AU2007100557A4 - Connection Device for Connecting Bicycle Rack to Vehicle - Google Patents

Description

CHIU-KUEI WANG

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION SPECIFICATION Invention Title: Connection Device for Connecting Bicycle Rack to Vehicle This invention is described in the following statement: CONNECTION DEVICE FOR CONNECTING BICYCLE RACK TO VEHICLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a connection device for connecting a bicycle rack to rear end of a vehicle and the connection device includes a lock to secure the connection.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A conventional bicycle rack 62 is shown in Fig. 8A and generally includes a connection device 70 which is used to be connected with a sphere 61 fixed on a rear end of a vehicle which is not shown. The connection device 70 includes a substantially C-shaped frame 72 including a slot 711 defined in an underside thereof and two flanges 71 extend inward from two inner sides of the slot 711. A U-shaped lip 712 is connected on the two flanges 71 such that the sphere 61 can be rested on the lip 712 via the slot 711. A hole 721 is defined through a top of the frame 72 and a nut is fixed to an underside of the top of the frame 72, the hole 721 communicates with the nut. A threaded shank 73 extends through the hole 721 and is threaded connected with the nut so as to press the sphere 61 in position. However, the threaded shank 73 is easily loosened by the shaking on the roads and once the threaded shank 73 does not well position the sphere 61, the bicycle rack 62 is not stable. Besides, the threaded shank 73 is exposed without any protection so that any one can easily unscrew the threaded shank 73 to remove the bicycle rack together with the bicycles thereon from the sphere 61.

The present invention intends to provide a connection device which includes a cap threadedly connected to a bolt on a clamping unit which clamps the connection member/sphere of the vehicle, and a lock is used to connect the cap to the rack.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a connection device for connecting a bicycle rack to a connection member on a vehicle. The connection device comprises a bolt having a polygonal head and a shank, and a clamping unit is composed of four quarters and each quarter has a protrusion extending from a top thereof. Each quarter includes a recessed space and a notch defined in an inner side thereof. An interior space is formed by the recessed spaces of the four quarters and accommodates the connection member.

The polygonal head of the bolt is received in a space composed of the four notches of the four quarters and the shank extends through the top of the clamping unit. A mounting member is mounted to the clamping unit and has a through hole defined through a top thereof. The shank of the bolt extends through the through hole. A nut and a cap are respectively threadedly connected to the shank. An extension is connected to the mounting member and connected with the bicycle rack. The four quarters are pulled to clamp the connection member by the securely connected between the bolt and the nut and the cap.

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.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. I is a perspective view to show the connection device of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded view to show the connection device of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view to show the sphere of the connection member is to be received in the mounting member; 1o Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view to show the sphere of the connection member is clamped by the mounting member and the cap is threadedly connected to the shank, a lock is used to lock the cap to the mounting member; Fig. 5A shows another embodiment of the connection device of the present invention; Fig. 5B is a cross sectional view to show the embodiment of the connection device of the present invention in Fig. Fig. 6 shows that the plate of the lock is rotated to lock the cap to the mounting member; Fig. 7 shows that the bicycle rack is connected to the vehicle by the connection device of the present invention; Fig. 8A is a perspective view to show a conventional connection device of a bicycle rack, and s Fig. 8B is an exploded view to show the conventional connection device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 and 7, the connection device for connecting a bicycle rack 70 to a connection member 61 on a vehicle 60 comprises bolt 10 which has a polygonal head 11 and a shank 12 which includes a first threaded section 121 and a 1o second threaded section 122 whose diameter is smaller than that of the first threaded section 121.

A clamping unit 20 is composed of four quarters 20a along longitudinal direction and each quarter 20a has a protrusion 21 extending from a top thereof. The protrusions 21 of each of the four quarters 20a includes a groove 211 and a resilient ring 25 is securely engaged with the grooves 211 of the four protrusions 21 so as to collect the four quarters 20a from the top of the clamping unit 20. Each quarter 20a including a recessed space 22 and a notch 23 defined in a tapered inner side thereof, an interior space is formed by the recessed spaces 22 of the four quarters 20a so as to accommodate the connection member 61 which is a sphere in this embodiment. The polygonal head 11 of the bolt 10 is received in a space composed of the four notches 23 of the four quarters 20a. The shank 12 extends through the top of the clamping unit A mounting member 30 is mounted to the clamping unit 20 and has a through hole 31 defined through a top thereof. The shank 12 of the bolt 10 extends s through the through hole 31. An extension 32 is connected to the mounting member and connected with the bicycle rack 70. A nut 40 is rested on the top of the mounting member 30 and includes a threaded hole 41 with which the first threaded section 121 of the shank 12 is connected so as to keep the bolt 10 to apply an upward force to the four quarters 20a connected by the resilient ring A cap 50 has an inner threaded recess 511 defined an inner end thereof and the inner threaded recess 511 is threadedly connected to the second threaded section 122 of the shank 12. A straight knob 51 extends from a top of the cap 50 so that the user can hold the straight knob 51 to rotate the cap 50 to be connected with the shank 12.

The extension 32 includes a rectangular hole 321 defined through a top thereof and the cap 50 includes a side wing which includes an engaging hole 512. A lock 52 is connected to the engaging hole 512 and includes a core 521 and a plate 522 which is connected to a distal end of the core 521. The core 521 and the plate 522 rotatably extend through the rectangular hole 321. The plate 522 includes two long sides 5221 and two short sides 5222, the rectangular hole 321 includes two long insides 3211 and two short insides 3212, the two long sides 5221 and the two short sides 5222 are shorter than the two long insides 3211 and the two short insides 3212 of the rectangular hole 321 respectively so that the plate 522 can extend through the rectangular hole 321. Further referring to Fig. 6, the two long sides 5221 of the plate 522 are longer than the two shorter insides 3212 of the rectangular hole 321 so that when the user uses a key to rotate the core 521, the plate 522 is rotated an angle such that the plate 522 cannot be removed from the rectangular hole 321, and this is the locked status.

Referring to Figs. 5A and 513, in order to obtain a lighter clamping unit 20, a plurality of recesses 24 are defined in an outer periphery of each of the quarters Fig. 7 shows the connection device connects the bicycle rack 70 to the connection member 61 on the vehicle 60. It is obvious that the knob 51 and the lock 52 are easily to access and the outer appearance of the connection device is concise and meets aesthetic requirements.

While we have shown and described the embodiment 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.

Throughout this specification, including the claims, where the context permits, the term "comprise" and variants thereof such as "comprises" or "comprising" are to be interpreted as including the stated integer or integers without necessarily excluding any other integers.

Claims (4)

1. A connection device for connecting a bicycle rack to a connection member t on a vehicle, the connection device comprising: bolt having a polygonal head and a shank; a clamping unit composed of four quarters and each quarter having a protrusion extending from a top thereof, each quarter including a recessed space and a notch defined in an inner side thereof, an interior space formed by the recessed spaces of the four quarters and adapted to accommodate the connection member, the polygonal head of the bolt received in a space composed of the four notches of the four quarters and the shank extending through the top of the clamping unit; a mounting member mounted to the clamping unit and having a through hole defined through a top thereof, the shank of the bolt extending through the through hole, an extension connected to the mounting member and adapted to be connected with the bicycle rack, a nut threadedly connected to the shank, and a cap having an inner threaded recess which is threadedly connected to the shank.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protrusion of each of the four quarters includes a groove and a resilient ring is securely engaged with the grooves of the four protrusions; or 8 a straight knob extends from a top of the cap; or a plurality of recesses are defined in an outer periphery of each of the quarters.

O O3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shank includes a first Sthreaded section and a second threaded section whose diameter is smaller than that of the first threaded section, the nut includes a threaded hole with which the first threaded section is connected, the inner threaded recess of the cap is threadedly connected to the second threaded section.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extension includes a rectangular hole defined through a top thereof and the cap includes a side wing which includes an engaging hole, a lock is connected to the engaging hole and includes a core and a plate which is connected to a distal end of the core, the core and the plate rotatably extend through the rectangular hole, the plate includes two long sides and two short sides, the rectangular hole includes two long insides and two short insides, the two long sides and the two short sides are shorter than the two long insides and the two short insides of the rectangular hole, the two long sides of the plate are longer than the two shorter insides of the rectangular hole. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner side of each of the quarters is a tapered inner side and the clamping unit is composed by the quarters along longitudinal direction.