A device for changing tires on a vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for changing tire on a vehicle. The device comprises a frame (3) for resting in a fixed position on the ground under a wheel of a vehicle raised from the ground for making said wheel to rest with the tire thereof upon support means (10, 11) of the frame when loosening or tightening bolts attaching the rim of said wheel to a vehicle hub. The device further comprises an arrangement configured to allow a wheel resting upon said support means (10, 11) to be moved laterally away from and towards a said vehicle hub for changing tire. The invention further relates to a method for changing tire on a vehicle.

Description

The present invention relates to the technical field of changing tire on a vehicle, especially carried out by private persons. When changing tire on a car this has to be raised, for instance by using a jack, so that the wheel with the tire is hanging free from the ground. The wheel may have a considerable weight and the changing procedure to be carried out after the raising may be difficult or even impossible for a person with low strength. This is particularly the case for the part of the procedure when a wheel has to be moved in correct position onto a vehicle hub for being secured thereto. The wheel has then to be held by manpower to bear with the rim thereof onto the hub while obtaining alignment of holes for bolts in the rim with threaded holes in the hub for these bolts.The present invention relates to a device for making such changing of tire on a vehicle easier and which for that sake comprises a frame with support means configured to support the tire of a wheel resting thereupon, said frame being configured to be moved with support means under a wheel of a vehicle raised from the ground for making said wheel to rest with the tire thereof upon said support means when loosening or tightening bolts attaching the rim of said wheel to a vehicle hub, the device further comprising an arrangement configured to allow a wheel resting upon said support means to be moved laterally away from and towards a said vehicle hub for changing tire.Once a wheel is brought to rest on the support means the person changing tire by using such a device does not have to carry the wheel by manpower during the changing procedure. When removing a wheel from a vehicle the support means has to be moved under this wheel and the bolts may then be loosened and the wheel resting on the support means moved laterally away from the vehicle hub by moving the support means in that sense. A new wheel may then be lifted onto the support means and this be moved in the opposite direction towards the vehicle hub to be secured thereto.A device of this type is already known through US7334804B2. The frame of this device is provided with small wheels for making it and by that the support means movable with respect to a vehicle hub by rolling on the ground. However, this means that the frame with support means may be unstable and unintentionally move, especially when the ground is not perfectly flat or inclining slightly. This means that the changing of tire may be experienced as uncomfortable. Furthermore, loose parts such as wheels mean higher manufacturing costs due to a more complicated product, as well as an increased risk that some part breaks so the device becomes unusable.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe object of the present invention is to provide a device of the type defined above addressing the problems described.This object is obtained by providing such a device, the frame of which having members for resting in a fixed position on the ground when moved under a wheel to receive a wheel of a raised vehicle upon the support means, and for which said arrangement comprises means making said support means movable with respect to the frame to allow a wheel resting thereupon to be moved laterally away from and towards a said vehicle hub with the frame in said fixed position for changing tire.By arranging the support means movable with respect to the frame as stated above the frame may be in a fixed position on the ground during the entire changing procedure and the frame with support means and wheel resting thereupon may be stable and the procedure comfortable to be carried out even if the ground is far from perfect.According to an embodiment of the invention said support means is arranged on the frame to be at a fixed height over the ground when the frame is resting in said fixed position on the ground and configured to receive a wheel thereupon by lowering a said raised vehicle with wheel. The achievement of the correct height over the ground of the support means and by that a wheel resting thereupon when changing tire without any need of power means for obtaining that makes the device very simple and by that produceable to a low cost but still reliably working. This does also means that the device may require less space when stored.According to another embodiment of the invention said support means is arranged displaceable with respect to the frame by force caused thereupon by pushing and pulling a wheel with a tire resting thereupon so as to achieve said lateral movement thereof. Thus, the support means and by that a wheel resting thereupon may easily be moved by such pushing and pulling further increasing simplicity and reducing costs of the device.According to another embodiment of the invention surfaces of said support means to receive the tire of a wheel are designed to enable creation of friction forces causing displacement of the support means with respect to the frame by pushing and pulling a wheel with a tire resting thereupon. A wheel resting upon the support means may through this without any design adapted to a wheel with a certain tire structure easily follow the support means in movements thereof with respect to the frame.According to another embodiment of the invention said support means comprises two sleeves receiving and being displaceably arranged along two elongated members of the frame extending in parallel. Displaceability of the support means with respect to the frame and appropriate support of a wheel thereby are obtained by this.According to another embodiment the invention said elongated members are fixed parts of the frame, and these members may be axles with circular cross-section.According to another embodiment of the invention the sleeves have a circular circumference, and they are preferably rotatably arranged around a center axis thereof. This makes it easy to turn a wheel resting thereupon to obtain alignment of wheel rim holes with vehicle hub holes.According to another embodiment of the invention each sleeve has at opposite ends thereof as seen in its longitudinal direction an end portion bearing surroundingly onto the associated elongated member, and that the inner dimensions of the sleeve is at least over a part of its extension between said end portions wider so as to form an annular space between sleeve and elongated member without any contact between sleeve with elongated member. This design of the sleeves ensures that they may be moved smoothly along the elongated members, even in the event that any dirt should enter between a sleeve and the associated elongated member.According to another embodiment of the invention said frame comprises foot-like members for resting of the frame in said fixed position on the ground, and according to a further embodiment one said footlike member is arranged at each end of said two elongated members.The invention also relates to a method according to the appended independent method claim. The advantages thereof appear clearly from the above disclosure embodiments of the device according to the invention.Further advantages and advantageous features of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSWith reference to the appended drawings, below follows a specific description of an embodiment of the invention cited as an example.In the drawings:Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to an embodiment of the invention,Fig. 2 is a schematic side-elevation view of the device shown in Fig 1 with the frame with support means placed under a wheel of a vehicle raised from the ground for changing tire thereof,Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig 2 of the device in a state in which a wheel has been removed from a vehicle hub,Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig 2 of the device in a state in which a wheel to be attached to a vehicle hub is moved towards a position therefor, andFig. 5 is a schematic partly sectional view showing one of the sleeves of the device of Fig 1 in cross-section.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTIONA device 1 for changing tire on vehicles according to an embodiment of the invention is shown standing on the ground 2 in Fig 1 . The device has a frame 3 with means in the form of two elongated members 4, 5 in the form of stiff axles, for instance of steel, with a circular cross-section extending in parallel between two opposite end pieces 3a, 3b having each a foot-like member 6-9 at the respective ends of the elongated members for resting of the frame 3 on the ground 2.Support means in the form of sleeves 10, 1 1 are displacably arranged around the elongated members 4, 5 by being allowed to slide therealong. The sleeves 10, 11 have a circular circumference and may also rotate around a center axis thereof.The design of the sleeves 10, 11 is further explained by Fig 5, in which one of the sleeves 11 is shown in cross-section. Each sleeve has at opposite ends thereof as seen in its longitudinal direction an end portion 17, 18 bearing surroundingly onto the associated elongated member 4, 5, i.e. the member around which the sleeve in question is arranged. The inner dimensions of the sleeve 10, 11 is at least over a part, preferably a main part, of its extension between said end portions wider so as to form an annular space 19 between the sleeve 10, 11 and the elongated member 4, 5 without any contact between them. Preferably, the inner diameter of the centre portion of each sleeve is 4-6 mm larger than the outer diameter of an elongated member 4, 5, resulting in a 2-3 mm free space 19 around said member ensuring a well-functioning movability while maintaining the strength and stability of the sleeves, also when a tire is resting thereon. Furthermore, this design ensures a well-functioning slideability of the sleeves 10, 11 even in the event that some dirt should enter between a sleeve and the associated member 4, 5, as the dirt may be positioned in the angular space 19 where it will not result in the sleeve getting stuck by sliding.Fig 2 shows how the device 1 is placed with the frame 3 resting on the ground 2 with the sleeves 10, 1 1 under the wheel 12 of a vehicle 13 raised for changing tire thereof. The frame will be in this fixed position during the entire tire change. The wheel having the rim 14 thereof attached to a vehicle hub 15 by bolts 16 is then lowered by operating a jack or the like used to lift the vehicle to a position in which the wheel is resting with the tire on the sleeves 10, 11. Said fixed position of the frame is chosen so that this is obtained and is easily obtained thanks to a length of the sleeves 10, 11 considerably exceeding a possible width of a tire. The bolts 16 may then be loosened and the wheel be pulled by hand to move away from the vehicle hub 15 by displacement of the sleeves 10, 11 along the elongated members 4, 5 through friction forces created between the wheel tire and sleeves as shown in Fig 3.For this purpose, the sleeves 10, 11 are provided with friction-enhancing mantle surfaces, such as by being provided with a rough surface pattern (as is indicated in the drawings) or a rubber material.Thus, the wheel has not to be held by manpower at all, but the two sleeves 10, 11 do take up all the weight thereof. As an alternative to using friction forces for moving the sleeves or as an assistance thereto the sleeves may have recesses, such as having an hourglasslike design, with an extension adapted to the shape of tires to be changed, or having flanges protruding from each end of each sleeve, to provide an end stop against which the tire can be pushed or pulled to slide the sleeve towards or away from the car.Fig 4 illustrates how a wheel with a tire to be attached to the vehicle hub 15 may then be placed onto the sleeves 10, 11 and then pushed towards the vehicle hub to move the sleeves and by that the wheel rim to bear upon the wheel hub. Would the holes for bolts in the rim then not be aligned with the threaded holes therefor in the hub the wheel may easily be turned to obtain such an alignment thanks to the rotatability of the sleeves around the center axis thereof and of the elongated members 4, 5.The invention is of course not restricted to the embodiment described above but many possibilities to modifications thereof would be obvious to a person skilled in the art without departing from the idea of the invention.

Claims

1. A device for changing tire on a vehicle, the device comprising a frame (3) with support means (10, 11) configured to support the tire of a wheel (12) resting thereupon, said frame being configured to be moved with the support means under a wheel of a vehicle raised from the ground for making said wheel to rest with the tire thereof upon said support means (10, 11) when loosening or tightening bolts (16) attaching the rim (14) of said wheel to a vehicle hub (15), the device further comprising an arrangement configured to allow a wheel resting upon said support means to be moved laterally away from and towards a said vehicle hub for changing tire,characterized in that said frame (3) has members (6-9) for resting in a fixed position on the ground (2) when moved under a wheel to receive a wheel of a raised vehicle upon the support means (10, 11), and that said arrangement comprises means (4, 5) making said support means movable with respect to the frame (3) to allow a wheel resting thereupon to be moved laterally away from and towards a said vehicle hub with the frame in said fixed position for changing tire.

2. A device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said support means (1 0, 11) is arranged on the frame (3) to be at a fixed height over the ground (2) when the frame is resting in said fixed position on the ground and configured to receive a wheel thereupon by lowering a said raised vehicle with wheel.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said support means (10, 11) is arranged displaceable with respect to the frame (3) by force caused thereupon by pushing and pulling a wheel with a tire resting thereupon so as to achieve said lateral movement thereof.

4. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that surfaces of said support means (10, 11) to receive the tire of a wheel are designed to enable creation of friction forces causing displacement of the support means (10, 11) with respect to the frame (3) by pushing and pulling a wheel with a tire resting thereupon.

5. A device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said support means comprises two sleeves (10, 11) receiving and being displacebly arranged along two elongated members (4, 5) of the frame (3) extending in parallel.

6. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that said elongated members (4, 5) are fixed parts of said frame.

7. A device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said elongated members (4, 5) are axles with circular cross-section.

8. A device according to any of claims 5-7, characterized in that said sleeves (10, 11) have a circular circumference.

9. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that said sleeves (10, 11) are rotatably arranged around a center axis thereof.

10. A device according to any of claims 5-9, characterized in that each sleeve (10, 11) has at opposite ends thereof as seen in its longitudinal direction an end portion (17, 18) bearing surroundingly onto the associated elongated member (4, 5), and that the inner dimensions of the sleeve (10, 11) is at least over a part of its extension between said end portions wider so as to form an annular space (19) between sleeve (10, 11) and elongated member (4, 5) without any contact between sleeve (10, 11) with elongated member (4, 5).

11. A device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said frame (3) comprises foot-like members (6-9) for resting of the frame in said fixed position on the ground.

12. A device according to claim 1 1 , characterized in that one said foot-like member (6-9) is arranged at each end of said two elongated members (4, 5).

13. A method for changing tire on a vehicle comprising the steps of:a) moving a frame (3) with support means (10, 11) configured to support the tire of a wheel resting thereupon under a wheel of a vehicle raised from the ground for making said wheel to rest with the tire thereof upon the support means when loosening or thigh ten ing bolts attaching the rim (14) of said wheel (12) to a vehicle hub (15), andb) moving a wheel resting upon said support means laterally away from or towards a said vehicle hub for changing tire, characterized in that step b) is carried out by keeping the frame (3) in a fixed position on the ground and moving the support means (10, 11) with a wheel resting thereupon with respect to the frame laterally away from or towards a said vehicle hub for changing tire.