Bike rack

• US 5,520,315 A
• Filed: 04/13/1995
• Issued: 05/28/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronald A. Graham
• Original Assignee: Ronald A. Graham
• Inventors: Graham, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sholl, Linda J.
• Application Number:
  US08/421,455
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 224/501, 224/509, 224/521, 224/525, 224/528, 224/530, 224/532, 224/534, 224/537, 224/924, 414/462, 280/504, 280/514, 280/515, 280/506, 280/493, 280/498, 280/495, 280/507
• US Class Current: 224/521
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/06 at vehicle front or rear rear luggage compartments within vehicle extensible externally of the vehicle body B60R5/041
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/10 for cycles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/924 Vehicle attached carrier for bicycle or motorcycle

Abstract

A bike rack apparatus is provided for supporting a bicycle on an automobile, and includes a channel for receiving the wheels of a bicycle and supporting the weight of the bicycle. The channel is supported on the automobile, preferably by a male hitch member sized for receipt in a female hitch member of the automobile, and includes a pair of clamps for stabilizing the apparatus on the automobile. The apparatus also includes a shackle assembly for holding a bicycle in an upright position on the channel and restraining movement of the bicycle relative to the channel.

Claims

1. A bike rack apparatus for supporting a bicycle on an automobile, wherein the automobile is provided with an elongated female hitch member presenting a rectangular opening and a pair of horizontal plates extending laterally from the female hitch member, and the bicycle includes a frame and a pair of wheels supported on the frame, the apparatus comprising:

a channel means for receiving the wheels of the bicycle and supporting the weight of the bicycle;

a support means for supporting the channel means on the automobile; and

a shackle means supported above the channel means for holding the bicycle in an upright position on the channel means and restraining movement of the bicycle relative to the channel means,

the support means including a support assembly on which the channel means and shackle means are mounted, and a hitch means for attaching the support assembly to the automobile,

the hitch means including a male hitch member of rectangular cross-sectional shape sized for receipt in the female hitch member of the automobile, and a pair of clamps rigidly secured to the support assembly and extending in a direction parallel to the male hitch member for clamping onto the horizontal plates to stabilize the apparatus during use.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising adaptor means for adapting the male hitch member for connection with female hitch members of varying sizes.