GB2350092A

GB2350092A - Cycle support

Info

Publication number: GB2350092A
Application number: GB9911544A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ralph Selby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-05-19
Filing date: 1999-05-19
Publication date: 2000-11-22
Anticipated expiration: 2019-05-19
Also published as: GB9911544D0; GB2350092B

Abstract

A cycle support 1 comprises supporting members 2 and 3, which are pivotally mounted on a connecting member 4 for rotation in opposite senses when a tyre is either engaged in or released from the respective supporting member. Gripping means 9a, 9b are provided for gripping a tyre to the respective support member. The cycle support may be used for storing a cycle, may be inserted on a vehicle for carrying the cycle, or may be mounted on a stand for display.

Description

2350092 Cycle SuIDIDort This invention relates to a cycle support, in

particu lar, although not exclusively, a support for a bicycle.

Existing bicycle supports, for example those currently in use in retail outlets and other places where cycles are stored or displayed, often provide difficulties in terms of removing the bicycle from the stand, particularly without damaging the paintwork on the bicycle. Furthermore, it is often difficult to examine a bicycle in detail when in position on existing stands.

The present invention, at least in some embodiments, overcomes the above-described disadvantages.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cycle support comprising a pivotally is mounted tyre or wheel supporting member, wherein the supporting member rotates on positioning of a cycle tyre or wheel therein, thereby providing support for the tyre or wheel.

The cycle support is particularly for use with bicycles, although it could be used for motorcycles or even tricycles or the like.

The present invention provides a simple support which does not need to be adjusted for different cycle sizes and can indeed. be used for almost all cycles.

The supporting member preferably supports the tyre of the bicycle, thereby reducing the chances of any damage to paintwork.

2 The supporting member is preferably curved. In particular, the supporting member preferably forms part of a circle to conform with the shape of a wheel or tyre positioned therein. In one embodiment, the supporting member extends over an angle of about 5/16ths of a full circle, although it may be of any appropriate form.

The supporting member may be provided with strengthening means. Whilst it can be formed of any appropriate material, one example is laser cut steel, and another example is injection moulded plastics.

The supporting member may comprise at least one gripping means to grip the tyre or wheel on positioning in the supporting member. The gripping means, in one embodiment, is positioned on an end region of the support member and, preferably, one gripping means is positioned at each end region of the or each supporting member, thus providing an upper and lower gripping means on the or each supporting member. This allows the upper gripping means to rotate to grip a tyre or wheel together with the lower gripping means on placing of the cycle in the support member.

In use, the supporting member may be substantially hidden behind the tyre or wheel of a cycle when viewed f rom an appropriate side.

Preferably, two tyre or wheel supporting members may be provided which are pivotally mounted, wherein each supporting member is adapted to receive a tyre or wheel of a cycle. A connecting member may connect the two supporting members. In such an embodiment, each supporting member preferably 3 rotates in an opposite direction to the other on positioning of a tyre or wheel therein. Nevertheless, other means for providing this contra- rotation could be used, one example being a pulley and cable mechanism, for example using two 5 pulleys.

The supporting members may be of the same or different dimensions and it has been found that conveniently they are the same. Nevertheless, it is envisaged that, for example, the supporting members may be of different lengths, for example to accommodate the presence of mudguards, although this has been found not to be necessary.

In a preferred embodiment, one supporting member is connected to the connecting member inside the curvature of the supporting member and the other supporting member is is connected to the connecting member outside the curvature of that connecting member. In this way, the connecting member ensures that the supporting members cannot rotate in the same direction.

The cycle support may further comprise a stand portion, and as such can be free-standing. The support may be located in a garage, a home, or in or on a vehicle f or transportation, f or example. In one embodiment attachment means may be provided by which the support may be attached to a wall or the like, for example by a screw attachment.

This controls the awkwardness of storing a cycle in a hallway, garage or the like. Alternatively, the support could be mounted in or on any vehicle, f or example a car, a boat or in a train carriage.

4 Alternatively, one or more cycle supports may be positioned on a display or the like.

Thus, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display apparatus comprising a cycle support as described above, positioned on a display stand member.

In one embodiment, a plurality of cycle supports are positioned on the display stand member. This enables a customer to examine a bicycle positioned in each support easily. Preferably, four cycle supports are positioned on the display stand member, for example two on each side thereof with one positioned above the other.

The display stand may be formed of any suitable material but one example is tubular steel, for example is having a plastic sheet or the like within a frame of tubular steel. Although the invention has been defined above, it is to be understood that it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description. 20 The invention may be performed in various ways and a specific example will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings and in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a device according to the present invention in an open configuration showing cycle wheels in.phantom; Figure 2 is a front view similar to Figure 1 of the device in a closed configuration; Figure 3 is a perspective view from the rear of the device in a closed configuration; Figures 4A and 4B are, respectively, side views of the device in a closed and open configuration; Figure 5 is a plan view of the device in a closed 5 configuration; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a display stand according to the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a cycle support generally at 1. The support 1 comprises a first cradle 2 connected to a second cradle 3 via a connecting rod 4. The first cradle 2 rotates about first pivot 5 and the second cradle 3 rotates about second pivot 6. Each of pivots 5 and 6 are on a threaded bolt (not shown). Cradles 2 and 3 are respectively connected to the connecting rod 4 via connect- ing rod pivots 7,8. Each cradle 2, 3 has at its lower end tyre grips 9A and at its upper end tyre grips 9B, which are adapted to grip the tyres of a cycle on positioning in the support 1. In the embodiment shown, tyre grips 9A, 9B and cradles 2,3 are integral and folded from a single piece of laser cut 3mm steel sheet.

Figure 2 shows the support 1 in which the wheels 10 of a cycle have been positioned and the cradles 2,3 are therefore in a "closed" configuration. on positioning of the wheels 10 into cradles 2,3, the cradles pivot respect- ively about first pivot 5 and second pivot 6. It can be seen that the connecting rod pivot 7 is positioned inside the curvature of cradle 2, but the connecting rod pivot 8 is positioned outside the curvature of cradle 3. This ensures 6 that, on positioning of wheels 10 into the cradles 2,3, they are caused to rotate in opposite directions. Similarly, on removal of the wheels, the positioning of the connecting rod pivots ensures that the connecting rod causes rotation of cradles 2,3 in opposite directions, thereby providing the open configuration shown in Figure 1.

As can be seen f rom Figure 2, the cradles 2 and 3 are hidden behind the wheels with only the tyre grips 9A and 9B visible, thus improving the aesthetic effect of the support 1. As the cycle is lifted out of the cradles 2,3, its weight is removed from the lower tyre grips 9A. This allows the upper tyre grips 9B to rotate outwards under thadr own weight controlled by the connected rod 4 (this action is reversed on positioning of a cycle in the support). Thus, is the mechanism is self-acting and the cycle may be withdrawn by lifting only. In addition, the connecting rod 4 also ensures that the cycle, when in position, is centred and cannot move laterally.

Thus, a variety of tyre profiles (for example covering mountain bikes or road racing cycles) may be positioned and automatically centred in the tyre grips 9A and 9B. When the cycle is positioned in the device, the front and rear tyres are placed on to the tyre grips 9A and the cycle's own weight pivots the cradles bringing grips 9B inwards to hold the cycle securely. on removing the cycle, grips 9B are released so that the cycle may be withdrawn.

As can be seen from Figure 3, on the side of the support 1 remote from tyre grips 9A and 9B, the cradles 2, 3 7 are provided with strengthening welded ribs 11. Positioned beneath a lower portion of cradle 3 is a stop 12 which restricts the opening movement of cradle 3. Similarly, positioned at a lower region of cradle 2 is a stop 13 which restricts the closing movement of cradle 2. Also extending from the rear of each cradle is a mounting portion 14 by which the support 1 may be mounted on a display stand, for example as shown in Figure 6 below.

Figures 4A and 4B show, respectively, a side view in the closed and the open configuration of cradle 2 from which it can be seen that the position of tyre grips 9A and 9B changes as a cycle is positioned in, or removed from, the cradle.

Figure 5 shows the positioning of stops 12 and 13 relative to the connecting rod 4.

Using the support described above, it can be seen that a simple, selfacting mechanism is provided which holds the cycle only by the tyres, thus obviating any chance of damage to the paintwork. In addition the cycle is presented to a potential customer or the like in a way which it can be seen clearly and inspected. It is to be noted that, for example, a version of support 1 differing in size could be used, for example, to support BMX cycles or the like.

Figure 6 shows a display stand generally at 15 on which is positioned four cycle supports 1, one above the other on each side of the display stand 15. Thus, the stand 15 in the embodiments shown may display four cycles in such a way that the customer can examine every detail of the cycles 8 separately and each cycle can be instantly and safely dismounted from or replaced on the stand 15. The display stand is formed of tubular steel portions 16 within which is positioned a sheet 17 (for example formed of polycarbonate or acrylic or the like) which may have a sign portion 18 therein, for example which could inform the customer of the cycles on the stand 15.

Claims

L"L. 4. CLAIMS. cfCc 1 1

Cl CLAIMS A cycle support comprising a pivotally mounted tyre or wheel supporting member, wherein the supporting member rotates on positioning of a cycle tyre or wheel therein, thereby providing support for the tyre or wheel.
2. A cycle support according to Claim 1, wherein the supporting member is curved.
3. A cycle support according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the support member comprises at least one gripping means to grip the tyre or wheel on positioning in the support member.
4. A cycle support according to Claim 3, wherein the gripping means is positioned on an end portion of the support member.
5. A cycle support according to any preceding claim, wherein, in use, the supporting member is substantially hidden behind the tyre or wheel of a cycle.
6. A cycle support according to any preceding claim, comprising two tyre or wheel supporting members pivotally mounted relative to a connecting member, wherein each supporting member is adapted to receive a tyre or wheel of a cycle.
7. A cycle support according to Claim 6, wherein each supporting member rotates in an opposite direction to the other on positioning of a tyre or wheel therein.
8. A cycle support according to Claim 6 or 7 when appendant to Claim 2, wherein one supporting member is HAL. 4. CLAIMS. dOC' connected to the connecting member inside the curvature of the supporting member, and the other supporting member is connected to the connecting member outside the curvature of the connecting member.
9. A cycle support according to any preceding claim, further comprising a stand portion.
10. A cycle support substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
11. A display apparatus comprising a cycle support according to any preceding claim positioned on a display stand member.
12. A display apparatus according to Claim 11, wherein a plurality of cycle supports are positioned on the display stand member.
13. A display apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.