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US 10,160,371 B2Granted
Vehicle rack
AssigneeFrost Contracting, Inc.
InventorRichard J. Frost
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle rack for hauling one or more personal recreational vehicles is provided. A vehicle rack may be adjustable to allow one or more personal recreation vehicles to be stored above a vehicle's cargo area allowing the vehicle to also tow a trailer.
Claims18
A vehicle rack for conveying a personal vehicle, comprising:
- an outer frame, the outer frame operable to mount to a bed side rail of a vehicle, the outer frame comprising two longitudinal outer frame parallel members, the two longitudinal outer frame parallel members joined by at least one outer frame cross member;
- at least one inner frame, the at least one inner frame operatively connected to the at least one outer frame cross member, the at least one inner frame comprising two longitudinal inner frame parallel members, the two longitudinal inner frame parallel members joined by at least one inner frame cross member;
- two telescoping members, each telescoping member operatively connected to a longitudinal inner frame parallel member, the two telescoping members operable to extend from and retract to the two longitudinal inner frame parallel members, such that when extended, the two telescoping members form a substantially parallel rail operable to convey an item for storage on the inner frame;
- and
- at least two telescoping member guides, the at least two telescoping member guides each operatively connected to each of the two longitudinal inner frame parallel members, the at least two telescoping member guides operable to guide and retain each of the two telescoping members, the at least two telescoping member guides further operable to adjust an angle of each of the two telescoping members,
- wherein the vehicle rack is mountable to the bed side rail of the vehicle such that the vehicle rack is clear of a tailgate and a bed of the vehicle effective to permit one or more of:
- use of the tailgate and the bed of the vehicle while the vehicle rack is mounted;
- and
- use of a trailer attached to the vehicle without interference from the personal recreational vehicle loaded on the vehicle rack;
- and
- wherein each of the two telescoping members is selectively removable from the at least one inner frame, each of the two telescoping members further comprising a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, the distal end portion operable to telescope away from the at least one inner frame and the proximal end portion operable to remain operatively connected to the at least one inner frame, wherein the distal end portions are operatively connected by a wheeled dolly, and wherein:
- a height and angle of the wheeled dolly is adjustable;
- and
- the two telescoping members, together with the wheeled dolly, are selectively mountable to the at least one inner frame to place the wheeled dolly in a wheels-down orientation or a wheels-up orientation.
11 more elements
A vehicle rack, comprising:
- an outer frame operable to mount to a bed side rail of a vehicle, the outer frame comprising two longitudinal outer frame parallel members, the two longitudinal outer frame parallel members joined by at least one outer frame cross member, the at least one outer frame cross member adjustable in three dimensional space relative to the two longitudinal outer frame parallel members to vary at least one of a length, a height, and a depth of the at least one outer frame cross member relative to the two longitudinal outer frame parallel members;
- at least one inner frame, the at least one inner frame operatively connected to the at least one outer frame cross member by at least one adjustable inner frame standoff, the at least one inner frame comprising two longitudinal inner frame parallel members, the two longitudinal inner frame parallel members joined by at least one inner frame cross member;
- two telescoping members, each telescoping member operatively connected to a longitudinal inner frame parallel member, the two telescoping members operable to extend from and retract to the two longitudinal inner frame parallel members, such that when extended, the two telescoping members form a substantially parallel rail operable to convey an item for storage on the inner frame;
- and
- at least two telescoping member guides, the at least two telescoping member guides each operatively connected to each of the two longitudinal inner frame parallel members, the at least two telescoping member guides operable to guide and retain each of the two telescoping members, the at least two telescoping member guides further operable to adjust an angle of each of the two telescoping members,
- wherein the vehicle rack is mountable to the bed side rail of the vehicle such that the vehicle rack is clear of a tailgate and a bed of the vehicle effective to permit one or more of:
- use of the tailgate and the bed of the vehicle while the vehicle rack is mounted;
- and
- use of a trailer attached to the vehicle without interference from a personal recreational vehicle loaded on the vehicle rack;
- and
- wherein a portion of the vehicle rack other than the two longitudinal outer frame parallel members being selectively removable from the two longitudinal outer frame parallel members according to disconnection of one or more of:
- at least one removable vertical member coupled to one or more sockets that together operatively couple the at least one outer frame cross member to the two longitudinal outer frame parallel members, the at least one removable vertical member being coupled to one or more sockets via quick-connect hardware;
- one or more removable standoffs that operatively couple the at least one outer frame cross member to the longitudinal inner frame parallel members, the one or more removable standoffs being operatively coupled to the at least one outer frame cross member and/or the longitudinal inner frame parallel members via quick-connect hardware;
- and
- a bolted connection between one outer frame cross member and the longitudinal inner frame parallel members.
12 more elements
A method for using a vehicle rack mounted to a vehicle, comprising:
- the vehicle rack including:
- an outer frame operable to mount to a bed side rail of a vehicle, the outer frame comprising two longitudinal outer frame parallel members, the two longitudinal outer frame parallel members joined by at least one outer frame cross member;
- at least one inner frame, the at least one inner frame operatively connected to the at least one outer frame cross member by at least one adjustable inner frame standoff, the at least one inner frame comprising two longitudinal inner frame parallel members, the two longitudinal inner frame parallel members joined by at least one inner frame cross member;
- two telescoping members, each telescoping member operatively connected to a longitudinal inner frame parallel member, the two telescoping members operable to extend from and retract to the two longitudinal inner frame parallel members, such that when extended, the two telescoping members form a substantially parallel rail operable to convey an item for storage on the inner frame;
- and
- at least two telescoping member guides, the at least two telescoping member guides each operatively connected to each of the two longitudinal inner frame parallel members, the at least two telescoping member guides operable to guide and retain each of the two telescoping members, the at least two telescoping member guides further operable to adjust an angle of each of the two telescoping members;
- mounting the vehicle rack to a bed side rail of the vehicle such that the vehicle rack is clear of a tailgate and the bed of the vehicle effective to permit one or more of:
- use of the tailgate and the bed of the vehicle while the vehicle rack is mounted;
- and
- use of a trailer attached to the vehicle without interference from a personal recreational vehicle loaded on the vehicle rack;
- adjusting the at least one outer frame cross member in three dimensional space relative to the two longitudinal outer frame parallel members to vary at least one of a length, a height, and a depth of the at least one outer frame cross member relative to the two longitudinal outer frame parallel members;
- removing one or more quick-connect hardware from a distal end of each of two or more telescoping member guides to free two retracted telescoping members connected to the at least one inner frame;
- extending two telescoping members from the at least one inner frame;
- securing a proximate end of the extended telescoping member to at least one telescoping member guide with the one or more quick-connect hardware;
- securing at least one of a rope, chain, and cable to a personal recreational vehicle;
- applying a tension with a tensioning device to the at least one of a rope, chain, and cable, such that the tension draws the personal recreational vehicle onto the two extended telescoping members and further onto the at least one inner frame;
- removing the one or more quick-connect hardware from each of the at least one telescoping member guides to free the proximate end of each of the two extended telescoping members;
- and
- retracting the proximate end of each of the two extended telescoping members back toward the at least one inner frame;
- and re-securing the one or more quick-connect hardware to both of a distal end of telescoping members and telescoping member guides to secure telescoping members relative to the at least one inner frame.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.