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US 2003/0155737 A1Published application
Bicycle trailer hitch or accessory mount
AssigneeTrek Bicycle Corporation
InventorsAaron Christopher Mock, Jeffrey Small
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bicycle trailer hitch or accessory mount uses a trailer tongue or accessory receiving flange on a body with a pin that is rotatably and removably carried in a integrally mounted bicycle frame socket, the body and socket each having a corresponding bearing surface.
Claims18
A bicycle trailer apparatus for a bicycle having a seat tube and seat stays comprising:
- a bicycle having a permanently affixed receptacle;
- said receptacle having a socket in a main tube;
- said tube having an aperture adapted to receive a pin;
- at the top of said socket is a reinforcing flange upon which is carried a bearing;
- said receptacle is mounted in close proximity to the seat tube at the intersection of and the space between the seat stays;
- an additional reinforcing structure bridges the space between the ends of seat stays to provide reinforcement for the mounting of said receptacle to said frame.
- a trailer hitch attachment member formed with a body;
- said body having a rearwardly depending flange and a downwardly depending pin;
- said pin has an end opposite said body;
- said body having a bearing surface at its bottom;
- said bearing contacting said bearing surface when said hitch attachment member is attached to said receptacle.
8 more elements
A bicycle apparatus for a bicycle frame:
- a bicycle having a permanently affixed receptacle;
- said receptacle having a socket in a main tube;
- said tube having an aperture adapted to receive a pin;
- at the top of said socket is a reinforcing flange upon which is carried a bearing;
- said receptacle is mounted in close proximity to the seat tube at the intersection of and the space between the seat stays;
- an additional reinforcing structure bridges the space between the ends of seat stays to provide reinforcement for the mounting of said receptacle to said frame;
- said bicycle frame has a substantially vertical seat tube with an axis;
- said axis is aligned so that when a pin is received in said aperture, most of the rearward tension and forward compression resulting from gravity, bicycle movement, acceleration and deceleration forces are imparted upon the aperture or bearing, respectively.
5 more elements
A bicycle accessory mounting apparatus comprising:
- an accessory attachment member formed with a body;
- said body having a rearwardly depending flange and a downwardly depending pin;
- said pin has an end opposite said body;
- said body having a bearing surface at its bottom;
- said bearing contacting said bearing surface when said attachment member is attached to a mating receptacle formed and arranged on a bicycle frame.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.