Bicycle carrier for carrying a bicycle with a car

• US 5,950,892 A
• Filed: 03/30/1998
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chiu-Man Chang-Kao, Yu-Lung Tsai
• Original Assignee: Chiu-Man Chang-Kao, Yu-Lung Tsai
• Inventors: Tsai, Yu-Lung
• Primary Examiner(s): Sholl, Linda J.
• Application Number:
  US09/049,912
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 224/520, 224/497, 224/502, 224/510, 224/532, 224/924
• US Class Current: 224/520
• 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 bicycle carrier includes two frames between which a connecting device and an engaging device are respectively disposed. One of the frames has a tongue member extending laterally from a lower end thereof. The engaging device includes a retaining member having an open bottom and a second recess is defined in a peripheral wall of the retaining member and communicates with the open bottom so that a connecting sphere of a car is received in the retaining member via the open bottom and limited by the tongue member.

Claims

1. A bicycle carrier for carrying a bicycle with a car which has a connecting sphere, said bicycle carrier comprising:

two frames each having a lower end and an upper end, one of said two lower ends having a tongue member extending laterally therefrom and said tongue member having a first recess defined in a distal end thereof;

a connecting means adjustably connected between said two frames;

two supporting members respectively disposed to said two upper ends of said frames, and

an engaging means connected between said two lower ends of said frames and including a retaining member which has an open bottom, a second recess defined in a peripheral wall of said retaining member and communicating with said open bottom so that said connecting sphere is adapted to be received in said retaining member via said open bottom and limited by said tongue member.

2. The bicycle carrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein said retaining member has a ring mounted to a periphery defining said open bottom.

3. The bicycle carrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting means includes a rod which has one of two ends thereof pivotally connected to one of said two frames, a sleeve rotatably mounted to the other end of said rod and having an inner threaded periphery, and a threaded rod which has one of two ends thereof pivotally connected to the other one of said two frames, said threaded rod being threadedly received in said sleeve.

4. The bicycle carrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said supporting members includes a tube adjustably and retractably received in said respective frame, said tube having a notch defined in a peripheral wall of an upper end thereof and a supporting plate extending laterally from an edge defining said notch, two blocks respectively slidably received in said respective tubes and each block pivotally connected to a first end of a supporting rod corresponding thereto, two pins respectively extending through said respective peripheral wall of said upper end of said tubes so as to limit each of said blocks from being dropped from said upper end of said tube corresponding thereto so that said supporting rods and said blocks are respectively retractable in said tubes.

5. The bicycle carrier as claimed in claim 4 wherein each said supporting rods has an inclined second end.

6. The bicycle carrier as claimed in claim 4 wherein each said supporting rods is pivotable to be supported on said supporting plate corresponding thereto.

7. A bicycle carrier for carrying a bicycle with a car which has a connecting sphere, said bicycle carrier comprising:

two frames each having a lower end and an upper end, an engaging means disposed between said two lower ends of said two frames so that said connecting sphere is adapted to be received in said engaging means;

a connecting means adjustably connected between said two frames, and

two supporting members respectively disposed to said two upper ends of said frames, each said supporting members including a tube retractably and adjustably received in said respective frame, said tube having a notch defined in a peripheral wall of an upper end thereof and a supporting plate extending laterally from an edge defining said notch, two blocks respectively slidably received in said respective tubes and each block pivotally connected to a first end of a supporting rod corresponding thereto, two pins respectively extending through said respective peripheral wall of said upper end of said tubes so as to limit each of said blocks from being dropped from said upper end of said tube corresponding thereto so that said supporting rods and said blocks are respectively retractable in said tubes.

8. The bicycle carrier as claimed in claim 7 wherein each said supporting rods has an inclined second end.

9. The bicycle carrier as claimed in claim 7 wherein each said supporting rods is pivotable to be supported on said supporting plate corresponding thereto.

10. The bicycle carrier as claimed in claim 7 wherein one of said two lower ends of said frames has a tongue member extending laterally therefrom and said tongue member has a first recess defined in a distal end thereof, said engaging means including a retaining member which has an open bottom, a second recess defined in a peripheral wall of said retaining member and communicating with said open bottom so that said connecting sphere is adapted to be received in said retaining member via said open bottom and limited by said tongue member.

11. The bicycle carrier as claimed in claim 10 wherein said retaining member has a ring mounted to a periphery defining said open bottom.

12. The bicycle carrier as claimed in claim 7 wherein said connecting means includes a rod which has one of two ends thereof pivotally connected to one of said two frames, a sleeve rotatably mounted to the other end of said rod and having an inner threaded periphery, and a threaded rod which has one of two ends thereof pivotally connected to the other one of said two frames, said threaded rod being threadedly received in said sleeve.