Tire Support

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to display apparatus and more particularly to supports for displaying tires.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The prior art is exemplified by the tire supporting and display members described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,659, in which dual upright members are supported by horizontally extending legs. These upright members fit together with the horizontal legs overlapping to thereby form a freestanding support for a tire positioned therebetween. Once assembled, this structure provides secure support for a tire, with the weight of the tire on the legs keeping the apparatus together. Without the tire in place, however, the supports will have a tendency to separate.

It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide an improvement to the prior art tire supports, which improvement interlocks the legs to keep the supports together in the absence of the weight of a tire.

The apparatus of this invention comprises identical first and second support members, wherein each support member includes horizontally extending legs and an upright portion affixed thereto. The legs of the support members are arranged to overlap and locking tabs on the overlying legs insert and lock into notches in the underlying legs to interlock the supports.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tire support assembly of the invention, shown partially latched.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the support of FIG. 1, shown with both locking tabs engaged.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of one of the pair of identical support members.

FIG. 4 is a cross section of the overlapped legs showing the interlocking tab in the unlocked position.

FIG. 5 is a cross section of the overlapped legs showing the interlocking tab in the locked position.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the locking tab feature, viewed from the bottom of the support apparatus.

While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that it is the intent to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Turning first to FIG. 1 there is shown a tire support in accordance with the present invention. Paired support members 12 each include an upright portion 14 and integral horizontally extending legs 16 and 18. Each of the support members is identical in all respects and when paired, as shown in FIG. 1, the legs overlap and define a space between the legs and the upright portions for receipt of the tire to be displayed.

Positioning of the overlapping legs is facilitated through interlocking indentations 24 formed in each of the legs. When the indentations of overlapping legs are brought into registration they serve to correctly position the legs for locking engagement described below. Rigidity of the structure is enhanced by means of a reinforcing edge 26 (FIG. 2) spanning the horizontal legs and integral with the upright portions 14 of the support, as well as a transverse end wall 28 provided on the underlying leg 16. Finally, the legs are preferably trapezoidal in cross section with the surface of the legs being angled downwardly towards the center of the assembly (FIG. 1, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5) to provide stable supporting contact with the displayed tire.

Locking means for holding the supports in place without the weight of the tire includes the use of a tab device 30. This device utilizes a flexible hinge 32 (FIG. 6) formed as a thinned plastic section between the upper surface 34 of an overlying leg and a tab arm 36 attached thereto. A tapered solid block insert member 38 carried on the tab arm 36 presents a sharply tapered head 40 and a catch edge 42. Resilient notches 50 are positioned along the side 52 of the underlying leg for receipt of the tapered block insert member 38. Consequently, once the paired supports are positioned with the tab bearing legs overlying the notched legs, and the indentations are brought into registration (FIG. 4), the tab arm 36 is moved, by flexing the hinge 32, to force the tab insert 38 into the tab notch 50 (FIG. 5). The width of the notch 50 is preferably narrower than the width of the tab head 40 such that insertion of the tapered tab head forces the notch to yield while allowing the tab head to penetrate therethrough. Once the tab head passes through the notch, the resilient notch width reverts to its prior dimension and the catch edge 42 of the tab secures the tab (FIG. 2) within the notch.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that modifications can be made to the apparatus and method for using same without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying claims.