Patent ID: 7296959
Filing Date: 2007-11-20
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. A deer-carrier rack for an all terrain vehicle, comprising: an attaching frame attached in an upright orientation to an end of an all-terrain vehicle spaced above a surface on which the vehicle is supported, the attaching frame having a lower end and an upper end, the lower end having a generally upstanding face facing outwardly from the vehicle; and a rigid deer support frame comprising spaced apart left and right generally co-extensive elongate dog leg rods, said rods forming a lever-like lift for lifting a deer between a deployed ground level position and an upright traveling position secured to the all-terrain vehicle, each of the rods having an axle end and an opposite outer end, the outer end of each of the rods having a length which is at least two times greater than a length of the axle end thereof, said rods having a concave portion connecting said axle end and said opposite outer end, the axle ends of the rods being rotatably attached to the upstanding face of the lower end of the attaching frame for generally upward and downward rotation of the deer support frame relative thereto between said deployed position wherein the axle ends of the rods extend downwardly and outwardly from the lower end of the attaching frame, and said upright position wherein the axle ends of the rods extend upwardly and outwardly from the lower end of the attaching frame, the outer ends of the dog leg rods being angularly related to the axle ends at an obtuse angle such that the axle ends and portions of the outer ends adjacent thereto form said concave portion of the dog leg rods located directly adjacent to the lower end of the attaching frame and oriented so as to face upwardly when the deer support frame is in the deployed position, and so as to face the attaching frame and define and bound a space therebetween when the deer support frame is in the upright position, said concave portion sized to carry and support said deer in said deployed and upright positions, the deer support frame including wing pieces adjacently connected to said concave portion and including elements configured for securing of said deer thereto, said wing pieces and said concave portion forming a generally horizontal support surface for said deer when in said deployed position and extending outwardly from the dog leg rods on opposite sides of the concave portion, respectively, directly adjacent to the lower end of the attaching frame, the wing pieces and the concave portion forming a sidewardly extending cradle shaped structure directly adjacent to the lower end of the attaching frame, the cradle shaped structure being configured for receiving and holding said deer against the lower end of the attaching frame in the space defined between the attaching frame and the concave portion when the deer support frame is in the upright position; wherein when the deer support frame is in the deployed position the outer ends of the dog leg rods will extend at least generally horizontally so as to form an unobstructed generally horizontal platform contiguous with the cradle shaped structure to allow said deer to be loaded onto the platform and positioned against the cradle shaped structure, and wherein the deer support frame with said deer supported thereon positioned against the cradle shaped structure can be rotated upwardly to the upright position such that the cradle shaped structure will contain and hold the deer against the lower end of the attaching frame, and at least one element configured for holding the deer support frame in the upright position with said deer contained and held by the cradle shaped structure.