초록 ▼

A cargo carrier has a frame, a wheel assembly coupled to the frame, and a quick release assembly. The quick release assembly allows the user to quickly raise and lower the wheel assembly with respect to the frame, or to turn an adjusting screw to more finely raise and lower the wheel assembly. In ad

A cargo carrier has a frame, a wheel assembly coupled to the frame, and a quick release assembly. The quick release assembly allows the user to quickly raise and lower the wheel assembly with respect to the frame, or to turn an adjusting screw to more finely raise and lower the wheel assembly. In addition, a vehicle hitch mount has an outer tube and an inner tube slidably received in the outer tube. The inner tube has a retracted position in which the inner tube is retracted with respect to the outer tube, and an extended position in which the inner tube is extended with respect to the outer tube. A locking pin can be operated by the user at one side of the cargo carrier to removably lock the hitch mount to the vehicle hitch located at an opposite side of the cargo carrier.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A carrier comprising: a frame;a wheel assembly coupled to said frame;a quick release assembly coupled to said frame and said wheel assembly for quickly raising and lowering said wheel assembly with respect to said frame;an outer tube;an inner tube slidably received in the outer tube, said inner t

1. A carrier comprising: a frame;a wheel assembly coupled to said frame;a quick release assembly coupled to said frame and said wheel assembly for quickly raising and lowering said wheel assembly with respect to said frame;an outer tube;an inner tube slidably received in the outer tube, said inner tube having a retracted position in which said inner tube is retracted with respect to said outer tube, and an extended position in which said inner tube is extended with respect to said outer tube;at least one pin positioned at the inner tube and movable between a locked position in which the at least one pin extends outward from the inner tube, and an unlocked position in which the at least one pin does not extend outward from the inner tube; anda control rod extending though the outer tube and the inner tube and coupled with said at least one pin to selectively move said at least one pin between the locked position and unlocked position. 2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein said quick release assembly comprises: at least one brace coupled to said wheel assembly;a cross-support member coupled to said frame and to said at least one brace;an adjusting screw having threads, said adjusting screw positioned substantially orthogonal to said cross-support member;a gear mechanism coupled to said cross-support member and releasably coupled to said adjusting screw and movable between an uncoupled position where said gear mechanism is uncoupled from the threads of said adjusting screw and a coupled position where said gear mechanism is coupled to the threads of said adjusting screw,whereby in the uncoupled position said cross-support member rapidly moves along said adjusting screw without engaging said threads to quickly move said at least one brace to quickly raise and lower said wheel assembly, andfurther whereby in the coupled position said cross-support member moves along said adjusting screw to move said at least one brace to raise and lower said wheel assembly when said adjusting screw is rotated and does not move along said adjusting screw when said adjusting screw is stationary to maintain stationary said at least one brace and said wheel assembly. 3. The carrier of claim 1, wherein said quick release assembly comprises: a cross-support member coupled to said frame and to said wheel assembly;an adjusting screw having threads, said adjusting screw positioned substantially orthogonal to said cross-support member;a gear mechanism coupled to said cross-support member and releasably coupled to said adjusting screw and movable between an uncoupled position where said gear mechanism is uncoupled from the threads of said adjusting screw and a coupled position where said gear mechanism is coupled to the threads of said adjusting screw,whereby in the uncoupled position said cross-support member rapidly moves along said adjusting screw without engaging said threads to quickly raise and lower said wheel assembly, andfurther whereby in the coupled position said cross-support member moves along said adjusting screw to raise and lower said wheel assembly when said adjusting screw is rotated and does not move along said adjusting screw when said adjusting screw is stationary to maintain stationary said wheel assembly. 4. The carrier of claim 2, wherein said gear mechanism comprises a threaded gear, a spring configured to bias said gear to couple with the thread of said adjusting screw, and a user-operated cam for selectively moving said threaded gear to couple and uncouple with the thread of said adjusting screw. 5. The carrier of claim 1, wherein said frame has a first side with a first elongated channel and a second side having a second elongated channel, wherein said cross-support member is received in said first and second elongated channels. 6. The carrier of claim 5, wherein said cross-support member moves within said first and second elongated channels as said wheel assembly is raised and lowered. 7. The carrier of claim 1, wherein said frame has a first side and a second side opposite said first side, and further comprising a vehicle hitch mount extending from said first side to said second side. 8. The carrier of claim 1, wherein said vehicle hitch mount extends from a first side of said frame to a second side of said frame opposite the first side. 9. The carrier of claim 1, wherein said at least one pin is configured to engage a vehicle hitch at the second side of said frame and further comprising a handle coupled to said control rod at the first side of said frame. 10. A vehicle hitch mount, comprising: an outer tube;an inner tube slidably received in the outer tube, said inner tube having a retracted position in which said inner tube is retracted with respect to said outer tube, and an extended position in which said inner tube is extended with respect to said outer tube;at least one pin positioned at the inner tube and movable between a locked position in which the at least one pin extends outward from the inner tube, and an unlocked position in which the at least one pin does not extend outward from the inner tube; anda control rod extending though the outer tube and the inner tube and coupled with said at least one pin to selectively move said at least one pin between the locked position and unlocked position,wherein said outer tube is elongated and has a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein said hitch mount is coupled to a carrier having a frame with a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and wherein said proximal end attaches to the first side of the frame and said distal end attaches to the second side of the frame. 11. The vehicle hitch mount of claim 10, wherein said extended position is extended outward from said retracted position. 12. The vehicle hitch mount of claim 10, further comprising a handle coupled to said control rod. 13. The vehicle hitch mount of claim 10, further comprising openings in a side of said inner tube, and a stop member removably coupled to one of said openings to define a receiving length to a distal end of said inner tube that can be received by a vehicle hitch. 14. A vehicle hitch mount, comprising: an outer tube;an inner tube slidably received in the outer tube, said inner tube having a retracted position in which said inner tube is retracted with respect to said outer tube, and an extended position in which said inner tube is extended with respect to said outer tube;at least one pin positioned at the inner tube and movable between a locked position in which the at least one pin extends outward from the inner tube, and an unlocked position in which the at least one pin does not extend outward from the inner tube;a control rod extending though the outer tube and the inner tube and coupled with said at least one pin to selectively move said at least one pin between the locked position and unlocked position; anda wedge assembly positioned at a distal end of said inner tube, said wedge assembly having an aligned position in which said wedge assembly is aligned with said inner tube, and an offset position in which said wedge assembly is offset with respect to said inner tube. 15. The vehicle hitch mount of claim 14, wherein said wedge assembly defines a larger effective size for said inner tube when in the offset position. 16. A vehicle hitch mount, comprising; an outer tube having at least one side,an inner tube having at least one side, said inner tube slidably received in the outer tube and having a retracted position in which said inner tube is retracted with respect to said outer tube and an extended position in which said inner tube is extended with respect to said outer tube;at least one pin positioned at the inner tube and movable between a locked position in which the at least one pin extends outward from the inner tube, and an unlocked position in which the at least one pin does not extend outward from the inner tube; anda control rod extending though the outer tube and the inner tube and coupled with said at least one pin to selectively move said at least one pin between the locked position and unlocked position;an elongated guide channel in said at least one side of said outer tube and a guide member projecting outward from said at least one side of said inner tube, wherein said guide member is slidably received in said guide channel as said inner tube and said outer tube are moved between the retracted position and the extended position. 17. The vehicle hitch mount of claim 10, wherein said control rod can be operated by a user at the first side of the frame and the at least one pin is located at the second side of the frame.