Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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295P 1 CA(C)
CHILD CARRIER ATTACHMENTS FOR BICYCLES
The present invention relates to child carrier attachments for bicycles, and
to bicycles
provided with child carriers.
There have, in the past, been various proposals for attaching a seat for a
child to a bicycle.
Many of the prior proposals involved mounting the seat above the rear wheel of
a bicycle,
behind the saddle. However, such an arrangement has various disadvantages.
Thus, for
example, a child seated behind the saddle of a bicycle has its view largely
obstructed by the
rider of the bicycle, and the weight of the child over the rear wheel of the
bicycle complicates
the riding of the bicycle. Also, it is difficult for the rider to mount or
dismount and, while
riding, the rider is unable to observe the child.
The prior art also includes various proposals for mounting a child carrier
between the saddle
and the handle bars of the bicycle. This location of the seat has the
advantages that the child
can have a good view forwardly of the bicycle and is given a sense of security
by being
located between the arms of the rider, while the rider can observe the child.
In the present inventor's United States Patent No. 5,104,188, issued April 14,
1992,, there is
disclosed a bicycle seat for a child which, when provided on a man's bicycle,
is mounted on
the cross-bar of the bicycle by means of a tightener located below the seat
and engaging the
underside of the cross-bar. When used with a women's bicycle, which lacks a
horizontal
cross-bar, it is necessary to mount the seat on a separate bar, which is
clamped to the steering
post of the bicycle at one end of the bar, the opposite end of the bar being
hingedly connected
to a vertical post secured to a diagonal bracing bar forming part of the frame
of the bicycle.
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The present inventor has found, by practical experience, that it is desirable
to be able to
support the child carrier without attaching it to the horizontal cross-bar of
a man's bicycle
frame, because brake and derailleur cables usually extend along the horizontal
cross-bar of
a man's bicycle frame and, also, because the tubular components of bicycle
frames vary
considerably in diameter, length and angle.
In United States Patent 4,305,532, issued December 15 1981 to John F.
Reminger, there is
disclosed a bicycle carrier having an elongate support which is formed, at
opposite ends, with
notches for receiving the front post and the saddle post of a bicycle. This
carrier is intended,
in particular, to be attachable to a bicycle without the use of tools, and is
provided at its rear
end with a slidable rear member. The slidable rear member is formed with a
notch for
receiving the saddle post and is intended to be slid rearwardly, relative to
the support, so as
to locate the saddle post in they notch in the slidable rear member when the
carrier is attached
to a woman's bicycle. When it is attached to a man's bicycle, the slidable
rear member is
removed. In that case, the support is mounted on the cross-bar of the man's
bicycle, with
projections on the underside of the support engaging the cross-bar, and with
the notches in
the opposite ends of the support slid into engagement with the front post and
the saddle post
of the bicycle.
The carrier disclosed in the aforesaid United States patent 4,305,532 is
particularly intended
to be installed on and removed from a bicycle without the use of tool. When it
is being
installed onto a man's bicycle, therefore, it is simply pushed into position,
and must therefore
be of a predetermined length ~to fit a predetermined bicycle frame size. The
notches at
opposite ends of the carrier are of fixed width and are not adjustable to fit
tubular bicycle
components of various sizes. Tlhis prior art carrier is therefore not
adjustable to fit bicycles
of different sizes.
It would be apparent that in either case, the support is only loosely secured
to the bicycle
frame, and consequently there is a risk that it may easily be displaced from
the frame when
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the bicycle it is for example subjected to an impact or a more or less violent
movement by
the child while in motion or when the rider of the bicycle is mounting or
dismounting from
the bicycle or when the rider is installing the child in, or removing the
child from, the carrier.
In connection with the latter, it will be appreciated that the rider must
somehow support the
bicycle while lifting a child into or from the carrier. This is often an
awkward manoeuver,
accomplished by leaning the biicycle against the riders body. The child will
often wriggle
while being lifted. It is therefore very important that the carrier should be
fixedly connected
to the bicycle instead of being only loosely attached.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel and
improved child
carrier attachment for a bicycle which is readily adaptable to different
bicycle frame sizes and
which avoids any necessity for clamping onto the horizontal cross-bars of
men's bicycle
frames, but which is also fixedly attachable to the bicycle.
According to the present invention, a child carrier attachment for a bicycle
comprises a
support device comprising an elongate support, a rear clamping device which is
adjustable
into gripping engagement with a saddle post of the bicycle to secure the
support device to the
saddle post, and a front clamping device which is adjustable into gripping
engagement with
a steering post of the bicycle, the support device being adjustable to vary
the spacing of the
front and rear clamping devices.
With this attachment the support device can be adapted to different frame
sizes by varying
the spacing of the front and rear fasteners. Also, since the front and rear
fasteners are
engagable with the front post and the saddle post, respectively, of the
bicycle, any brake and
derailleur cables extending along the bicycle frame are not damaged by
securement of the
child carrier attachment to the bicycle and do not obstruct the securement of
the child carrier
attachment to the bicycle.
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By means of the front and rear clamping devices, the support is fixedly
connectable to the
bicycle and therefore cannot be dislodged by toppling of the bicycle or by
movement of the
bicycle and\or of a child as the child is lifted into or from the carrier.
The invention will be more readily understood ti-om the following description
of a preferred
embodiment thereof given, by way of example, with reference to the
accompanying
drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a view in perspective of a child carrier attachment embodying
the present
invention mounted on parts of a bicycle;
Figure 2 shows a view in side elevation of the child carrier attachment of
Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows an exploded view, in perspective, of components of a support
device forming
part of the child carrier attachrr~ent of Figures l and 2;
Figure 3A shows a view in perspective of a pair of spacers forming parts of a
rear clamp
shown in Figure 3;
Figure 4 shows parts of the bicycle of Figure 1 with the support device of
Figure .3 secured
to it, but with other components of the child carrier attachment omitted;
Figures SA and SB show views in perspective of a seat mounted in different
positions on the
support device of Figure 3;
Figure 6 shows a view in vertical longitudinal cross-section through the child
carrier
attachment of Figure 1;
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Figure 7 shows an enlarged portion of Figure 6 to illustrate interengagement
of the headrest
attachment and the seat;
Figure 8 shows a view in perspective of the seat mounted on the support device
and the
headrest attachment mounted. on the seat;
Figure 9 shows a view in perspective of the seat and the headrest attachment
being mounted
on the support device on a bicycle frame;
Figure 10 shows a broken-away view, in perspective, of parts of the headrest
attachment and
the seat secured together by a frastener.
Figures l and 2 of the accompanying drawings show a child carrier attachment
comprising
a child's seat, indicated generally by reference numeral 10, a headrest
indicated generally
reference numeral 12, and a support device indicated generally by reference
numeral 14. The
support device 14 is, in turn, mounted on a bicycle frame a part of which is
indicated
generally by reference numeral 16.
The support device 14 is shown in greater detail in Figure 3 and comprises an
elongate
support formed by front and rear support bars 17 and 18 in the form of steel
channel
members having inverted U-shaped cross-sections.
The rear support bar 18 has a front end 20 which is slidable within a rear end
22 of the front
support bar 17, and is provided at its rear end 24 with a rear or saddle post
clamping device
indicated generally by reference numeral 26, while the front support bar 17 is
provided, at
its front end 28, with a front or steering post clamping device indicated
generally by
reference numeral 30.
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More particularly, the rear end 24 of the rear support bar 18 is formed with
two rearwardly
projecting strip-shaped arms 3%, onto each of which lit a pair of resilient
spacers 34 which
are of hollow rectangular cross-section. As shown in Figure 3A, the spacers 34
have opposite
walls 35 and 37, which have different thicknesses.
A pair of threaded members in t:he form of bolts 36 extend through holes 38 in
the arms 32,
through resiliently compressible cylindrical sleeves 40 positioned between the
arms 32 and
through washers 42 into threaded engagement with retainers in the form of nuts
44. The
bolts 36 can be tightened to bring the rear clamp 26 into gripping engagement
with a saddle
post 46 (Figure 2) installed in a gap between the spacers 34 on the arms 32.
By repositioning
the spacers 34 on the arms 32 to position the thicker or thinner walls of the
spacers 34
adjacent the saddle post 46, or by omitting the spacers 34, the width of this
gap can be
adapted to the diameter and the inclination of the saddle post 46.
The front support bar 17 is adjustably secured to the rear support bar 18 by
means of a
fastener comprising a hexagonal bolt 48, a hexagonal nut 49, an external tooth
washer 50 and
a fender washer 51, the bolt 48 extending through a circular hole 52 in the
front support bar
17 and through a longitudinal slot 54 in the rear support bar 18. With this
arrangement, the
support device 14 is adjustable, by relative longitudinal sliding of the front
and rear support
bars 17 and 18, to vary the spacing between the front and rear clamps 30 and
26.
The front clamp 30 comprises a forwardly open yoke 56 formed on the front end
28 of the
front support bar 17 and a U-clamp bracket 57, opposite ends of which are
secured to the
arms of the yoke 56 by fasteners comprising screws 58 and nuts 60, provided
with external
tooth washers 61. Curved spacer members or collars 63 of resilient material
are provided
between the bracket 57 and the yoke 56 for gripping engagement with a head
tube or steering
post 62 forming part of the bicycle frame, and the thickness of these collars
63 may be
selected to suit the diameter of the post 62 so as to ensure a tight fit. As
can be seen in Figure
6, the front clamp 30 is angled., relative to the support bar 17, to suit the
inclination of the
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steering post 62. This permits full surface contact between the collars 63 and
the steering
post 62, thus providing a high clamping force and counteracting any risk of
the support bar
being deformed, dislodged or rotated under reasonable impact forces.
Figure 4 shows the support device 14 mounted on the bicycle frame 16, with the
rear fastener
26 in gripping engagement with the saddle post 46 and with the front fastener
in gripping
engagement with the front or steering post 62 of the bicycle frame 16.
With the support device 14 thus secured to the bicycle frame 16, the bicycle
can be ridden
without the seat 10 and the headrest attachment 12.
Figures SA and SB show the seat 10 mounted on, but not yet secured to, the
support device
14. The seat 10 is formed as a molding with a seat back 64 and with a pair of
upwardly and
laterally outwardly open foot boxes 65 for receiving the feet and legs of a
child on the seat.
To protect them. The width of the seat 10 is preferably limited to e.g. nine
inches in order to
avoid interference with the rider's legs.
The seat 10 is formed with a slot 88 (Figures SA and SB) for receiving a bolt
68, which
extends through a washer 69 (Figure 9) and an opening 70 in the front support
bar 17 into
threaded engagement with a self clinching fastener 71 (Figure 6). The fastener
71, which is
manufactured and sold under the trade name PEM by Penn Engineering and
Manufacturing
Corp., is inserted into a hole in the front support bar 17 and then
compressed, in known
manner, into locking engagement with the front support bar 17. By these means,
the seat 10
is longitudinally adjustably secured to the support device 14 so as to be
movable between a
rearward position, relative to the front support bar, in which the seat is
shown in Figure SA
with the support device 14 fully extended, and a forward position, relative to
the front
support bar, as shown in Figure SB, which also shows the support device 14
fully extended.
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Figure 7 shows the headrest attachment 12 during its assembly on the seat 10.
As can be
seen in Figure 7, the headrest attachment 12 is formed with a pair of
projecting tongues 72
which are engagable in slots 74~ in the seat 10, and also with a longitudinal
slot.
Figure 8 shows the headrest attachment 12 mounted on the seat 10 which, in
turn, is mounted
in the support device 14, and Figure 9 further shows these components in
relation to the
bicycle frame 16.
Figures 1 and 2 also illustrate a safety harness, indicated by reference
numeral 76, which is
secured to the seat 10. This safety harness 76 has been omitted from the other
figures to
facilitate illustration of the child carrier attachment.
The safety harness 76 has a pair of shoulder straps 77 and a waist strap 79.
The waist strap
79 passes from within the seat 10 rearwardly through a pair of slots in the
seat back 64 and
then forwardly around the exterior of the seat back 64 through loops in the
lower ends of the
shoulder straps 77 to a waist buckle. This arrangement of the safety harness
has been found
to be particularly suitable for alllowing the child sufficient slack to move
comfortably and to
rest on the headrest attachment 12 while also preventing the child from
falling to the side of
the seat 10, and from standing or moving its body sideways sufficiently to
adversely affect
the balance and stability and control of the bicycle.
The headrest attachment 12 comprises a forwardly and upwardly inclined tray
78, on which
a resilient pad 80 (Figure 6) is retained by means of snap fasteners (not
shown) to allow the
child to rest its head on the headrest attachment (12).
As shown in Figure 10, the headrest attachment 12 is secured to the seat 10 by
a bolt 82, the
head of which is received in a recess 84 in the underside of the seat 10,
washers 8a and 86
and a nut 87, and has a slot 88 which receives the bolt 68 so as to allow the
headrest
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attachment 12 to be displaced together with the seat 10 when the latter is
adjusted in position
along the front support bar 17 ass described above.
With the above-described invention, the support device 14 and the seat 10 with
its headrest
12 are fixedly secured to the bicycle frame 16 and cannot be dislodged, even
if the bicycle
falls sideways to the ground. ,3ince the child occupying the seat 10 is
restrained by the
harness 76, the child is thus securely held in position on the bicycle. If
required, the bicycle
can be ridden with the seat 10 and headrest 12 removed, in which case the
support device 14
remains fixed in position on the bicycle frame 16.
The front and rear clamping devices 30 and 26 enable the support device 14 to
be readily
attached to a wide variety of bicycle frame tube diameters and the
longitudinal adjustability
of the support device 14 enables it to be attached to a wide variety of
bicycle frame types and
sizes. The present child carrier attachment can therefore be readily and
securely mounted on
a wide variety of men's and women's bicycles without interfering with brake
and derailleur
cables on the bicycle frames.
By positioning the child carrier in front of the parent and behind the
handlebars, the above-
described attachment permits an interactive ride of the parent with the child
with the
objective of increasing the educational opportunities for the child and
increasing the
"bonding" between the parent and the child. The carrier is positioned such
that the parent can
readily observe the physical condition of the child and constantly monitor its
changing needs.
The child can be readily placed in or removed from the carrier with minimal
risk of causing
the bicycle to topple and the rider can readily mount or dismount from the
bicycle with
minimal risk of destabilizing the bicycle and causing the bicycle and its
attached carrier to
topple.The head support can support a resting child while the child is being
transported in
the child carrier and permits thf; adult rider to monitor the resting child
and readily respond
to the child's requirements. The child carrier is positioned so to minimize
the effects of the
child's weight or movement on the balance and stability/control of the
bicycle.The child
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carrier can be easily and securely attached to its bicycle and readily
transferred from bicycle
to bicycle. The carrier attachment is applicable to the majority of adult
leisure and
recreational bicycles and does not interfere with the operation of brake
and/or gear cables
which may be on the bicycle. The secure attachment permits the child carrier
i:o sustain a
reasonable impact from any direction without causing the child carrier to be
dislodged from
its points) of attachment or causing the child carrier to rotate about any
axis passing through
the points) of attachment.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various modifications may be
made to the
above-described embodiment within the scope of the appended claims.
For example, instead of the longitudinally extensible and contractible
elongate support of
the above-described embodiment, it would alternatively be possible to employ
an elongate
non-extensible support bar, in one piece, with the front and rear fasteners
adjustable in
position on this support bar, either with the front and rear fasteners in
longitudinal alignment
with the support bar or with the support bar offset laterally relative to the
front and rear
fasteners.
