ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM FOR WHEEL SECUREMENT MEMBER OF VEHICLE CARRIER

The present invention provides an adjustment mechanism for a wheel securement member of a vehicle carrier, and the vehicle carrier includes a frame and the wheel securement member swingably disposed on the frame. The adjustment mechanism includes a guiding assembly and a positioning assembly. The guiding assembly is adjustably positioned on a guiding rod configured to be disposed on the frame and includes a main body and a coupling member rotatably connected between the main body and the wheel securement member. The positioning assembly is connected with the guiding assembly and includes a biasing portion sleeved on the guiding rod, and the biasing portion is movable relative to the guiding rod between a restricting position and a release position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an adjustment mechanism for a wheel securement member of a vehicle carrier.

Description of the Prior Art

A conventional vehicle carrier includes a frame configured to carry a bicycle, and the bicycle may be secured to the frame by straps, fasteners, clamps, restricting arms, or other restricting mechanisms to avoid movement of wheels of the bicycle for stable transportation.

However, the restricting mechanisms as described above require several steps of operation to assemble and disassemble the bicycle, which is complicated and inconvenient to operate. In addition, the restricting mechanisms cannot effectively restrict movement of the wheels so that the bicycle is easy to dislocate from the frame due to vibration during transportation or unexpected external force, which has poor restriction strength and stability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide an adjustment mechanism for a wheel securement member of a vehicle carrier, which provides easy adjustment and stable restriction.

To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides an adjustment mechanism for a wheel securement member of a vehicle carrier. The vehicle carrier includes a frame and the wheel securement member swingably disposed on the frame, and the adjustment mechanism includes a guiding assembly and a positioning assembly. The guiding assembly is adjustably positioned on a guiding rod configured to be disposed on the frame and includes a main body and a coupling member rotatably connected between the main body and the wheel securement member. The positioning assembly is connected with the guiding assembly and includes a biasing portion sleeved on the guiding rod, and the biasing portion is movable relative to the guiding rod between a restricting position and a release position. When the biasing portion is in the restricting position, the biasing portion is biased against the guiding rod, and the guiding assembly is unmovable relative to the guiding rod; when the biasing portion is in the release position, the guiding assembly is movable relative to the guiding rod.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer toFIGS.1to11for a preferable embodiment of the present invention. An adjustment mechanism1of the present invention is configured for a wheel securement member220of a vehicle carrier2, and the vehicle carrier2includes a frame210and the wheel securement member220swingably disposed on the frame210. The adjustment mechanism1includes a guiding assembly10and a positioning assembly20.

The guiding assembly10is adjustably positioned on a guiding rod30configured to be disposed on the frame210, and the guiding assembly10includes a main body11and a coupling member12rotatably connected between the main body11and the wheel securement member220. The positioning assembly20is connected with the guiding assembly10and includes a biasing portion21sleeved on the guiding rod30, and the biasing portion21is movable relative to the guiding rod30between a restricting position and a release position. When the biasing portion21is in the restricting position, the biasing portion21is biased against the guiding rod30, and the guiding assembly10is unmovable relative to the guiding rod30. When the biasing portion21is in the release position, the guiding assembly10is movable relative to the guiding rod30. Therefore, the adjustment mechanism1of the vehicle carrier2has advantages of easy adjustment and stable engagement.

The guiding rod30defines an axial direction A, and an outer surface of the guiding rod30has at least one convex portion31radially protruding therefrom and extending in the axial direction A. The biasing portion21includes a through slot211, and a shape of the through slot211corresponds to a radial cross-sectional profile of the guiding rod30, which provides good guiding effect and stable engagement. Preferably, the positioning assembly20is rotatably disposed on the main body11, and the main body11includes a first abutting surface111and a second abutting surface112which are respectively interferable with the positioning assembly20in a rotational direction of the positioning assembly20. Specifically, the first abutting surface111is tilted to the axial direction A, and the second abutting surface112is vertical to the axial direction A. The positioning assembly20is disposed between the first abutting surface111and the second abutting surface112, which prevents the positioning assembly20from being over-swung during adjustment. In this embodiment, the main body11further includes a first housing114and a second housing115connected with each other, and the positioning assembly20is disposed between the first housing114and the second housing115, which has a simple structure and is easy to manufacture and assemble.

Specifically, the positioning assembly20further includes a control member23, and the biasing portion21is drivable by the control member23. The control member23includes a pivot portion231rotatably connected with the main body11, an operation portion232protruding beyond the main body11and a swinging portion233which is connected between the pivot portion231and the operation portion232and sleeved to the guiding rod30. The positioning assembly20further includes at least one restriction member24having the biasing portion21disposed thereon, and the at least one restriction member24is located between the swinging portion233and the main body11so that the control member23can drive the at least one restriction member24to move. In this embodiment, the positioning assembly20includes a plurality of said restriction members24, and the plurality of said restriction members24are preferably movable relative to one another. When the biasing portion21is in the restricting position, the plurality of said restriction members24are tilted relative to the guiding rod30and radially biased against the guiding rod30, as shown inFIG.5, so that the wheel securement member220is non-swingable relative to the frame210and is stably restricted. When the biasing portion21is in the release position, each of the plurality of said restriction members24and the guiding rod30has a gap radially disposed therebetween, as shown inFIG.7, which allows the guiding assembly10to be moved along the guiding rod30and drive the coupling member12and the wheel securement member220to swing relative to the frame210. Preferably, the positioning assembly20further includes a first elastic member22disposed between the main body11and the biasing portion21so that the biasing portion21has a tendency to move toward the restricting position. In this embodiment, the first elastic member22is elastically abutted against and between the main body11and one of the plurality of said restriction members24, and the first elastic member22is elastically abutted against a side of the plurality of said restriction members24adjacent to the operation portion232so that the plurality of said restriction members24and the control member23have a tendency to be tilted relative to the axial direction A. In other embodiments, the plurality of said restriction members may be fixedly attached with one another; the positioning assembly may have only one said restriction member; the plurality of said restriction members may be attached to the swinging portion; the first elastic member may be disposed between the control member and the main body.

Specifically, the swinging portion233includes two arms234disposed on two opposite sides of the guiding rod30, and a surface of each of the two arms234facing the guiding rod30at least partially corresponds to an outer profile of the guiding rod30, as shown inFIG.3. Therefore, the two arms234are abuttable against two opposite sides of the plurality of said restriction members24for good guiding effect and smooth movement. An extending direction of each of the two arms234is oblique to an extending direction of the operation portion232so that the operation portion232is convenient to operate. In this embodiment, the coupling member12is rotatably connected with the pivot portion231so as to be easy to assemble and be directly driven when the main body11is moved relative to the guiding rod30. However, the coupling member may be connected with other portions of the main body; the biasing portion may be directly formed on the control member without the plurality of said restriction members.

Please refer toFIGS.8to11, the main body11further includes at least one first engaging portion113, and the positioning assembly20further includes at least one second engaging portion25which is releasably engaged with the at least one first engaging portion113. When the at least one first engaging portion113is engaged with the at least one second engaging portion25, the biasing portion21is in one of the restricting position and the release position. Therefore, the control member23is unnecessary to be pressed during adjustment of the wheel securement member220, which is convenience to use. The positioning assembly20further includes a positioning member26disposed on the control member23, and the positioning member26has the at least one second engaging portion25disposed thereon. When the at least one first engaging portion113is engaged with the at least one second engaging portion25, the control member23is unmovable relative to the main body11. In this embodiment, the control member23is rotatably connected with the main body11about a first rotational direction R1, and the positioning member26is rotatably connected with the control member23about a second rotational direction R2lateral to the first rotational direction R1so as to avoid unexpected movement of the positioning member26; the positioning member26is disposed on the operation portion232so as to be convenient to be operated and adjusted by one hand. Moreover, the at least one first engaging portion113includes a first engaging groove116and a second engaging groove117, and the at least one second engaging portion25includes a projection251. When the projection251is engaged within the first engaging groove116, the biasing portion21is in the restricting position, as shown inFIGS.4,5and8. When the projection251is engaged within the second engaging groove117, the biasing portion21is in the release position, as shown inFIGS.6,7and10. Therefore, the main body11is movable along the guiding rod30to drive the coupling member12to swing the wheel securement member220relative to the frame21, which is convenient to assemble and disassemble a bicycle. In operation, the projection251is moved from the first engaging groove116to the second engaging groove117so that the biasing portion21is positioned in the release position and the wheel securement member220is swingable relative to the frame21to a predetermined position. After assembling or disassembling of the bicycle, the projection251is engaged within the first engaging groove116so that the biasing portion21is positioned in the restricting position and the wheel securement member220is restricted to the predetermined position. Preferably, the positioning assembly20further includes a second elastic member27disposed between the positioning member26and the control member23so that the projection251has a tendency to engage within one of the first engaging groove116and the second engaging groove117.

In summary, the biasing portion of the adjustment mechanism is swingable between the restricting position and the release position relative to the guiding rod, which is convenient to adjust and restrict the wheel securement member and provides easy assembling/disassembling and wide application. In addition, with two-stage operation of the positioning member and the control member, the biasing portion is stably positioned in the restricting position or the release position without operating the positioning assembly during adjustment, which avoids unexpected movement of the biasing portion and can be operated by one hand.