Articulated support rack for vehicles

An articulated support rack for attachment to the rear of a vehicle having a bumper with a top edge, comprising:

• a base member adapted for attachment to the rear of the vehicle;
• at least two upwardly extending support frame members pivotally attached to said base member to pivot between a raised position adjacent the vehicle and a lowered position spaced away from the vehicle;
• at least one horizontal mounting arm attached to said support frame members to remain substantially horizontal as said support frame members move between said raised and lowered positions;
• and
• a locking assembly attached to said base member including a lock plate for releasably engaging at least one of said support frame members to secure said support frame members in said raised position, a restraining member connected to said lock plate for preventing disengagement of said plate from said at least one support frame member, and a lever pivotally attached to said base member for selectively disengaging said lock plate from said at least one support frame member, wherein said locking assembly is located below the bumper top edge.

An articulated support rack for attachment to the rear of a vehicle having a bumper with a top edge, comprising:

• a base member adapted for attachment to the rear of a vehicle;
• at least two support frame members pivotally attached to said base member to pivot between a raised position adjacent the vehicle and a lowered position spaced away from the vehicle;
• at least one horizontal mounting arm attached to said support frame members to remain substantially horizontal as said support frame members move between said raised and lowered positions;
• and
• a locking assembly including a rod slidably mounted to one of said support frame members and having an end adapted to engage said base member to lock said support frame members in said raised position and a release mechanism connected to said rod for disengaging said rod from said base member.

An articulated support rack comprising:

• a base member;
• a coupling assembly connected to said base member for attaching said base member to a vehicle;
• two support frame members pivotally attached to said base member to pivot between a raised position adjacent the vehicle and a lowered position spaced from the vehicle;
• at least one horizontally oriented mounting arm attached to said support frame members to remain substantially horizontal as said support frame members move between said raised and lowered positions;
• and
• two locking plates hingedly secured to said base member in a position to releasably secure said support frame members in said raised position and a biasing means connected to said locking plates to urge said locking plates against said support frame members.

An articulated support rack for attachment to a vehicle comprising:

• a base member;
• a coupling assembly connected to said base member for attaching said base member to a vehicle;
• at least two support frame members pivotally attached to said base member to pivot between a raised position adjacent the vehicle and a lowered position spaced from the vehicle;
• and
• a ski rack including a vertically oriented main frame, at least two horizontally oriented mounting arms attached to said main frame and further attached to said support frame members to remain substantially horizontal when said support frame members move between said raised and lowered positions, a horizontally oriented support frame attached to said main frame adapted to support at least one pair of skis thereon, and a horizontally oriented locking frame spaced below said support frame adapted to secure the skis therein.