A bike carrier mounted on a drawbar for a trailer hitch receiver via a pivot mechanism that allows the carrier to pivot between an operational horizontal position and a compact vertical position. A slidable trigger bar extends from the pivot mechanism to the back of the carrier. Pulling the trigger
A bike carrier mounted on a drawbar for a trailer hitch receiver via a pivot mechanism that allows the carrier to pivot between an operational horizontal position and a compact vertical position. A slidable trigger bar extends from the pivot mechanism to the back of the carrier. Pulling the trigger bar from the back of the carrier releases the pivot mechanism, providing a convenient operating position. One or more add-on bike carrying tray assemblies may be attached to a first bike carrying tray assembly on the drawbar to hold multiple bikes. Each add-on tray assembly may have a respective slidable trigger bar that latches onto the trigger bar of the previous tray assembly. A pull on the trigger bar of the last add-on assembly releases the pivot mechanism. This operates the pivot mechanism from the back of the carrier.
대표청구항▼
1. A bike carrier for a trailer hitch receiver on a motor vehicle, the bike carrier comprising: a drawbar for the trailer hitch receiver;a first bike carrying tray assembly attached to the drawbar;a horizontal upper coupling bar and a horizontal lower coupling bar on a back end of the first bike car
1. A bike carrier for a trailer hitch receiver on a motor vehicle, the bike carrier comprising: a drawbar for the trailer hitch receiver;a first bike carrying tray assembly attached to the drawbar;a horizontal upper coupling bar and a horizontal lower coupling bar on a back end of the first bike carrying tray assembly;a second bike carrying tray assembly comprising a top front end with left and right upward facing coupling slots that slip onto the upper coupling bar of the first bike carrying tray assembly;a bottom front end of the second bike carrying tray assembly comprising left and right forward facing coupling slots that slip onto the lower coupling bar of the first bike carrying tray assembly when the upper coupling bar is fully inserted within the upward facing coupling slots and the second bike carrying tray assembly is then rotated downward about the upper coupling bar; anda mechanism that retains the lower coupling bar in the forward facing coupling slots when the upper and lower coupling bars are fully inserted into the respective upward facing and forward facing coupling slots. 2. The bike carrier of claim 1, wherein the mechanism that retains the lower coupling bar in the forward facing coupling slots comprises a coupling hook on the second bike carry tray assembly that engages the lower coupling bar when the lower coupling bar is within the forward facing coupling slots, preventing separation of the lower coupling bar from the forward facing coupling slots. 3. The bike carrier of claim 2, wherein the coupling hook interconnects the lower coupling bar with a structural crossbar of the second bike carrying tray assembly. 4. The bike carrier of claim 2, wherein the coupling hook is pivotally mounted on the second bike carrying tray assembly, and it hooks over the lower coupling bar when the lower coupling bar is within the forward facing coupling slots. 5. The bike carrier of claim 4, wherein the coupling hook is mounted to a crossbar of the second bike carrying tray assembly for pivotal movement. 6. The bike carrier of claim 4, wherein the coupling hook comprises a first hook slot that receives the lower coupling bar, and a second hook slot that receives a structural crossbar of the second bike carrying tray assembly. 7. The bike carrier of claim 4, wherein the coupling hook comprises a surface with a geometry that causes the coupling hook to climb over the lower coupling bar when said surface is pressed against the lower coupling bar during the rotation of the second bike carrying tray assembly about the upper coupling bar, wherein said climb overrides a spring force on the coupling hook until it falls over the lower coupling bar under the spring force, retaining the lower coupling bar in the forward facing slots. 8. The bike carrier of claim 1, further comprising: a pivot plate on the drawbar;a plurality of pivot position lock slots in the pivot plate;the first bike carrying tray assembly pivotally mounted on the pivot plate to pivot about an axis;a pivot lock bar on the first bike carrying tray assembly that slides into a selected one of the pivot position lock slots under force of a spring to lock a selected pivot position of the first bike carrying tray assembly relative to the pivot plate; anda first trigger bar in the first bike carrying tray assembly, wherein the first trigger bar is connected to the pivot lock bar and extends backward therefrom to the back end of the first bike carrying tray assembly;wherein pulling the first trigger bar backward pulls the pivot lock bar out of the selected pivot position lock slot against the force of the spring, allowing the first bike carrying tray assembly to pivot to another position about the pivot plate. 9. The bike carrier of claim 8, further comprising a floating connection between the first trigger bar and the pivot lock bar that transmits linear motion from the first trigger bar to the pivot lock bar while providing at least 0.1 degree of angular play between the pivot lock bar and the first trigger bar in a plane normal to the pivot axis, enabling the pivot lock bar to slide in and out of each of the pivot position lock slots without binding. 10. The bike carrier of claim 8, further comprising: a second trigger bar slidably mounted in the second bike carrying tray assembly and spanning from the front end to a back end thereof;wherein a back end of the first trigger bar and a front end of the second trigger bar are shaped to interconnect automatically during the rotation of the second bike carrying tray assembly about the upper coupling bar;wherein pulling the second trigger bar backward pulls the pivot lock bar out of the selected pivot position lock slot via the first trigger bar. 11. The bike carrier of claim 10, wherein the front end of the second trigger bar comprises an upper surface with a transverse ridge or groove that mates with a respective transverse groove or ridge in the back end of the first trigger bar when the second bike carrying tray assembly is coupled to the first bike carrying tray assembly. 12. The bike carrier of claim 1, further comprising; an elongated tray on the first bike carrying tray assembly that holds a wheel of a bike in an upright position from below;a retention arm pivotally connected to the tray; anda cross member on the retention arm that presses inward against a tire of the bike wheel at a position above an axle of the bike wheel with a force maintained by tension in a stay pivotally connected between the retention arm and a ratchet mechanism on the tray;the ratchet mechanism comprising a pawl slidably mounted on a ratchet bar on the tray, a finger on the pawl that jams against the ratchet bar to stop the ratchet from sliding, a pawl lever that releases the finger from the ratchet bar, and an over-rotation stop on the pawl that prevents the pawl from rotating in a release direction to a position that drags the finger against the ratchet bar. 13. The bike carrier of claim 12, wherein the over-rotation stop contacts the ratchet bar and stops rotation of the pawl in the release direction at a release position of the pawl. 14. The bike carrier of claim 12, wherein the pawl comprises first and second fingers on opposite sides of the ratchet bar that pinch the ratchet bar between them when a the pawl is rotated 5 to 15 degrees from a position in which the fingers are directly opposed to each other across the ratchet bar on a common perpendicular to the ratchet bar, and the over-rotation stop comprises a wing attached to the lever of the pawl, wherein a U-channel portion of the wing contacts and slides along the bottom and lateral sides of the ratchet bar in a release position of the pawl at which the ratchet bar is centered between the fingers. 15. The bike carrier of claim 14, further comprising a pivot connection of the stay to the pawl, wherein a distance between an axis of a pivot connection of the stay to the pawl and a center point between respective surfaces the two fingers is 2.2 to 2.8 times greater than a separation distance between the surfaces of the two fingers. 16. The bike carrier of claim 14, wherein said opposite sides of the ratchet bar are toothless, providing infinite adjustability within a sliding range of the pawl on the ratchet bar. 17. A bike carrier for a trailer hitch receiver on a motor vehicle, the bike carrier comprising: a drawbar for the trailer hitch receiver;a first bike carrying tray assembly attached to the drawbar;first and second coupling bars on a back end of the first bike carrying tray assembly;a second bike carrying tray assembly comprising a front end with a first coupling slot that slides over the first coupling bar, and a second coupling slot oriented circumferentially relative to a circle centered in the first coupling slot, wherein the second coupling slot slides over the second coupling bar when the first coupling bar is fully inserted within the first coupling slot and the second bike carrying tray assembly is then rotated about the first coupling bar toward the second coupling bar; anda mechanism that retains the second coupling bar in the second coupling slot. 18. The bike carrier of claim 17, wherein the first bike carrying tray assembly further comprises: first and second bike wheel carrying trays for holding respective first and second wheels of a bike;each bike wheel carrying tray pivotally mounted to the first bike carrying tray assembly for pivoting of said trays between a co-aligned laterally opposed operational position and a forward position for compact shipping and storage; anda wheel tray lock bar slidably mounted in the bike carrying tray assembly and spring-loaded upward to a stopping point immediately beside the bike wheel carrying trays, automatically and releasably locking said trays in the operational position. 19. The bike carrier of claim 17, further comprising: the first bike carrying tray assembly attached by a pivot mechanism to the drawbar for pivoting the first bike carrying tray assembly about a horizontal pivot axis to a selectable pivot position that is released via a first trigger bar slidably mounted in the first bike carrying tray assembly, the first trigger bar comprising a first manual grip at the back end of the first bike carrying tray assembly; anda second trigger bar slidably mounted in the second bike carrying tray assembly, the second trigger bar comprising a second manual grip at a back end of the second bike carrying tray assembly;the second trigger bar further comprising a front end that automatically connects to a back end of the first trigger bar when the second bike carrying tray assembly is coupled to the first bike carrying tray assembly;wherein the selectable pivot position is releasable from the back end of the second bike carrying tray assembly via the second manual grip acting through the first and second trigger bars when the second bike carrying tray assembly is coupled to the first bike carrying tray assembly. 20. The bike carrier of claim 19, further comprising a spring mounted in the first trigger bar in a generally H-shaped cut through the trigger bar that forms a central mandrel for the spring with an entrance gap in the mandrel for installation of the spring; wherein the spring pushes against a crossbar of the first tray assembly through which the trigger bar passes, urging the first trigger bar forward. 21. The bike carrier of claim 17, wherein the first bike carrying tray assembly further comprises: first and second bike wheel carrying trays for holding respective first and second wheels of a bike; andeach bike wheel carrying tray pivotally mounted to the first bike carrying tray assembly for pivoting of said trays between a co-aligned laterally opposed operational position and a forward position for compact shipping and storage;wherein each bike wheel carrying tray is associated with a respective tray position lock lever pivotally mounted to the first bike carrying tray assembly and urged upward by a spring to a position adjacent a side of the tray in the operational position of the tray, preventing rotation of the tray to the forward position;wherein pushing down the tray position lock lever allows the tray to pivot to the forward position. 22. The bike carrier of claim 21, further comprising: a tray crossbar mounted transversely between first and second side plates of the first bike carrying tray assembly;the first and second bike wheel carrying trays pivotally mounted to the tray crossbar;each respective tray position lock lever mounted in a slot in the tray crossbar by a pivot pin or screw passing through the lever, wherein a first end of each tray position lock lever pivots upward under force of the spring until a lower corner of an opposite end of the tray position lock lever stops against a bottom surface of the slot in the tray crossbar. 23. The bike carrier of claim 22 wherein the pivot pin or screw passes through a hole in the tray position lock lever with diametric clearance of at least 0.05 inches, wherein the tray position lock lever can be depressed against the bottom surface of the slot in the tray crossbar to allow tray folding, and can pivot upward therefrom without said lower corner thereof binding against the bottom surface of the slot until said lower corner stops against the bottom surface of the slot at a predetermined tray blocking position beside the tray.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (20)
Fletcher James D. (4661 Calienta - Bodfish Rd. Calienta CA 93518), Bicycle crank shaft support carrier.
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