this tire hanger 15 with fasteners (not shown) such as bolts and nuts, and by winding the chain 13 around the chain wheel 12, the spare tire 6 can be lifted and stored at a predetermined position under the floor of the vehicle 1. When winding and storing the chain 13 around the chain wheel 12 in this way, or conversely, when unwinding the chain 13 from the chain wheel 12 and lowering the spare tire 6 for use, a crank handle 20 is used.

[0018] Note that a part or all of the front bumper 7 of the vehicle 1 is openable and closable. Here, a part of the front bumper 7 is provided with a hinge 7a at the lower part and can be opened by being pulled down forward. When using the crank handle 20 as described above or when using a towing hook 8 described later to tow the vehicle 1, the front bumper 7 is opened before proceeding.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4, the crank handle 20 includes a shaft portion 21 having an engaging end portion 22 that engages with the rotary input portion 14 at its tip, and a crank-shaped handle portion 24 connected to the rear end side of the shaft portion 21 via a universal joint 23. Therefore, in this crank handle 20, the shaft portion 21 and the handle portion 24 can be bent by the universal joint 23.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, the rotary input portion 14 includes a hole portion 14a into which the tip of the shaft portion 21 can enter, and a pair of notch grooves 14b, 14b formed axially at opposing positions (positions where the phases are shifted by 180 degrees) on the outer periphery of the hole portion. The notch grooves 14b, 14b are open at the tip side like the hole portion 14a. On the other hand, the engaging end portion 22 includes a pair of pin-shaped protrusions (hereinafter abbreviated as "pins") 22a, 22a protruding in a direction perpendicular to the axis from the shaft portion 21. These pins 22a, 22a are also arranged with a 180-degree phase shift. If the pins 22a, 22a are inserted into the notch grooves 14b, 14b while the tip of the shaft portion 21 is inserted into the hole portion 14a, the pins 22a, 22a engage with the notch grooves 14b, 14b and the rotation of the shaft portion 21 is transmitted to the rotary input portion 14. Note that the support bracket 5 is omitted in FIG. 5.

[0021] The crank handle device 20A includes a crank handle 20, and a first support portion 31 and a second support portion 32 for supporting the crank handle 20. The first support portion 31 is installed on the side rail 2 (vehicle body side member) near the rotary input portion 14 via a bracket 33, and rotatably supports the tip end side of the shaft portion 21 of the crank handle 20 from the outer periphery of the shaft portion 21. Further, the first support portion 31 supports the shaft portion 21 from the outer periphery so that the shaft portion 21 can move forward and backward in the axial direction between a forward position where the engagement end portion 22 thereof engages with the rotary input portion 14 and a backward position where the engagement end portion 22 disengages from the rotary input portion 14.

[0022] The second support portion 32 is installed on the front end portion of the side rail 2 (vehicle body side member) via a bracket 34, rotatably supports the rear end side of the shaft portion 21, and supports the shaft portion 21 so that it can move forward and backward in the axial direction between the above-described forward position and backward position. Further, when the shaft portion 21 is in the forward position, the second support portion 32 is arranged such that the universal joint 23 enters the inside of the second support portion 32, and the shaft portion 21 and the handle portion 24 cannot be bent, and when the shaft portion 21 is in the backward position, the universal joint 23 disengages from the second support portion 32, and the shaft portion 21 and the handle portion 24 can be bent.

[0023] The first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32 have cylindrical inner peripheral surfaces, and each inner diameter thereof is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 21 so that the shaft portion 21 can rotate smoothly. Here, it is assumed that the outer diameter of the universal joint 23 is set to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the shaft portion 21. However, when the outer diameter of the universal joint 23 is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 21, the inner diameter of the second support portion 32 is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the universal joint 23 so that the universal joint 23 can rotate smoothly.

[0024] Also, as described above, pins 22a, 22a project in the outer peripheral direction from the cylindrical inner peripheral surface of the first support portion at the tip end of the shaft portion 21, and the tip end of this shaft portion 21 is arranged on the side of the rotary input portion 14 rather than the first support portion 31. For this reason, the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32 use members having semi-cylindrical inner peripheral surfaces in which the cylindrical inner peripheral surfaces are split into two in the circumferential direction. After sandwiching the shaft portion 21 between the semi-cylindrical inner peripheral surfaces of these members, the two members are joined to form a cylindrical shape.

[0025] And the position where the pins 22a, 22a contact the end on the rotational input portion 14 side of the first support portion 31 is the rearmost position of the shaft portion 21. The universal joint 23 disengages from the front of the vehicle 1 from the second support portion 32 as the shaft portion 21 reaches the rearmost position, and the shaft portion 21 and the handle portion 24 can be bent. Also, when the pins 22a, 22a reach the innermost part of the notch grooves 14b, 14b, their forward movement is restricted, and this becomes the foremost position of the shaft portion 21. The universal joint 23 enters the inside of the second support portion 32 as the shaft portion 21 moves forward, and the shaft portion 21 and the handle portion 24 become non-bendable, and the rotational input of the handle portion 24 is smoothly transmitted to the shaft portion 21. Therefore, the pins 22a, 22a also function as stoppers when the shaft portion 21 moves in the forward direction and the backward direction.

[0026] In addition, in order to support the shaft portion 21, instead of the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32 using members having a split semi-cylindrical inner peripheral surface, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), it is also possible to use non-split cylindrical first support portion 31A and second support portion 32A. That is, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the first support portion 31A and the second support portion 32A are pre-formed in a cylindrical shape, and mounting plates 36 are respectively joined to the central portions in the longitudinal direction of the first support portion 31A and the second support portion 32A by welding or the like. Since the cross-sections taken along the line B-B and the line C-C in FIG. 7(a) have the same shape, FIG. 7(b) is taken as the cross-sectional views taken along the line B-B and the line C-C of FIG. 7(a).

[0027] Also, when attaching the crank handle 20, with the pins 22a, 22a not yet installed, the shaft portion 21 of the crank handle 20 is inserted into the first support portion 31A and the second support portion 32A from its tip side (engagement end portion 22 side), and then a pin member 26 is screwed and attached to a pin hole 25 formed in advance in the engagement end portion 22 of the shaft portion 21. Thereby, both ends of the pin member 26 respectively protrude, and pins 22a, 22a that can engage with the notch grooves 14b, 14b are formed.

[0028] In this example, an internal thread (not shown) is formed on the inner circumference of the pin hole 25, and an external thread 26a is formed on the outer circumference of the axial intermediate portion of the pin member 26, and an operating knob portion 26b adjacent to the external thread 26a is formed. By inserting one end of the pin member 26 into the pin hole 25 and rotating the operating knob portion 26b, the pin member 26 can be screwed and attached to the pin hole 25. However, the fixing structure of the pin member 26 to the pin hole 25 is not limited to this.

[0029] Furthermore, bolt insertion holes 36a are respectively formed at the portions protruding left and right from the respective support portions 31A and 32A of the mounting plate 36. Also, brackets 33A and 34A are fixed to the lower surfaces of the side rail 2 and the front end 3 (not shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b)). Bolt screwing holes 37 are respectively formed in these brackets 33A and 34A corresponding to the respective bolt insertion holes 36a. By fastening the bolts 38 inserted into the bolt insertion holes 36a of the mounting plate 36 to the respective bolt screwing holes 37 of the brackets 33A and 34A, the mounting plate 36 into which the crank handle 20 is inserted can be attached to the side rail 2 and the front end 3.

[0030] Furthermore, a handle engaging portion 41 with which the handle portion 24 bent by the universal joint 23 can be engaged is formed on the back surface of the front bumper 7. This handle engaging portion 41 is disposed in the vicinity of the swing end when the front bumper 7 swings about the hinge 7a when the front bumper 7 is opened. Also, an elastically deformable groove into which the handle portion 24 can be fitted can be applied to the handle engaging portion 41. The elastically deformable groove may be made of an elastically deformable resin or an elastically deformable metal.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, a towing hook 8 for towing the vehicle 1 is provided at a portion covered by the front bumper 7 of the vehicle 1. When towing the vehicle 1, the front bumper 7 is opened, and a towing rope is locked to the towing hook 8 for towing travel. During this towing travel, the open front bumper 7 swings about the hinge 7a, which may cause noise generation and damage to the front bumper 7.

[0032] In this regard, the handle engagement portion 41 on the back surface of the front bumper 7 is located near the swing end of the front bumper 7. By locking the handle portion 24 bent by the universal joint 23 to the handle engagement portion 41, the swing of the front bumper 7 generated during towing can be suppressed. That is, the front bumper 7 is stably supported in a triangular support structure with three points, namely the hinge 7a, the bent portion of the universal joint 23, and the handle engagement portion 41, as vertices in a side view, and the swing around the hinge 7a is suppressed.

[0033] Also, on the front end portion of the vehicle 1 covered by the front bumper 7 when the front bumper 7 is closed, a handle locking portion 42 to which the handle portion 24 bent by the universal joint 23 can be engaged is provided on the front end 3 via a bracket 35. An elastic deformation groove into which the handle portion 24 can be fitted can also be applied to this handle locking portion 42. The elastic deformation groove may be made of an elastically deformable resin or an elastically deformable metal. In the present embodiment, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, the handle portion 24 is bent approximately 90 degrees with respect to the shaft portion 21 so that it can be stored in the front end portion of the vehicle 1.

[0034] [2. Function and Effect] Since the crank handle device 20A according to the present embodiment is configured as described above, the following functions and effects can be obtained. The shaft portion 21 of the crank handle 20 is supported by the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32 so as to be able to move forward and backward between the forward position and the backward position, and there is no need to axially disengage from the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32. During use, the shaft portion 21 may be set to the forward position, and during non-use, the shaft portion 21 may be set to the backward position.

[0035] Therefore, when attaching or detaching the spare tire 6, as shown in Fig. 1(a), by simply setting the shaft portion 21 to the forward position, the universal joint 23 enters the interior of the second support portion 32, rendering the shaft portion 21 and the handle portion 24 non-bendable. Moreover, since the pins 22a, 22a reach the notch grooves 14b, 14b of the rotary input portion 14, a rotational force can be input to the rotary input portion 14 by rotating the handle portion 24. As a result, the chain 13 can be wound around the chain wheel 12 for storage, or conversely, the chain 13 can be unwound from the chain wheel 12 to lower and use the spare tire 6.

[0036] Also, when storing the crank handle 20 after use, the shaft portion 21 is set to the retracted position to disengage the universal joint 23 from the second support portion 32 and to disengage the pins 22a, 22a from the notch grooves 14b, 14b of the rotary input portion 14. Then, as shown by the dashed two-dot line in Fig. 3, the handle portion 24 is bent approximately 90 degrees with respect to the shaft portion 21 and locked to the handle locking portion 42 at the front end of the vehicle 1, thereby fixing the crank handle 20 and enabling it to be stored for safekeeping.

[0037] Moreover, when towing the vehicle 1, the front bumper 7 is opened and a towing rope is locked to the towing hook 8 for towing. At this time, as shown in Fig. 1(b), with the shaft portion 21 in the retracted position, the handle engaging portion 41 on the back surface of the front bumper 7 locks the handle portion 24 bent by the universal joint 23. This prevents or reduces the risk of the open front bumper 7 swaying and causing noise or damage to the front bumper 7.

[0038] [3. Others] The configuration of the above embodiment is merely an example, and can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the situation of fixing the front bumper 7 in the open state is exemplified during towing of the vehicle. However, even in other cases, if it is necessary to drive with the front bumper 7 in the open state, the front bumper 7 may be fixed in the open state as described above. In the above-described embodiment, a bus is exemplified as the vehicle 1. However, the crank handle device of the present case can be applied not only to buses but also to other commercial vehicles such as trucks, and not only to commercial vehicles but also to passenger cars.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0039] 1 Vehicle 2 Side Rail 3 Front End Cross Member (Front End) 4 Floor Panel 5 Support Bracket 6 Spare Tire 7 Front Bumper 7a Hinge 8 Towing Hook 10 Tire Carrier 11 Carrier Body 13 Chain 12 Chain Wheel 14 Rotation Input Portion 14a Hole Portion 14b Notch Groove 15 Tire Hanger 16 Fastener 20 Crank Handle 20A Crank Handle Device 21 Shaft Portion 22 Engagement End Portion 22a Pin-shaped Projection (Pin) 23 Universal Joint 24 Handle Portion 25 Pin Hole 26 Pin Member 26a Male Screw 26b Operation Knob Portion 31, 31A First Support Portion 32, 32A Second Support Portion 33, 33A, 34, 34A, 35 Bracket 36 Mounting Plate 36a Bolt Insertion Hole 37 Bolt Threaded Hole 38 Bolt 41 Handle Engagement Portion 42 Handle Locking Portion Front of the FR vehicle Rear of the RR vehicle Right side in the vehicle width direction Left side in the vehicle width direction Vertically upward Vertically downward

Claims

【Claim 1】 A crank handle device that rotates a chain wheel around which a chain for locking a spare tire is wound, which is disposed under the floor near the front bumper of a vehicle equipped with an opening / closing front bumper, comprising a shaft portion having an engaging end portion at its tip that engages with a rotation input portion for inputting a rotational force to the chain wheel, and a crank-shaped handle portion connected to the rear end side of the shaft portion via a universal joint, a first support portion installed on a vehicle body side member near the rotation input portion, and supporting the tip side of the shaft portion in the axial direction so as to be able to advance and retreat between a forward position where the engaging end portion engages with the rotation input portion and a backward position where the engaging end portion disengages from the rotation input portion from the outer periphery of the shaft portion, a second support portion installed on a vehicle body side member covered by the front bumper when the front bumper is closed, and supporting the rear end side of the shaft portion in the axial direction from the outer periphery of the shaft portion so as to be able to advance and retreat, a handle locking portion installed on a vehicle body side member covered by the front bumper when the front bumper is closed, and capable of locking the handle portion bent by the universal joint, having a handle engaging portion formed on the back surface of the front bumper and engageable with the handle portion bent by the universal joint, wherein the second support portion is arranged such that when the shaft portion is in the forward position, the universal joint enters the inside of the second support portion and cannot be bent, and when the shaft portion is in the backward position, the universal joint disengages from the second support portion and can be bent. A crank handle device, characterized by the above.

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