Hitch mounted bicycle rack

• US 5,190,195 A
• Filed: 03/15/1991
• Issued: 03/02/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cequent Towing Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Reese Products, Incorporated (Metaldyne Corporation)
• Inventors: Hoopes, Philip K. Jr., Fullhart, Richard L., Troyer, David J., Garatoni, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sholl, Linda J.
• Application Number:
  US07/670,314
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 224/42.03 B, 224/324, 224/42.01, 224/42.45 R, 224/42.07, 224/42.44, 211/17, 211/18, 211/22
• US Class Current: 224/497
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/10 for cycles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/924 Vehicle attached carrier for bicycle or motorcycle

Abstract

A bicycle rack adapted to be detachably mounted to a passenger vehicle via a standard trailer hitch with the bicycle rack having a vertical support pivotally connected at one end to a base assembly with an upper crossbar assembly pivotally connected to the other end via a removable and reversible crossbar bracket on which a clamp arm is removably mounted. A pull pin releasably locks the vertical tube in an upright position to the base assembly and another pull pin locks the upper crossbar assembly in a horizontal position to the vertical support. Spacers may be removably inserted in downwardly depending flanges of the base assembly to mount it to a relatively narrow trailer hitch.

Claims

1. A bicycle rack comprising:

a lower base member adapted to be removably mounted onto a trailer hitch affixed to a vehicle;

an upper assembly disposed in generally a horizontal position and having a crossbar member, a pair of spaced apart bicycle support hooks extending outwardly from said crossbar member, a pivotally operated clamp arm for clamping at least one bicycle onto said support hooks, bracket means for mounting said crossbar member, said bracket means provided with vertically spaced apart clamp arm mounting means for removably and pivotally mounting said clamp arm for pivotable operation at either of two vertically spaced apart first and second pivot locations on said bracket means such that said clamp arm is pivotally mounted a first predetermined distance above said support hooks with said clamp arm pivotally mounted at one of said pivot locations and said clamp arm pivotally mounted above said support hooks a distance different from said first predetermined distance with said clamp arm pivotally mounted at the other of said pivot locations;

a vertical support member having a lower end secured to said lower base member and extending upwardly therefrom; and

means for mounting said bracket means on the upper end of said vertical support member, said clamp arm pivotally mounted at the first pivot location of said vertically spaced apart pivot locations for clamping bicycle frames having a first predetermined diameter and said clamp arm pivotally mounted at the second pivot location of said vertically spaced apart first locations for clamping bicycle frames having a second predetermined diameter smaller than said first predetermined diameter.

2. A bicycle rack comprising:

a lower base member adapted to be removably mounted onto a trailer hitch affixed to a vehicle;

an upper assembly disposed in generally a horizontal position and having a crossbar member, a pair of bicycle support hooks extending outwardly from opposite ends of said crossbar member, a clamp arm for clamping at least one bicycle onto said support hooks, reversible bracket means for mounting both said crossbar member and for removably mounting said clamp arm at either of two spaced apart locations on said bracket means such that said clamp arm is disposed a first predetermined distance above said crossbar member and said support hooks with said clamp arm mounted at one of said locations and said clamp arm is disposed above said crossbar member and said support hooks a distance different from said first predetermined distance with said clamp arm mounted at the other of said locations;

a vertical support member having a lower end secured to said lower base member and extending upwardly therefrom; and

means for reversibly mounting said reversible bracket means on the upper end of said vertical support member,

said reversible bracket means provided with a pair of vertically spaced apart aperture means for removably mounting said clamp arm at either of said pair of aperture means and said crossbar member mounted on said reversible bracket means at a location vertically closer to one of said pair of aperture means than the other of said pair of aperture means whereby said bicycle rack can clampingly support bicycles of different diameter frames.

3. The bicycle rack of claim 2 further comprising means for pivotally securing said upper assembly to said vertical support member and thereby enabling said upper assembly to be pivoted downwardly from said generally horizontal position.

4. The bicycle rack of claim 3 further comprising means for releasably locking said upper assembly in said generally horizontal position.

5. The bicycle rack of claim 4 wherein said releasable locking means includes bracket locking aperture means provided in said bracket means at a location vertically spaced equidistant between said pair of vertically spaced apart aperture means.

6. A bicycle rack comprising:

a generally horizontally disposed and reversible upper assembly including a reversibly mountable bracket, a horizontally disposed crossbar affixed to said bracket, a pair of bicycle support hooks extending outwardly from opposite ends of said crossbar in a generally horizontal plane, a clamp arm disposed between and above said support hooks for clamping at least one bicycle onto said support hooks, means for removably mounting said clamp arm at either of two vertically spaced apart locations on said bracket such that said clamp arm is disposed a first predetermined distance above said crossbar and said support hooks with said clamp arm mounted at one of said locations and disposed a different predetermined distance above said crossbar and support hooks with said clamp arm mounted at the other of said locations;

a lower base member adapted to be removably mounted onto a trailer hitch affixed to a vehicle;

a vertical support extending upwardly from said lower base member to said upper assembly;

means for pivotally securing said vertical support to said lower base member for enabling said vertical support to be pivoted from a vertical position toward a generally horizontal position with said lower base member mounted on said trailer hitch;

means for pivotally securing said reversible upper assembly to said vertical support for enabling said upper assembly and said horizontally disposed crossbar to be pivoted downwardly from said horizontal position thereby pivotally lowering said support hooks from said horizontal plane;

means for releasably locking said upper assembly in said generally horizontally disposed position; and

said means for removably mounting said clamp arm including a pair of vertically space apart aperture means for removably mounting said clamp arm at either of said pair of aperture means and said crossbar fixedly mounted to said bracket at a location vertically closer to one of said pair of aperture means than the other of said pair of aperture means.

7. The bicycle rack of claim 6 wherein said releasable locking means includes bracket locking aperture means provided in said bracket at a location vertically equidistant to both of said pair of vertically spaced apart aperture means.

8. The bicycle rack of claim 6 further comprising removable spacer means disposed between said lower base member and said trailer hitch for securely mounting said lower base assembly to different width trailer hitches.

9. A bicycle rack comprising:

a lower base member adapted to be removably mounted onto a trailer hitch affixed to a vehicle;

an upper assembly disposed in generally a horizontal position and having a crossbar member, a pair of spaced apart bicycle support hooks extending outwardly from said crossbar member, a clamp arm for clamping at least one bicycle onto said support hooks, reversible bracket means for mounting both said crossbar member and for removably mounting said clamp arm at either of two spaced apart locations on said bracket means such that said clamp arm is disposed a first predetermined distance above said support hooks with said clamp arm mounted at one of said locations and said clamp arm is disposed above said support hooks a predetermined distance different from said first predetermined distance with said clamp arm mounted at the other of said locations;

a vertical support member having a lower end secured to said lower base member and extending upwardly therefrom; and

means for reversibly mounting said reversible bracket means on the upper end of said vertical support member, said reversible bracket means provided with a pair of vertically spaced apart mounting means for removably mounting said clamp arm at either of said pair of mounting means and said crossbar member mounted on said reversible bracket means at a location vertically closer to one of said pair of mounting means than the other of said pair of mounting means, whereby said bicycle rack can clampingly support bicycles of different diameter frames.

10. The bicycle rack of claim 9 further comprising means for pivotally securing said upper assembly to said vertical support member and thereby enabling said upper assembly to be pivoted downwardly from said generally horizontal position.

11. The bicycle rack of claim 10 further comprising means for releasably locking said upper assembly in said generally horizontal position.

12. The bicycle rack of claim 11 wherein said releasable locking means includes bracket locking means at a location vertically spaced equidistant between said pair of vertically spaced apart mounting means.

13. A bicycle rack comprising:

a generally horizontally disposed and reversible upper assembly including a reversibly mountable bracket, a horizontally disposed crossbar affixed to said bracket, a pair of bicycle support hooks extending outwardly from said crossbar in a generally horizontal plane, a clamp arm disposed between and above said support hooks for clamping at least one bicycle onto said support hooks, means for removably mounting said clamp arm at either of two vertically spaced apart locations on said bracket such that said clamp arm is disposed a first predetermined distance above said crossbar and said support hooks with said clamp arm mounted at one of said locations and disposed a different distance above said crossbar and support hooks with said clamp arm mounted at the other of said locations;

a lower base member adapted to be removably mounted onto a trailer hitch affixed to a vehicle;

a vertical support extending upwardly from said lower base member to said upper assembly;

means for pivotally securing said vertical support to said lower base member for enabling said vertical support to be pivoted from a vertical position toward a generally horizontal position with said lower base member mounted on said trailer hitch;

means for pivotally securing said reversible upper assembly to said vertical support for enabling said upper assembly and said horizontally disposed crossbar to be pivoted downwardly from said horizontal position thereby pivotally moving said support hooks from said horizontal plane;

means for releasably locking said upper assembly in said generally horizontally disposed position; and

said means for removably mounting said clamp arm including a pair of vertically spaced apart mounting means for removably mounting said clamp arm at either of said pair of mounting means and said crossbar fixedly mounted to said bracket at a location vertically closer to one of said pair of mounting means than the other of said pair of mounting means.

14. The bicycle rack of claim 13 wherein said releasable locking means includes bracket locking aperture means provided in said bracket at a location vertically equidistant to both of said pair of vertically spaced apart mounting means.

15. The bicycle rack of claim 13 further comprising removable spacer means disposed between said lower base member and said trailer hitch for securely mounting said lower base assembly to different width trailer hitches.