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US 2016/0355140 A1Published application
Adjustable bicycle carrier
AssigneeYakima Products, Inc.
InventorsDavid Condon, Jason A. Sagen, HaiTao Guo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjustable bicycle carrier may include a frame and a hub assembly. One or more limb members may be rotatably attached to the hub assembly. Each limb member may be selectively locked in position by a rotatable release mechanism having an axially-translating lock portion. The frame may define a continuous, closed perimeter. The hub assembly may be connected across the frame between upper and lower end portions of the frame.
Claims20
An adjustable bicycle carrier comprising:
- a frame having a continuous, closed outer perimeter, the configuration of the frame being the same in a collapsed position and a use position of the carrier;
- a hub assembly spanning the frame, the hub assembly including an axle member attached at each end to the frame by a fixed connection;
- a plurality of limb members, each limb member having a proximal end rotatably connected to the axle member of the hub assembly;
- a plurality of release mechanisms, one for each of the limb members, each of the release mechanisms having a manual interface rotatable about a long axis of the axle member and an associated set of locking portions movable by the release mechanism in a direction parallel to the long axis of the axle member;
- wherein each of the limb members is selectively operable in
- (a) a locked mode, in which the respective set of locking portions are engaged with the proximal end of the limb member, and
- (b) an unlocked mode, in which the respective release mechanism is rotated, the set of locking portions are disengaged from the limb member, and the limb member is rotatably positionable relative to the axle member.
4 more elements
An adjustable bicycle carrier comprising:
- a frame having a pair of opposing lateral frame portions;
- a hub assembly including an axle member having opposing ends respectively affixed to the opposing lateral frame portions;
- a release sleeve rotatably connected around the axle member, the release sleeve including a knob portion and an actuating portion having a helical slot formed therein;
- a locking sleeve keyed to the axle member such that the locking sleeve is translatable along a length of the axle member, the locking sleeve having an outer surface including a plurality of circumferentially disposed first teeth and a protrusion configured to interface with the helical slot of the release sleeve;
- and
- a limb member having a proximal hub portion rotatably connected around the axle member and a distal portion protruding from the hub assembly, the hub portion having an inner surface including a plurality of second teeth;
- wherein the bicycle carrier is selectively operable in a locked mode, in which the first teeth engage with the second teeth to prevent rotation of the limb member with respect to the axle member, and an unlocked mode, in which the release sleeve is rotated, the protrusion of the locking sleeve is urged in a lateral direction by the helical slot, the locking sleeve is translated along the axle member, and the first teeth are disengaged from the second teeth to allow rotational positioning of the limb member.
4 more elements
A method for adjusting a bicycle carrier, the method comprising:
- unlocking a selectively rotatable limb member of a bicycle carrier from a fixed central axle by rotating a release knob about the fixed central axle to force a corresponding locking sleeve to translate along the fixed central axle, thereby disengaging the locking sleeve from the support arm;
- rotating the limb member about the fixed central axle to a selected angular position while maintaining the position of the release knob;
- and
- locking the limb member in the selected angular position by rotating the release knob to cause the locking sleeve to reengage with the limb member;
- wherein the locking sleeve is keyed to the fixed central axle, such that the locking sleeve is prevented from rotating.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.