US20060249466A1

US20060249466A1 - Adjustable bicycle racks

Info

Publication number: US20060249466A1
Application number: US11/122,075
Authority: US
Inventors: Chiu-Kuei Wang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-05-05
Filing date: 2005-05-05
Publication date: 2006-11-09

Abstract

A bicycle rack includes a base connected to a transverse bar of a rod on the vehicles. An adjustable member has a lower part with an open bottom and the adjustable member is inserted in a chamber defined in a rear of the base. A spring member is received in the lower part and connects the lower part to two sidewalls of the chamber. A pull member is connected to the adjustable member and hooked to the spring member. A cover member is pivotably connected to the adjustable member so as to clamp bicycle frames between the cover member and the base. A fastening device is pivotably connected to a front of the base and the cover member is connected to the fastening device. The cover member can be pivoted to pull the pull member to pull the spring member so as to adjust the adjustable member relative to the base. By this way, the distance between the cover member and the base can be adjusted.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bicycle rack connected to vehicles and the bicycle rack can be adjusted according to bicycle frames of different sizes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional bicycle rack 60 connected to vehicles is shown in FIG. 8 and generally includes a transverse bar 61 and a positioning member 62 is connected to the transverse bar 61. The positioning member 62 includes a plurality of notches 63 for receiving bicycle frames therein. A top member 64 is connected to the positioning member 62 and fastening devices 66 are used to lock the top member 64 to the positioning member 62 so that the bicycle frames can be fixed between the top member 64 and the positioning member 62.
However, the shape and size of the bicycle frames varies for modem bicycles, the cross sections of top tubes of bicycle frames can be circular, oval or even polygonal shapes so that the bicycle cannot be well fastened and might shake on the bicycle rack. Besides, all the bicycles are fixed by the top member 64 so that when the top member 64 is loosened, all the bicycles on the bicycle rack are released.
The present invention intends to provide a bicycle rack that has an adjustable positioning device so as to well accommodate bicycle frames of different shapes and sizes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bicycle rack which comprises a base having a passage through which a transverse bar of a rod on vehicles extends. A V-shaped clamping recess is defined in a top of the base and a chamber is defined in a rear of the base. An adjustable member has a lower part which includes an open bottom and is inserted in the chamber. A spring member is received in the lower part and connects the lower part to two sidewalls of the chamber. A pull member is connected to the adjustable member and hooked to the spring member so as to adjust the adjustable member within the chamber. A cover member has an underside that is complimentary to the clamping recess of the base and the cover member is pivotably connected to the adjustable member. A fastening device is pivotably connected to a front of the base and the cover member is connected to the fastening device. The cover member is pivoted to pull the pull member to pull the spring member so as to adjust the adjustable member relative to the base.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle rack that includes a pull member for pulling the adjustable member relative to the base so as to adjust the space for clamping bicycle frames of different sizes.
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 of the bicycle rack of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view from another angle of the bicycle rack of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view to show the bicycle rack of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is an end cross sectional view to show the bicycle rack of the present invention and a top tube of a bicycle is clamped by the bicycle rack;
FIG. 5A an end cross sectional view to show the bicycle rack of the present invention;
FIG. 5B shows the cover member is pivoted outward;
FIG. 5C shows the pull member is pulled upward by continuously pivoting the cover;
FIG. 5D shows the adjustable member is pulled upward relative to the base;
FIGS. 6A and 6B show the spring member is shifted to another position when the adjustable member is moved, and
FIG. 7 shows a larger top tube of a bicycle is clamped by the bicycle rack of the present invention, and
FIG. 8 is a side view to show a conventional bicycle rack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the bicycle rack “A” of the present invention comprises a base 20 having a passage 21 defined in a lower part thereof through which a transverse bar 11 of a rod 10 connected to a vehicle extends. A plurality of axial grooves 26 are defined in an inside of the passage 21 and a positioning piece 13 is fixed to an outside of the transverse bar 11 by inserting two ends of the positioning piece 13 into holes 12 defined in the transverse bar 11. A V-shaped clamping recess 23 is defined in a top of the base 20 and a chamber 25 is defined in a rear of the base 20. rubber plates 231 are connected to a surface of the clamping recess 23. A central slot 24 is defined in an inside of the clamping recess 23 and in communication with the passage 21 of the base 20. A set of pressing plates is inserted in the central slot 24 and includes a first pressing plate 27 and a second pressing plate 28. The first pressing plate 27 includes two lugs 273 on two ends thereof and the first pressing plate 27 is fixed across the central slot 24. The second pressing plate 28 overlaps on the first pressing plate 27. Each of the first and second pressing plates 27, 28 includes a curve portion 271/281 and teeth 271, 281 are defined in an edge of the curve portions 272, 272. The teeth 271, 281 are located corresponding to the axial grooves 26 defined in the inside of the passage 21 so as to press the positioning piece 13. By this way, the base 20 is connected to the transverse bar 11.
An adjustable member 30 has a lower part 31 which includes an open bottom and is inserted in the chamber 25. A V-shaped spring member 37 is received in the lower part 31 and includes two protrusions 271 extending from two ends thereof. The two protrusions 271 may extend through two through holes 32 in two sidewalls of the lower part 31 and side holes 251 in two sidewalls of the chamber 25. There are a plurality of side holes 251 in each sidewall so that the lower part 31 of the adjustable member 30 can be positioned at a desired height relative to the base 20 by the two protrusion s271 of the spring 27. The adjustable member 30 has a pivot portion 35 on a top thereof and a pivot hole 351 is defined through the pivot portion 36 such that a cover member 40 can be pivotably connected to the pivot portion 35 by a pin 43 extending through the pivot hole 351 and the cover member 40. An opening 36 is defined between an inside of the lower part 31 and the pivot portion 35. A pull member 38 is movably inserted in the slit 36 and is an L-shaped member which includes an elongated section 381 and a bent section 383 which hooks the spring member 37. An overlapped section 382 is overlapped on the elongated section 381 and a lower end of the overlapped section 382 contacts a periphery 361 defining the opening 36. A cap 384 is connected to a top of the elongated section 381 of the pull member 38.
The cover member 40 has a recess defined in an underside thereof so that a top tube of a bicycle frame can be clamped between the cover member 40 and the base 20.
A fastening device 50 includes a transverse portion 511 and a threaded rod 51 extending from the transverse portion 511. The transverse portion 511 is received in a groove 22 defined in a front top of the base 20 and a positioning member 52 is fixed on the top of the base 20. The positioning member 52 includes a receiving groove 521 defined in an underside thereof and the transverse portion 511 is rotatably engaged with the receiving groove 521. The threaded rod 51 extends through a notch 522 defined in a side of the positioning member 52. The threaded rod 51 can be pivoted about an axis of the transverse portion 511 and away from notch 522. A nut member 53 is threadedly connected to the threaded rod 51.
Referring to FIGS. 5A-5D and 6A to 6B, when adjusting the adjustable member 30, the nut member 53 is first unscrewed and the threaded rod 51 is pivoted away from the notch 522 in the positioning member 52, and the cover member 40 is pivoted outward till the spring member 37 is pulled upward by the pull member 38. The pull member 38 is pivoted about the lower end of the overlapped section 382 contacting the periphery 361 defining the opening 36. The protrusions 371 are then pulled off from the side holes 251 in two sidewalls of the chamber 25, and the adjustable member 30 is then lifted till a desired position and the protrusions 371 are engaged with another pair of side holes 251.
The lower part 31 includes a concave 311 defined in an inside thereof and an elongated groove 252 is defined in an inside of the chamber 25. A ridge 253 extends from an inside of the elongated groove 252 and is engaged with the concave 311 to prevent the lower part 31 from disengaging from the chamber 25 during the movement of the adjustable member 30.
Accordingly, the size for clamping the top tube of bicycle frames can be easily adjusted to fit different sizes of bicycle frames as shown in FIG. 7.
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

1. A bicycle rack comprising:

a base having a passage defined in a lower part thereof which is adapted to be connected to a transverse bar of a rod, a V-shaped clamping recess defined in a top of the base and a chamber defined in a rear of the base;

an adjustable member having a lower part which includes an open bottom and is inserted in the chamber, a spring member received in the lower part and connecting the lower part to two sidewalls of the chamber, a pull member connected to the adjustable member and hooked to the spring member so as to adjust the adjustable member within the chamber;

a cover member having a recess defined in an underside thereof and the cover member pivotably connected to the adjustable member, and

a fastening device pivotably connected to a front of the base and the cover member connected to the fastening device, the cover member being pivoted to pull the pull member to pull the spring member so as to adjust the adjustable member relative to the base.

2. The bicycle rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjustable member has a pivot portion on a top thereof and an opening is defined between an inside of the lower part and the pivot portion, the pull member movably inserted in the opening.

3. The bicycle rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pull member is an L-shaped member and includes an elongated section and a bent section which hooks the spring member.

4. The bicycle rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pull member includes an overlapped section and a lower end of the overlapped section contacts a periphery defining the opening.

5. The bicycle rack as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a cap is connected to a top of the elongated section of the pull member.

6. The bicycle rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower part includes a concave defined in an inside thereof and an elongated groove is defined in an inside of the chamber, a ridge extends from an inside of the elongated groove, the ridge is engaged with the concave to prevent the lower part from disengaging from the chamber.

7. The bicycle rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein a central slot is defined in an inside of the clamping recess and in communication with the passage of the base, a set of pressing plates is inserted in the central slot.

8. The bicycle rack as claimed in claim 7, wherein the set of pressing plates includes a first pressing plate which includes two lugs on two ends thereof and the first pressing plate is fixed across the central slot, a second pressing plate overlaps on the first pressing plate, each of the first and second pressing plates includes a curve portion and teeth defined in an edge of the curve portions, the teeth are located corresponding to the axial grooves defined in an inside of the passage so as to press a positioning piece which is adapted to be connected to an outside of the transverse bar.