# US 11,077,804 B2 · Foldable equipment rack > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,804 B2 - Document ID: US11077804B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/777,233 - Filed: 2020-01-30 - Published: 2020-07-30 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-30 - Assignees: Kuat Innovations LLC - Applicants: Kuat Innovations LLC - Inventors: Luke Kuschmeader; Aaron Houston; Jordan Bowles; Joshua Schwartz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077804B2 ## CPC - B60R 9/048: Carriers characterised by article-gripping {, -covering,}-retaining, or -locking means - B60R 9/08: specially adapted for sports gear (vehicles specially adapted for carrying aeroplanes, for carrying boats B60P) - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A rack is described for securing equipment, such as a kayak, to a vehicle. The rack has a base member, a support member, and a hinge assembly that pivotally connects the support member to the base member. The rack may be folded from an open configuration to a closed configuration. A handle or actuator on the base member may be operated to engage or disengage a latch mechanism to allow the hinge assembly to pivot or to be fixed to control the movement of the support member between desired positions in relation to the base member. The latch mechanism may comprise a shuttle assembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An equipment rack comprising: a base member; a support member pivotally attached to the base member by a hinge assembly; a shuttle assembly configured to disengage the support member from a locked position with respect to the base member; wherein the shuttle assembly comprises a first shuttle component moveably engaged to a second shuttle component such that movement of the second shuttle component and the first shuttle component disengages the support member from the locked position; the second shuttle component is configured to disengage from the first shuttle component. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The equipment rack of claim 1 wherein the shuttle assembly further comprises a biasing mechanism to disengage the second shuttle component from the first shuttle component. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The equipment rack of claim 1 wherein the first shuttle component comprises an arm having a protrusion, the second shuttle component comprises an arm having a protrusion; wherein the protrusion on the second shuttle component engages the protrusion on the first shuttle component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The equipment rack of claim 1 wherein the latch mechanism comprises a key having a protrusion for engaging a groove in the hinge assembly. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The equipment rack of claim 4 wherein the first shuttle component is configured to retract the key from the groove in the hinge assembly, and wherein the support member can pivot when the protrusion of the key is retracted from the groove. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The equipment rack of claim 5 wherein the first shuttle component further comprises an angled slot coupled to the key. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The equipment rack of claim 6 wherein the key is slidably disposed in the base member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The equipment rack of claim 1 further comprising an actuator, wherein movement of the actuator from a first position to a second position operates the shuttle assembly to disengage the support member from a locked position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The equipment rack of claim 8 wherein the shuttle assembly is configured to move the actuator from the second position to the first position while the support member is disengaged from the locked position. ### Claim 10 An equipment rack comprising: a base member; a support member pivotally attached to the base member by a hinge assembly; a shuttle member configured to disengage the support member from a locked position with respect to the base member; an actuator handle attached to the shuttle member; wherein the actuator handle is pivotally attached to the shuttle member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The equipment rack of claim 10 further comprising a fulcrum feature configured to act as a fulcrum for the actuator handle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The equipment rack of claim 11 wherein pivoting the actuator handle around the fulcrum feature translates the shuttle assembly and disengages the support member from a locked position. ### Claim 13 An equipment rack comprising: a base member; a support member pivotally attached to the base member by a hinge assembly; a shuttle member configured to disengage the support member from a locked position with respect to the base member; further comprising a latch mechanism comprising a key having a protrusion for engaging a groove in the hinge assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The equipment rack of claim 13 wherein the shuttle member is configured to retract the key from the groove in the hinge assembly, and wherein the support member can pivot when the protrusion of the key is retracted from the groove. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The equipment rack of claim 13 wherein the shuttle member further comprises a slot coupled to the key. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The equipment rack of claim 13 wherein a portion of a lengthwise dimension of the slot is disposed at an angle to the translation of the shuttle member. ### Claim 17 An equipment rack comprising: a base member, a support member pivotally attached to the base member by a hinge, a latch mechanism for the hinge, and an actuator for disengaging the latch mechanism via a shuttle member; wherein the shuttle member is configured to disengage from the actuator when the latch mechanism is disengaged. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The equipment rack of claim 17 wherein the shuttle member engages the actuator when the latch mechanism is engaged. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The equipment rack of claim 17 further comprising a biasing mechanism to translate the actuator to a closed position when not actuated by a user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The equipment rack of claim 17 wherein a protrusion on the actuator engages a protrusion on the shuttle member.