Patent ID: 8708361
Filing Date: 2014-04-29
Classification: B62H

Abstract:
1. A bicycle outrigger support assembly for use with a bicycle of the type having a frame formed with a central tube with forward and rearward ends, front and rear wheels coupled to the frame, handle bars coupled to and extending upwardly from the frame, pedals secured to and extending laterally from the tube adjacent to the forward end of the tube, a drive chain operatively coupling the pedals and the rear wheel, a seat mounted on the tube between the front and rear wheels, the outrigger support assembly comprising: two outrigger wheels positioned on opposite sides of the frame and the front and rear wheels; a support structure on each side of the frame, each structure having an interior end coupled to the frame and an exterior end with an outrigger wheel rotatably supported on an associated exterior end; a hinge on each support structure, the hinges adapted to move simultaneously between a lowered orientation with the outrigger wheels closely spaced from ground and a raised orientation with the outrigger wheels distantly spaced from the ground; a control handle coupled to the tube beneath the seat, additional links, each additional link having an upper end operatively coupled to the handle and a lower end operatively coupled to the support structure whereby the control handle is adapted to be manipulated to move the additional links and, in response thereto, to move the outrigger wheels between the raised and lowered orientations; a control assembly including upper links pivotable about an upper horizontal axis with the control handle, the control, assembly including lower links pivotable about a lower axis with the support structures, the upper link having a forward extent and a rearward extent, the lower link having a forward extent and a rearward extent, additional links having upper ends operatively coupled to the rearward extents of the upper links, the additional links having lower ends operatively coupled to the rearward extents of the lower links, whereby the control handle is adapted to be manipulated to move the additional link and, in response thereto, to move the outrigger wheels between the raised and lowered orientations; and an emergency assembly including vertically oriented elastic elements, the elastic elements having upper ends coupled to the forward ends of the upper links, the elastic elements having lower ends coupled to the forward ends of the lower links, the emergency assembly being quiescent during normal operations and riding, the emergency assembly being activated during abnormal operations as when an outrigger wheel hits an obstruction to stretch the elastic elements and flex the additional links and raise the outrigger wheels without manipulation of the handle.