Pivotal cargo carrier for vehicles

An apparatus for assisting a user to support a load adjacent a vehicle during transit, said apparatus comprising:

• an elongated tubular cross-member formed from rigid material and having a longitudinal axis equidistantly spaced from a rear portion of a vehicle, said cross-member including an anchor flange integrally connected thereto and disposed substantially medially along the length thereof, said anchor flange being sized and shaped for fitting into a vehicle hitch receiver such that said cross-member becomes situated rearward of the hitch receiver;
• a substantially rectangular rack section having a centrally disposed longitudinal axis operably connected to said cross-member, said rack section having an elongated bottom surface formed from durable mesh material such that a heavy load can be supported thereon;
• means for selectively pivoting said rack section along an arcuate path extending away from the vehicle such that said rack section can be biased between extended and retracted positions defined along a selected quadrant, said extended and retracted positions being further defined when the axis is positioned substantially horizontal and substantially orthogonal to the vehicle bumper respectively;
• and
• means for supporting said rack section at a substantially stable position such that a user can readily position the heavy load onto said bottom surface after said rack section is pivoted to the extended position.

An apparatus for assisting a user to support a load adjacent a vehicle during transit, said apparatus comprising:

• an elongated tubular cross-member formed from rigid material and having a longitudinal axis equidistantly spaced from a rear portion of a vehicle, said cross-member including an anchor flange integrally connected thereto and disposed substantially medially along the length thereof, said anchor flange having a plurality of apertures and being sized and shaped for fitting into a vehicle hitch receiver such that said cross-member becomes situated rearward of the hitch receiver when a quick-release locking pin is traversed through aligned ones of the apertures;
• a substantially rectangular rack section having a centrally disposed longitudinal axis operably connected to said cross-member, said rack section having an elongated bottom surface formed from durable mesh material such that a heavy load can be supported thereon;
• means for selectively pivoting said rack section along an arcuate path extending away from the vehicle such that said rack section can be biased between extended and retracted positions defined along a selected quadrant, said extended and retracted positions being further defined when the axis is positioned substantially horizontal and substantially orthogonal to the vehicle bumper respectively;
• and
• means for supporting said rack section at a substantially stable position such that a user can readily position the heavy load onto said bottom surface after said rack section is pivoted to the extended position.