Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02244445 2001-09-25
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Anti-Rotation Bicycle Rack
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to bicycle racks for attachment to motor
vehicles in general, and to such racks which permit angular positioning of the
bicycles
in particular.
io The bicycle preceded the automobile as a mode of transportation, and, as
the
automobile has developed throughout the twentieth century, so has the bicycle.
While
the automobile has taken its place as the primary form of transportation for
many for
purposes of work and recreation, the bicycle continues to provide an
interesting and
healthy form of transportation, recreation, and sport.
CA 02244445 2001-09-25
Many bicycle-related activities are not primarily directed at getting between
one point and another, but may involve competitive racing, touring, sight-
seeing or
family activities. Hence, a bicyclist will often wish to transport a bicycle
without
actually riding it. Automobile mounted racks permit a bicyclist to easily
carry a
s bicycle many miles to permit the bicyclist to ride in regions distant from
home.
Bicycles come in many configurations, shapes, and sizes with consequent
variations in distribution of mass. When multiple bicycles are supported about
a
single axis, it is often necessary that they be pivoted with respect to one
another to
avoid interference between the bicycle handlebars. What is needed is a bicycle
rack
i o for automotive mounting which permits the mounted bicycle to be pivoted
into a
desired transport position, but which is at the same time easily locked into
the desired
position once it has been obtained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The bicycle rack of this invention has a plastic bracket with a central
opening
i5 which is slidably positionable on a rearwardly extending mounting arm of an
inverted
L-shaped bicycle support member which is mounted to the rear of an automobile,
for
example to the towing hitch. The mounting arm has an axially extending spline
which
extends from the front of the mounting arm to a position spaced from the rear
of the
arm. Multiple recessed keyways are formed in the bracket around the central
Zo opening. A keyway mates with the spline, and restricts the rotation of the
bracket
when a toggle is operated to clamp the bracket against axial movement.
Bicycles
supported on the bracket by two pivotable tube holders are thus securely
connected
to the mounting arm, but are selectably positionable to allow multiple
bicycles to
compactly fit on the arm. In addition, the bracket may also support skis.
The present invention provides a bicycle support rack which positively
restricts
rotation of the supported bicycles about a horizontal axis. The present
invention also
provides a rack for the support of recreational equipment which allows the
free sliding of the
equipment about a front to back axis for positioning of the equipment on the
rack, but which
allows the fixing of the mounted equipment during travel. The present
invention also
provides a bicycle support rack which is rapidly adjustable between a freely
rotatable and a
locked configuration. Further, the present invention provides a rack which
supports skis
against undesired rotation.
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CA 02244445 2001-09-25
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the
following
detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of the automobile mounted bicycle rack
io of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an alternative embodiment
mounting arm of this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-3, wherein like numbers refer to
similar parts, a bicycle carrier or rack 20 of this invention is shown in FIG.
1. The
rack 20 is mounted to the rear of an automobile 22, preferably by connection
with the
trailer hitch 23 of the automobile. The rack has a tubular support member 24
which
is generally in the shape of an inverted L. The support member 24 is
preferably a steel
2o tube which has a vertical segment 26 which is pivotably connected to an
attachment
assembly 28 which engages with the vehicle trailer hitch. The support member
also
has a horizontal segment 30 which extends rearwardly from the vehicle and
which
defines a cylindrical mounting arm 32 The mounting arm 32 is a cylindrical
tube
which may be about 2'/2 inches in diameter and which is sufficiently long to
support
zs one or more bicycles 34. The support member 24 may be similar to those
disclosed in
U.S. Patent No. 5,775,555 to Bloemer et al.
A plastic bicycle support bracket 36 has an inner wall 37 which defines a
generally cylindrical tube opening 38 through which the mounting arm 32
extends,
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and is thereby slidably positionable on the mounting arm. The inner wall has
nineteen
grooves or keyways 40 which extend axially from the front to the back of the
bracket
36 and which are all parallel to one another and to the mounting arm 32. The
keyways 40 are each about one-eighth inch deep and are positioned to engage
with
s an axially extending spline 42 which is welded to the mounting arm 32. The
bracket
36 may be injection molded of glass filled nylon, and will preferably have a
planar
rearward wall 43 which is reinforced by a grid-like arrangement of ribs 45.
The spline 42 is also approximately one eighth of an inch tall, and extends
from a position spaced approximately two inches from the rear of the mounting
arm
io 32 to the point at which the mounting arm begins to curve downward to meet
the
vertical segment 26 of the support member 24. A smooth cylindrical adjustment
region 44 is thereby defined between the rear end 46 of the mounting arm 32
and the
termination of the spline 42. The spline is preferably formed as a weld bead
extending axially along the surface of the steel mounting arm 32. Although the
spline
is may be positioned at any desired orientation on the mounting arm 32, it is
preferably
in the upper half of the mounting arm such that gravitational loads assist in
engaging
the spline with a keyway, for example, the spine may be located approximately
45
degrees from the top of the mounting arm.
A bicycle which is supported on the bracket 36 may be rotated about the
2o mounting arm 32 while the bracket is supported on the adjustment region 44
of the
mounting arm. When the bicycle is at the proper orientation, either for
balance or to
avoid interference with another bicycle also mounted on the mounting arm, the
bracket is pushed forward on the mounting arm to engage one of the keyways 40
to
prevent further rotation of the bracket with respect to the mounting arm.
25 As shown in FIG. 2, an integral plastic tang 48 extends beneath and defines
a
portion of the tube opening 38. Once the bracket is positioned on the mounting
arm,
it is releasably secured to the mounting arm by a bracket clamping assembly
S0. The
clamping assembly 50 has a locking handle 52 which has portions defining an
off axis
cylindrical cam. The handle 52 is pivotably connected to the cylindrical head
of a
so bolt 54 which extends through the tang 48 and into the lower wall 56 of the
bracket
36. The A nut 58 is threaded on the bolt 54 and is held against rotation by
stnlcture
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within the bracket 36. Unless forced, the locking handle 52 will be restrained
against
rotation and separation from the bolt 54 by the downwardly extending sidewalls
62 of
the tang 48. The tang 48 has a planar end wall 64 which extends between the
two
sidewalk 62 and which is spaced from the bracket lower wall 66 when the
bracket is
s in an unclamped condition. A washer 60 is positioned between the handle 52
and the
end wall 64.
When the bracket is positioned as desired on the mounting arm 32, the
locking handle 52 is rotated to cause the cam portions to engage against the
end wall
64 of the tang, thereby forcing the tang into closer engagement with the
bracket
~o lower wall 56 to clamp the plastic bracket 36 onto the metal mounting arm
32. The
clamping assembly frictionally engages the mounting arm and restricts front to
back
displacement of the bracket 36, while the engagement of the spline 42 in a
keyway 40
restricts rotation of the bracket about the mounting arm 32.
The keyways 40 may be formed in groups of five, with each group spaced by
~s an ungrooved segment 68 which takes the place of a groove. The keyways 40
on the
tang 48 may be in a group of four to take into account the gap in the mounting
opening where the tang comes together with the bracket lower wall 56.
The bracket 36 has two pivotable bicycle tube holders 69, one on either side
of the tube opening 38. The tube holders 69 have v-shaped troughs and are
pivotable
2o to support either the horizontal tube of a bicycle or the vertical seat
tube. Thus the
holders will prevent back and fourth motion of the vertical seat tube.
A resilient tab 70 is connected in a snap fit to the bracket 36 above the
pivotable connection of each tube holder. By engaging the down tube of the
bicycle,
the tube holder prevents unwanted forward and backward tilting of the bicycle
while
is at the same time the bicycle is supported and held on the resilient tabs
70. The
bicycle tubes are secured to the tube holders 69 by elastomeric tongues 72
which
extend from one side of the tube holder and are releasably fixed to the other
side, by,
for example, the engagement of a mushroom-shaped fastener with one of a
plurality
of openings in the tongue 72.
3o As shown in FIG. 1, a vertical hole extends through the mounting arm and a
hard plastic boot 200 extends through the hole in a friction fit, allowing a U-
lock or
CA 02244445 1998-09-17
cable lock to pass through and secure the bicycles and brackets to the
mounting arm.
The boot 200 has an upwardly projecting flange 202 which protrudes
approximately
one-eight inch above the mounting arm. The flange 202 serves as a back-up
protection against an unclamped bracket sliding rearwardly off the mounting
arm.
s When it is desired to remove a bracket or change its orientation, the boot
is removed
by pressing upwardly from below.
Although a single bicycle may be carried on the support member 24 by a
single bracket 36, two or more brackets may be individually mounted to the
same
support member to support a plurality of bicycles. To avoid interference
between
io bicycle handlebars, the bicycles may each be clamped at a different
inclination. To
separately orient each bracket, the user may pull each bracket back into the
cylindrical adjustment region 44. Alternatively, with the clamping assembly
released,
there is sufficient resiliency in the connection for a bracket to be rotated
over the
spline and then clamped in place.
i s In an alternative embodiment mounting arm 74, shown in FIG. 3, the spline
76 is formed as two or more aligned but non-continuous spline segments 78. The
segments are separated by an adjustment region 80 which is wide enough to
accommodate a bracket. The spline segments 78 may be formed as weld beads by
intermittently activating the welding implement as it is moved axially along
the
2o mounting arm 74.
It should also be noted that the bracket 36 may support a set of skis by
rotating both tube holders 69 to extend parallel to one another. Generally,
the skis
will be supported in a vertical orientation on the mounting arm.
In addition, although only a single spline is illustrated on the mounting arm,
2s two or more splines may be positioned on the mounting arm if desired to
engage with
a like number of keyways on the bracket. The number of splines may also be
used to
control the number of different orientations permitted. For example, the tube
may
have four large splines positioned at 90 degrees to one another, with the
bracket
having four like dimensioned recesses or keyways, with the result that both
the
so support arm and the bracket mounting arm opening will have a generally
cross-
shaped cross section.
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It should be noted that various means for releasably fixing the bracket to the
mounting arm may be employed, for example, in addition to the clamping
mechanism
shown and other mechanical clamps, a resilient rubber interference fit strap
may be
positioned between the bracket and the mounting arm such that extension of the
strap
reduces its thickness and allows movement of the bracket, a cotter pin or
spring
loaded pin which is selectably engagable with a series of holes in the
mounting arm, a
set screw, or any other known clamping or releasable positioning fastener.
It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular
construction
and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces such
i o modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.
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