Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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I "PORTABLE BICYCLE SUPPORT STAND"
2 Inventors: Ralph Wentland and Charles Clark
3 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
4 The present invention relates to the field of portable bicycle support
stands.
More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of portable
bicycle support
6 stands that can be assembled without tools and easily disassembled for
storage and/or
7 cartage.
8 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
9 Floor-mounted, wall-mounted or freestanding bicycle racks or support stands
are typically assembled by permanently fastening together the various bicycle
rack
I 1 components required to maintain the support of an upright bicycle. The
permanence
12 of such bicycle racks can often be cumbersome and inhibit easy set-up
andlor
13 transportability. Furthermore, the consumer's use of such racks is often
limited by the
14 specific design and location of the xack itself.
US Patent Application no. 2004/0251219 teaches a bicycle rack system that
16 provides a system for supporting a plurality of bicycles but still requires
a number of
17 steps to assemble the rack and furthex requires fasteners to,join the
elements together.
18 Such a rack still requires significant effort to disassemble in order to
pack up the rack
19 and transport it elsewhere.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a sturdy but portable bicycle support
stand
21 that is easy to assemble without the use of tools and yet can be easily
disassembled for
22 storage or cartage elsewhere.
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2
1 SUM1V1A.RY OF THE INVENTION
2 The present invention is a portable bicycle support stand that is designed
to
3 give the consumer a portable, easy-to-assemble bicycle storage unit. When
the
4 consumer transports their bicycles during txavel, the present invention
pxovides an
easy-access support stand, thereby preventing clutter and allowing proper
storage of
6 the bicycles.
7 The present invention comprises a pair of horizontal base members that are,
8 preferably, tubular and at least one wheel support member that releasably
couples
9 with the base members. Each wheel support member consists of a pair of rod
members that are formed into inverted U-shaped members. A pair of cross
members
11 is used to join the rod members together and to keep the rod members
substantially
12 vertical and spaced-apart horizontally. The space between the rod members
is sized
13 to receive a wheel of a bicycle thereby supporting the bicycle. Each base
member
14 comprises openings that releasably receive the ends of the rod members. The
openings are sized to allow a snug and slidably fit of the rod member ends.
The
16 openings are also deep enough to receive a sufficient length of the rod
member ends
17 thereby resulting in the base members being capable of providing stable
support for
18 the wheel support members.
19 The present invention is assembled by inserting the ends of the rod members
into corresponding openings in each of the base members. Each wheel support
21 member may be inserted into the base members so that they face in the same
direction
22 or they may be inserted such that adjacent wheel support members are facing
in
23 opposing directions. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention,
each base
24 member is designed to hold two wheel support members. However, each base
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1 member is also adapted to releasably join with another base member end to
end so as
2 to form a portable bicycle support stand that can support more than two
bicycles. The
3 base members further comprise additional openings that allow them to be
secured to a
4 horizontal surface with a bolt or spike or by any other means as well known
by those
skilled in the art.
6 It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable bicycle
support
7 stand that is compact and has a small footprint.
8 It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable bicycle
9 support stand that can be easily assembled without tools.
IO It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a portable
bicycle
11 support stand that can be easily disassembled without tools and packed away
in a
I2 compact carrying bag for easy storage or transport.
13 Broadly stated, the present invention is a portable bicycle support stand,
14 comprising: at least one bicycle wheel support member having first and
second ends,
I 5 said at least one wheel support member capable of supporting a bicycle
when a wheel
16 of said bicycle is inserted into said at least one wheel support member;
and a pair of
17 substantially horizontal base members, each base member having means for
18 releasably coupling with either of said first or second ends of said at
least one wheel
I9 support member thereby enabling said portable bicycle support stand to be
formed
20 when said first end of said at least one wheel support member is coupled to
one of
21 said pair of base members arid said second end of said at least one wheel
support
22 member is coupled to the other of said pair of base members.
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1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA~6VINGS
2 Figure I is an isometric exploded view of a pre~Perred embodiment of the
3 present invention.
4 Figure 2 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
6 Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of a preferred
embodiment
7 of the present invention along section lines A-A as shown in Figure 2.
8 Figure 4A is a magnified view of box 4A as shown in Figure 3.
9 Figure 4B is a magnified view of box 4B as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 4C is a magnified end view of an alternate embodiment of the base
11 member of the present invention.
12 Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a joining device for use with a
preferred
13 embodiment of the present invention.
14 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention is illustrated in Figures ~~ and 2. Portable bicycle
16 support stand 10 comprises of at least one wheel support member I2, rear
base
17 member 22 and front base member 24. Base members 22 and 24 axe, preferably,
18 tubular. This may include circular tubing as well as square tubing. Each
wheel
I9 support member 12 comprises of left rod member I4 and right rod member 16
which
are joined together by rear cross member 18 and front cross member 20. Rod
21 members I4 and 16 are kept parallel to one another by cross members 18 and
20. Rod
22 members 14 and 16 are sufficiently spaced apart to accommodate the width of
a
23 bicycle wheel. Rod members 14 and 16 are shaped into a inverted U-shape so
as to
24 extend upwards and support a bicycle wheel.
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1 For the purposes of this patent specification, the inverted U-shape of rod
2 members 14 and 16 may be of any suitable configuration such as curved,
triangular,
3 rectangular, trapezoidal or any other shape that can support a bicycle wheel
as well
4 known to those skilled in the art. In the preferred embodiment of the
present
5 invention, front legs 35 are shorter than rear legs 33 thereby resulting in
wheel
6 support member 12 having an approximate trapezoidal shape.
7 Base members 22 and 26 comprise a plurality of spaced-apart holes 26 that
are
8 adapted to receive tapered ends 32 of rear legs 33 or tapered ends 34 of
front legs 35
9 of wheel support member 12. In a preferred embodiment of the present
invention,
support stand 10 can support two bicycles. Base members 22 and 14 further
comprise
11 holes 23 that allow additional base members to be attached lengthwise to
base
12 members 22 and 24 so as to produce a support stand 10 that can support more
than
13 two bicycles. Alternatively, holes 23 may be used to secure base members 22
and 24
14 to a horizontal surface by driving a spike through holes 23 into the ground
or receive a
bolt so as to secure the position of the base members 22 and 24. It should be
obvious
16 to those skilled in the art that other methods exist to utilize holes 23 to
secure support
17 stand 10 to a surface. End caps 28 are placed on the exposed ends of base
members
18 22 and 24 to prevent debris from entering the interior space of the tubular
base
19 members.
Referring to Figures 3, 4A and 4B, cross-sectional side elevational views of
21 support stand 10 are shown. In assembling support stand 10, tapered end 32
of rear
22 leg 33 is inserted into hole 26 of base member 22 and tapered end 34 of
front leg 35 is
23 inserted into hole 26 of base member 24. Each base member 22 and 24 further
24 comprises an internal rod support member consisting of flat bar 30 that is
disposed at
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1 least partially along the length of base members 22 and 24. Flat bar 30 is
inserted into
2 the base members from one end and is preferably secured by tack welding it
into
3 position from each end of the base member. This is done prior to drilling
holes 26 so
4 that a corresponding hole is drilled in flat bar 30 when hole 26 is drilled.
When
tapered ends 32 and 34 are inserted into holes 26, they also pass through the
6 corresponding holes in flat bars 30. f3y passing a tapered e;nd through hole
26 and a
7 hole in flat bar 30, a stable connection is made between base member 22 or
24 and
8 wheel support member 12. The addition of flat bar 30 in base members 22 and
24
9 also provides additional mass to the base members therel7y adding stability
to the
assembled support stand 10. To disassemble support stand 10, wheel support
11 members 12 are simply removed from base members 22 a.nd 24. The compactness
12 and simplicity of the components of support stand 10 allow wheel support
members
13 12 and base members 22 and 24 to be easily carried in a bag or sack for
easy storage
14 or cartage to a new location.
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention as shown Figure 4C, flat
16 bar 30 is replaced by completely filling the interior space of base members
22 and 24
17 with solid material 31. Solid material 31 may be plastic or any other
suitable material
18 as known by those skilled in the art. When holes 26 are drilled in base
members 22
19 and 24 and into solid material 31, support is provided along the full
length of legs 33
and 35 of rod members 14 and 16 as they are inserted into holes 26 to be
releasably
21 coupled to base members 22 and 24. Solid material 31 also provides
additional mass
22 to base members 22 and 24 which, in turn, increases the stability of
support stand 10
23 when assembled.
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1 Referring to Figure 5, joiner bar 36 is shown. Whc,n base members 22 or 24
2 are joined together end to end to form a wider support stand 10 that
supports more
3 bicycles, joiner bar 36 is inserted into holes 23 of adjoining base member
to
4 releasably couple them together, such as base members 22a and 22b as shown
in
Figure 5.
6 Although a few preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will
7 be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and
modifications might
8 be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The terms and
9 expressions used in the preceding specification have beer used herein as
terms of
description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of
such terms and
11 expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or
portions
12 thereof, it being recognized at the scope of the invention as defined and
limited only
13 by the claims that follow.
14
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