Pivoting sports equipment carrier

A pivoting equipment carrier adapted for use with a vehicle having a receiver hitch for receiving said pivoting equipment carrier, said pivoting equipment carrier being movable between a first closed position, wherein equipment carried by said pivoting equipment carrier is held at a desired spaced distance from a rear bumper of said vehicle, and a second clearance position, wherein said equipment carried by said equipment carrier is swung rearwardly and outwardly to one side of said vehicle in order to permit full and unobstructed access to a rear entry of said vehicle, said pivoting equipment carrier comprising:

• a) a first fixed horizontal support member adapted to be aligned generally parallel with said rear bumper of said vehicle, said first fixed horizontal support member including an inboard end adapted to be removably coupled to said receiver hitch of said vehicle and an outboard end;
• b) a second movable horizontal support member disposed in coplanar relationship with said first fixed horizontal support arm and including an inboard end and an outboard end;
• c) a first hinge pivot assembly for pivotally connecting said inboard end of said second movable horizontal support member to said outboard end of said first fixed horizontal support member, said first hinge pivot assembly effective to pivot said second movable horizontal member in a horizontal plane about a generally vertical pivot axis through an arc of about 180 degrees between a first closed position, wherein said second movable horizontal support member is disposed generally parallel to and behind said first fixed horizontal support member, and a second extended position, wherein said second movable horizontal support member is in substantially colinear relation with said first fixed horizontal support member and said outboard end of said second movable horizontal support member extends a desired lateral clearance distance beyond a side jamb of said rear entry of said vehicle;
• d) a generally vertically oriented support member including a lower end portion and an upper end portion;
• e) an equipment carrier assembly disposed on said upper end portion of said generally vertically oriented support member;
• f) a second hinge pivot assembly for pivotally connecting said lower end portion of said generally vertically oriented support member to said outboard end of said second movable horizontal support member, said second hinge pivot assembly effective to pivot said generally vertically oriented support member and equipment carrier assembly about a generally vertical axis through an arc of about 90 degrees between a first transport position and a second clearance position;
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• g) a first spring-biased locking assembly for releasably locking said generally vertically oriented support member in said second clearance position as said second movable horizontal support member is being moved between said first closed position and said second extended position.

A pivoting equipment carrier adapted for use with a vehicle having a receiver hitch for receiving said pivoting equipment carrier, said pivoting equipment carrier being movable between a first closed position, wherein equipment carried by said pivoting equipment carrier is held at a desired spaced distance from a rear bumper of said vehicle, and a second clearance position, wherein said equipment carried by said equipment carrier is swung rearwardly and outwardly to one side of said vehicle in order to permit full and unobstructed access to a rear entry of said vehicle, said pivoting equipment carrier comprising:

• a) a first fixed horizontal support member adapted to be aligned generally parallel with said rear bumper of said vehicle, said first fixed horizontal support member including an inboard end and an outboard end;
• b) coupling means for removably coupling said inboard end of said first fixed horizontal support member to said receiver hitch of said vehicle;
• c) a second movable horizontal support member disposed in coplanar relationship with said first fixed horizontal support arm and including an inboard end and an outboard end;
• d) said first and second horizontal support members are approximately equal in length and each have a length dimension, falling within a range of lengths between 1/4 to 1/2 total length of said rear bumper of said vehicle;
• e) first hinge means for pivotally connecting said inboard end of said second movable horizontal support member to said outboard end of said first fixed horizontal support member, said first hinge means effective to pivot said second movable horizontal member in a horizontal plane about a generally vertical pivot axis through an arc of about 180 degrees between a first closed position, wherein said second movable horizontal support member is disposed generally parallel to and behind said first fixed horizontal support member, and a second extended position, wherein said second movable horizontal support member is in substantially colinear relation with said first fixed horizontal support member and said outboard end of said second movable horizontal support member extends a desired lateral clearance distance beyond a side jamb of said rear entry of said vehicle;
• f) a generally vertically oriented support member including a lower end portion and an upper end portion, said upper end portion adapted for detachbly mounting a sports equipment carrier assembly thereon;
• g) second hinge means for pivotally connecting said lower end portion of said generally vertically oriented support member to said outboard end of said second movable horizontal support member, said second hinge means effective to pivot said generally vertically oriented support member and equipment carrier assembly about a generally vertical axis through an arc of about 90 degrees between a first transport position and a second clearance position.

A pivoting equipment carrier adapted for use with a vehicle having a receiver hitch for receiving said pivoting equipment carrier, said pivoting equipment carrier being movable between a first closed position, wherein equipment carried by said pivoting equipment carrier is held at a desired spaced distance from a rear bumper of said vehicle, and a second clearance position, wherein said equipment carried by said equipment carrier is swung rearwardly and outwardly to one side of said vehicle in order to permit full and unobstructed access to a rear entry of said vehicle, said pivoting equipment carrier comprising:

• a) a first fixed horizontal support member adapted to be aligned generally parallel with said rear bumper of said vehicle, said first fixed horizontal support member including an inboard end adapted to be removably coupled to said receiver hitch of said vehicle and an outboard end;
• b) a second movable horizontal support member disposed in coplanar relationship with said first fixed horizontal support arm and including an inboard end and an outboard end;
• c) said first and second horizontal support members are approximately equal in length and each have a length dimension falling within a range of between 1/4 to 1/2 total length of said rear bumper of said vehicle;
• d) first hinge pivot assembly for pivotally connecting said inboard end of said second movable horizontal support member to said outboard end of said first fixed horizontal support member, said first hinge pivot assembly effective to pivot said second movable horizontal member in a horizontal plane about a generally vertical pivot axis through an arc of about 180 degrees between a first closed position, wherein said second movable horizontal support member is disposed generally parallel to and behind said first fixed horizontal support member, and a second extended position, wherein said second movable horizontal support member is in substantially colinear relation with said first fixed horizontal support member and said outboard end of said second movable horizontal support member extends a desired lateral clearance distance beyond a side jamb of said rear entry of said vehicle;
• e) a generally vertically oriented support member including a lower end portion and an upper end portion, said upper end portion adapted for detachbly mounting a sports equipment carrier assembly thereon;
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• f) a second hinge pivot assembly for pivotally connecting said lower end portion of said generally vertically oriented support member to said outboard end of said second movable horizontal support member, said second hinge pivot assembly effective to pivot said generally vertically oriented support member and equipment carrier assembly about a generally vertical axis through an arc of about 90 degrees between a first transport position and a second clearance position.