Bike rack having quick folding/unfolding function

• US 7,290,670 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chin-Sung Huang
• Original Assignee: Chin-Sung Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Chin-Sung
• Primary Examiner(s): NOVOSAD, JENNIFER ELEANORE
• Application Number:
  US11/179,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20070012634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 211/4, 211/17, 211/22, 224/520, 224/503, 224/504, 224/532, 224/924
• US Class Current: 211/17
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/10 for cycles

Abstract

A bike rack includes two main arms, two links, and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a first pivot member pivotally mounted on a first main arm, a second pivot member pivotally mounted on a second main arm and pivotally connected with the first pivot member, and a control handle secured to the second pivot member to drive the locking mechanism to expand and fold the two main arms. Thus, the control handle is held by a user'"'"' one hand to operate the locking mechanism so as to lock and unlock the bike rack, thereby facilitating the user mounting and detaching the bike rack.

Claims

1. A bike rack, comprising:

two main arms each having a lower end provided with a mounting member and an upper end provided with a support rod;

two opposite links pivotally mounted on the lower ends of the two main arms and located above the mounting members of the two main arms;

a locking mechanism pivotally mounted between the two main arms to limit movement of the two main arms;

wherein;

the locking mechanism includes a first pivot member pivotally mounted on a first one of the two main arms, a second pivot member pivotally mounted on a second one of the two main arms and pivotally connected with the first pivot member, and a control handle secured to the second pivot member to drive the locking mechanism between a first position where the locking mechanism is pressed downward so as to expand the two main arms and a second position where the locking mechanism is pivoted upward so as to fold the two main arms;

when the locking mechanism is disposed at the first position, the first pivot member and the second pivot member are in line with each other, and the control handle of the locking mechanism protrudes outwardly from the first pivot member and the second pivot member;

the control handle of the locking mechanism is substantially U-shaped;

the control handle of the locking mechanism has a first section secured to the second pivot member to drive the second pivot member and a second section protruded and spaced from the first section of the control handle and the second pivot member to facilitate a user gripping the control handle.

2. The bike rack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first pivot member of the locking mechanism has a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profile.

3. The bike rack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first pivot member of the locking mechanism includes two elongated upright pieces and a catch piece connected between the two upright pieces.

4. The bike rack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second pivot member of the locking mechanism has a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profile.

5. The bike rack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second pivot member of the locking mechanism includes two elongated upright plate and a catch plate connected between the two upright plates.

6. The bike rack in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the two main arms has a mediate portion formed with a through hole, the first pivot member of the locking mechanism has a first end formed with a pivot hole pivotally mounted on the through hole of the first main arm, and the second pivot member of the locking mechanism has a first end formed with a pivot hole pivotally mounted on the through hole of the second main arm.

7. The bike rack in accordance with claim 6, wherein the second pivot member of the locking mechanism has a mediate portion pivotally mounted on a second end of the first pivot member.

8. The bike rack in accordance with claim 7, wherein the second end of the first pivot member of the locking mechanism has a pivot bore, and the mediate portion of the second pivot member of the locking mechanism has a pivot bore pivotally mounted on the pivot bore of the first pivot member.

9. The bike rack in accordance with claim 8, wherein the second pivot member of the locking mechanism has a second end releasably locked on a mediate portion of the first pivot member by a screw member.

10. The bike rack in accordance with claim 9, wherein the mediate portion of the first pivot member of the locking mechanism has a positioning hole, the second end of the second pivot member of the locking mechanism has a positioning hole, and the screw member includes a locking screw extended through the positioning hole of the first pivot member, the positioning hole of the second pivot member and the first section of the control handle, and a locking nut screwed onto the locking screw to fix the second pivot member on the first pivot member.

11. The bike rack in accordance with claim 10, wherein the control handle is pushed downward to drive the second pivot member and the first pivot member to pivot downward until the second pivot member and the first pivot member are in line with each other, so that the positioning hole of the first pivot member is in alignment with the positioning hole of the second pivot member.

12. The bike rack in accordance with claim 10, wherein the control handle of the locking mechanism has an opening defined between the first section and the second section.

13. The bike rack in accordance with claim 10, wherein the positioning hole of the first pivot member is located between the pivot hole and the pivot bore of the first pivot member, and the pivot bore of the second pivot member is located between the positioning hole and the pivot hole and of the second pivot member.