WO2005105523A1 - Support apparatus - Google Patents
Support apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2005105523A1 WO2005105523A1 PCT/GB2005/001372 GB2005001372W WO2005105523A1 WO 2005105523 A1 WO2005105523 A1 WO 2005105523A1 GB 2005001372 W GB2005001372 W GB 2005001372W WO 2005105523 A1 WO2005105523 A1 WO 2005105523A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- clamp
- support
- vehicle
- clamping
- frame
- Prior art date
Links
- 230000002787 reinforcement Effects 0.000 claims description 18
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 description 5
- 210000003195 fascia Anatomy 0.000 description 3
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 241000826860 Trapezium Species 0.000 description 2
- 208000034693 Laceration Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 1
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000012858 resilient material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005728 strengthening Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R9/00—Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like
- B60R9/06—Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like at vehicle front or rear
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
- B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
- B60R19/48—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R9/00—Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like
- B60R9/08—Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like specially adapted for sports gear
- B60R9/10—Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like specially adapted for sports gear for cycles
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a support apparatus and particularly, but not exclusively, to an apparatus for supporting a bicycle rack or other load carrying apparatus on a vehicle.
- the bicycle In order to transport a bicycle on a motorised vehicle, such as an automobile or the like, the bicycle is usually secured to a bicycle rack which is in turn secured to the vehicle.
- Conventional, after-market bicycle racks can be attached to a tow bar fixed to the vehicle or strapped to the rear of the car.
- the former option known as ball-hitch bicycle racks
- the latter form of bike rack on the other hand, are generally complicated and time consuming to fit to the vehicle and present the risk of damage to the rear of the car by the rack which, of necessity, must rest against the bodywork or rear screen of the car.
- the present invention seeks to provide a supporting apparatus for a vehicle which addresses the problems associated with the prior art and permits one or more bicycles, or other objects, to be carried on the vehicle.
- Embodiments of the invention provide an adaptor for securing a bicycle rack or other load carrying apparatus to a vehicle.
- the present invention provides an apparatus for detachably securing a frame, such as a bicycle rack, to a rear bumper of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a support for clamping the frame to the support, the clamp arrangement being mounted on the support so as, in use, to retain the frame in a desired attitude;
- attachment means mounted on the support for attaching or mounting the support to a part of the vehicle rear bumper.
- the clamp arrangement comprises a first clamp having first and second clamp jaws at least one of which is movable towards and away from the other between a first, clamping position of the clamp for clamping a first part of the frame therebetween and a second, release position of the clamp.
- the clamp arrangement may comprise a second clamp having first and second clamp jaws at least one of which is movable towards and away from the other between a first, clamping position of the clamp for clamping a second part of the frame therebetween and a second, release position of the clamp.
- the position of the or each clamp may be adjustable on the support.
- the first and second parts of the frame may comprise frame members which, in use, may be arranged generally vertically or horizontally.
- the clamp arrangement may be mounted on the support so as, in use, to retain the frame in a generally upright attitude.
- the or each clamp may be mounted for sliding movement on the support such that in use the position of the clamp is slidably adjustable in a direction laterally of the vehicle.
- the first and second clamp jaws are movable towards and away from one another between the clamping and release positions.
- the first and second clamp jaws are mounted on the support for sliding movement towards and away from one another between the clamping and release positions.
- the attachment means may comprise an elongate member engageable through a through-hole in the bumper reinforcement and securing means for securing the member to the bumper or part thereof.
- the apparatus is secured to a reinforcement member of the bumper such as a conventionally fitted reinforcement bar.
- Figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of an adaptor embodying the invention together with a reinforcement of a vehicle rear bumper and a bicycle rack;
- Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the adaptor of Figure 1;
- Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a clamp of the adaptor of Figure 2;
- Figure 4 is a perspective view showing one method of securing the adaptor of Figure 1 to the bumper reinforcement.
- Figure 5 is a partial section through the reinforcement of Figure 4 along the line 5- 5.
- FIG. 1 shows in perspective view a form of adaptor 10 embodying the present invention, the adaptor being used to secure a bicycle rack 12 to a reinforcement 14 which is provided at the rear of a motorised vehicle (not shown in the drawing) behind the rear bumper fascia.
- the reinforcement 14 is part of the vehicle structure and is fitted during vehicle manufacture.
- the bicycle rack 12 is a conventional ball hitch bicycle rack and as can be seen from the drawing consists of a framework of vertical and horizontal bars 16, 18 to which one or more bicycles can be secured. Such bicycle racks can have a variety of structures and shapes but all have in common vertical bars to which a bicycle can be secured. In the illustrated bicycle rack 12 two central, vertical bars 20 are provided and are joined at their upper ends.
- the adaptor 10 has a support 30 which in the illustrated example is formed by a framework of bars or tubular members, conveniently of aluminium.
- the support 30 has two parallel side frames 32a, 32b.
- the side frames of the adaptor are identical and only the right hand side frame 32a as seen in Figure 3 is described here in detail. It will be appreciated, of course, that although for convenience the side frames are identical, they need not be.
- the side frame 32a has a front end 34a and a rear end 36a with an upper generally horizontal bar 38a and a lower, generally horizontal bar 40a.
- Vertical bars 42a and 46a at the front and rear ends 34a, 36a rigidly interconnect the upper and lower bars 38a, 40a and an additional vertical bar 44a is provided at an intermediate location 48a.
- the lower bar 40a is bent at 48a to form an included angle of less than 180° and may be formed by two bars joined lengthwise or by providing a bend in a single bar.
- the upper bar 38a has a rear, free end portion 35a which extends beyond the rear end of the lower bar 40a and is formed with an outer screw-thread.
- the side frame 32a is effectively separated into two portions, a rear portion 56a and a front portion 58a.
- the front portion is in the shape of a trapezium whilst the rear portion 56a is generally rectangular.
- the two side frames 32a, 32b are rigidly interconnected at their front ends 34 by upper and lower bars 50 interconnecting the two side frames. Additional rigidity is given to the support by further, generally horizontal upper and lower bars 52 which interconnect the side frames intermediate their ends at the location of the vertical bars 46, and an upper diagonal bar 54. It will, of course, be appreciated that additional strengthening bars may be provided.
- the horizontal bars 50 at the front end of the support carry a clamp arrangement in the form of two clamps 70, 72 for clamping the support to the bicycle rack shown in Figure 1.
- the two clamps are identical and only the left hand clamp 70 as seen in Figure 2 is described in detail.
- Clamp 70 has two clamp jaws or blocks 74a, 74b which are conveniently rectangular in shape. Each of these blocks is mounted on the support for sliding movement laterally of the support.
- FIG. 3 An enlarged view of the clamp 70 is shown in Figure 3 and in the illustrated embodiment the two clamp blocks 74a, 74b are actually slidably mounted on the bars 50 which pass through respective through-holes in the clamp blocks.
- the clamp blocks 74a, 74b have opposing major faces 76a, 76b with a vertically extending channel 78a, 78b formed in each surface 76a, 76b.
- the channels can be of any suitable shape to enable the clamp blocks 74a, 74b to clamp a vertical bar 20 of the bicycle rack between them.
- the channels shown in Figure 3 are semi- circular in cross-section but could be of any suitable shape, for example V-shaped.
- the surfaces of the channels may also be provided with small protuberances, lacerations or other discontinuities in the surface to facilitate the clamping and holding of a vertical bar of the bicycle rack.
- an insert 80a, 80b is provided and this may be of any suitable material to assist in gripping the vertical bar of the bicycle rack or may, indeed, be a softer, pliant or resilient material which prevents damage to the vertical bar 16 when clamped in position.
- each clamp block is slidable along the bars 50 and is locked in position by a locking mechanism in the form of a respective screw- threaded bolt 82 which has a knurled head for finger tightening and can be screwed into the clamp block to engage against the bar 50 and lock the clamp block in position on the bar 50.
- a similar screw-threaded bolt 84 is provided in the major outer face of each clamp block 74a, 74b to engage the vertical bar 20 when screwed into the clamp block and secure the vertical bar in position.
- the opposing side faces 88a, 88b and 90a, 90b of the clamp blocks can be provided with toggle clips or catches to lock the two clamp blocks together and clamp the bar there between.
- the clamp blocks could be positioned along the bars 50 by way of clips or split pins, for example, engaging through through-holes in the bars 50. If the bars 50 are provided with through-holes at regular intervals along their length, a respective split pin on the outer or inner sides of each clamp would be sufficient to prevent or restrict unwanted movement of the two clamps along the bars 50 when clamped to a bicycle rack.
- attachment means comprising end portions 35a, 35b of the upper bars 38a, 38b of the support, extend through holes 22a, 22b in the reinforcement 14 so as to mount the apparatus thereto substantially rigidly.
- the vertical bar 46a, 46b of each side frame serves as an abutment to limit the extension of the upper bars 38a, 38b through the holes and also as one "jaw” or clamp member of a clamp to enable the support to be clamped in place.
- a nut 92 forms the other "jaw” or clamp member and is threaded onto the end portion 35 of the upper bar, with a spring washer 94, to clamp the adaptor to the reinforcement 14.
- the bolts can be prevented from being loosened through vibration by clips 96 or split pins in a conventional manner.
- the nuts 92 can be butterfly nuts for ease of attachment and removal.
- Various other forms of locking mechanism can be used to lock the end portions 35 of the upper bars 38 to the reinforcement 14 such as quick release toggle bolts.
- two holes 100, 102 firstly need to be cut in the bumper fascia. These holes are spaced apart by the distance separating the side frames and are large enough to allow passage of the rear frame portions 56.
- the shape of the side frames as previously mentioned allows the rear frame portions 56 to be of relatively small vertical dimension so that the holes 100, 102 need not be too large.
- Co-operating through- holes 22a, 22b also need to be drilled in the rei-nforcement 14, aligned with the upper portions of the holes 100, 102 such that when the rear frame portions 56a, 56b of the side frames are inserted through the holes 100, 102, the free ends of the upper bars 36a, 36b engage and pass through the through-holes in the reinforcement to enable the adaptor to be bolted in place by the bolts 92.
- the holes in the fascia and the reinforcement can be provided during manufacture of the vehicle and closed with cosmetically acceptable clips or inserts, or can be drilled during mounting of the adaptor.
- clamp blocks 74a, 74b of each clamp 70, 72 are loosened to allow free sliding movement along the bars 50 and two of the vertical bars 20 of the bicycle rack are positioned between respective clamp blocks of the two clamps.
- the clamp blocks are then locked together to clamp the bicycle rack to the adaptor and the positions of the clamps 70, 72 on the bars 50 are fixed by the associated locking mechanisms.
- the apparatus permits the use of conventional ball-hitch type bicycle racks whilst removing the need to fit a ball-hitch or tow-bar to the vehicle.
- the apparatus may function as an adapter for securely attaching or mounting an existing bicycle rack or other support structure to the vehicle.
- the simplicity and versatility of the clamping arrangement enables various styles or designs of racks or other load carrying devices to be mounted to the vehicle.
- the apparatus can be fitted to, and removed from, the vehicle quickly and easily and, since it can be fitted such that no part of the adaptor or the bicycle bears against the bodywork or panels of the vehicle, damage to the vehicle paintwork is kept to a minimum.
- the simple nature of the adaptor ensures that manufacturing costs are relatively low.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Fittings On The Vehicle Exterior For Carrying Loads, And Devices For Holding Or Mounting Articles (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP05732852A EP1742817A1 (en) | 2004-04-28 | 2005-04-08 | Support apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0409438.9 | 2004-04-28 | ||
GBGB0409438.9A GB0409438D0 (en) | 2004-04-28 | 2004-04-28 | Support apparatus |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2005105523A1 true WO2005105523A1 (en) | 2005-11-10 |
Family
ID=32408153
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB2005/001372 WO2005105523A1 (en) | 2004-04-28 | 2005-04-08 | Support apparatus |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1742817A1 (en) |
GB (2) | GB0409438D0 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2005105523A1 (en) |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2512267A (en) * | 1947-04-02 | 1950-06-20 | Barr Don Inc | Bicycle carrier rack |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3891132A (en) * | 1973-01-29 | 1975-06-24 | Red Ant Products Inc | Apparatus for transporting a bicycle on a vehicle |
US4411461A (en) * | 1982-07-19 | 1983-10-25 | Harry Rosenberg | Bumper guards |
US4438875A (en) * | 1983-04-22 | 1984-03-27 | Fritsch William E | Wheelchair carrier |
US5489112A (en) * | 1994-09-27 | 1996-02-06 | Warrington; Bruce | Hitch mount |
-
2004
- 2004-04-28 GB GBGB0409438.9A patent/GB0409438D0/en not_active Ceased
-
2005
- 2005-04-08 EP EP05732852A patent/EP1742817A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2005-04-08 GB GB0507147A patent/GB2413540B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2005-04-08 WO PCT/GB2005/001372 patent/WO2005105523A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2512267A (en) * | 1947-04-02 | 1950-06-20 | Barr Don Inc | Bicycle carrier rack |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2413540B (en) | 2006-08-23 |
GB2413540A (en) | 2005-11-02 |
GB0507147D0 (en) | 2005-05-18 |
EP1742817A1 (en) | 2007-01-17 |
GB0409438D0 (en) | 2004-06-02 |
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