CARRYING CONSTRUCTION TO BE MOUNTED ON THE BACK OF A VEHICLE

Abstract: A carrying construction to be mounted on the back of a vehicle is provided with a supporting member and carriers which, relative to the supporting member, can be swung upwards into the rest position and downwards into the working position. The supporting member can be placed on a ball head of a drawhook behind the vehicle and can be fixed thereon with the aid of clamping means forming part of the carrying construction, of which the clamping action, after the supporting member has been placed on the ball head, is realized by swinging the carriers downwards.

Description: Title: Carrying construction to be mounted on the back of a vehicle . The present invention relates to a carrying construction to be mounted on the back of a vehicle with a supporting member and carriers which, relative to the supporting member, can be swung upwards into the rest position and downwards into the working position, which supporting member can be placed on a ball head of a drawhook behind the vehicle and can be fixed thereon. In such known carrying constructions the supporting member is fixed on the ball head by using individual auxiliaries which, moreover, often require specific tools. The object of the invention is to simplify the carrying construction in this respect and to make the use of such auxiliaries and tools superfluous. According to the invention the carrying construction as defined in the opening paragraph is characterized in that the fixing of the supporting member on the ball head is done with the aid of clamping means forming part of the carrying construction, of which the clamping action, after the supporting member has been placed on the ball head, is realized by swinging the carriers downwards. Further according to the invention the clamping means are provided with a tilting element, which is rotatably arranged in the supporting member, and with pressure elements, preferably made of plastic, arranged on the carriers, which pressure elements, when the carriers are swung downwards, press the tilting element against the ball 2 head, on which ball head a counterpressure is exerted by a fixedly arranged counterpressure surface forming part of the supporting member. In particular the tilting element has a folded lip, and when the supporting member is placed on the ball head, the tilting element is rotated under the action of the pressure exerted by the ball head on the folded lip, such that the pressure elements clamp the tilting element against the ball head when the carriers are swung downwards . In order to intensify this clamping action, the tilting element is provided with a spring, in particular a disk spring which, when the supporting member is placed on the ball, is pressed against the ball . In order that play in the hinge construction of the carriers relative to the supporting member and thus variations in the intensity of the clamping action of the supporting member on a ball head may be taken up as much as possible, the supporting member is provided according to the invention with supporting elements which realize that in the working position the pressure elements exert a nearly constant pressure on the tilting element. In order to prevent the possibility of a carrying construction clamped around the ball head being wrenched around the ball head after all, the tilting element can be provided with a first engagement element for the neck of the ball head, while, furthermore, the counterpressure surface can be provided with a second engagement element for the neck of the ball head. Also, the carriers can be provided with 3 engagement elements which, when the supporting member is placed on the ball head and the carriers are swung downwards, engage under the ball head on the neck thereof . A special favorable embodiment is obtained when all these engagement elements are present; for then the neck of the ball head is engaged from four sides, so that wrenching the carrying construction clamped around the ball head becomes impossible in principle. Although the dimensions of a ball head of a drawhook are fully standardized, this does not apply to the neck of the ball head. In practice, with different types variations are found with respect to the dimensions of the cross-section of the ball head. The carrying construction, however, should be suitable for all these types. Hence the above engagement elements are adjustable to the dimensions of the neck of the ball head. To this end, the engagement elements are preferably designed as setscrews. It is further observed that the carrying construction may be provided with a locking bar for fixing the carriers in the working position. A lock may further be arranged to prevent the possibility of removing the carrying construction from the ball head by swinging the carriers upwards. This lock preferably acts on the locking bar. The invention will now be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 4 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the carrying construction according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a bottom view of a part of this carrying construction in the swung-up position; Fig. 3 is a bottom view of a part of this carrying construction in the swung-out position; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a part of the supporting member after being clamped around a ball head. The carrying construction shown in the figures, in full or in part, comprises a supporting member 1 and carriers 2 and 3 which, relative to the supporting member, can be swung up into the rest position and down into the working position. The carriers 2 and 3 are each built up from a hinge plate 4 and 5, respectively, and a carrying frame 6 and 7, respectively, rigidly connected thereto. The hinge plates 4 and 5 are hingedly connected to the supporting member 1 around the axes 8 and 9. For this purpose, the hinge plates 4 and 5 are provided at both ends with lips 10, through which lips hinge screws 11 are passed and fixed on the supporting member 1. The carrying frames 6 and 7 are each so designed through two tubes 12 and 13 and two interposed connecting strips 14 and 15 that, when the carrying construction is fixed on the ball head of a drawhook behind a vehicle, one or more bicycles can receive support therefrom. The carrying construction shown in Fig. 1 is suitable for two bicycles. 5 Arranged on the supporting member 1 is an upright 16. Near the top thereof a cross-bar 17 is movable up and down in a slot 18 and can be fixed on the upright 16 at a desired level through, for instance, a wing nut. Near the two ends the cross-bar 17 has a fastening bar 19 and 20, respectively. Situated near the ends of these fastening bars are fastening means 21 and 22, respectively. With the aid of each of these fastening means a respective bicycle receiving support from the carrying frames 6 and 7 can be fixed. In Fig. 1 the carrying frames 6 and 7 are further provided with lighting elements 23 and 24 with an associated cabling 25 with a connection to the supporting member 1. For this cabling a number of eyes 26, 27 and 28 serving to pass the cables are arranged on the hinge plates 4 and 5 , as shown in Fig. 2. The supporting member 1 is provided with an upper plate 29, on which the upright 16 is arranged, while on one of the short sides of the supporting member, namely on the side where the supporting member can be placed around the ball head, a fixedly arranged plate part 30 is present, which plate part functions as counterpressure surface when clamping the supporting member around the ball head by rotating the tilting element. The counterpressure surface 30 has a round opening or optionally only a round recess against which the ball head can be clamped. The counterpressure surface 30 is further provided with an engagement element 31 in the form of a setscrew with a concave end part which is arranged such 6 that the concave end part can engage around a corresponding part of the neck of a ball head, as shown in Fig. 4. The supporting member 1 is further provided with a tilting element 32, which, by means of a hinge screw 33, is rotatable between two supports arranged on the long sides of the supporting member 1 (not shown) . The tilting element 32 has a folded lip 34, with the aid of which, when the supporting member is placed on a ball head, the tilting element is rotated such that it can be pressed against the ball head by pressure elements to be further described below. The ball head is then clamped between the tilting element 32 and the counterpressure surface 30. As shown in Fig. 4, a disk spring 42 is arranged in a round recess of the tilting element 32. The clamping action obtained by the cooperation of the tilting element 32 and the counterpressure surface 30 is thereby intensified. In order to take up the effects of providing a recess in the tilting element on the strength of the tilting element, the tilting element is provided on the back with a strengthening rib 43. The tilting element 32 is further provided with an engagement element 35 in the form of a setscrew with a concave end part which is arranged such that the concave end part can engage around a corresponding part of the neck of a ball head, as shown in Fig. 4. Arranged on the hinge plates 4 and 5 are pressure elements 36 and 37, respectively, preferably made of plastic. When the carriers are swung out, the hinge plates 4 and 5 being brought into the vertical position shown in Fig. 3, the 7 pressure elements 36 and 37 contact the back of the tilting element 32 and exert a pressure thereon so that, when the carrying construction is placed on the ball head, the supporting member 1 is clamped on this ball head; this position is further shown in Fig. 4. The tilting element 32 together with the pressure elements 36 and 37 and the counterpressure surface 30 forms clamping means for the ball head. Because, as a result of play in the setscrews 11, the pressure elements 36, 37, in the working position, will not always press against the tilting element 32 with ' the desired pressure, supporting elements in the form of two round blocks 38 are arranged on the supporting member 1. In the working position these blocks enable an accurate positioning of the pressure elements 36, 37 relative to the tilting element 32 so that a desired constant exertion of pressure by the pressure elements 36, 37 on the tilting element can be realized. Arranged behind the blocks 38, approximately halfway down the length of the supporting member 1, is a strengthening plate 41. The above clamping means further comprise, in addition to the tilting element 32 with the pressure elements 36, 37 and the counterpressure surface 30, a number of engagement elements, of which the engagement elements 31 and 35 have already been mentioned above. In addition to these engagement elements already mentioned, engagement elements 39 are arranged on the hinge plates 4, 5 of the respective carriers 2, 3. When the supporting member is placed on the 8 ball head and the carriers are swung downwards, these engagement elements engage under the ball head on the neck thereof. The engagement elements 39 are designed as setscrews too. The adjustability of the engagement elements 31, 35 and 39 is important to make the carrying construction suitable for being placed on the ball heads, the neck diameter of which may yet sometimes differ in practice, in spite of the fact that in the matter of dimensions the ball head itself is meanwhile fully standardized. It is further observed that in order to prevent the carriers 2 and 3 from tending during driving the vehicle to return to the swung-in position again owing to shocks or other causes, a lock is present in the form of a locking bar 40, which is hingedly connected to the carrying frame 7 and can engage the carrying frame 6. This engagement means may be provided with a lock so that unauthorized persons cannot swing the carriers upwards in order to remove the carrying construction from the ball head. Arranged on this locking bar may be, for instance, a license plate. The operation of the carrying construction is as follows. The engagement elements 31, 35 and 39 are adjusted once to the neck of the ball head present on the drawhook of the vehicle. Subsequently, the carrying construction is placed with the supporting member 1 over the ball head and clamped thereon by moving the carriers 2 and 3 downwards. Then the locking bar 40 is fixed between the two carriers and the carrying construction is ready for use after connecting 9 the cabling and two bicycles can be placed thereon and fixed by means of fastening means 21. The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein but comprises all kinds of modifications, of course as far as they fall within the scope of protection of the annexed claims. Thus it is possible to design the carrying construction so as to be suitable for transport of other objects and luggage than only bicycles. In the matter of design the carrying construction is not limited to two bicycles either; a narrower carrying construction for only one bicycle is possible; also, a broader embodiment for, for instance, three bicycles is possible. All kinds of embodiments of the carriers are further possible.

Claims: 10 Claims 1. A carrying construction to be mounted on the back of a vehicle with a supporting member and carriers which, relative to the supporting member, can be swung upwards into the rest position and downwards into the working position, which supporting member can be placed on a ball head of a drawhook behind the vehicle and can be fixed thereon, characterized in that this fixing is done with the aid of clamping means forming part of the carrying construction, of which the clamping action, after the supporting member has been placed on the ball head, is realized by swinging the carriers downwards . 2. A carrying construction according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamping means are provided with a tilting element, which is movably arranged in the supporting member, and with pressure elements arranged on the carriers, which pressure elements, when the carriers are swung downwards, press the tilting element against the ball head, on which ball head a counterpressure is exerted by a fixedly arranged counterpressure surface forming part of the supporting member. 3. A carrying construction according to claim 2, characterized in that the tilting element has a folded lip and when the supporting member is placed on the ball head, the tilting element is rotated under the action of the pressure exerted by the ball head on the folded lip, such 11 that the pressure elements clamp the tilting element against the ball head when the carriers are swung downwards. 4. A carrying construction according to claim 3, characterized in that the tilting element is provided with a spring which, when the supporting member is placed on the ball, is pressed against the ball. 5. A carrying construction according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that the supporting member is provided with supporting elements to realize that in the working position the pressure elements exert a nearly constant pressure on the tilting element. 6. A carrying construction according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that the pressure elements are made of plastic. 7. A carrying construction according to any one of claims 2-6, characterized in that the tilting element is provided with a first engagement element for the neck of the ball head. 8. A carrying construction according to any one of claims 2-7, characterized in that the counterpressure surface is provided with a second engagement element for the neck of the ball head. 9. A carrying construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carriers are provided with further engagement elements which, when the supporting member has been placed on the ball head and the 12 carriers are swung downwards, engage under the ball head on the neck thereof . 10. A carrying construction according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that engagement elements are adjustable to the dimensions of the neck of the ball head. 11. A carrying construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a locking bar is present to fix the carriers in the working position. 12. A carrying construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a lock is present to prevent the possibility of wrenching the carrying construction from the ball head by swinging the carriers upwards .

Inventors: KEMPEN LAMBERTUS, KEMPEN, LAMBERTUS
Applicants: KEMPEN LAMBERTUS, MULTA BEDRIJVEN, KEMPEN, LAMBERTUS
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B60R9
IPC codes: B60R9