Carrier device

A carrier device that is particularly well suited for use as a vehicle mounted bike carrier. The carrier has a vehicle mounted extension support which supports a side rail structure having a first section extending to a first side of the extension support and a second section extending to a second side of the extension support. The first and second sections are arranged for supporting a respective wheel of an object such as a bike when in use. The carrier device has a modular structure that makes it easily interconnectable with other like carrier structures to form a carrier assembly with the modular carrier structures preferably being arranged in a vertically stacked or staggered arrangement.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates to a carrier device, which, in one preferred
 embodiment, is a bike carrier that is suited for attachment to a vehicle.
 One preferred embodiment of the present invention features a modular
 carrier structure that is interconnectable with other carrier structures
 to form a carrier assembly with the modular carrier structures preferably
 being arranged in a vertically stacked or staggered arrangement.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 A plurality of bike carrier designs have been developed including compact
 strap designs that position a bike on the upper surface of a bumper and
 rely on strap, buckle and trunk hook components to secure the bike to the
 body of the vehicle. Examples of this type of bike carrier can be seen in
 U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,118,018 and 5,038,980. In addition to the potential
 damage to the vehicle created by the hook and buckle components, bike
 carriers of this type are generally limited to single bike support and
 also often involve a great deal of set up and adjustment. One advantage of
 this type of carrier is, however, that they can be made rather compact for
 shipping and retail shelf space requirements.
 There also exists in the art carriers for bikes and other items that
 include components that attach directly to a vehicle body such as the roof
 of the vehicle. An example of this type of carrier can be seen in U.S.
 Pat. No 5,884,824. These type of carriers are applied on a more permanent
 basis as compared to the hook and strap arrangements described above and
 thus are typically not easy to remove and instal and also introduce the
 added possibility of damage to the vehicle body.
 The prior art also features bike carriers that are designed to extend out
 away from the rear end of a vehicle from an attachment point in the bumper
 region of the vehicle such as from a square hitch common on many vehicles,
 particularly sports utility vehicles or SUV's. Many of these bicycle
 carriers include carriers with a relatively lengthy vertical main support
 bar from the top of which extends horizontal support beams that are
 provided with clamps or the like to attach to a bicycle generally in an
 upper region of its frame. Examples of this type of bicycle carrier can be
 seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,476,202; 5,469,997 and 5,373,978. As having to
 attach clamping components to the more susceptible painted frame regions
 of bicycles is undesirable, carriers that attach to a rear end of a
 vehicle also include carriers that are not designed for attachment to the
 upper or internal frame structure of a bicycle or other wheeled appliance,
 but are designed for providing an underlying platform on which the bicycle
 can be positioned. Prior art examples of this latter type of bicycle
 carrier include, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,025,932; 5,377,886;
 5,497,927; and 5,570,825. While these type of carriers avoid the drawback
 of having attachments extending near or in contact with the bicycle's
 upper, interior frame structure, they generally suffer from a plurality of
 other problems, such as there being (1) highly complex in design; (2) not
 very versatile from the standpoint of being able to accommodate for
 variations in the desired number of bikes (motorbikes or bicycles); (3)
 not able to accommodate a large number of bikes; not well suited for ease
 in loading (e.g. difficult wheel or fork latching or the positioning of
 handle bars of multiple bikes at a common level, conflicting
 relationship); (4) bulky to the extent of presenting difficulties from the
 standpoint of, for example, shipping, retailer shelf space requirements
 and high customer handling weight; and/or (5) formed of a large number of
 unique components making for high manufacturing and purchase costs as well
 as difficulty in customer assembly.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention is directed at providing a carrier device that is
 directed at avoiding or alleviating the various problems described above
 as being associated with the prior art. The present invention features a
 carrier device, which, in one preferred embodiment, is a bike carrier that
 is suited for attachment to a rear end of a vehicle such as by way of a
 hitch, tow ball platform or bumper attachment. A preferred embodiment of
 the present invention features a modular carrier structure that is
 interconnectable with other carrier structures to form a carrier assembly
 with the modular carrier structures preferably being arranged in a
 vertically stacked or staggered arrangement as they extend out away from
 the rear end of a vehicle. The vertical stacking arrangement provides the
 advantage of being able to retain an underlying bike support relationship
 while avoiding having the clearance level of the rearmost bike supporter
 subject to scraping during certain vehicle travel conditions (e.g, steep
 driveway aprons or rough terrain such as that often faced during off-road
 travel). Thus, because of this modular stacking arrangement, a large
 number of bikes can be carried (e.g., 4) while avoiding scraping problems.
 In addition, the vertical stacking arrangement positions the handle bars
 of many bike at alternate levels so as to avoid loading and unloading
 conflicts.
 A preferred embodiment of the present invention also features a modular
 arrangement wherein a user/customer can choose the number of individual
 carriers (preferably each a self-contained one bike carrier) desired. For
 example, a single person may wish to purchase just a single, self
 contained modular carrier structure and not incur the expense of a
 multi-support carrier and yet also wish to keep the option open for later
 expansion. A couple on the other hand, may prefer to purchase two modular
 carrier structures (one attached to the vehicle and the second attached to
 the one attached to the vehicle), and yet also keep open the option for
 later expansion without having to discard or sell the earlier purchased
 modular carrier structures. Furthermore, with the modular nature of the
 present invention an expanding family can add on to a prior number of
 purchased carriers based on the exact number needed. Also, because a
 preferred embodiment of the invention features modular carrier structures
 that are the same in all respects or have the exact same design (or at
 least the same design for all extensive purposes) there is avoided
 confusion both at the manufacturing level (e.g. which product is being
 shipped out) and at the customer level (avoiding having to return items
 because the purchased item was not the one intended). In addition, the
 preferred modular carrier support of the present invention features a
 highly symmetrical arrangement wherein all of the components attached to a
 central element are in same design pairs and mutually useable on either
 side (making for high efficiency manufacturing and also ease in customer
 assembly once purchased).
 The present invention also has the advantage of being able to have a
 compact break down arrangement which is beneficial from the shipping
 container and storage requirements (particularly from the standpoint of a
 retailer shelf storage requirement which is at a premium). The arrangement
 of the present invention is also able to provide the numerous advantages
 described above while avoiding the introduction of a large number of
 components, particularly a large number of different designed components,
 which again avoids many of the manufacturing, assembly and use
 difficulties associated with the prior art.
 The present invention also provides a design that allows for rapid loading
 and unloading of one or a large number of bikes (e.g., 4) while still
 providing high stability and position maintenance assurance to the user.
 This is particularly true following the initial sizing of the carrier
 wheel cradles (which in itself is easy to achieve under the present
 invention) wherein the user can simply insert and remove the bike from the
 preadjusted cradles without having to further manipulate the preset cradle
 position. A preferred embodiment of the invention also includes an easy to
 perform tie down assembly which relies on the underlying modular carrier
 structure(s), preferably eye-loop bolts joining together components of the
 carrier) for quick attachment of a single tie down strap while avoiding
 the placement of any buckles or the like that can lead to scratching of a
 bike's painted outer coating.
 One of the preferred embodiment of the present invention features a carrier
 device, comprising a first modular carrier structure having an extension
 support which includes, at a first end, means for connection with a
 vehicle and first modular member connection means, and having at a second
 end second modular member connection means. The modular carrier structure
 also preferably includes means for supporting an object to be carried such
 as a rail assembly for below support of the wheels of a bike or the like.
 The means for supporting an object such as a bike includes a first brace
 connected with said extension support and a side rail structure to which
 the brace is attached. The first brace is preferably a first bridge brace
 having a central portion connected to said extension support and more
 external sections connected to an under surface of said side rail
 structure. In addition, in one embodiment of the invention the means for
 supporting includes a second bridge brace having a central portion
 connected to said extension support and more external sections connected
 to an upper surface of said side rail structure.
 Each bridge brace is, in one embodiment, a centralized bridge brace
 structure in that said external sections thereof each extend less than 4
 inches out from an adjacent most side section of said extension support.
 With this type of bridge structure the side rail structure includes a
 first side rail and a second side rail, with the first side rail having an
 internal end juxtaposed to said extension support and sandwiched between
 above and below positioned external sections of said first and second
 bridge braces, and said second side rail has an internal end juxtaposed to
 said extension support and sandwiched between above and below positioned
 external sections of said first and second bridge braces. The first and
 second side rails also have a common design and are in contact or within
 1/8 of an inch of contact with respect to said extension support.
 Preferably the upper and lower bridge braces have a common design. The
 extension support also preferably includes a set of aligned holes and said
 bridge braces include apertures positioned for alignment with said set of
 aligned holes in said extension support, and said carrier device further
 comprising a connector that extends through each hole of said set of
 aligned holes and within each of said apertures of said bridge braces.
 A central bolt/nut combination is suitable for the purposes of the present
 invention, and each of said side rails including a set of aligned side
 rail holes at respective internal ends, and the external sections of said
 bridge braces have apertures which are positioned for alignment with
 vertically aligned side rail holes of a corresponding side rail sandwiched
 therebetween, and said carrier device further comprises a bolt/nut
 combinations which extend through respective vertically aligned sets of
 the side rail holes and within the apertures of corresponding above and
 below bridge braces.
 A carrier device of the present invention also includes a first bike
 holding member and a second bike holding member supported by respective
 side rails to opposite sides of said extension support, and wherein said
 first bike holder is adjustably supported on one of said side rails and
 free to slidably adjust from an external end of said one of said support
 rails to said bridge braces. The first bike holder is free to slide along
 said one of said support rails from a free end thereof to a location at
 least 4 inches from said extension support without obstruction with
 respect to the bike carrier in a fully assembled state. The second bike
 holder is adjustably supported on an oppositely positioned one of said two
 side rails so as to be freely slidable from a free end of said oppositely
 positioned one of said two side rails to a location at least 4 inches from
 said extension section without obstruction.
 Each of said bike holding members preferably includes a V-shaped bar
 section having a pair of legs extending off from a corresponding pair of
 base extensions, and said base extensions being supported by a sliding
 member designed for side rail sliding contact, and said holding members
 including a fix-in-position device for precluding movement of said sliding
 member, and said V-shaped bar section extending at a greater angle outward
 of a vertical plane than that assumed by said base extensions .
 An alternate embodiment of the invention features a second modular carrier
 structure having an extension support which includes, at a first end,
 means for connection with a vehicle and first modular member connection
 means, and having at a second end second modular member connection means,
 and said second modular carrier structure further including means for
 supporting an object to be carried. This embodiment also features first
 modular member connection means on said second modular carrier structure
 which carrier structure is connected with the second modular connection
 means of said first modular carrier structure in a vertically offset
 arrangement wherein the extension support of said second modular carrier
 structure has an upper surface above an upper surface of the extension
 support of said first modular carrier structure.
 The extension support of each of said first and second modular carrier
 structures is preferably a tubular member and the means for connection to
 a vehicle for each of said first and second modular carrier structures
 includes a first set of aligned holes, and said first modular member
 connection means of both said first and second modular carrier structure
 includes a respective set of aligned holes, and said second modular member
 connection means of both said first and second modular carrier structures
 also includes a respective set of aligned holes, and a connector is
 designed to extend through the aligned holes of the first modular
 connection means of the second modular carrier structure and through the
 below positioned aligned holes of the second modular member connection
 means of said first modular carrier structure. Also the first and second
 modular carrier structures are interchangeable and of the same design with
 respect to which connects the vehicle and which connects to the modular
 carrier structure connected to the vehicle.
 A carrier device is also featured in the present invention which includes a
 third modular carrier structure of a common design as said first and
 second modular carrier structures and said third modular carrier structure
 being arranged so as to be vertically offset from said second modular
 carrier structure upon said third modular carrier structure being
 interconnected with said second modular carrier structure. A fourth
 modular unit can also be added to the third in the same manner as
 described above with respect to the second modular carrier structure to
 the first. In this way the carrier structures can be attached such that
 said second modular carrier structure assumes a stacked, vertically offset
 relationship with respect to said first modular carrier and so on outward
 depending on the number of carriers added on.
 The invention also features a carrier device for supporting bikes that
 comprises a first modular carrier structure having a bike support
 platform, a second modular carrier structure having a bike support
 platform; and means for releasable interconnection of a forward end of
 said second modular carrier structure to a rear end of said first modular
 carrier structure such that said second modular carrier structure is
 positioned vertically above and offset with respect to said first modular
 carrier structure.
 Also, the first and second modular carrier structures preferably each
 include centrally positioned extension supports, and the extension support
 of the second modular carrier structure is laid on top of a rear portion
 of the extension support of said first modular carrier structure, and said
 means for interconnecting includes a connection member which extends
 through each extension support so as to lock said extension supports in a
 stacked relationship.
 The present invention also features a bike carrier device that comprises an
 extension support; a side rail structure supported by said central
 extension support and having side rail sections extending to opposite
 sides of said extension support and each of said side rail sections being
 in contact with said extension support. There is included a pair of wheel
 cradle assemblies positioned on said side rail structure on opposite sides
 of said extension support and at least one of said cradles being adapted
 for slidable adjustment on a respective, supporting side rail section; and
 at least one of said wheel cradle assemblies including a releasable
 fix-in-position device for fixing a corresponding one of said wheel cradle
 assemblies in a desired position on said side rail structure. The device
 also includes a wheel hold down device which includes a flexible member
 pinched between said cradle and a supporting one of said slide rail upon
 said fix-in-position device being in a locked state. The flexible member
 is preferably a nylon strap with securement means for fixing one section
 of the strap to another section so as to form a wheel locking loop.
 Preferably, the pinching cradle structure includes a V-shaped section and
 a pair of base sections, and said V-shaped section extends from vertical
 at a first angle between 30 and 60 degrees and said base sections extend
 at 0 to 10 degrees with respect to a vertical plane.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of modular carrier structure 20 of the
 present invention which in the illustrated embodiment features extension
 support 22. Extension support 22 is preferably a tubular member having, at
 interior end 24, two sets of aligned holes. The first set features
 horizontally aligned holes 26,26' which are sized to receive a clevis pin
 or the like for locking extension support 22 following a telescopic
 insertion within a reception cavity of a vehicle trailer hitch or the like
 (see FIG. 10 for an example of a square hitch attachment). Extension
 support 22 can also have a variety of alternate vehicle attachment means
 so long as such attachment means provides a high level of stability and
 extension support securement to the carrier device. The second set of
 holes 28,28' is vertically aligned for use in interconnecting with another
 modular carrier structure having the same configuration or a similar
 configuration as discussed in greater detail below. The opposite or
 exterior end 30 of extension support 22 features a second set of
 vertically aligned holes 32,32' (only the top hole being shown in FIG. 1,
 but it being understood that a bottom hole is aligned therewith as shown
 at the opposite end of support 22 with respect to holes 28,28').
 Vertically aligned holes 32,32' are designed for alignment with holes
 28,28' of another modular carrier structure to achieve a stacked
 arrangement of modular carrier structures as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and as
 explained in greater detail below.
 As can be seen from FIG. 3, between the two sets of vertically aligned
 holes (28,28' and 32, 32'), there is positioned a third set of vertically
 aligned holes 34,34', which third set is preferably positioned closer to
 hole set 32,32' than set 28,28' to provide a sufficient degree of
 extension clearance from either the bumper region of the vehicle or a more
 internal one of a plurality of the stacked modular carrier structures.
 Under the present invention there can also be provided a series of spaced
 pairs of vertically aligned holes along the length (or a portion of that
 length) for providing for variations as to the degree to which a more
 external tube is spaced from a more internal tube once telescopically
 arranged as explained in greater detail below. With this arrangement the
 most internal tube can be positioned to extend out away from the vehicle
 in a maximum extension setting while more external tubes can be less
 extended if a more compact arrangement for supported bikes or the like is
 deemed desirable.
 While a variety of sizes and dimensions and materials are considered suited
 for use under the present invention, a 2".times.2" hollow tubular member
 formed of a relatively heavy gauge steel material (e.g. 13 gauge steel
 which has a thickness of about 1/8 of an inch) represents some of the
 preferred characteristics for extension support 22. Extension support 22
 also preferably has a longitudinal extension length of about 6 to 18
 inches with 12 inches being preferred. The first and second sets of holes
 (28,28' and 32,32') are preferably spaced such that each hole's edge is at
 least 1/2 inch inward of a respective end edge of tubular extension
 support 22 and more preferably from 1/2 inch to 2 inches of that edge to
 ensure sufficient strength to withstand the forces which develop when a
 clevis pin for use with a vehicle trailer hitch or a modular
 interconnector bolt such as that represented by reference number 36 in
 FIG. 6 is inserted through the aligned holes (28,28' and 30,32'). Also,
 the location of the third set of vertically aligned holes 34,34'
 preferably falls closer to the second set of vertically aligned holes
 32,32' than to the first set of vertically aligned holes. For example,
 when considering the total distance between the central points of the
 first and second sets of vertically aligned holes as representing 100%, a
 preferred location for the third set of aligned holes is within the region
 extending 50-95% with the 0% point being the center point of the first
 vertical set of aligned holes. A range of 75-85% is even more preferred
 with 80% being the most preferred. For example, a 12 inch length for
 extension support 22 with each set of vertically aligned holes (28,28' and
 32,32') having a center point 1 inch from the respective closest edge, and
 the third set of vertically aligned holes 34,34' having a central point 2
 inches from that of vertically aligned holes (32,32') and thus 3 inches in
 from the closest extension support edge. The horizontally aligned holes
 (26,26') are preferably centered on the tubular side walls of extension
 support 22 so as to have a central point one inch from the top and bottom
 surfaces of extension support 22. Also, the sets of aligned holes 28,28'
 and 26,26' preferably fall on a common cross-sectional plane although a
 staggered arrangement is also a feature of the present invention for added
 strength particularly when using a thinner wall design or a tube with
 smaller dimension (e.g. a 1 1/4 inch square tube to suit the smaller 1 1/4
 square hitch size found on many vehicles rather than the also common 2
 inch square hitch size).
 FIGS. 1 and 6 further illustrate upper bridge brace 38 and lower bridge
 brace 40, which are preferably one in the same and arranged in mirror
 image. FIG. 4 is thus illustrative of both upper and lower bridge braces
 38,40. As shown by FIGS. 1 and 4 each bridge brace 38,40 features an
 extension support contact section 42 which conforms to the supporting or
 contacting surface of extension support 22. For example, with the
 preferred 2".times.2" tubular arrangement for extension support 22,
 contact section 42 has a corresponding contact surface length (extending
 transverse to the longitudinal extension of support 22) of 2 inches. Each
 bridge brace also features aperture 44 provided in a central region of
 contact section 42 for alignment with the third set of vertically aligned
 holes 34,34'. Thus with both the upper and lower bridge braces in position
 with respect to extension support 22, intermediate bridge bolt 46 (or any
 other suitable interconnecting member) is free to pass through the upper
 bridge brace's central aperture 44, the third set of aligned holes 34,34'
 of extension support 22 and the lower bridge brace's central aperture 44.
 Threaded nut 48 or some other type of fixing means is used to place the
 two bridge braces in a compression or at least an interlocked relationship
 with respect to the tubular extension support therebetween. Intermediate
 bridge bolt 46 is shown in FIG. 6 as extending through both of the
 preferably 1/8 inch thick steel bridge plates and the 2 inch tubular
 extension support 22 and thus intermediate bolt 46 is preferably a 1/2
 inch or so greater in length to provide room for nut 48 (e.g., a 2.75 inch
 long bolt of 5/8 inch diameter). With the preferred tubular nature of
 extension support 22 it would also be possible to use a pair of
 nut-shorter bolt combinations to hold the respective upper and lower brace
 bridges to the extension support.
 Each bridge brace also features left and right sloping extensions 50,52
 extending out to opposite sides of contact section 42 (e.g. 30-60.degree.
 and preferably 45.degree. to the horizontal) for a relatively short
 distance of, for example, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch and also down for 1/2
 inch when a 2".times.2" extension support is used and a 1".times.2" side
 rail 58 (FIG. 5) is involved. Extending farther out from the respective
 external ends of sloping sections are side rail contact sections 54 and 56
 shown to be extending along a common horizontal plane which is parallel to
 that assumed by extension support contact section 42. Apertures 60 and 62
 are provided in a central region of side rail contact sections as best
 shown in FIG. 4. The above described arrangement for bridge braces with
 the sloping sections represents an easily formed structure and thus is
 preferable from that standpoint although other designs are possible
 including, for example, a bridge brace featuring a planar central contact
 surface, transverse (vertical) legs from which extend the side horizontal
 side rail contact sections.
 With reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, modular carrier structure 20 features two
 of side rails 58 with each preferably being the same hollow, tubular
 member (e.g. formed by extrusion) and preferably also formed of the same
 gauge steel material as that of extension support 22. Thus, in addition to
 the two clamping bridge braces attached to the central extension support
 being identical to each other, the two side rails are identical with each
 other and hence the interconnecting bolts are the same as well. This makes
 for highly efficient manufacturing and assembly (either by customer or
 upstream in the distribution flow). The side rails 58 shown in FIG. 1 are
 also preferably of a 1".times.2" cross section with the longer side
 extending in the same longitudinal direction as the longitudinal extension
 of extension member 22. The length of side rail 58 is preferably from 15
 to 30 inches with this range being well suited for the support of the wide
 variety of different standard bike sizes which support represents the
 preferred use of the modular carrier structure of the present invention
 (e.g., with the use of proper thickness and/or material for the above
 described other devices can be supported by the carrier of the present
 invention including, for example, dirt bikes, mopeds, scooters, etc.). A
 preferred length of side rail 58 is 23 inches such that the total
 transverse extension is 2 times the side rail length plus the preferred 2
 inch transverse width of extension section 22 as the interior end edge 66
 of rails 58 are in a flush contact relationship with respect to the side
 walls of extension section 22. FIG. 5 also illustrates that side rail 58
 features a fourth pair of vertically aligned holes 64,64' provided close
 to the planar interior end edge 66 of side rail 58 (e.g., the center of
 holes 64,64' is within 1 to 4 inches of edge 66 with 1.5 inches being
 preferred). While even longer length side rails are possible, a maximum
 extension of 62 inches in the transverse direction is preferred as that is
 compatible with many common vehicle sizes used to support the carrier of
 the present invention.
 As shown in FIG. 1, upper and lower braces 38,40 are preferably dimensioned
 to lock in place the left and right side rails 58 shown in FIG. 1 at a
 central or intermediate location along the side walls of extension support
 22. This locking function is achieved by the insertion of a locking member
 such as bolt-nut combination 68 which extends through the upper plates'
 respective side rail contact section (56,54), through the aligned holes
 64,64' and then through the opposing side rail extension (54,56) as best
 shown in FIG. 6. Thus, the upper and lower braces and locking bolts 68
 provide clamping or interconnection means to both place and hold rigidly
 end edge 66 of rail 58 in a flush, abutting relationship such that the
 intermediately positioned left and right side rails are precluded from
 rotation about a vertical axis (an axis parallel with the illustrated Z
 axis in FIG. 1) while the intermediate bridge bolt precludes any sliding
 of the upper and lower braces (and secured side rails 58) along the
 illustrated longitudinal or Y axis direction extending along the elongated
 length of extension support 22. The bridge braces also function to prevent
 rotation of side rails 58 either with respect to a Y-axis pivot axis or an
 X-axis pivot axis (e.g., both through the extra support of the
 interconnected braces as well as their positioning of the interior ends of
 side rail 58 with the side walls of support 22). The above described
 abutment relation includes both an initial assembly abutment or a small
 spacing (less than an 1/8 inch) which results in a rapid abutment
 relationship upon a small amount of relative shifting of the side rails'
 interior end with respect to support 22, although an initial or at
 assembly flush relationship is preferred.
 FIG. 1 includes an illustration of two cradle assemblies 70 provided on the
 outer ends of the left and right side rails 58. Cradle assembly 70
 comprises holding member 72, slide plate 74 and U-bolt 76. FIG. 2 shows in
 greater detail holding member 72 and slide plate 74. Holding member 72 is
 preferably in the form of a single circular cross-section rod or bar which
 is configured to have upper V-shaped section 77 with a pair of parallel
 base extensions 78,80 extending from the ends of the spaced apart legs of
 the V-shaped extension. The lower end of the parallel base extensions
 78,80 is rigidly secured to slide plate 74 preferably by way of a weld.
 The spacing apart along slide plate is represented by "w" which is
 preferably about 2.5 inches. Slide plate 74 (which preferably is a
 3.25.times.2 inch plate) features U-bolt reception holes 82, 84 (or
 alternatively open edge notches in view of the configuration of a U-bolt
 76 providing sufficient securement). Slide plate 74 preferably is sized
 along a Y-axis direction so as to cover the upper surface of extension
 support 22 and extends transversely out far enough on each side to
 accommodate the vertical legs of the U-shaped bolt.
 FIG. 2 further illustrates a preferred configuration for holding member
 with its V-shaped 77 section being sloped outward along the X-axis at
 angle .theta. (preferably falling within the range of 30 to 60.degree. and
 more preferably about 45.degree. ) with respect to the Z-axis and V-shaped
 section defines angle .alpha. which preferably falls in the range of 10 to
 35.degree. with an angle of 25.degree. being preferred. The base
 extensions 78, 80 are preferably less angled than the V-shaped extension
 (e.g. vertical (0.degree.) to 10.degree.) with the vertical being the more
 preferred. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, height H1
 represents the maximum vertical height of V-shaped section 77 off from a
 plane lying flush on the top surface of the typically 1/8 inch thick slide
 plate 74 up to the V-shaped section's apex. Height H1 preferably ranges
 from 10 to 30 inches with 18-20 inches being the more preferred height
 which is well suited for providing a generally universal wheel reception
 configuration. Length L1 represents the length which the combination of
 the V-shaped section and base sections run outward along the X-axis to a
 point of intersection with the lower end of height H1. The preferred value
 for L1 is 8 to 16 inches with 13 inches being the more preferred. H2
 represents the preferred height for the vertical rise value of the upper
 end of base sections 78 or 80. The preferred height H2 for base sections
 78,80 is about 1/4 to a 1/3 of that of H1 (e.g., a range of 2 to 8 inches
 with 3 inches being a particularly well suited height for H2. L2
 represents the X-axis run corresponding to the X-axis run for just the
 V-shaped section 77. While L3 illustrates the X-axis run for base sections
 78 and 80 such that L1-L2=L3. With the base extensions 78,80 extending
 only vertically, the length L1 would be equal to L2 and L3 would equal 0.
 The above described configuration of holding member 72 is advantageous from
 the standpoint of providing an improved hold-in-position function with
 respect to the wheel of a bicycle or the like in that the combination of
 the close to or at vertical orientation of the base extensions and the
 outward sloping V-shaped section allows the holding member to position a
 relatively large percentage of its contact surface close in toward the
 central region of the wheel with the point of tire abutment with the notch
 of the V-shaped section 77 representing the limiting factor of how close
 in the interior of bar member 72 can be positioned with respect to the
 frame of the bicycle. The angle for the V-shaped notch of the V-shaped
 section is designed to provide a great deal of bike position control due
 to the pinching nature of the notch without causing tire or wheel damage
 and/or causing the wheel to make contact at a location on the bar which is
 not near or at its apex. The V-shaped section can also be provided in a
 variety of angle sizes to accommodate the intended use. For example,
 mountain bikes typically have larger tire widths than touring or racing
 bikes while motor bikes have even large tire widths. The above noted angle
 of 25.degree. represents an angle well suited for a wide variety of
 various style bike tire sizes.
 An advantageous feature of the present invention is its ability to
 accommodate a wide variety of bike sizes despite a preferred embodiment
 also being highly modular in nature. That is, the design of the present
 invention includes the ability to have a single carrier snugly accommodate
 a large variety of different height and length bikes (e.g. adult and
 children size bikes). This versatility is partly due to the ease with
 which cradle assemblies 70 can be shifted along respective side rails 58
 which, in this context, can be considered as slide rails. Upon loosening
 one (or both) nuts associated with U-bolt 76, the smooth, planar
 underlying surface of slide plate is easily slid along slide rails 58 as
 represented by slide direction S for each of the illustrated cradle
 assemblies 70 shown in FIG. 1. In this way an operator can loosen either a
 single one or both of cradle assemblies of a single carrier 20 with a
 bicycle positioned therebetween and slide one or both of the cradle
 assemblies until the bicycle is placed in a snug, held-in-position state
 upon a lock down of the cradle assemblies (or assembly if only one was
 loosened for adjustment). The operator can also transversely stagger the
 bicycles with respect to a multiple interconnected set of modular carriers
 if this helps in removal and/or reinsertion of the bikes. Also, once a
 particular sized bike is accommodated, adjustments would not always be a
 necessity for future reinsertion. While a loosening of the nuts for the
 U-bolt clamps described above is easily accomplished with a wrench or the
 like, a non-tool clamping means is also contemplated for use in the
 present invention.
 An example of one possible "non-tool" clamping means is shown in FIG. 2A
 wherein instead of a U-bolt clamping means an over-center latch assembly
 83 which includes over-center latch 85 such as of the type used on
 ski-boots with flexible metal cable 86 attached to the respective ends of
 latch 85. To avoid cable abrasion and/or increase the holes can have a
 smoothed, curved interior reception recess or a suitable low friction
 grommet (not shown) or the like can be provided in holes 82 and 84 and/or
 a low friction cable sheathing can be relied upon.
 The cradle type arrangement described above represents a preferred bicycle
 holding means of the present invention in that it provides a sufficient
 bicycle positioning holding function particularly when supplemented with a
 strap hold down arrangement like that described below and/or a dual
 bicycle interlock mechanism. Alternative hold down mechanisms are also
 possible such as one of the various conventional direct fork attachment
 arrangement such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,886 to Sickler.
 Such direct fork attachment devices, however, are less preferable from the
 standpoint that it is more time consuming to load, unload and have the
 bicycle in a ready to rate state. In addition, finding a proper storage
 location for the released wheel also adds undesirable complexity in the
 process of carrying a bicycle.
 FIG. 6 shows a side elevational view of a plurality of interconnected
 modular carrier structures 20 like that shown in FIG. 1 to provide an
 alternate bike carrier embodiment represented by 100 in FIG. 6. To
 facilitate the discussion the cradle assemblies 70 have been removed from
 FIG. 6, but can be seen in the perspective view of bike carrier 100
 provided in FIG. 7. Because of the modular nature of the individual
 modular carrier structure 20 of the present invention one, two, three,
 four and even more (although four is the recommended maximum for most
 vehicles from the standpoint of avoiding too far a shifting of gravity of
 the bike carrier away from the hitch vehicle attachment point) individual
 modular structures can be combined. FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate four modular
 carrier structures 20 interconnected with the individual modular
 structures identified as A, B,C and D in FIGS. 6 and 7. As illustrated in
 these two figures each modular member A,B,C and D is of exactly the same
 structure, although variations are also possible such as only A having the
 horizontally aligned clevis pin reception holes 26, 26' . However, the
 fact that each modular structure is exactly the same provides a greater
 degree of options to the user as well as less confusion during the time of
 purchase. The similarity in each modular structure 20 also greatly
 simplifies the manufacturing and distribution process for the
 manufacturer. The modular nature of the present invention is particularly
 advantageous from the standpoint of allowing a purchaser to choose the
 exact configuration best suited for that person at the present time as
 well as freedom to easily modify the carrier in the event that
 circumstances warrant. For example, a single person may find a single
 modular carrier structure best suited for his or her needs, while a couple
 may prefer two modular carrier structures. A single child family may
 desire a three way combination with the potential of adding a fourth upon
 an increase in family size.
 As shown by FIGS. 6 and 7 an increase in the number of modular carrier
 structures is easily accomplished by the insertion of a single connection
 member represented in a preferred embodiment by modular structure
 interconnector bolt 36 which is preferably a 5/8 inch diameter 5 inch
 length bolt which compresses the bottom surface of the interior end 24 of
 modular carrier structure B against the upper surface of the outer end 30
 of modular carrier structure A. The same connection process is also
 carried out with respect to connecting modular carrier structure C to B as
 well as D to C. In addition, the bottom region of the end edge 88 of each
 of the interior ends of tubes 22 for modular carrier structures B,C and D
 is placed in an abutting relationship (preferably within direct, flush
 contact or, less preferably, within 1/16 of an inch so as to ensure
 contact with minimal position shifting) with respect to contact section 42
 of a corresponding upper bridge brace 38. This arrangement adds to the
 structural rigidity of the bicycle carrier 100 by helping to prevent
 Z-axis rotation of a more outward modular structure member 20 with respect
 to a more internal one. The abutting relationship also helps in the
 prevention of any Y-axis shifting which lessens the stress placed on bolts
 36. This arrangement also avoids having to provide structural components
 along essentially the entire length of rails 58 (only the preferably 1.5
 to 3 inch sections 54 and 56 of bridge braces 42 extend out along the side
 rail and to even a lesser extent the sloping sections 50,52) which
 increases the bike size adjustment possibilities for cradles 70 and thus
 increases the versatility of the present invention.
 As shown in FIG. 6, an outer modular carrier structure extends over the
 upper surface into contact with an adjacent bridge section a distance
 represented by E2 which preferably ranges from 1 to 4 inches and more
 preferably is about 2 inches. The central axis of bolt 36 extends through
 the vertically stacked structures C and D at about the half way point as
 represented by length E1 which under this arrangement is equal to E2/2.
 The central axis of intermediate bridge bolt 46 is shown in FIG. 6 to be a
 distance E3 from the outermost edge 90 of tube 22 which distance is
 preferably 2 to 5 inches and more preferably about 3 inches or 1 inch
 greater than E2. Distance E4 represents the distance from the noted edge
 90 to the central axis of the more internal or lower of the two modular
 connector bolts 36 extending through tube 22 of modular carrier structure
 C. Distance E5 represents the preferred length of tube 22 which, in this
 embodiment, is preferably 8 to 16 inches and more preferably 12. E4 is
 preferably a 1/2 inch to 3 inches less than E5.
 FIGS. 6 and 7 also illustrate the vertically stepped nature of the bicycle
 carrier 100 made possible by the above below connection of the modular
 carrier structures A-D. The progressive increase in height of the modular
 carrier structures A-D provides the advantage of a bicycle carrier that is
 less prone to scraping when a vehicle traverses over a region with a sharp
 change in slope such as found on the road end of many driveways or over
 rough terrain and also avoids bicycle contact particularly in the
 handlebar region. during loading and travel. FIG. 6 illustrates the
 progressive increase in height in going from one stacked modular structure
 by reference "F1" which is taken from the upper surface of the side rail
 58 of modular carrier structure C to that of D. The upper surface of rail
 58 is opted as a reference plane as that is the general location of where
 a bicycle tire will be in contact during travel of a supporting vehicle
 (depending on the wheel diameter many bike sizes will be supported instead
 by the slide plates of the cradle assembly). The value of F1 is preferably
 1.0 to 2.5 and more preferably 2 inches (which corresponds with the
 preferred 2".times.2" tube 22 dimensions and a standard hitch size) and
 1.25 which corresponds to another common hitch size. F2 in FIG. 6
 represents the total step up for 3 added modular carrier structures (B-D)
 to the modular carrier structure secured to the vehicle (A). Thus, the
 preferred total step up in height F2 is preferably 3.0 to 10.0 inches with
 6 inches being preferred.
 FIGS. 8-10 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the present invention
 which shares many similarities with that of the earlier embodiment and
 thus only the differences are emphasized below. With reference to FIG. 8,
 modular carrier structure 200 is shown as having extension support tube
 122 as in the earlier embodiment. Attached to opposite sides of tube 122
 at its outer end is a pair of vertical flanges 102 and 104 which are
 preferably welded or otherwise fixedly secured to tube 122. These flanges
 preferably extend about an inch up off the upper surface of tube 122 and
 preferably about 2 inches along the tube 122. Rather than a pair of side
 rails in contact with the side walls of the extension support or tube as
 described for the earlier embodiment, a single side rail 158 extends over
 and across the upper surface of tube 122 and is held in position with
 bolt/nut combination 106 so as to be in an abutting relationship with the
 interior vertical edges of the portion of flanges 102,104 extending
 vertically above tube 122. This relationship helps avoid Z-axis rotation
 of side rail 158 on a centralized basis. To provide added structural
 strength, bridge brace 108 is provided. Bridge brace 158 is preferably a
 monolithic unit with a central horizontal section 107 with an upper
 surface placed in flush compression relationship with the underside of
 tube 122 by way of bolt/nut combination 106. Brace 108 further includes
 sloped sections 110 and 112 that preferably have slope at an angle similar
 to sloped sections 50 and 52 of the earlier embodiment with 45.degree.
 with respect to the horizontal being preferred. Brace 108 preferably is
 formed from a single bar (e.g., 1/4" X 1"bar) that is bent into the
 illustrated shape. Thus, extending out away and integral with respective
 ends of section 110 and 112 are side rail contact sections 114 and 116
 that preferably are also horizontal and include holes for receipt of
 bolt/nut combinations 118 and 120.
 Modular carrier structure 200 also is shown to include cradles 170 similar
 to cradles 70 described above for the earlier embodiment except for the
 plates being provided with open edge slots rather than holes. While the
 presence of extended bridge braces provides underneath support to the side
 rails in a region of 50 to 80% and more preferably 75% out from the center
 bolt 106, the presence of bolt/nut combinations 118 and 120 in this
 regions disrupt to a certain degree the freedom of cradle shifting. Thus
 the open notches help a user detach the cradle from the side rail to move
 it sufficiently inward of one of bolt/nut combinations 118,120 if a small
 bicycle is involved. Despite the presence of the bolt/nut combinations the
 degree of adjustability is sufficient to cover a wide variety of bike
 sizes. Also, as noted above as a person will typically retain the same
 bike for awhile, once the adjustment is made, the person can easily load
 the bike without adjustments having to be made. This is particularly
 advantageous with respect to a three or four bike carrier as each person
 in a family can have a designated loading slot on the bike carrier which
 is preadjusted such that the whole family's bike collection can be quickly
 and easily loaded and unloaded each time.
 FIG. 9 illustrates a vertical stacking of a pair of modular carrier
 structures 200 through use of nut/bolt combination 136 having a similar
 size as that used in the last embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9 the flanges
 102 and 104 are spaced so as to be in sliding contact or preferably at
 least within 1/32 to 1/8 of an inch of the corresponding side walls of
 tube 122 to preclude a large degree of undesirable shifting.
 FIG. 10 illustrates a stacked arrangement for four of modular carrier
 structures 200 represented by A',B',C' and D'. As shown in FIG. 10, the
 tubular member 122 of modular carrier A' is telescopically received within
 hitch 302 of vehicle 300 and locked in place with a clevis pin as is, per
 se, known in the art.
 FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the present invention
 which features bike carrier 400 which includes a monolithic extension
 support 222 which results in a non-step up arrangement. The side rails 358
 of the carrier 400 extend across the upper surface of monolithic extension
 support 222 and thus lie in a common plane. The manner of connection is
 similar to that of the embodiment of FIG. 8 in the use of a monolithic
 side rail and an underlying bridge brace 210 for each side rail. Cradle
 assemblies 270 are generally similar to that of the earlier embodiment but
 include a U-shaped outer extremity as opposed to the V-shaped section of
 the earlier described cradle embodiments. FIG. 11 also shows the
 advantageous providing of strap tie down eyelets that are provided by the
 use of eye-bolts 402 and 404 preferably provided on the interior and
 exteriormost side rails. (and functioning as side rail/extension support
 connectors as well). As shown in FIG. 12 by applying the opposite ends of
 the body of elastomeric strap 275 to the eye-bolts 402 and 404 across bike
 401, there is provided a secure tie down arrangement that avoids bike
 frame scraping. FIGS. 11 and 12 also show that preferred number of bike
 support locations on this carrier is three due to a lack of a step up
 arrangement as in the last embodiments. FIG. 12 also shows loaded bike 500
 supported on carrier 400 which is generally the same loading arrangement
 that would exist for the other embodiments. FIG. 12 also shows the use of
 a single strap to help lock in position the bike with respect to the
 carrier.
 FIG. 13 shows a view similar to the view in FIG. 12, but with the use of a
 side rail/bridge brace securement arrangement like that in FIG. 1. Like
 FIG. 12, the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 has a monolithic extension
 support 322. Upper and lower bridge braces 338 and 340 thus sandwich the
 left and right side rails 358 into the aforementioned secure arrangement.
 As the preferred design of the present invention features a tubular
 extension support for insertion in a square hitch, FIG. 14 illustrates an
 adaptor arrangement for converting a flat or platform tow ball hitch
 arrangement to one suited for reception of a tubular extension support. In
 FIG. 14 square hitch adaptor 601 includes a square hitch section 603 with
 a fixedly secured plate member 605 that has hole 607 designed to line up
 with hole 609 in platform 611. Thus the tow ball head member 613 can be
 inserted and locked in position with nut 615.
 Although an adapter arrangement like that shown in FIG. 14 is possible when
 faced with a tow ball platform arrangement, from the standpoint of
 avoiding additional components to the self contained modular carrier
 structures as described above, an extension support such as 22 in FIG. 1
 can be directly attached to the tow ball platform or the like through use
 of the first modular carrier connector set of holes and a tow ball pin
 conector 713 and bolt 715.
 FIG. 16 shows rail 58 and cradle 70 as in the above described embodiment
 plus an added wheel hold down device 800 which features a flexible member
 801 which in a preferred embodiment is a nylon continuous strap that has a
 width that fits between the side edge of plate 74 and U-bolt 76 and is
 pinched between said cradle 70 and supporting slide rail 58 upon said
 fix-in-position device (a U-bolt arrangement in the illustrated
 embodiment) being placed in a locked state. FIG. 16 also shows metal
 D-loop 803 which facilitates a tightening down of strap 800 around a bike
 wheel. Following a looping through a VELCRO hook and fastener pad
 connection arrangement is provided or similar connection means to prevent
 inadvertent release of a connected loop. Hold down device is particularly
 useful for use with the singular modular structure shown in FIG. 16 as it
 takes into consideration that there may only be connected to a vehicle a
 single modular structure in which case there would not be two eye loops
 for receipt of the end of tie down strap 275. By providing instead,
 however, the illustrated strap assembly 800 there is provided a hold down
 device that can be used to lock down both wheels of a bike at the two
 different cradle locations and which can also be used to supplement a tie
 down strap arrangement like that shown in FIG. 13