Bicycle carriers and skewer assemblies
AssigneeThule Sweden AB
InventorJoseph Settelmayer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly for securing a bicycle to a vehicle having first and second fork prongs. The assembly includes an elongated skewer for mounting the first and second fork prongs of the bicycle thereon and has an end portion. A lever rotatably couples to the end portion of the elongated skewer and has a cam portion. A cam follower movably couples to the elongated skewer and engages the cam portion of the lever such that the cam follower moves along the elongated skewer as the lever rotates. The assembly also includes a lock assembly, separate from the lever and the cam follower, that locks the lever at a closed position and couples to the end portion of the elongated skewer such that the lock assembly is disposed around the end portion of the elongated skewer.
Claims20
An assembly for securing a bicycle having first and second fork prongs to a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
- an elongated skewer for mounting the first and second fork prongs of the bicycle thereon and having an end portion;
- a lever rotatably coupled to the end portion of the elongated skewer and having a cam portion;
- a cam follower movably coupled to the elongated skewer, wherein the cam follower engages the cam portion of the lever such that the cam follower moves along the elongated skewer as the lever rotates;
- and
- a lock assembly, separate from the lever and the cam follower, that locks the lever at a closed position, wherein the lock assembly is coupled to the end portion of the elongated skewer such that the lock assembly is disposed around the end portion of the elongated skewer.
An assembly for securing a bicycle having first and second fork prongs to a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
- an elongated skewer for mounting the first and second fork prongs of the bicycle thereon and having an end portion;
- a lever rotatably coupled to the end portion of the elongated skewer and having a cam portion;
- a cam follower movably coupled to the elongated skewer, wherein the cam follower engages the cam portion of the lever and moves along the elongated skewer as the lever rotates;
- and
- a lock assembly, separate from the lever and the cam follower, that locks the lever at a closed position, wherein the lock assembly comprises:
- a fixed member directly coupled to the end portion of the elongated skewer,
- an extending member having a first end coupled to the fixed member, and
- a lock cylinder coupled to a second end of the extending member, wherein the lock cylinder is spaced from the end portion of the elongated skewer.
A system for securing a bicycle having first and second fork prongs to a vehicle roof, the system comprising:
- a carrier mounted to the vehicle roof, the roof having a proximal edge and a distal edge;
- a skewer coupled to the carrier configured to receive the first and second fork prongs of the bicycle thereon, the skewer having a first end portion disposed toward the proximal edge of the roof and a second end portion disposed toward the distal edge of the roof;
- an adjustment assembly coupled to the first end portion of the skewer, wherein the adjustment assembly comprises:
- a lever rotatably coupled to the first end portion of the skewer and having a cam portion,
- a cam follower movably coupled to the skewer, wherein the cam follower engages the cam portion of the lever and moves along the skewer as the lever rotates, and
- a lock assembly, separate from the lever and the cam follower, that locks the lever at a closed position, wherein the lock assembly is coupled to the first end portion of the skewer and disposed around the first end portion of the skewer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.