Vehicle-mounted carrier for a personal transporter
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B60R-009/06
B60R-009/00
출원번호
US-0960512
(2004-10-07)
등록번호
US-7341417
(2008-03-11)
발명자
/ 주소
Lohr,Joshua G.
출원인 / 주소
Saris Cycling Group, Inc.
대리인 / 주소
Boyle Fredrickson, S.C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
5인용 특허 :
21
초록▼
A carrier for securing a personal transporter to a motorized vehicle generally includes a base for engagement with the motorized vehicle and a transporter support movably engaged with the base for movement between a transport position and a loading position. The personal transporter includes a pair
A carrier for securing a personal transporter to a motorized vehicle generally includes a base for engagement with the motorized vehicle and a transporter support movably engaged with the base for movement between a transport position and a loading position. The personal transporter includes a pair of wheels with a platform therebetween, and a stem extending upwardly from the platform. The transporter support includes a stem receiver and a platform support. The stem of the personal vehicle is releasably engaged with the stem receiver, and the platform is releasably secured to the platform support.
대표청구항▼
I claim: 1. A carrier for securing a personal transporter to a vehicle, wherein the personal transporter includes a platform, a pair of wheels located one on either side of the platform, and a stem extending upwardly from the platform, wherein the wheels of the personal transporter are engageable w
I claim: 1. A carrier for securing a personal transporter to a vehicle, wherein the personal transporter includes a platform, a pair of wheels located one on either side of the platform, and a stem extending upwardly from the platform, wherein the wheels of the personal transporter are engageable with a support surface to provide movement of the personal transporter thereon, comprising: a base adapted to be secured to the vehicle; a transporter support including a stem engagement section and a platform support section, wherein the transporter support is movably mounted to the base for movement between a loading position and a transport position, wherein the transporter support in the loading position is oriented such that the stem engagement section is positioned to receive and engage the stem of the personal transporter and the platform support section is positioned to receive and engage the platform of the personal transporter while the wheels of the personal transporter are in engagement with the support surface, and wherein the transporter support in the transport position is oriented such that the wheels of the personal transporter are elevated above the support surface; wherein the stem engagement section includes a stem receiver configured to receive the stem while the wheels of the personal transporter are in engagement with the support surface as the platform is advanced into engagement with the platform support section; wherein the platform support section is configured to underlie the platform and defines a central area, and includes a pair of laterally spaced apart support areas located one on either side of the central area so as to be on opposite sides of the stem of the transporter when the transporter platform is positioned on the platform support section; a first flexible strap arrangement interconnected with the platform support section and engageable about the platform, wherein the first flexible strap arrangement includes a pair of laterally spaced apart straps interconnected with the laterally spaced apart areas of the platform support section so as to be located one on either side of the center of the platform support section; and a second flexible strap arrangement interconnected with the stem support section and engageable about the stem at a location above the platform for maintaining the stem in engagement with the stem receiver at a location above the platform; wherein the first strap arrangement is configured to secure the platform to the platform support section, and the second strap arrangement is configured to secure the stem to the stem support section, without the use of any separate engagement structure carried by the personal transporter. 2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the transporter support is pivotably mounted to the base for movement between the loading position and the transport position. 3. The carrier of claim 2, further comprising a retainer arrangement for maintaining the transporter support in the loading position. 4. The carrier of claim 3, wherein the retainer arrangement is interposed between the transporter support and the base, and is constructed and arranged to provide resilient positioning of the transporter support in the loading position, wherein engagement of the transporter support with the retainer arrangement functions to resiliently position the transporter support in the loading position, and wherein the retainer arrangement is further configured to allow pivoting movement of the transporter support when the transporter support is in the loading position, to enable the transporter support to pivot as the platform is moved into engagement with the transporter support. 5. The carrier of claim 4, wherein the base includes an upright member, and wherein the retainer arrangement is interposed between the transporter support and the upright member. 6. The carrier of claim 5, wherein the retainer arrangement comprises a resilient strap secured to the transporter support and engaged with the upright member of the base, wherein the resilient strap is engaged with the transporter support and with the upright member in a configuration that resiliently maintains the transporter support in the loading position. 7. The carrier of claim 2, wherein the base includes an upright member, and wherein the transporter support is releasably engaged with the upright member to maintain the transporter support in the transport position. 8. The carrier of claim 7, wherein the carrier is adapted to be mounted to a hitch receiver carried by the vehicle, and wherein the base of the carrier further includes a hitch mounting member adapted for engagement with the hitch receiver, and further comprising a variable position engagement arrangement interposed between the hitch mounting member and the upright member of the base, wherein the variable position engagement arrangement is configured and arranged to vary the elevation of the transporter support relative to the support surface when the transporter support is in the transport position. 9. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the platform support section includes one or more platform engagement members that underlie and engage a forward area of the transporter platform when the transporter platform is positioned on the platform support section. 10. A carrier for securing a personal transporter to a vehicle, wherein the personal transporter includes a platform, a pair of wheels located one on either side of the platform, and a stem extending upwardly from the platform, wherein the wheels of the personal transporter are engageable with a support surface to provide movement of the personal transporter thereon, comprising: a base adapted to be secured to the vehicle; a transporter support including a stem engagement section and a platform support section, wherein the transporter support is pivotably mounted to the base for movement between a loading position and a transport position, wherein the transporter support in the loading position is oriented such that the stem engagement section is positioned to receive and engage the stem of the personal transporter and the platform support section is positioned to receive and engage the platform of the personal transporter while the wheels of the personal transporter are in engagement with the support surface, and wherein the transporter support in the transport position is oriented such that the wheels of the personal transporter are elevated above the support surface; and a resilient retainer interposed between the transporter support and the base, wherein the resilient retainer is configured to engage the transporter support and the base to bias the transporter support toward the loading position, wherein engagement of the transporter support with the resilient retainer functions to resiliently bias the transporter support toward the loading position, and wherein the resilient retainer is further configured to allow pivoting movement of the transporter support when the transporter support is in the loading position, to enable the transporter support to pivot as the platform is moved into engagement with the platform engagement section. 11. The carrier of claim 10, wherein the base includes an upright member, and wherein the resilient retainer is interposed between the transporter support and the upright member. 12. The carrier of claim 11, wherein the resilient retainer comprises a resilient strap secured to the transporter support and engaged with the upright member of the base, wherein the resilient strap is engaged with the transporter support and with the upright member in a configuration that resiliently maintains the transporter support in the loading position. 13. A carrier for securing a personal transporter to a vehicle, wherein the personal transporter includes a platform, a pair of wheels located one on either side of the platform, and a stem extending upwardly from the platform, wherein the wheels of the personal transporter are engageable with a support surface to provide movement of the personal transporter thereon, comprising: mounting means for mounting the carrier to the vehicle; transporter support means movably interconnected with the mounting means for supporting the personal transporter on the mounting means, wherein the transporter support means is movable relative to the mounting means for movement between a loading position and a transport position, wherein the transporter support means in the loading position is configured and arranged to engage the stem and the platform of the personal transporter while the wheels of the personal transporter are in contact with the support surface, and wherein the transporter support means in the transport position is configured and arranged to elevate the wheels of the personal transporter above the support surface; first retainer means interposed between the mounting means and the transporter support means for releasably maintaining the transporter support means in the transport position; and second retainer means interposed between the mounting means and the transporter support means for maintaining the transporter support means in the loading position, wherein the second retainer means comprises resilient retainer means interposed between the transporter support means and the mounting means for resiliently maintaining the transporter support means in the loading position, wherein the resilient retainer means is configured to engages the transporter support means and the mounting means to bias the transporter support means toward the loading position, wherein engagement of the transporter support means with the resilient retainer means functions to resiliently bias the transporter support means toward the loading position, and wherein the resilient retainer means is further configured to allow pivoting movement of the transporter support means when the transporter support means is in the loading position, to enable the transporter support means to pivot as the platform is moved into engagement with the transporter support means. 14. The carrier of claim 13, wherein the mounting means includes an upright member to which the transporter support means is mounted for pivoting movement between the loading position and the transport position. 15. The carrier of claim 14, wherein the mounting means further includes a hitch mounting member configured for engagement with a hitch receiver interconnected with the vehicle, and further comprising elevation adjustment means interposed between the hitch mounting member and the upright member for adjusting the elevation of the transporter support means relative to the hitch receiver. 16. The carrier of claim 13, further comprising flexible strap means interconnected with the stem engagement means for engagement about the stem of the transporter for releasably engaging the stem of the transporter. 17. The carrier of claim 13, wherein the first retainer means comprises a retainer pin engageable within aligned openings in the transporter support means and the mounting means when the transporter support means is in the transport position. 18. A method of securing a personal transporter to a vehicle, wherein the personal transporter includes a platform, a pair of wheels located one on either side of the platform, and a stem extending upwardly from the platform, wherein the wheels of the personal transporter are engageable with a support surface to provide movement of the personal transporter thereon, comprising the acts of: mounting a carrier to the vehicle, wherein the carrier includes a base section and a transporter support section that is movably mounted to the base section; positioning the transporter support section in a loading position in which an upper portion of the transporter support section is positioned to engage the stem of the personal transporter and a lower portion of the transporter support section is positioned to engage the platform of the personal transporter, while the wheels of the personal transporter remain in engagement with the support surface; locating the stem of the personal transporter relative to the upper portion of the transporter support section using a stem locating structure carried by the upper portion of the transporter support section, and then securing the stem of the personal transporter to the upper portion of the transporter support section using a stem engagement arrangement separate from the stem locating structure and carried by the upper portion of the transporter support section; locating the platform of the transporter support relative to the lower portion of the transporter support section using a platform locating structure carried by the lower portion of the transporter support section, and then securing the platform of the personal transporter to the lower portion of the transporter support section using a platform engagement arrangement carried by the lower portion of the transporter support section; wherein the act of securing the stem of the personal transporter to the upper portion of the transporter support section using the stem engagement arrangement, and the act of securing the platform of the personal transporter to the lower portion of the transporter support section using the platform engagement arrangement, are carried out via the stem and platform engagement arrangements, which are carried solely by the carrier, without the use of any separate engagement structure carried by the personal transporter; moving the transporter support section to a transport position in which the wheels of the transporter support section are elevated above the support surface; and engaging the transporter support section with the base section to maintain the transporter support section in the transport position. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the transporter support section is movably mounted to the base section via a pivot connection, and wherein the act of moving the transporter support section between the loading and transport positions is carried out by pivoting the transporter support section about the pivot connection. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the act of positioning the transporter support section in the transport position is carried out by releasably engaging the transporter support section with the base section, and wherein the act of positioning the transporter support section in the loading position is carried out by releasing engagement of the transporter support section with the base section, wherein the transporter support section pivots by gravity from the transport position to the loading position. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the act of positioning the transporter support section in the loading position is carried out by resiliently maintaining the transporter support section in the loading position via a resilient retainer interposed between the transporter support section and the base section, wherein engagement of the transporter support section with the resilient retainer functions to resiliently position the transporter support section in the loading position, and wherein the resilient retainer is further configured to allow pivoting movement of the transporter support section when the transporter support section is in the loading position, to enable the transporter support section to pivot as the platform is moved into engagement with the lower portion of the transport support section. 22. The method of claim 18, wherein the acts of securing the stem of the personal transporter to the upper portion of the of the transporter support section using the stem engagement arrangement, and securing the platform of the personal transporter to the lower portion of the transporter support section using the platform engagement arrangement, are carried out using a stem engagement strap and a pair of platform engagement straps, respectively, interconnected with and carried by the carrier. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the lower portion of the transporter support section is configured to underlie the platform and defines a central area, and includes a pair of laterally spaced apart support areas located one on either side of the central area so as to be on opposite sides of the stem of the personal transporter when the transporter platform is positioned on the platform support section; and wherein the act of securing the platform of the personal transporter to the lower portion of the transporter support section is carried out using a flexible strap arrangement interconnected with the platform support section and engageable about the platform, wherein the flexible strap arrangement includes a pair of laterally spaced apart straps located one on either side of the center of the lower portion of the transporter support section. 24. The method of claim 18, further comprising the act of adjusting the vertical position of the transporter support section relative to the base section to adjust the elevation of the personal transporter relative to the vehicle when the transporter support section is in the transport position.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (21)
Burgess Ronald J. (Dominguez Hills CA), Adjustable car carrier.
Bruno Michael R. (3950 Southwood Dr. Oconomowoc WI 53066) Boyd Robert M. (W2740 Rock River Paradise Watertown WI 53094), Extravehicular apparatus for loading and securing cargo.
Cowles Clarence W. (Placentia CA) Breashears James C. (Amarillo TX) Mungons Edwin M. (Toledo OH), Vehicle attached carrier pivotable about plural axes.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.