DK178057B1

DK178057B1 - Coupling device for connecting bicycle rack to hitch ball.

Info

Publication number: DK178057B1
Application number: DK200900008A
Authority: DK
Inventors: Chiu-Kuei Wang
Original assignee: Chiu-Kuei Wang
Priority date: 2008-08-28
Filing date: 2009-01-05
Publication date: 2015-04-20
Also published as: DK200900008A; GB2462868A; TW200911586A; SE532993C2; DE102009013764A1; DE102009013764B4; ES2364362B1; PL387884A1; GB2462868B; ITTO20090021A1; FR2935323A1; FR2935323B1; US20110049208A1; IT1393764B1; AR071147A1; TWI332914B; PL217566B1; ES2364362A1; GB0822162D0

Description

COUPLING DEVICE FOR CONNECTING BICYCLE RACK TO HITCH BALL

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a coupling device for securely connecting a bicycle rack to a hitch ball on a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 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 INVENTION

The present invention relates to a coupling device for connecting a bicycle rack to a hitch ball, and the coupling device comprises a casing having a first recess and a first side panel and a second side panel 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 hole of the first side panel and a pivotal frame between the side panels. The pivotal frame includes a second recess which is cooperated with the first recess in die casing to form a spherical recess to receive the hitch ball. Two blocks are located on two sides of the pivotal frame and each 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 cylindrical piece is located between the two blocks and a second pin extends through the two second pivot holes and the cylindrical piece. 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 primary object 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.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a coupling device which includes a push plate with an inclined surface to which the cylindrical piece is in contact therewith, when moving the push plate, the cylindrical piece together with the pivotal frame are pushed toward the hitch ball to further clamp the hitch ball.

Yet another object 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.

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. 1 is a perspective view to show the coupling device of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view to show the coupling device of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is another exploded view to show the coupling device of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view to show a part of the coupling device of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a partial cross sectional view of die coupling device of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a partial cross sectional view to show that the lever is pivoted to pivot the pivotal frame and to open the spherical recess of the coupling device of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a partial cross sectional view to show that the lever is pivoted back to original position to clamp the hitch ball in the spherical recess of the coupling device of the present invention;

Fig. 8 shows that the hitch ball is clamped between the first and second recess of the casing and the pivotal frame;

Fig. 9 shows that the push plate is moved to push the pivotal frame to move toward the hitch ball;

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;

Fig. 12A shows the bicycle rack is connected to the clamping device of the present invention;

Fig. 12B shows another bicycle rack is connected to the clamping device of the present invention;

Fig. 13 shows another embodiment of the clamping device of the present invention;

Fig. 14 is a partial 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 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, and

Fig. 19 shows that the bicycle rack connected to the clamping device of the present invention in Fig. 13 is tilted.

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 includes a casing 11 and a first recess 110 is defined in a front end of the casing 11 and a bottom plate 111 extends from the rear end and toward the front end, a through hole 111A is defined through the bottom plate 111. A first side panel 12 and a second side panel 13 are connected to two sides of the casing 11, two respective first holes 121, 131 are defined in the first and second side panels 12, 13 respectively. A pivot 121A extends through the first hole 121 of the first side panel 12 and a distal end of the pivot 121A includes two flat surfaces 121a are engaged with the other first hole 131 in the second side panel 13. The first and second side panels 12, 13 each further have a fourth hole 124/134 and a connection frame 14 extends through the fourth holes 124, 134 of the first and second side panels 12, 13. The connection frame 14 is connected with the bicycle rack 50 as shown in Fig. 12A. A pivotal unit 20 has a pivotal frame 21, two blocks 22, a cylindrical piece 23 and a lever 24, wherein the pivotal frame 21 includes 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. Two first pivot lugs 211 extend from a top of the pivotal frame 21 and two second pivotal lugs 212 extend from a rear side of the pivotal frame 21. The pivot 121A extends through the two first pivot lugs 211 to pivotably connect the pivotal frame 21 to the casing 11. The two blocks 22 are located on two sides of the pivotal frame 21 and each have a first pivot hole 220 and a second pivot hole 221. A first pin 220A extends through the first pivot holes 220 of the two blocks 22 and the second pivot lugs 212 of the pivotal frame 21. The cylindrical piece 23 is located between the two blocks 22 and a second pin 221A extends through the two second pivot holes 221 and the cylindrical piece 23. The two blocks 22 each further have a notch 222 and two ends of the connection frame 14 are engaged with the two botches 222 of the first and second blocks 22.

The first side panel 12 includes an engaging hole 120 and the a torsion spring 120A is connected to the engaging hole 120 by a bolt. A first leg of the torsion spring 120A contacts against an inside of the casing 11 and a second leg of the torsion spring 120A contacts an inside of the front end of the pivotal frame 21.

The first and second side panels 12, 13 each have 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 from one side thereof. The lock shank 31 extends through the second hole 132 of the second side panel 13 and the latch 32 is engaged with the third hole 133 in the second side panel 13. A key 33 as shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is used to rotate the latch 32 to lock the lock member 30 to 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. A push plate 111 a is located on the bottom board 111 by extending a shank on the push plate 111a through the through hole 111A. The push plate 111a includes an inclined surface which pushes the cylindrical piece 23.

It is noted that the lock member 30 can be connected to the first side panel 12 and the lock shank 31 extends 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 extends through a top of the casing 11 and located between the first and second side panels 12, 13. The fixing member 16 is used to fix a transverse bar 51 of the bicycle rack 50 as shown in Fig. 12B.

As shown in Fig. 6, when pivoting the lever 24 downward, die pivotal frame 21 is pivoted away from the front end of the casing 11 so as to open the spherical recess and 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 111a can be moved upward by rotating the knob connected with the shank of the push plate 11 la, so that the inclined surface of the push plate 111a moves to push the cylindrical piece 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 die 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 in the two side walls of the fixing member 17. Each of the two sidewalls further includes a positioning hole 171 and one pin 181 extends 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 can be folded to be parallel 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. Fig. 19 shows that the connection frame 14 can be tilted relative 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.

The present invention provides a firm and stable clamping force to the hitch ball 40 whose reaction force can be shared by the casing 11 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 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.

Claims

PATE NTKRAV 1. koblingsanordning omfattende: en koblingsenhed (10) der har et hus (11) og en første fordybning (110) defineret i en forende af huset (11), et første sidepanel (12) og et andet sidepanel (13) forbundet med to sider af huset (11), to respektive første huller (121, 131) defineret i henholdsvis det første og det andet sidepanel (12, 13), en drejetap (121A) der strækker sig gennem det første hul (121) i det første sidepanel (12) og en distal ende af drejetappen (121A), der er i indgreb med det andet første hul (131) i det andet sidepanel (13), en forbindelsesramme (14) som er forbundet mellem det første og det andet sidepanel (12, 13), og som er indrettet til at blive forbundet med et cykelstativ (50), kendetegnet ved, en drejelig enhed (20), der har en drejelig ramme (21), to blokke (22), et cylindrisk stykke (23) og et håndtag (24), hvor den drejelige ramme (21) indbefatter en anden fordybning (210), to første drejeører (211), der strækker sig fra en øverste del af den drejelige ramme (21), og to andre drejeører (212) strækker sig fra en bagside af den drejelige ramme (21), hvor drejetappen (121A) strækker sig gennem de to første drejeører (211) for drejeligt at forbinde den drejelige ramme (21) med huset (11), hvor den anden fordybning (210) samvirker med den første fordybning (110) i huset (11) for at danne en sfærisk fordybning, der er indrettet til at modtage en trækkugle (40) deri, hvor de to blokke (22) er placeret på to sider af den drejelige ramme (21), og hver har et første drejehul (220) og et andet drejehul (221) og en første tap (220A) strækker sig gennem de første drejehuller (220) af de to blokke (22)'og de andre drejeører (212) af den drejelige ramme (21), hvor det cylindriske stykke (23) er placeret mellem de to blokke (22), og en anden tap (221A) strækker sig gennem de to de andre drejehuller (221) og det cylindriske stykke (23), hvor håndtaget (24) er forbundet mellem de to blokke (22), hvor huset (11) indbefatter en bundplade (111), og et gennemgående hul (111A) er defineret gennem bundpladen (111), en trykplade (111A) er placeret på bundpladen (111) ved at strække et skaft på trykpladen (111A) gennem det gennemgående hul (111A), trykpladen (111A) indbefatter en skrå overflade, som trykker på det cylindriske stykke, således at det cylindriske stykke (23) sammen med den drejelige ramme (21) trykkes mod trækkuglen (40) for yderligere at klemme trækkuglen (40).
2. Koblingsanordning ifølge krav 1, hvor det første sidepanel (12) indbefatter et indgrebshul (120) og torsionsfjederen (120A) er forbundet med indgrebshullet (120) ved hjælp af en bolt, et første ben af torsionsfjederen (120A) er forbundet mod en inderside af huset (11), og et andet ben af torsionsfjederen (120A) er forbundet med en inderside af forenden af den drejelige ramme (21).
3. Koblingsanordning ifølge krav 1, hvor det første og det andet sidepanel (12, 13) hvert har et andet hul (122; 132) og et tredje hul (123; 133), et låseelement (30) har et låseskaft (31) og en rigel (32), der strækker sig fra én side deraf, låseskaftet (31) strækker sig gennem det andet hul (132) af det andet sidepanel (13), og rigelen (32) er i indgreb med det tredje hul (123) i det andet sidepanel (13), en distal ende af låseskaftet (31) er i indgreb med det andet hul (132) i det første sidepanel (13), låseskaftet (31) er i forbindelse med undersider af de to blokke (22).
4. Koblingsanordning ifølge krav 1, hvor det første og det andet sidepanel (12, 13) hvert har et andet hul (122; 132) og et tredje hul (123; 133), et låseelement (30) har et låseskaft (31) og en rigel (32), der strækker sig fra én side deraf, låseskaftet (31) strækker sig gennem det andet hul (122) af det første sidepanel (12), og rigelen (32) er i indgreb med det tredje hul (123) i det første sidepanel (12), en distal ende af låseskaftet (31) er i indgreb med det andet hul (132) af det andet sidepanel (13), låseskaftet (31) er i forbindelse med undersider af de to blokke (22),
5. Koblingsanordning ifølge krav 1, hvor et begrænsningselement (15) er forbundet med forenden af huset (11) og indbefatter to sidearme, der er placeret på to sider af huset (11).
6. Koblingsanordning ifølge krav 1, hvor det første og det andet sidepanel (12, 13) hvert har et fjerde hul (124, 134) og forbindelsesrammen (14) strækker sig gennem det fjerde hul (124, 134) af det første og det andet sidepanel (12, 13).
7. Koblingsanordning ifølge krav 1, hvor et fastgørelseselement strækker sig gennem en øverste del af huset (11) og er placeret mellem det første og det andet sidepanel (12, 13), fastgørelseselementet er indrettet til at blive forbundet med en tværgående stang (51) af cykelstativet (51).
8. Koblingsanordning ifølge krav 1, hvor de to blokke (22) hver har et indsnit (222), og to ender af forbindelsesrammen (14) er i indgreb med de to indsnit (222) af den første og den anden blok (22),