Patent ID: 9056640
Filing Date: 2015-06-16
Classification: B62H

Abstract:
1. A retractable vertical mount bicycle storage rack comprising: a spacer plate having a rear surface adapted to be mounted to a vertical mounting surface, a left side and a right side, and a front surface; a vertically oriented plate attached to the front surface of the spacer plate and having a top end, a bottom end, a left side, and a right side, whereby a pivot point is located near the top end of the vertically oriented plate; a vertically oriented slot is located in between the spacer plate and the vertically oriented plate and extends in between the right and left sides of the spacer plate and vertically oriented plate, whereby the vertically oriented slot has an uppermost point and a lowermost point, and the slot is located directly under the pivot point; a first and second cradle arm, whereby the first arm is located on the left side of the plates and the second arm is located on the right side of the plates, and the cradle arms separated by a first horizontal spacer attached at proximal ends thereof, whereby the first horizontal spacer extends through the pivot point, and the cradle arms having a second horizontal spacer attached at free opposite distal ends of each of the cradle arms; a first and second structural support member, whereby the first support member is located on the left side of the plates and the second support member is located on the right side of the plates, and the support members are separated by a third horizontal spacer attached at mid-positions of the two said support members and a fourth horizontal spacer attached at proximal ends thereof which interacts with and extend through said vertically oriented slot; said structural support members connect at two opposing pivot joints at a mid-position of each of said cradle arms creating two opposing articulating joints; two opposing stabilizer brackets located at the top of the rack to provide stabilization to a front wheel of bicycle that is adapted to rest upon the second horizontal spacer located at the distal ends of the two said cradle arms and the third horizontal spacer located at the mid-position of the two said support members, thus preventing the wheel from tilting excessively to one side or the other; a bicycle retention safety strap assembly located between said stabilizer brackets and said pivot point for securing the front wheel to the rack; whereby the strap assembly comprises a first sub-assembly which attaches to the left side of the mounting plate or vertically oriented plate with a first footman's loop, and the strap assembly further comprises a second sub-assembly having a buckle at a free end thereof, and the second sub-assembly attaches to the right side of the mounting plate or vertically oriented plate by a second footman's loop; said first sub-assembly is adapted to pass through the front wheel resting in said rack and interfaces with said buckle of the said second sub-assembly and is pulled to capture said front wheel to the rack; wherein when said rack is in an open position, said cradle arms and said support members freely extend outward from the rack and mechanically lock into the open position when the fourth spacer is located at the lowermost point of the vertical slot, thereby allowing the bicycle to be stored in a vertical orientation and only making contact with the front wheel and holding the longitudinal axis of the bicycle parallel to the mounting surface with a rear wheel of the bicycle hanging freely below; and wherein when said rack is in a closed position, said rack utilizes a combination of the pivot point, said two pivot joints at the mid-position of the cradle arms, and said slot to allow the rack to freely retract and collapse upon itself for a low profile, when the cradle arms are pivoted about the articulating joints and said fourth spacer is located at the uppermost point of the vertical slot.