Abstract:
A bike rack for carrying a bicycle on a vehicle includes an elongate body for supporting a bicycle, and a fork mount for securing the front fork of the bicycle. A fork mount includes a skewer assembly having a shaft and a keyed member being freed to slide axially along the shaft, but not permitted to rotate around the shaft. A handle device is provided for rotation around the shaft causing adjustment of the effective length of the shaft. A lock device is configured to couple the handle device to the keyed member and prevent rotation of the handle around the shaft.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/186,685, filed Jun. 12, 2009 which is incorporated herein by reference. This application incorporates by reference in their entireties the following: U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,708, U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,351, and U.S. Publication No. US2007/0119887 A1. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Many types of racks are useful for carrying cargo on vehicles. For example, vehicle racks may be used to carry bikes, boats, skis, snowboards, surfboards, bags, boxes, among other things. 
         [0003]    Many types of bike racks are available for carrying bikes on top or behind vehicles. Bike racks that clamp the front forks of a bike (“fork mount”) have the disadvantage that they require removal, and subsequent reinstallation, of the front wheel. However, fork mount racks are desirable particularly for high-end bike frames because they avoid the need to clamp the tubes of the frame, and because they hold the bike more firmly, substantially avoiding incidental vibration and movement of the bike frame in transit. 
         [0004]    Security is always a concern for bikes held in bike racks, and is especially important for higher quality (more expensive) bikes which tend to be frequently carried by fork mount bike racks. A need exists for skewer assemblies that are inexpensive, simple to make and use, reliable, secure, and theft-resistant. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    A skewer assembly for securing a front fork of a bike to a fork mount includes a shaft having a bulged or enlarged portion at one end and threads at the other end. A pivoting cam lever is connected to the other end, and is capable of rotating around the shaft causing adjustment of the effective length of the shaft. The skewer assembly also includes a keyed member near the threaded end of the shaft which is prevented from rotating around the shaft. The skewer assembly may be locked by coupling the lever to the keyed member. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bike mount for carrying a bicycle on top of a vehicle. 
           [0007]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are side views of a skewer assembly for use in a bike mount, more specifically, a fork mount, as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are partial cross-sectional views of a skewer assembly shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
           [0009]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are cross-sectional views through the skewer assembly shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0010]      FIGS. 8 and 9  are side views of an alternative skewer assembly embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view through the skewer assembly shown in  FIG. 8 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 11  is a side view of another skewer assembly embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    The figures and corresponding description below describe specific preferred skewer assembly configurations, and also illustrate basic concepts and principles which may be applied and implemented in numerous other variations and modifications of the invention. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  shows bike mount  10  mounted on crossbars  12  and  14 . Crossbars  12  and  14  are mounted on rails  16  via towers  17 . Bike mount  10  includes wheel tray  18  which is mounted on crossbars  12  and  14  via front fork mount  20  and rear clamp  22 . Rear wheel binding  23  is provided for securing the rear wheel of a bicycle. Fork mount  20  uses a skewer assembly  24  to firmly grip and secure the front fork of a bicycle.  FIG. 1  shows a fork mount used to carry a bicycle on top of a vehicle. However, a fork mount using a skewer assembly, as described herein, may also be used to carry a bicycle on a hitch rack behind a vehicle, or on a trailer. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , skewer assembly  24  includes shaft  30  which has enlarged portion  34  at its distal end. Enlarged portion  34  is larger than a typical dropout on a bicycle fork. An enlarged end of a skewer preferably has a diameter of approximately 19 mm (0.75 inches). A typical axle on a bicycle wheel has a diameter of 9 mm. A typical dropout diameter on a bike fork is slightly larger than 9 mm. The diameter of the flat clamping area on a typical dropout is about 20 mm or larger. A typical quick release device has a nut diameter of approximately 19 mm. An exemplary skewer assembly typically has an enlarged end portion of about 19 mm (0.75 inches). 
         [0016]    Proximal end  38  of shaft  30  is threaded. Compression sleeve  44  is keyed to prevent rotation around shaft  30 . Lock plate  50  is also provided at the proximal end of shaft  30 . Lock plate  50  is keyed relative to an internal bushing (not shown in  FIG. 2 ). Interface  54  between lock plate  50  and compression sleeve  44  has corresponding teeth which prevent lock plate  50  from rotating relative to compression sleeve  44  when lock plate and compression sleeve  44  are pressed together. Cam lever  58  may be used as a handle to rotate the internal tension bushing (not shown) which is threaded around the threaded end  38  of shaft  30 . Lock  62  is provided for retaining lever  58  in its tightened, and locked position, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows the same skewer assembly  24  as in  FIG. 2 . However, in  FIG. 3  cam lever  58  is in an open position which, due to cam surface  70 , releases pressure of lock plate  50  on compression sleeve  44 . 
         [0018]      FIGS. 4 and 5 , corresponding to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , show cross-sections revealing inner mechanisms of skewer assembly  24 .  FIG. 4  shows cam lever or handle  58  in its tightened and locked position. Shaft  30  has threads on proximal end portion  38 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , shaft  30  is keyed to compression sleeve  44 , thereby preventing compression sleeve  44  from rotating around shaft  30 . However, compression sleeve  44  is capable of sliding axially along the length of shaft  30 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , tension bushing  80  is keyed relative to locking plate  50 , and is also pivotally connected to cam lever  58  at pivot point  82 . Therefore, tension bushing  80  is rotationally coupled, in essence, prevented from rotating relative to locking plate  50 . However, locking plate  50  may slide axially relative to tension bushing  80 . Tension bushing  80  is threaded onto proximal end  38  of shaft  30 . Rotation of tension bushing  80 , along with locking plate and handle  58 , around the axis of shaft  30 , causes tension bushing  80  to move along shaft  30 , either shortening or lengthening the effective length of the clamping skewer along skewer axis A. 
         [0019]    A “keyed” relationship between two members means that the two members are structurally coupled or linked in such a way that one member may not rotate relative to the other member. A keyed relationship may be achieved by a male/female engagement through a non-cylindrical interface. For example, the interface may be partially cylindrical combined with flat surfaces around the circumference. Alternatively, a keyed relationship may be connecting two members with a pin defining a pivotal axis which is perpendicular to a rotational axis of the coupled members. In another example of a keyed relationship or linkage, one member may have a slot for receiving a projection from the other member which restricts rotational movement relative to the two members. 
         [0020]      FIG. 5  shows the same skewer assembly  24  of  FIG. 4 . However, handle  58  is in the open position, meaning handle or lever  58  has rotated clockwise approximately 90 degrees around pivot axis B. A principal difference between the assembly position in  FIG. 4  versus  FIG. 5 , is that in  FIG. 4  locking plate  50  is rotationally locked and engaged relative to compression sleeve  44 . In contrast, in the open position shown in  FIG. 5 , locking plate  50  may rotate relative to compression spring  44 , thereby tightening or loosening skewer assembly  24 . 
         [0021]    Lever  58  and bushing  80  have a “threaded connection” with shaft  30 . A “threaded connection” means that two members are related through complementing sets of threads which facilitate axial movement in response to rotation of one member relative to the other. A threaded connection may be direct in which case both members have complementing thread patterns which control overlapping movement of the members relative to each other. Alternatively, a threaded connection may be indirect in which case the two members are connected through an intermediate or coupling member. In this example, the intermediate member may be rotationally keyed or locked relative to one of the members and have a threaded engagement relative to the other member. Typically, in a threaded connection, one of the members has external threads while the other member has internal matching threads. In a threaded connection, threads may be continuous around the circumference of a cylindrical surface. Alternatively, threads may only be present over a portion of a cylindrical surface. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 8 and 9  show an alternative skewer assembly example. Skewer assembly  100  includes shaft  104 . Shaft  104  has an enlarged portion  108  at its distal end. The proximal end portion of shaft  104  has threads  112 . Follower portion  120  is part of, or fixedly connected to locking plate portion  124 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , follower  120  is keyed relative to shaft  104  by pin  126 . Therefore, follower  120  is prevented from rotating around axis C of shaft  104 , however, is permitted to slide axially along the length of shaft  104 . Cam lever  130  is pivotally mounted on lock base  132 . Cam lever  130  has an appropriate cam surface  133  which alters the distance between lock base  132  and locking plate  124 , as cam lever  130  rotates around pivot axis D from the locked position shown in  FIG. 8 , to the unlocked position shown in  FIG. 9 . Locking projection  134  may fit in a slot (not shown) in locking plate  124  to prevent rotation of lever  130  around axis C of shaft  104 . Key  140  may be used to selectively prevent or allow projection  134  to be removed from the slot ( FIG. 10 ) of locking plate  124 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 11  shows another variation of a skewer assembly for a bicycle fork mount. Skewer assembly  200  includes shaft  204 . Shaft  204  has enlarged portion  210  at its distal end. The proximal end of shaft  204  has threads  212  for engaging internal threads (not shown) in or connected to screw handle  214 . Follower  220  is fixedly connected to locking plate  224  which has a slot (not shown) for receiving lock projection  234  when handle  214  is in its locked position. Follower  220  and locking plate  224  are keyed relative to shaft  204  similarly to the example shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . Follower  220  is allowed a range of axial movement along the length of shaft  204 , however, is prevented from rotating around axis E of shaft  204 . 
         [0024]    The various structural members disclosed herein may be constructed from any suitable material, or combination of materials, such as metal, plastic, nylon, plastic or any other materials with sufficient structural strength to withstand the loads incurred during use. Materials may be selected based on their durability, flexibility, weight, and/or aesthetic qualities. 
         [0025]    Although the present disclosure has been provided with reference to the foregoing operational principles and embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances. Where the disclosure recites “a,” “a first,” or “another” element, or the equivalent thereof, it should be interpreted to include one or more such elements, but neither require nor exclude two or more such elements. Further, ordinal indicators, such as first, second, or third for identified elements are used to distinguish between the elements; they do not indicate a required or limited number of such elements, and do not indicate a particular position or order of such elements unless otherwise specifically stated. Any aspect shown or described with reference to a particular embodiment should be interpreted to be compatible with any other embodiment, alternative, modification, or variance. 
         [0026]    This disclosure provides examples of devices, methods, and apparatus for carrying cargo on or in connection with a vehicle. Many alternatives and modifications which may or may not be expressly mentioned, are enabled, implied, and accordingly supported by the disclosure and the following claims.