Back to results
US 6,745,926 B2Granted
Securement arrangement for a hitch-mount carrier
AssigneeThule Sweden AB
InventorThomas A. Chimenti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeThule Sweden AB
InventorThomas A. Chimenti
Estimating the term…
Hitch mount load carrier including a stinger adapted to be stabbingly received in a hitch mount receiver of a carrying vehicle. A fixed upright post is stationarily coupled to the stinger, and an upright load supporting member is coupled to the fixed upright post by an expandable and contractable or swing-away linkage. A securement arrangement is adapted to releasably couple the upright load supporting member to the fixed upright post. The securement arrangement has a threaded receiver positioned upon the upright load supporting member at an aperture extending through at least a portion of the upright load supporting member. An elongate slot is positioned upon the fixed upright post and is configured to receive a threaded bolt therethrough. A threaded bolt is provided and configured to be insertible through the elongate slot and dimensioned to be vertically variably positionable in the elongate slot. An operator handle is connected to the threaded bolt for accommodating operator actuation of the securement arrangement.
A hitch mount load carrier comprising:
A hitch mount load carrier comprising:
A load carrier arrangement comprising:
A hitch mount load carrier comprising:
A hitch mount load carrier comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like: at vehicle front or rear
Package and article carriers: vehicle attached carrier for bicycle or motorcycle
Vehicle fittings and parts
Technical subjects covered by former uspc cross-reference art collections [xracs] and digests
Term ended 10 Aug 2021 (estimated)
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to load carriers. More specifically, the invention relates to hitch-mounted load carriers often referred to as being of the swing-away type.
2. Background of the Invention
The invention will now be described in greater detail in the following way of example only and with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a diamond-style carrier in an expanded configuration constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention taken from a forward (from the carrying vehicle) position.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carrier of FIG. 1 in a secured traveling configuration taken from a rearward (toward the carrying vehicle) position.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claim(s) and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
Referring to the Figures and using like reference numerals to identify like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a diamond-style load carrier 05 adaptable for carrying such things as sports equipment, and particularly bicycles. It should be appreciated that in the illustrations only the lower portion of the carrier 05 is shown, including a stinger 10 configured to stab into a hitch receiver of a transporting vehicle (not shown). A pin receiver 15 is shown in the form of an aperture through the distal end of the stinger 10. By conventional design, the receiver 15 is adapted to accept a pin (not shown) that releasably connects the carrier 05 to the vehicle.
A fixed upright post 20 is permanently connected upon the stinger 10. An extensible connection 30 is provided between the fixed post 20 and an upright load supporting member 50. The connection 30 is of a diamond-style which expands, contracts, and swings from side-to-side for variably positioning a carried load, such as bicycles, with respect to the carrying vehicle. This configuration is often selected to give clearance space behind the transporting vehicle without unloading the carried cargo. A prime example is when it is desired to access the trunk or tailgated area of the vehicle, but not unload bicycles being carried on a hitch mount carrier.