Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02472976 2004-07-06
TITLE: EVENT RACK/STAND
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a portable and expandable event rack
system, and in
particular, to an event rack system that may be used to park bicycles, display
information, or
cordon off an area.
Special events, such as fairs, food festivals, firework celebrations, city
festivals, college
athletic games, concerts, bicycle tours and competitions, and outdoor
fundraisers are popular
activities, particularly in summertime. Such events often attract a
significant number of
people to a particular location for a limited time. Additionally, many
communities have
destinations such as downtown shopping districts, parks, pools, beachfronts,
or other such
recreation areas that undergo intermittent time periods of congested use, as
on weekends or
holidays. Special event planners and municipality officials are faced with
many challenges
when dealing with such intermittently congested areas. For example, such
challenges include
the communicating of directional and other types of information to the people
attending the
special event or visiting the park, and cordoning off areas for special use
such as food courts,
games, or the like. An additional challenge is the providing of safe parking
for bicycles,
which is also important to provide in order to further encourage the use of
bicycles as a
transportation means to such events.
Individuals attending or visiting special events or parks often times will
ride bicycles to
reach such destinations as this is a popular family activity and an enjoyable
method of
commuting that avoids the difficulties and costs of parking automobiles at
such locations.
Further, the use of bicycles as a method of transportation due to the benefits
it provides as
part of a healthy lifestyle is resulting in a growing number of individuals
traveling to such
locations by bicycles.
Standard commercial bicycle racks are long, linear units that are typically
made to be
fixed in a single location, are not collapsible, and are usually made of
heavy, metallic
material. Such bicycle racks are adapted to receive a limited number of
bicycles and enable
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CA 02472976 2004-07-06
the bicycles to be locked to the rack, typically by locking a wheel of the
bicycle to the rack.
However, it is not desired to place many such standard fixed bicycle racks at
locations
undergoing intermittent periods of use as the majority of time they are not
used, which is
particularly troublesome at locations having limited space. Because they are
not used, they
may collect debris, rust, or be vandalized. It is also not desired to bring
those heavy standard
bicycle racks to such locations on an as needed basis because they are
cumbersome, heavy
and difficult to transport, and expensive to store.
One method of cordoning off an area is by the use of snow fencing. While this
is an
inexpensive structure, it is problematic in that snow fencing is visually
unsightly and
awkward to set up because it does not stay upright on its own and; therefore,
requires
additional supporting structures. Furthermore, snow fencing cannot easily
support bicycles
for parking as, for example, it is difficult to unstack bicycles that are
leaned against the
fencing.
Finally, the displaying of information is essential at such locations for the
safety and
enjoyment of attendees. For example, alerting attendees to the locations of
medical
assistance, where to find food and water, and times of operation are important
for an orderly
gathering. Several methods of communicating information are available, such as
portable
signs with concrete bases, small posters that are stapled to telephone poles,
or banners strung
to vertical objects such as lamp posts and trees. However, signs with concrete
bases are
heavy and cumbersome, small posters are not highly visible, and adequate
vertical objects
are not always readily available and banners strung to such objects are
difficult to install.
As noted, there are several difficulties associated with the various bicycle
parking, area
cordoning structures, and information displaying methods described above.
Therefore, a
structure is needed that may be alternatively used to park bicycles, display
information, and
cordon off an area. Further, such a structure should be easy to assemble,
configurable to
different specific locations, and cost efficient.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A portable event rack stand assembly according to one aspect of the present
invention
includes two support stands having frames and stand sleeves where a connecting
member is
removably receivable by the stand sleeves and where the connecting member
provides a
convenient location to park bicycles.
According to another aspect of the portable event rack stand assembly of the
present
invention, two support stands having frames and stand sleeves further include
mounting
posts adapted to removably receive a mounted member. The mounted member may be
a
banner display that communicates information or may be a cover assembly that
protects
objects located in between the support stands.
An expandable event rack stand system of yet another aspect of the present
invention
includes a plurality of connecting members and a plurality of support stands,
where the
connecting members are supportable by the support stands and include first and
second
connecting ends such that the first connecting end of one connecting member
may be
connected to the second connecting end of an adjacent connecting member,
thereby forming
an expandable rack.
A bicycle paxking and information display stand according to the present
invention
includes a frame having an attached stand sleeve, where the frame is adapted
to be placed on
a support surface and the stand sleeve defines an axis substantially parallel
to the support
surface.
An expandable event rack stand system of still another aspect of the present
invention
also includes a plurality of connecting members and a plurality of support
stands. The
connecting members are supported by the support stands and include first and
second
connecting ends, where the first connecting end of one connecting member may
be connected
to the second connecting end of an adjacent connecting member, and where
connecting the
various connecting members that are supported by support stands together forms
a
substantially enclosed corral having a first corral end and a second corral
end.
3
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CA 02472976 2004-07-06
Another aspect of the portable event rack stand assembly of the present
invention
includes two support stands having frames, where each frame includes a stand
sleeve and a
mounting post, and where a connecting member having first and second
connecting member
ends is removably receivable by the two stand sleeves, and a mounted member is
receivable
by the two mounting posts.
The present invention provides a mufti-functioning event rack that may be used
to park
bicycles, display information, and/or cordon off an area. The event rack
includes multiple
support stands and connecting members that are interconnectable and variously
configurable
such that different sized and shaped event racks may be created. The event
rack of the
present invention further enables multiple methods of displaying information.
As the event
rack of the present invention is easily assembled and disassembled, light
weight relative to
typical bicycle structures, and mufti-functioning, it is ideal for use at
locations that
intermittently attract a large number of people by bicycles or otherwise.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stand assembly of the event rack of the
present invention
showing a bicycle parked thereon and a banner display in exploded view above
the stand
assembly;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of several linear racks and a corral utilizing
components of
the event rack;
FIG. 3 is a front, elevational view of a support stand of the present
invention;
FIG. 4 is a side, elevational view of the support stand of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a top, elevational view of the support stand of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a connecting member received within a stand
sleeve of
a support stand of the present invention disclosing a coupler attached to the
connecting
member and two locking methods;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative stand assembly utilizing a
cover assembly
that provides protection to bicycles parked on the support stand;
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FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a stand-alone banner display of the present
invention;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an enclosed corral formed utilizing components
of the
eventrack;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the support stand of FIG. 3 supporting a flag
display; and
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the support stand of FIG. 3 supporting a
lighting stand.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention is embodied in a portable and collapsible event rack
structure. In
particular, the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises ~
plurality of support
stands and connecting members that can be assembled together to create an
expandable and
variously configurable bicycle parking structure and/or be used as a display
stand to
communicate information.
One aspect of the event rack of the present invention can be seen in FIG. 1 as
stand
assembly 10. Stand assembly 10 may be used to park bicycles and/or display
information
and comprises two support stands 12 that are spaced apart and are able to
support a
removable connecting member 14. Additionally, the two spaced apart support
stands 12 may
be used to support a mounted member, such as banner display 16 shown in FIG.
1. The
inclusion of locking rings 18 with stand assembly 10 provides a convenient
locking structure
for bicycles 20 parked on stand assembly 10 and the addition of locks 22
prevents unwanted
disassembly of stand assembly 10.
Significantly, as shown in FIG. 2, stand assembly 10 is adapted to expandably
receive
additional support stands l2 and connecting members 14 such that wariously
configured
event rack structures may be formed to increase the bicycle parking capacity
or cordon off
an area at, for example, a special event such as a fair or festival or the
like. In a preferred
embodiment, stand assembly 10 is expanded using a plurality of corner
assemblies 24 and
couplers 26 (see FIG. 1 ). As shown, such alternatively configured event rack
structures
include, for example, linear racks 28 enclosed by a generally rectangularly
shaped corral 30.
The corral 30 may be used to park bicycles 20 and/or provide a barrier to an
interior area 32.
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The interior 32 of corral 30 may be used for parking bicycles 20 on linear or
variously
configured racks 28, or used for other activities that take place at special
events, such as a
ticket sale location, food court, game area, tailgating site, or the like.
As best understood from FIGS. 3-5, each support stand 12 comprises a generally
triangular frame 34, a mounting post 36 extending vertically upward from the
upper apex of
frame 34, a stabilizer foot 40 located at the base of frame 34, and an
attachment member
shown as stand sleeve 38 that is also attached to frame 34 at the upper apex.
Frame 34 of the embodiment shown comprises two side members 42, 44 and a base
member 46 from whose ends side members 42, 44 angularly converge upwardly. The
mounting post 36 is integrally joined to frame 34 and extends upwardly
approximately 12
inches from the upper apex or intersection of the side members 42, 44. In the
preferred
embodiment, mounting post 36 and frame 34 are formed from a continuous solid
metallic
rod of circular cross section that is bent to simultaneously form mounting
post 36 and frame
34. A preferred diameter for the circular rod is approximately 5/8 of an inch,
while the
preferred height of frame 34 is 44 inches from base member 46 to the upper
apex of side
members 42, 44. An end 43 of one of the side members 44 is affixed, as by
welding, to the
other side member 42 at the intersection of side members 42, 44 and mounting
post 36.
Mounting post 36 also includes a stop 48, formed as a flat washer affixed to
mounting post
36 above the intersection of mounting post 36 and side members 42, 44.
Additionally, a
posthole 50, comprising an aperture extending through post 36, is located on
mounting post
36 (see FIG. 6).
The stabilizer foot 40 is formed as a generally square member fixedly secured
to base
member 46 of frame 34 and extends in a horizontal plane on either side of a
vertical plane
formed by frame 34. Thus, foot 40 extends generally at 90° to the plane
of frame 34. In the
preferred embodiment, the stabilizer foot 40 is made of solid metallic rod
similar to frame
34 and mounting post 36 and is formed from two separate and symmetrical halves
41, Where
each half 41 is affixed, as by welding, to base member 46 such that base
member 46 and foot
40 are co-planar and flush with one another. As can be understood from the
various views,
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stabilizer foot 40 enables support stand 12 to be independently positioned on
a support
surface such that frame 34 will remain standing in a generally perpendicular
orientation
relative to the support surface (see FIGS. 10 and 11). Additionally, the
horizontal and
co-planar orientation of stabilizer foot 40 provides a convenient location to
place ballast and
thereby further prevent the tipping of stand 12. For example, five-gallon
pails filled with
water or stand bags may be placed on stabilizer foot 40, which is particularly
helpful when
stand assembly 10 receives banner display 16 under windy conditions.
As noted above, the attachment member of this preferred embodiment is
disclosed as
stand sleeve 38, which is formed as a hollow metallic tube and is attached to
frame 34 at the
upper apex or intersection of the side members 41, 42 and just below mounting
post 36. In
the preferred embodiment, stand sleeve 38 is welded to both side members 41,
42 such that
stand sleeve 38 is normal to a plane defined by base 46 and side members 4I,
42 of frame
34, and is, thus, generally parallel to foot 40. In this orientation, stand
sleeve 38 defines an
axis that is generally parallel to the support surface upon which stabilizer
foot 40 supports
frame 34. The stand sleeve 38 of this preferred embodiment is approximately
nine inches
in length and has an approximately 1 3/8 inch ID and 1 3/4 inch OD.
In the preferred embodiment, the support stand 12 assembly comprising
triangular frame
34, mounting post 36, stop 48, stabilizer foot 40, and stand sleeve 38 are
coated with a plastic
or polymeric material, such as an elastomeric coating. Both the inside and
outside surfaces
of stand sleeve 38 are so coated. This plastic coating provides corrosion
resistance, which
is important in stand assemblies 10 that are generally used
outdoors. However, there are circumstances when stand assemblies 10 may be
used indoor,
such as within a school gymnasium ar the like. In such an environment, the
plastic coating
has the additional benefit of providing scuff resistance to prevent damage to
the indoor floor
surface.
As noted above, stand assembly 10 also includes connecting member 14. FIG. 1
shows
connecting member 14 as a straight hollow pipe having first and second
connecting member
ends 52, 54. In this preferred embodiment, connecting member 14 is a conduit
manufactured
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and sold by the Plasti-Bond division of Robroy Industries, located in (iilmer,
Texas. This
connecting member 14 has threaded ends 53 and is made of a hollow metallic
material
having a polymeric coating on its exterior between threaded ends 53 and a
urethane coating
on its interior. In the preferred embodiment, connecting member 14 is
approximately I O feet
in length, with an approximately 3/4 inch ID and 1 1/8 inch OD.
Connecting member 14 also includes lock holes 55 at the first and second
connecting
member ends 52, 54, lock holes 55 being located near the threads 53, but on
the non-threaded
portion of connecting member 14. Each lock hole 55 extends entirely through
member 14
and is adapted to receive a lock 22. As shown throughout the several views,
the lock 22
received by lock hole 55 is a trailer hitch receiver lock, an example of which
is sold by
Hidden Hitch International, of Huntsville, Ontario, Canada as Part #0050. This
style of
lock 22 has a longer, narrow shaft and larger lock ends 57, 59, where one of
the lock ends
57 is removable from the shaft, allowing the shaft to be passed through lock
hole 55 of
connecting member 14. Once the shaft is inserted through lock hole 55, the
removable lock
end 57 may be replaced such that lock 22 is fixedly secured to connecting
member 14.
However, it is understood that alternative styles of locks 22, such as a
standard padlock, may
be used as long as the hasp of the lock is sufficiently long enough to extend
through
connecting member 14.
FIG. 1 also reveals that locking rings 18 may be included on stand assembly
10. Locking
rings 18 are formed from 3/8 inch diameter metallic rod that is bent into a
generally oval
shape. Once the desired shape is created the ends of the rod are secured
together, as by
welding, such that a continuous locking ring I 8 is formed. The metallic
locking ring 18 is
then coated with a polymeric material to provide corrosion resistance.
Alternatively, locking
rings 18 are made from stainless steel rod and not coated.
Also shown in FIG. l, stand assembly 10 may include a mounted member shown as
banner display 16. Banner display 16 includes two spaced apart legs 58, each
of which has
a mounting hole 60 extending entirely through leg 58. Banner display 16 also
includes a
horizontal support rod 62 connected by corner banner couplers 64 to the
vertical legs 58.
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Ropes, quick ties, or strings 66 are then used to secure banner 70 to vertical
legs 58 and
horizontal support rod 62. Typically, vertical legs 58, couplers 64, and
horizontal support
rod 62 are made of a hollow metallic material, such as aluminum, and are
adapted to
telescopically, insertably connect with each other. Alternatively, banner
display 16 could be
formed without rod 62, in which case banner 70 would be connected to legs 58.
Stand assembly 10 is then assembled using support stands 12, connecting member
14,
locking rings 18, and banner display 16 as follows: Two support stands 12 are
placed on a
support surface a distance apart that is Less than the length of a connecting
member 14 such
that the stand sleeves 3 8 of the support stands 12 are axially aligned. A
connecting member
I O 14 is inserted into one of the stand sleeves 38 such that the first
connecting member end 52
is located proximate a stand sleeve 38. Because the >D of stand sleeve 38 is
sufficiently
larger than the OD of the connecting member 14, connecting member 14 is able
to slide
within stand sleeve 38. Locking rings I8 are placed over connecting member 14
and
connecting member 14 is then slidably inserted into stand sleeve 38 of the
other support
stand 12 such that the second connecting member end 54 is located proximate to
the other
stand sleeve 38. In this orientation, connecting member 14 is horizontally
supported by the
stand sleeves 38 and the locking rings 18 are contained on connecting member
14 between
the support stands 12. As the internal width of the locking rings 18 is wider
than the OD of
the connecting member 14, the locking rings 18 maybe slidablypositioned along
connecting
member 14 between the support stands 12.
Next, banner display 16 is assembled to the support stands I2. The vertically
extending
mounting pasts 36 of frames 34 are adapted to receive the hollow vertical legs
58 of banner
display 16. The legs 58 are placed over the mounting posts 36 and are
supported on stops
48 such that post holes 50 of mounting posts 36 align with mounting holes 60
of the vertical
legs 58. In this orientation, pins 68 can be inserted into mounting holes 60
and post holes
50 such that banner display 16 is secured to support stands 12. The banner 70
of the banner
display 16 may then be used to communicate various types of information, such
as
advertisements, directions, event schedules, and the like.
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When connecting member 14 is assembled to support stands 12 such that
connecting
member ends 52, 54 extend outwardly beyond stand sleeves 38, as shown in FIG.
1, locks
22 may be inserted into lock holes 55 such that connecting member 14 is
prevented from
being removed from support stands 12. The ability to secure connecting member
I4 to
support stands 12 in this manner deters and prevents theft of bicycles 20
locked to connecting
member 14 (the locking of bicycles 20 to connecting member I4 is described
below).
As also shown in FIG. 1, additional theft prevention can be provided by
looping a chain
72, wire cable, or the like, around a fixed object, such as a lamp post 74,
street sign,
telephone pole, or the like, and attaching the ends of the chain to one of the
locks 22. This
prevents theft or vandalism of the entire stand assembly 10.
An assembled stand assembly 10, as described above, provides a convenient and
portable device for parking bicycles 20. As shown in FIG. l, the horn of a
bicycle seat 76
may be placed over connecting member 14, thereby supporting bicycle 20 and
preventing it
from tipping over. A locking ring 18 may then be slid along connecting member
14 to the
location of bicycle 20. Using a bicycle lock, such as the D-style lock 78
shown, bicycle 20
is then secured to locking ring 18. Additionally, bicycles may also be leaned
against the
support stands I2 of stand assembly 10, which is convenient for bicycles
having alternative
frame types, such as children's bicycles.
As noted above, and displayed in FIG. 2, stand assembly 10 is able to receive
additional support stands 12 and connecting members 14 such that variously
configured
stand structures may be formed, such as the linear racks 28 and generally
rectangular shaped
corral 30 shown. FIG. l illustrates that the components of the preferred
embodiment that are
used to create these alternative structures are couplers 26 and corner
assemblies 24.
The coupler 26 of the preferred embodiment is, like connecting member 14,
manufactured and sold by the Plasti-Bond division of Robroy Industries and is
adapted to
mate with and join connecting members 14 together. The coupler 26 includes an
internally
threaded portion having female threads that receive the male threads of the
threaded ends 53
of two connecting members 14. Coupler 26 is coated on its exterior with a
polymeric
CA 02472976 2004-07-06
material and includes gripping ribs 80. Additionally, a plastic sleeve 8I is
included on either
end of coupler 26 that, when coupler 26 is attached to connecting member 14,
covers threads
53 of connecting member 14 and prevents moisture from reaching threads 53.
As best seen in FIG. 1, a corner assembly 24 comprises two couplers 26 and an
elbow
82. As with connecting member 14 and coupler 26, elbow 82 is also manufactured
and sold
by the Plasti-Bond division of Robroy Industries. Elbow 82 is similar in
construction to
connecting member 14 in that it has threaded ends 84 with thread dimensions
that are
equivalent to the thread dimensions of connecting member 14 and are adapted to
be
threadably received by coupler 26. Elbow 82 is also made of a hollow metallic
material and
coated on its exterior with a polymeric material.
Assembly of a linear rack 28 as shown in FIG. 2 is accomplished as follows:
Beginning with an assembled stand assembly 10, as described above, a coupler
26 is threaded
onto one of the connecting member ends 52 extending beyond stand sleeve 38. An
additional support stand 12 is then placed a distance of approximately the
length of a
connecting member 14 away from the stand assembly 10 in an orientation where
the stand
sleeve 38 of the support stand 12 is axially aligned with the stand sleeves 38
of the stand
assembly 10. A connecting member 14 is then slidably inserted into the stand
sleeve 38 of
the additional support stand 12 such that one connecting member end 52 extends
just beyond
the stand sleeve 38 of the additional support stand 12 and the opposite
connecting member
end 54 is located near the coupler 26 that is attached to connecting member 14
of stand
assembly 10. Because the stand sleeve 38 ID is sufficiently larger than the
connecting
member 14 OD, the connecting member 14 may be rotated within the stand sleeve
38 so that
the threaded connecting member end 54 may be connected to coupler 26.
Additional
connecting members 14 and support stands 12 may be connected using couplers 26
as
described above such that linear racks 28 of varying length are formed.
As can be understood from the above-described assembly steps and the linear
racks 28
shown in FIG. 2, the linear racks 28 of the preferred embodiment include one
more support
stand 12 than connecting members 14. For example, linear racks 28 of FIG. 2
have three
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connecting members and four support stands. As also shown in FIG.2, each
linear rack 28
has two rack free ends 86, where the rack free ends are the distal ends of the
linear rack 28
where a support stand 12 is located adjacent to a connecting member end 52, 54
that is not
connected to another connecting member 14.
However, it should be noted that a linear rack 28 could be fornied having an
equal
number of connecting members 14 to support stands 12 or even a fewer number of
support
stands 12 than connecting members 14. In such embodiments, the span between
support
stands 12 would be longer and/or there would be an unsupported length at the
rack free ends
86.
Corrals 30 rnay be formed by joining the rack free ends 86 of several linear
racks 28
together utilizing corner assemblies 24. Assembly of a linear rack 28 to an
adjacent
perpendicularly oriented linear bicycle rack 28 is accomplished by attaching a
coupler 26 to
one of the rack free ends 86 of a linear rack 28, attaching an elbow 82 to
that coupler 26,
attaching another coupler 26 to the opposite end of the elbow 82, and then
attaching one of
the rack free ends 86 of an adjacent perpendicularly aligned linear rack 28 to
the elbow 82
utilizing the coupler 26.
As understood from FIG. 2, the generally rectangular corral 30 shown comprises
several
linear racks 88, 90, 92, 94 connected to adjacent linear racks 88, 90, 92, 94
that are in
perpendicular alignment to each other. As shown, a first linear rack 88 is
placed in
substantially parallel relation to a second linear rack 90, and a third linear
rack 92 is placed
in substantially perpendicular alignment to the first and second linear racks
88, 90. A first
corner assembly 96 is used to connect the rack free ends 86 of the first and
third linear racks
88, 92 that are located adjacent to one another. Similarly, a second corner
assembly 98 is
used to connect the rack free ends 86 of the second and third linear racks 90,
92 that are
located adjacent to one another.
FIG. 2 illustrates that an entrance 104 to an interior 32 of the corral 30 may
be formed
along a fourth linear rack 94 such that a first and second corral end 106, 108
are formed. A
third corner assembly 100 is used to connect the rack free ends 86 of the
first and fourth
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linear racks 88, 94 that are located adjacent to one another. Similarly, a
fourth corner
assembly 102 is used to connect the rack free ends of the second and fourth
linear racks 90,
94 that are located adjacent to one another. In this embodiment, the fourth
linear rack 94
defines an entrance side number of connecting members 110 and an entrance side
number
S of support stands 112. As shown, the entrance side number of connecting
members I 10 is
three, which is one less than the number of connecting members 12 of the third
linear rack
92, and the entrance side number of support stands 112 is five, which is two
more than the
number of entrance side number of connecting members 110.
As can be understood from FIG. 2, the width of the entrance 104 is dependent
upon the
number of connecting members 14 utilized. Generally for a rectangularly shaped
corral 30,
the entrance side number of connecting members 1 I O is at least one less than
the number of
connecting members 14 of the third linear rack 92 and the entrance side number
of support
stands 1 I2 is equal to two more than the entrance side number of connecting
members 110.
Therefore, it should be understood that entrance 104 to corral 30 may be of
alternative widths
1 S by utilizing fewer connecting members 1 I 0 and support stands 112 while
still forming an
entrance I04 within the scope of the present invention.
Furthermore, it should also be understood that although corral 30 us shown in
FIG. 2 as
comprising four connected linear racks 88, 90, 92, 94 with the fourth linear
rack 94 including
entrance 104, alternative corrals 30 are contemplated within the scope of the
present
invention. For example, a three-sided corral may be formed by connecting
first, second, and
third linear racks 88, 90, 92 in the manner described above without utilizing
a fourth linear
rack 94 or third and fourth corner assemblies 100, 102 (such that the entrance
side number
of connecting members I IO and entrance side number of support stands 112 are
zero).
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, a corral 144 that is totally enclosed may
be formed by not
2S including an entrance 104. Such various embodiments of corral 30 still
enable corral 30 to
provide a burner to an interior 32. Furthermore, temporary fencing may be
placed along the
perimeter of corral 30 to further limit access to interior 32.
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FIG. 2 discloses that linear racks 28 may be placed within the interior 32 of
corral 30.
As noted above, linear racks 28 may be excluded from interior 32 such that
corral 30 is
useful as a food court, game area, or the like. Alternatively, variously
configured stand
assemblies 10, support stands 12, and connecting members 14 may be located
within interior
S 32 of corral 30. For example, a second square or rectangular corral may be
placed within
corral 30. This second corral may be formed with a fewer number of support
stands 12 and
connecting members 14 along each linear rack 28 relative to the first, second,
third, and
fourth linear racks 88, 90, 92, 94 of corral 30 such that the second corral is
concentric with
corral 3 0.
FIG. 2 also illustrates that banner displays 1 I4, 116, I I 8 may be mounted
to the various
linear racks 28 in the manner previously described. As shown, such banner
displays 114,
116, 1 I8 can be used to identify the entrance 104 of the corral 30 and/or
used to indicate
which row or isle a bicycle is parked in to aid in re-locating the bicycle. As
mentioned, the
banner displays 114, 116, 118 may also be used as advertisements, directional
indicators, or
1 S identify event sponsorship information. Notably, the uniformity of support
stand mounting
posts 36 and banner display vertical legs 58 enables the banner displays 114,
1 I6, 1 I8 to be
assembled to a single linear bicycle rack 28 in a parallel orientation with
connecting member
14, as shown by banner display I I6, or to connect two independent linear
racks 28 in a
non-parallel orientation, such as the perpendicular orientation of banner
display 118. In the
latter case, the display I 18 helps stabilize the two linear racks by
extending therebetween.
The interchangeability and expandability of the components of the present
invention
enable several additional useful structures to be formed. For example, FIG. 7
illustrates that
a stand assembly 10 may be provided with an alternative mounted member,
disclosed as a
cover assembly 120, for protecting bicycles 20 from inclement weather. Cover
assembly 120
2S includes first and second vertical cover members 122 that are received by
mounting posts 36
of two support stands 12. A horizontal cover member 124 is disposed between
and
supported by vertical cover members 122 and is used to support a tarpaulin or
tarp 126. Tarp
126 may be affixed to the ground by stakes 128 or the like to maintain tarp
126 in position
14
CA 02472976 2004-07-06
and thus cover the bicycles 20 parked on stand assembly 10. Cover assembly 120
of FIG.
7 is particularly beneficial for activities such as bicycle tours, where
bicycles 20 are parked
outside while camping. Of course a large tarp may be used to extend over and
cover two or
more stand assemblies 10 such as when the stand assemblies are spaced parallel
to one
S another, each including a cover assembly I20 as described above.
Another alternative mounted member would be a lighting structure comprising
lights that
could be utilized with the components of the banner display 16 of FIG. 1 or
the cover
assembly 120 of FIG. 7. The lighting structure could either be added to the
banner display
16 or replace banner 7d. Similarly, the lighting structure could either be
added to the cover
assembly 120 or replace tarp 126. In either case, stand assembly IO would
provide a
convenient and portable structure for temporary lighting. The lights could be
either battery
powered or electrically powered with the cord either wrapping around legs S 8
or vertical
cover members 122, or strung through the hollow interior of legs 58 or members
122.
Another alternative use for the components of the present invention is as a
standalone
1S banner display 130 utilizing an alternative connecting member 132. As shown
in FIG. 8, a
substantially shorter connecting member 132 than that typically used for stand
assembly 10
is used to create compact standalone banner display 130. For example, whereas
the preferred
embodiment of stand assembly 10 utilizes a connecting member 14 that is
approximately ten
feet in length, standalone banner display I30 is assembled with a connecting
member 132
that is approximately five feet in length. This shortened connecting member
132 is also, in
the preferred embodiment, supplied by the Plasti-Bond division of Robroy
Industries and is
of similar construction to the connecting member I4 of stand assembly 10. The
horizontal
member 134 of the standalone banner display 130 is correspondingly shorter
than the
horizontal support rod 62 of the banner display 16 of stand assembly 10.
Standalone banner display 130 thus provides a unique information display
apparatus
apart from the bicycle parking features of stand assembly 10. The compact
nature of
standalone banner display 130 enables it to be placed in locations having
limited space, for
example along a sidewalk at a special event. Standalone banner display 130 is
thus able to
CA 02472976 2004-07-06
communicate all manner of information and provides an additional beneficial
use to special
event planners.
Notably, several components of banner display 16, cover assembly 120, and
standalone
banner display 130, in the preferred embodiment, are also produced by the
Plasti-Bond
division of Robroy Industries. Specifically, the legs 58, couplers 64, and rod
62 of banner
display 16; the horizontal and vertical cover members 124, 122 of cover
assembly 120; and
the horizontal member 134 of standalone display 130 are constructed similarly
to connecting
member 14, couplers 26, and elbow 82, but made of aluminum material of smaller
diameter.
As shown in FIG. 9, a corral 144 that is totally enclosed may be formed using
connecting
members 14 and support stands 12 of the present invention. The totally
enclosed corral 144
of FIG. 9 utilizes multiple support stands 12 and connecting members 14 on
each side 146.
However, it should be understood that sides 146 having more or fewer support
stands 12 and
connecting members 14 could be formed to create larger or smaller totally
enclosed corrals
144. Such a totally enclosed corral 144 could be used to limit access to an
interior area 148
or as a bicycle rack where bicycles would only be parked on the exterior of
sides 146.
Temporary fencing may also be placed against the sides 146 of corral 144 to
further limit
access to interior 148.
Still further additional and useful structures that may be formed using the
components
of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, which disclose a
support stand 12 by
telescopic mounting over upright mounting post 36 having an alternative
mounted member
assembled thereto. The mounted member of FIG. 10 is a flag display 150
comprising a leg
58 attached to support stand 12 and a flag 152 attached to leg 58. Flag
display 150 is useful
for such purposes as marking a bike route, identifying an entrance to a
special event,
directing traffic, or the like. The mounted member of FIG. 11 is a temporary
lighting stand
154 comprising a leg 58 attached to support stand 12 by telescopic mounting
over upright
mounting post 36 and a light 156 affixed to leg 58. Lighting stand 154 is
useful for such
purposes as providing emergency lighting or temporary special event lighting.
16
CA 02472976 2004-07-06
An alternative or additional method of theft prevention of a stand assembly
10, linear
rack 28, or corral 30 can be seen in FIGS. 2, 6; and 7 as cable lock 136.
'lChe hollow structure
of connecting members 14, couplers 26, and stand sleeves 38 enables a wire or
cable 138 to
be passed through the various components of an assembled stand assembly 10,
linear bicycle
rack 28, or corral 30. Cable 138 is provided with integral loop cable ends 140
that are
adapted to receive a lock 142 and, when lock 142 is locked to cable ends 140,
prevents
couplers 26 from being removed from connecting members 14 and prevents
connecting
members 14 from being removed from stand sleeves 38. Although not shown, it is
understood that cable 138 could be adapted to loop around an immovable object,
such as a
lamp post 74, thereby preventing the entire assembled stand assembly :L 0,
linear rack 28, or
corral 30 from being moved.
As mentioned above, the attachment member of the embodiment described is stand
sleeve 38 that forms a clearance fit connection with connecting member 14
slidably or
telescopically received therethrough. However, alternative attachment members
are
contemplated within the scope of the present invention. For example, the
attachment
member could be formed as a solid or hollow rod having externally threaded
ends adapted
to receive a coupler 26. In this embodiment, connecting members 14 would then
be attached
to support stands 12 by threading into the opposite end of the coupler 26
attached to the
threaded attachment member. An alternatively contemplated attachment member
includes
internal threads within a hollow rod where the internal threads of the
attachment member axe
adapted to receive the threaded ends 53 of connecting members 1.4. Still
further, an
alternative attachment member could be formed as a hollow or solid rod of a
diameter
adapted to fit within the hollow connecting members 14. In this embodiment,
connecting
members 14 would be slip fit aver the attachment member and could be secured
thereto by
use of a securing pin, or alternately, a lock 22 when a through hole was
included on the
attachment member aligned with a through hole in the connecting member.
Although the connecting members 14 are shown throughout the several views as
being
linearly straight, it should be understood that alternatively shaped
connecting members 14
z~
CA 02472976 2004-07-06
could be used alone or in conjunction with the straight connecting members 14.
For
example, a series of curved connecting members could be used such that a
curved rack or a
circular corral is formed. Further, alternative length connecting members 14
could be
utilized within the scope of the present invention and still create a portable
and expandable
event rack. Alternatively constructed elbows 82 of corner assemblies 24 could
also be
utilized to create differently shaped corrals 30. For example, five elbows
with 72-degree
bends could be used to create a pentagon shaped bicycle corral.
It should also be understood that alternative methods of connecting the
connecting
members I4 together may be employed within the scope of the present invention.
For
example, connecting members 14 could have a male end and a female end such
that the
female end of one connecting member 14 receives the male end of another
connecting
member 14. In such embodiments the ends could slip fit together and receive a
cottar style
pin or the ends could be threaded such that connecting members 14 thread
directly together.
Alternative embodiments of support stands 12 could also be employed while
still
providing an expandable event rack. For example, the shape of frame 34 could
be circular,
rectangular, pentagonal, or the like, and utilize an alternatively shaped and
constructed
stabilizer foot 40, such as circular, pentagonal, rectangular, or the like.
Further, mounting
post 36 could be a separate component that is assembled to frame 34 of support
stand 12 as
needed, such as by a threaded connection.
The above is a description of the preferred embodiments. One skilled in the
art will
recognize that changes and modifications may be made without departing from
the spirit of
the disclosed invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the claims
which follow
and the breadth of interpretation that the law allows.
18
