Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02690496 2009-12-16
Title
Coupling Device for Connecting Bicycle Rack to Hitch Ball
Background of the Present Invention
Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a coupling device for securely connecting a
bicycle rack to a hitch ball on a vehicle.
Description of Related Arts
A conventional coupling device for connecting a bicycle rack to a hitch ball
includes a frame in which a recess is defined and the hitch ball is
accommodated in the
recess. A pressing member is connected to the top of the frame and extends
through the
frame so as to fix the hitch ball. Nevertheless, the hitch ball shakes within
the recess of
the frame and applies a significant force to the pressing member which is
easily deformed
and damaged. Once the pressing member cannot fix the hitch ball, the bicycle
rack may
be separated from the hitch ball and causes serious accident on the road.
The present invention intends to provide a coupling device which includes a
spherical recess to accommodate the hitch ball and the pivotal frame can be
pushed
toward the hitch ball by moving a push plate so as to further secure the hitch
ball.
Summary of the Present Invention
An objective of the present invention is to provide a coupling device, which
securely clamps the hitch ball so as to avoid separation of the bicycle rack
and the hitch
ball.
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Another objective of the present invention is to provide a coupling device
which
includes a push plate with an inclined surface to which the limiting member is
in contact
therewith, when moving the push plate, the limiting member together with the
pivotal
frame are pushed toward the hitch ball to further clamp the hitch ball.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a coupling device
wherein a lock member is provided to be located beneath the two blocks to
prevent the
blocks and the pivotal frame from being pivoted.
Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objectives, the present
invention
provides a coupling device for connecting a bicycle rack to a hitch ball,
wherein the
coupling device comprises a casing, wherein the casing has a first recess, a
first side
panel, and a second side panel, wherein the first and second side panels are
connected to
two sides of the casing. A connection frame is connected between the first and
second
side panels, so as to be connected with the bicycle rack. Two respective first
holes are
defined in the first and second side panels respectively and a pivot extends
through the
first holes of the first side panel, wherein a pivotal frame is provided
between the side
panels. The pivotal frame includes a second recess which is cooperated with
the first
recess in the casing to form a spherical recess to receive the hitch ball. Two
blocks are
located on two sides of the pivotal frame, wherein each two sides have a first
pivot hole
and a second pivot hole. A first pin extends through the first pivot holes of
the two blocks
and the two pivot lugs of the pivotal frame.
A limiting member is located between the two blocks, wherein a second pin is
extended through the two second pivot holes and the limiting member. A lever
is
connected between the two blocks. By operation the lever, the pivotal frame is
pivoted to
open the spherical recess so that the hitch ball can be inserted into the
spherical recess or
removed from the spherical recess. The pivotal frame can be pushed to further
clamp the
hitch ball by adjusting the push plate.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description
when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for
purposes of
illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present
invention.
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These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying
drawings, and the appended claims.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coupling device according to a preferred
embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the coupling device according to the above
preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is another exploded view of the coupling device according to the above
preferred
to embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is another perspective view of part the coupling device according to
the above
preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 5 is a partially cross sectional view of the coupling device according to
the above
preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 6 is another partially cross sectional view of the coupling device
according to the
above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the lever
being
pivotally connected to the pivotal frame and to open the spherical recess of
the coupling
device of the present invention.
Fig. 7 is still another partially cross sectional view of the coupling device
according to the
above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the lever
being
pivotally moved back to original position to clamp the hitch ball in the
spherical recess of
the coupling device.
Fig. 8 shows that the hitch ball is clamped between the first and second
recess of the
casing and the pivotal frame according to the above preferred embodiment of
the present
invention.
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Fig. 9 shows that the push plate is moved to push the pivotal frame to move
toward the
hitch ball according to the above preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
Fig. 10 shows that the lock member is connected to the second side panel of
the coupling
device of the present invention.
Fig. 11 shows that the latch of the lock member is rotated by using a key to
connect the
lock member to the second side panel according to the above preferred
embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 12A shows the bicycle rack is connected to the clamping device of the
present
invention according to the above preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
Fig. 12B shows another bicycle rack is connected to the clamping device of the
present
invention according to the above preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
Fig. 13 shows another embodiment of the clamping device of the present
invention
according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 14 is another partially cross sectional view to show the clamping device
of the
present invention in Fig. 13.
Fig. 15 shows that the lever of the clamping device of the present invention
in Fig. 13 is
pivoted.
Fig. 16 shows a bicycle rack is connected with the clamping device of the
present
invention in Fig. 13.
Fig. 17 shows a perspective view of the clamping device of the present
invention in Fig.
13, which is connected with the bicycle rack.
Fig. 18 shows that the bicycle rack connected to the clamping device of the
present
invention in Fig. 13 is in its folded status.
Fig. 19 shows that the bicycle rack connected to the clamping device of the
present
invention in Fig. 13 is tilted.
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Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, the coupling device for connecting a bicycle rack
50 to
a hitch ball 40 of the present invention comprises a coupling unit 10 which
comprises a
casing 11, a first recess 110 provided at a front end of the casing 11, a
bottom plate 111 a
extended from a rear end toward the front end of the casing 11, and a through
hole 111A
provided at the bottom plate llla. A first side panel 12 and a second side
panel 13 are
provided for connecting to two sides of the casing 11. Two respective first
holes 121, 131
are provided at a first side panel 12 and a second side panel 12 respectively.
The second
side panel 12 further comprise a pivot 121 A extended through the first hole
121 of the
first side panel 12, wherein distal end of the pivot 121A has two flat
surfaces 121a
engaged with the other first hole 131 at the second side panel 13. Each of the
first and
second side panels 12, 13 further has a fourth hole 124/134 and a connection
frame 14
extending through the fourth holes 124, 134 of the first and second side
panels 12, 13.
The connection frame 14 is connected to the bicycle rack 50 as shown in Fig.
12A.
A pivotal unit 20 has a pivotal frame 21, a plurality of blocks 22, which is
preferably embodied as two blocks 22, a limiting member 23 and a lever 24,
wherein the
pivotal frame 21 comprises a second recess 210, which is cooperated with the
first recess
110 of the casing 11 to form a spherical recess, so as to clamp the hitch ball
40 in the
spherical recess. The pivotal frame 21 further comprises two first pivotal
connecting
portion 211 extendedly provided at a top of the pivotal frame 21 and two
second pivotal
connecting portion 212 extendedly provided at a rear side of the pivotal frame
21. The
pivot 121 A is extended through the two first pivotal connecting portions 211
to pivotally
connect the pivotal frame 21 to the casing 11. The two blocks 22 are located
at two sides
of the pivotal frame 21 and each of the blocks has a first pivot hole 220 and
a second
pivot hole 221. A first pin 220A is further provided, which is extended
through the first
pivot holes 220 of the two blocks 22 and the second pivotal connecting
portions 212 of
the pivotal frame 21. The limiting member 23 is located between the two blocks
22 and a
second pin 221 A, which is extended through the two second pivot holes 221 and
the
limiting member 23. Each of the two blocks 22 further has a connection part
222,
wherein two ends of the connection frame 14 are engaged with the connection
parts 222
of the first and second blocks 22.
The first side panel 12 has an engaging hole 120 and the a torsion spring 120A
connected to the engaging hole 120 via a bolt. A first leg of the torsion
spring 120A is
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contacting against an inner side of the casing l1 and a second leg of the
torsion spring
120A is contacting an inner side of the front end of the pivotal frame 21.
Each of the first and second side panels 12, 13 has a second hole 122/132 and
a
third hole 123/133. A lock member 30 has a lock shank 31 and a latch 32
extending. The
lock shank 31 is extended through the second hole 132 of the second side panel
13, and
the latch 32 is engaged with the third hole 133 at the second side panel 13. A
key 33
having a shape geometrically matching the shape of an inserting hole at the
lock shank 31
as shown in Figs. 10 and 11 may further optionally provided for rotating the
latch 32 to
lock the lock member 30 at the second side panel 13, so as to fix the lock
shank 31 at
desired position. A distal end of the lock shank 31 is engaged with the second
hole 122 of
the first side panel 12. The lock shank 31 is in contact with undersides of
the two blocks
22. The user can use a key 33 to rotate the latch to securely connect the lock
member 30
to the second side panel 13. It is worth mentioning that the key 33 is
provided as an
example for actuating the lock member 30 to engage and disengage with the
coupling
unit 10. The lock member 30 may be fixedly locked via a code locker,
electrical sensor,
or any other mechanical or electrical methods to secure the lock member 30
with the
coupling unit 10.
A push plate 111 a is located on the bottom board 111 by extending a shank on
the push plate 111 a through the through hole 111 A. The push plate 111 a
includes an
inclined surface which pushes the limiting member 23.
It is noted that the lock member 30 can also be connected to the first side
panel
12, wherein the lock shank 31 is extended through the second hole 122 of the
first side
panel 12 and the latch 32 is engaged with the third hole 123 in the first side
panel 12. A
distal end of the lock shank 31 is engaged with the second hole 132 of the
second side
panel 13. The lock shank 31 is in contact with undersides of the two blocks
22. A
restriction member 15 is connected to the front end of the casing 11 and
includes two side
arms, which are located on two sides of the casing 11.
A fixing member 16 is extended through a top of the casing 11 and located
between the first and second side panels 12, 13. The fixing member 16 is
provided to fix
a transverse bar 51 of the bicycle rack 50, as shown in Fig. 12B.
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As shown in Fig. 6, when pivoting the lever 24 downwardly, the pivotal frame
21 is pivoted away from the front end of the casing 11, so as to open the
spherical recess.
Thus, the hitch ball 40 can be easily inserted into the spherical recess or
removed from
the spherical recess. The lever 24 is then pivoted back to its original
position to clamp the
hitch ball 40 in the spherical recess as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.
Fig. 9 shows that the push plate 111 a is able to be moved upwardly by
rotating
the knob connecting with the shank of the push plate 111 a, so that the
inclined surface of
the push plate 111a is moved to push the limiting member 23 together with the
pivotal
frame 21 toward the hitch ball 40, which is then further securely clamped.
As shown in Figs. 12A and 12B, the fixing member 16 is cooperated with a U-
shaped member 510 which is hooked to the transverse bar 51 of the bicycle rack
50 and
the fixing member 16 securely connected to the U-shaped member 510 and the
transverse
bar 51. The two ends of the connection frame 14 are connected to the two side
rails of the
bicycle rack 50.
Figs. 13 to 16 show another embodiment of the clamping device of the present
invention, wherein the first and second side panels 12, 13 do not have the
fourth holes
124, 134 and another type of the fixing member 17 is located between the first
and
second side panels 12, 13. The fixing member 17 includes two sidewalls. The
connection
frame 14 is pivotably connected between the two side walls of the fixing
member 17 in
the coupling unit 10 by extending a bolt 182 through the hole 172 at the two
side walls of
the fixing member 17. Each of the two sidewalls further includes a positioning
hole 171
and one pin 181 extended through the positioning hole 171 and a pinhole 142
(Fig, 19) in
the lower end of the connection frame 14 to position the connection frame 14.
The two
positioning holes 171 are located on a substantially horizontal direction, as
shown in Figs.
16 and 17.
Figs. 18 to 19 show that the bicycle rack 50 is able to be folded parallely to
the
connection frame 14 as shown in Fig. 18 by removing a pin from another pinhole
142
(Fig. 18) located at a top end of the connection frame 14 and the pivotal part
of the
bicycle rack 50, so as to reduce the space at the rear end of the vehicle,
which is not
shown in Figs. The Fig. 19 shows that the connection frame 14 can be tilted
relatively to
the rear end of the vehicle to allow the hatch door of the vehicle to be
opened by
removing the pin 181 from the positioning hole 171, as shown in Fig. 19.
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The present invention provides a firm and stable clamping force to the hitch
ball
40 whose reaction force can be shared by the casing I I and the pivotal frame
21, so that
the connection between the hitch ball 40 and the coupling device is stable.
While we have shown and described the embodiments in accordance with the
present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further
embodiments
may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present
invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and
not
intended to be limiting.
It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully
and
effectively accomplished. The embodiments have been shown and described for
the
purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the
present invention
and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore,
this invention
includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the
following
claims.
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