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US-20260125128-A1 - RECONFIGURABLE ARM FOR A BICYCLE RACK

US20260125128A1US 20260125128 A1US20260125128 A1US 20260125128A1US-20260125128-A1

Abstract

A bicycle rack is described with a platform for supporting a bicycle and an arm for securing the bicycle to the platform. The arm rotates or pivots from a closed position adjacent to the platform, to an open position to allow the loading of a bicycle. The arm may also be pivoted past the horizontal to an over-center position and further past horizontal to a lowered position. The arm may be provided with a latch mechanism to limit the rotation of the arm in certain ranges of rotation. The arm may be provided with an extending connector between the arm and the platform.

Inventors

  • Luke Kuschmeader
  • Austin Harrill
  • Jordan Bowles
  • AARON HOUSTON
  • Jonathan Graif

Assignees

  • KUAT INNOVATIONS LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251229

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An equipment rack for attachment to a vehicle, the equipment rack comprising: a platform for supporting a bicycle; an arm rotatably attached to the platform for securing the bicycle on the platform; and an extending connector connected to the arm and the platform; wherein the arm is rotatable from a closed position to an open position; and wherein the arm is further rotatable from the open position through an over-center position to a lowered position without disconnecting the extending connector from the arm or from the platform.
  2. 2 . The equipment rack of claim 1 , wherein the extending connector, when engaged, is configured to prevent the rotation of the arm from the closed position toward the open position.
  3. 3 . The equipment rack of claim 2 , wherein the extending connector does not limit the movement of the arm from the open position to the over-center position.
  4. 4 . The equipment rack of claim 2 , wherein the extending connector further comprises a latch.
  5. 5 . The equipment rack of claim 3 , wherein the extending connector is configured to limit the rotation of the arm from the lowered position to the over-center position.
  6. 6 . The equipment rack of claim 1 , wherein the extending connector is configured to rotate the arm from the closed position to the open position.
  7. 7 . The equipment rack of claim 6 , wherein the extending connector is configured to rotate the arm from the lowered position to the over-center position.
  8. 8 . The equipment rack of claim 4 , wherein the latch comprises a linear ratchet and pawl, and the extending connector comprises a gas spring.
  9. 9 . An equipment rack for a bicycle, the equipment rack comprising: a platform for receiving a tire of a bicycle; an arm pivotally attached to the platform for securing a tire of a bicycle on the platform; and an extending connector attached to the arm and the platform; wherein the arm is rotatable from a closed position to a lowered position and back; wherein the arm passes through an over-center position as it rotates between the closed position and the lowered position; and wherein the extending connector remains attached to the platform and the arm.
  10. 10 . The equipment rack of claim 9 , wherein the extending connector allows rotation of the arm between an upper limit position and a lower limit position; wherein the upper limit position is disposed between the closed position and the over-center position; and wherein the over-center position is disposed between the upper limit position and the lower limit position.
  11. 11 . The equipment rack of claim 9 , wherein the extending connector comprises a linear ratchet and pawl.
  12. 12 . The equipment rack of claim 9 , wherein the extending connector is configured to rotate the arm from the closed position to the open position.
  13. 13 . The equipment rack of claim 12 , wherein the extending connector comprises a gas spring.
  14. 14 . The equipment rack of claim 12 , wherein the extending connector is a telescoping arm.
  15. 15 . An equipment rack for attachment to a vehicle, the equipment rack comprising: a platform for supporting a bicycle; an arm rotatably attached to the platform for securing the bicycle on the platform; and an extending connector connected to the arm and the platform; wherein the arm is rotatable from a closed position to an open position; wherein the arm is rotatable from the open position to an over-center position without disconnecting the extending connector from either the arm or the platform.
  16. 16 . The equipment rack of claim 15 , wherein the extending connector comprises a telescoping arm.
  17. 17 . The equipment rack of claim 15 , wherein the extending connector comprises a linear ratchet and a pawl.
  18. 18 . The equipment rack of claim 17 , wherein the extending connector further comprises a linkage connecting the linear ratchet to the arm.
  19. 19 . The equipment rack of claim 16 , wherein the extending connector further comprises an actuator configured to rotate the arm from the closed position to the open position.
  20. 20 . The equipment rack of claim 19 wherein the actuator is a gas spring.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit and is a continuation of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/816,175 filed on Jul. 29, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application 17,516,813 filed on Nov. 2, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,919,589 issued on Mar. 5, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/686,008 filed Nov. 15, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,208,167 issued on Dec. 8, 2021, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND Field of the Invention This disclosure is in the field of equipment racks for carrying equipment, such as bicycles, on a vehicle. The disclosure relates to devices and systems for actuating various components of the equipment racks to make them easier to use and more secure. Description of the Related Art Some bicycle racks utilize one or more pivoting arms to secure the frame or the tires of a bicycle onto a platform provided on the frame of the bicycle rack of the type shown in FIG. 1. The arm may be provided with an attachment fixture that is hook or hoop shaped to contact the surface of the frame or tire of the bicycle and apply a force on it to retain the bicycle on the rack. In other embodiments the arms may also be provided with other types of attachment fixtures to secure the frame or other tires of the bicycle to the rack. An example of a bicycle rack of this type is depicted in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0072237. In some of these devices the arm is pivotally attached at a first point along the length of the arm to the frame of the bicycle rack. A tire chock component of the hoop or hook may be at or near the other end of the arm and may be adjustably attached so that the tire chock may be moved along a portion of the length of the arm to adjust the hoop or hook to the size of the bicycle tires or frame. In some cases the length of the arm may be adjustable to move the tire chock component to the desired position. In many of these devices the user pivots the arm to an open position to allow a bicycle to be placed on the rack. The user then places the bicycle on the rack, and the arm is then pivoted back in the other direction until the tire chock on the arm is brought into contact with the frame or tire of the bicycle. Depending on the design of the specific device, this contact may be accomplished partially through pivoting of the arm and partially through adjustment of the tire chock position. In various such devices, the arm or the tire chock is then secured or locked in place in a retention position to hold the bicycle on the rack. In some versions of these types of bicycle racks, the arm may fold or pivot to a stowed position that is substantially flat against or adjacent to the frame of the bicycle rack when not in use to secure a bicycle. Among other advantages, this closed position reduces wind resistance and noise and reduces the chance of damage to the arm. In current bicycle racks that utilize one or more pivoting arms as described above, a variety of adjustment and retention mechanisms are utilized to secure an arm in a desired position, whether it be in the closed position, the open position, or the retention position against the tire or frame of a bicycle. The retention mechanism must allow a user to secure the arm in whatever position is desired by the user of the rack when in use on a bicycle or stowed and allow the arm to pivot from one position to another when desired by the user. In bicycle racks of this type, the arm often requires a user to utilize two hands to reposition the arm from one position to another position while releasing the retention mechanism. In some versions of the rack, the user may have to hold the retention mechanism in a disengaged configuration while pivoting the arm to the new position. In other versions of these types of racks, it may be necessary for a user to hold the arm in the desired position with one hand while using the other hand to engage or disengage the retention mechanism. In some versions of the rack, it may be practically necessary for a user to use both hands to pivot the arm or adjust the tire chock. In the prior versions of bicycle racks of this type, both hands of the user are simultaneously required to manipulate and adjust the arm and the rack, making it difficult to (i) hold a bike while opening the rack, (ii) place the bike onto the rack when the arm is in the open position, (iii) hold the bike while adjusting the arm into the retention position, or (iv) engage or disengage the retention mechanism. As a result, existing racks of this type may require a user to either utilize awkward positions and other body parts such as forearms, elbows, knees, or hips to hold the bicycle or move the arm or require the user to have help from an additional person. The bicycle rack described herein provides an improvement over currently used bicycle racks because it provides an actuated arm that may be fully adjusted to a