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A bicycle rack is provided for connection to a vehicle, and especially a bus for the transport of a bicycle. The bicycle rack has a frame pivotally connected to a bracket which is connectable to a front of a bus. A pair of elongate cradles traverse the frame of the rack. Each elongate cradle is capa

A bicycle rack is provided for connection to a vehicle, and especially a bus for the transport of a bicycle. The bicycle rack has a frame pivotally connected to a bracket which is connectable to a front of a bus. A pair of elongate cradles traverse the frame of the rack. Each elongate cradle is capable of receiving a bicycle. Each elongate cradle includes a rear wheel cradle and a front wheel cradle. The front wheel cradle has a spring operated wheel lock. The wheel lock includes a rotatable armature which overlays and holds the front tire of the bicycle in a locked position. The armature is actuated by the weight of the front wheel or by the manual activation of an adjacent handle.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A carrier for transporting a bicycle on a vehicle, the carrier comprising: a cradle engageable with a wheel of the bicycle, the cradle comprising a pair of elongated spaced apart parallel rails; an axle having one end rotatably connected to one of the spaced apart parallel ra

What is claimed is: 1. A carrier for transporting a bicycle on a vehicle, the carrier comprising: a cradle engageable with a wheel of the bicycle, the cradle comprising a pair of elongated spaced apart parallel rails; an axle having one end rotatably connected to one of the spaced apart parallel rails and a second end rotatably connected to the opposite rail; a non-extensile locking arm for overlaying with tension an outer perimeter of the wheel, the locking arm disposed between the spaced apart rails and attached to the axle for enabling a full 360 degrees of unobstructed rotation of the locking arm about a longitudinal axis of the axle; and a biasing member having one end operable connected to the cradle and an opposite end operably connected to the locking arm for applying a torsional biasing force to the locking arm for releasably engaging the outer perimeter of the wheel with the axle. 2. The carrier of claim 1 further comprising a lever operably attached to the locking arm for concurrent rotation therewith about a common axis, the lever being attached to the biasing member, wherein the connection between the biasing member and the lever is displaced from the common axis of rotation. 3. The carrier of claim 2, wherein the biasing member includes a gas operable spring mechanism. 4. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the pair of spaced apart parallel rails define a front cradle operable for supporting a front wheel of the bicycle and a rear cradle operable for supporting a rear wheel of the bicycle, the two rails being disposed along opposite sides of the front and rear bicycle wheels when the bicycle is loaded onto the carrier. 5. The carrier of claim 1 further comprising an elongate support member suspended from at least one of the pair of spaced apart parallel rails, the support member engageable with the perimeter of the wheel of the bicycle for operably supporting the bicycle when loaded onto the carrier. 6. The carrier of claim 1 further comprising a U-shaped member having at least one end attached to at least one of the pair of spaced apart parallel rails, the U-shaped member engageable with the perimeter of the wheel of the bicycle for operably supporting the bicycle when loaded onto the carrier. 7. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the locking arm extends radially form the axle and has a U-shaped end portion cantilevered from the axle and engageable with the perimeter of the wheel of the bicycle. 8. The carrier of claim 7, wherein the U-shaped end portion of the locking arm defines a V-shaped notch engageable with the perimeter of the wheel. 9. The carrier of claim 1 further comprising a handle for manually actuating the locking arm, the handle operably connected to the locking arm for concurrent rotation therewith about a common axis of rotation, the handle being displaced from the locking arm and cantilevered from the common axis of rotation. 10. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the locking arm comprises a U-shaped portion engageable with the perimeter of the wheel, the U-shaped portion being cantilevered from an axis of rotation of the locking arm. 11. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the locking arm is biased to a substantially horizontal position. 12. The carrier of claim 1 further comprising a mounting bracket attached to the cradle, the mounting bracket having a hinge pivotally connecting the mounting bracket to the vehicle to enable the mounting bracket to be selectively positioned in a plurality of angular orientations relative to the vehicle. 13. The carrier of claim 12, wherein the mounting bracket is selectively moveable between an extended position, in which the mounting bracket extends horizontally from the vehicle, and a stored position, in which the mounting bracket is positioned vertically relative to the vehicle. 14. The carrier of claim 12 further comprising a latching mechanism for retaining the mounting bracket in at least one of the plurality of angular positions relative to the vehicle, the latching mechanism comprising a retaining member operably connected to the vehicle and having a recessed region, and a retractable pin operably associated with the mounting bracket, the pin being releaseably engageable with the recessed region of the retaining member. 15. The carrier of claim 14 further comprising a handle for selectively disengaging the pin from the recessed region of the retaining member, the handle having one end attached to the pin and a second end slidably connected to the mounting bracket. 16. A carrier for transporting a bicycle having a front and rear wheel on a vehicle, the device comprising: a bracket connectable to the vehicle; a frame having a pair of parallel and spaced bars extending from the bracket; and an elongate cradle connected to and traversing the pair of parallel and spaced bars, the cradle having a front wheel cradle at one end and a rear wheel cradle at an opposing end; the front wheel cradle comprising a pair of spaced apart rails and a front wheel mechanism for overlaying with tension an outer edge of the front wheel to lock the bicycle in the elongate cradle, the front wheel mechanism comprising an axle having one end rotatably connected to one of the rails and a second end rotatably connected to the opposite rail, and a nonextensile locking arm disposed between the spaced apart rails and attached to the axle for enabling a full 360 degrees of unobstructed rotation of the locking arm about a longitudinal axis of the axle. 17. The carrier device of claim 16, wherein the cradle has a wedge-shaped member for supporting a rear portion of the front wheel. 18. The carrier device of claim 13, further comprising means for pivoting the frame and longitudinal cradle relative to the bracket; means for maintaining the frame and longitudinal cradle in a retracted position; and means for maintaining the frame and longitudinal cradle in a deployed position.