Abstract:
The present disclosure provides an aesthetically pleasing, functional, versatile solution to the problems associated with bicycle storage. The free-standing bicycle rack includes a base having at least two legs, a vertical support member projecting from the base, and a hook attached to the vertical support member for holding the wheel of a bicycle, such that the bicycle is stored in a vertical orientation. The bicycle rack is readily expandable to accommodate different numbers of bicycles, and the hook may be repositioned to different heights to accommodate bicycles of different sizes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/986,508, filed Jan. 7, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,528,749, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure is directed to the field of free-standing storage racks, and, specifically, to a free-standing bicycle rack that stores at least one bicycle in a vertical orientation and that is readily adaptable to storing multiple bicycles in a vertical orientation. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Bicycle owners face a common dilemma in the storage of their bicycles. Some people who live in single-family dwellings store their bicycles in a garage, carport, or basement. Apartment dwellers and college students often transport their bicycles to their apartments or dorm rooms, where they are parked in a hallway, foyer, or bedroom. Regardless of their home type, bicycle owners have needed several feet of uninterrupted horizontal storage space to accommodate their bicycle. Storage needs are further complicated if multiple bicycles are to be stored. 
         [0004]    In many instances, rather than simply leaning it on its kickstand, a bike owner would prefer to store his bicycle on wall-mounted hooks or a stand to prevent the bicycle from leaving mud or dirt on the floor and to prevent the handlebars from scuffing the walls. Traditional bicycle stands support the bicycle in a riding position—that is, in a generally horizontal orientation—that requires storage space at least the length of the bicycle. Mounting these types of stands to a wall typically requires the insertion of long bolts into wall studs to support the weight of the bicycle (as much as 30 pounds) and stand, which may be problematic for several reasons. First, the wall studs or joists may not be located in areas practical for the storage of the bicycle. Also, if the bicycle owner lives in an apartment, some other rental property, or dormitory, he may be prohibited from bolting items to the wall. 
         [0005]    What is needed is a bicycle storage system that is free-standing and self-supporting without being secured to a wall, floor, ceiling, or other support surface. Also needed is a storage rack or system that orients a bicycle in a vertical orientation, so that less floor space is needed per bicycle. An additional need not currently met by the industry is modularity of a storage rack or system, meaning that the rack is readily and quickly adaptable to the storage of multiple bicycles in different arrangements to accommodate various room layouts and storage requirements. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The present disclosure provides an aesthetically pleasing, functional, versatile solution to the problems associated with bicycle storage. The free-standing bicycle rack includes a base having at least two legs, a vertical support member projecting from the base, and a hook attached to the vertical support member for holding the wheel of a bicycle, such that the bicycle is stored in a vertical orientation. The bicycle rack is readily expandable to accommodate different numbers of bicycles, and the hook may be repositioned to different heights to accommodate bicycles of different sizes. 
         [0007]    According to a first aspect, a free-standing bicycle rack includes a base; a vertical support member projecting from the base; and a hook attached to the vertical support member; the base comprising at least a first support leg and a second support leg spaced apart from the first support leg; wherein the hook is configured to engage the front wheel of a bicycle and to hold the bicycle in a vertical orientation with the back wheel contacting at least one of the vertical support member, the first support leg, and the second support leg. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    A full and complete description of the present storage system is provided herein with reference to the appended figures, in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective elevational view of a free-standing storage rack, according to the present disclosure, in which a single bicycle is being stored in a vertical orientation; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective elevational view of a universal slider attachment, which may be used with the bicycle rack of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective elevational view of a portion of a vertical support beam of  FIG. 1 , in which the universal slider attachment of  FIG. 2  is installed and further illustrating a bicycle-bearing hook; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective elevational view of an alternate storage rack, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, in which two bicycles are stored in a vertical orientation in a back-to-back arrangement; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective elevational view of yet another storage rack, in which two bicycles are stored in a vertical orientation in a right-angle arrangement; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective elevational view of a further storage rack, in which two bicycles are stored in a vertical orientation in a side-by-side arrangement; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective elevational view of a storage rack, according to yet another aspect provided herein, in which three bicycles are stored in a vertical orientation in a side-by-side arrangement; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a perspective elevational view of yet another storage rack, in which three bicycles are stored in a vertical orientation in a right-angle arrangement; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a perspective elevational view of an additional storage rack, in which multiple bicycles are stored in a side-by-side arrangement. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    Reference is now made to the drawings for illustration of various free-standing storage racks for one or more bicycles. While the particular illustrations provided herein are directed to free-standing storage racks for bicycles having a universal slider attachment, various other attachment mechanisms (such as a threaded hook and threaded holes) may be equally applicable for the present storage racks. Moreover, while the bicycles illustrated are adult-sized road bicycles, bicycles of other types (such as mountain bikes) and sizes (such as children&#39;s bicycles) may be stored similarly. Further, whereas the present storage racks are shown as being made of tubular metal components, other materials may be used. 
         [0019]    According to a first aspect shown in  FIG. 1 , a self-supporting bicycle rack  100  is provided for storing a bicycle  1  in a vertical orientation. The rack  100 , which may also be referred to as a storage system, includes a vertical support member  10 , a base  20 , and a hook  30 . The vertical support member  10  has at least one attachment surface  12  that supports the tires of the bicycle  1 . An attachment trough  13  may be incorporated within the attachment surface  12  for the provision of the hook  30  and, in one aspect, a universal slider attachment  60  (shown in  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0020]    The base  20  may be constructed of a first set of two oppositely disposed legs  24  and another support leg  26  that is positioned perpendicularly between the legs  24 . The third leg  26  is located, in this exemplary version, beneath the rear wheel  9  of the bicycle  1  and is longer than the first pair of legs  24 . In at least one assemblage, the leg  26  has a dimension approximating the diameter of the bicycle wheel. The distal ends of the legs  24 ,  26  are provided with feet  25 ,  27 , which are substantially vertical relative to the legs  24 ,  26 . In one aspect, the feet  25 ,  27  are positioned perpendicularly to the legs  24 ,  26  to form an L-shape, although other angles greater than  90  degrees may be used. For height adjustments and to ensure that the rack  100  is level, adjustable pedestals  29  may be attached to the bottom of the feet  25 ,  27 . Further, it is contemplated that the feet of the adjustable pedestals may be adapted to removeably receive wheels or coasters to allow the user to easily maneuver the storage rack to any desired storage location. The wheels or coaters may have locking mechanisms as is common in the art. 
         [0021]    The legs  24  (and  24 ,  26 ) may be connected to one another by any of various methods, including an interlocking system having a depressible button and a corresponding aperture (such as may be used in adjusting the length of a crutch). Other attachment methods include bolts, screws (for instance, into threaded receptacles), magnets, interlocking tabs, and the like. In the event that the modular bicycle rack  100  is to be a permanent fixture, the legs  24 ,  26  may also be welded to the vertical support member  10  and/or each other. Additionally, a multi-port connector piece, such as a T-shaped unit, may be used to connect the legs  24 ,  26  to one another and to the vertical support member  10 , perhaps using the interlocking button and aperture described above. Further, it should be understood that any bicycle rack shown with multiple legs (e.g.,  24 ) extending in an axial direction could be provided with a single leg extending the requisite length. 
         [0022]    The hook  30  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) has a shape resembling the curved portion of a question mark. The hook  30  may be provided with a threaded end, which is sized to engage a correspondingly threaded hole (not shown) in the trough  13 . Alternately, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a universal slider attachment  60  may be positioned within the trough  13 , such that the teeth  63  of the slider attachment  60  engage ridges (not shown) in the valley of the trough  13 . An aperture  61  in the slider attachment  60  receives the correspondingly shaped attachment end of the hook  30 . Once the hook  30  is secured within the trough  13 , the curved body of the hook  30  may be positioned through the spokes of the front wheel  8  of the bicycle  1  to hold the bicycle in its desired vertical orientation. The back wheel  9  of the bicycle  1  rests against the support member  10  and, optionally, the leg  26 , depending on the height at which the hook  30  is positioned along the vertical support member  10 . 
         [0023]    The bicycle rack  100  may be modified to hold more than one bicycle, as shown in  FIGS. 4 through 9 . 
         [0024]    In  FIG. 4 , two bicycles  1 ,  2  are oriented in a back-to-back arrangement, which may be useful when the bicycle rack  110  is to be positioned along an available length of wall to minimize the intrusion of the bicycles  1 ,  2  into a room. The base  20  includes an additional leg  26  that reinforces the rack  110  to accommodate the weight of the second bicycle  2 . The legs  24  may be shorter than the legs  26  to allow the bicycle rack  110  to be housed in close proximity to a wall. 
         [0025]    An alternate variation of the bicycle rack  110  is shown in  FIG. 5 , in which a bicycle rack  120  is provided with a second vertical support member  10  to create a side-by-side storage arrangement. Each bicycle  1 ,  2  attaches to a hook  30  on a corresponding support member  10 . The base  20  includes two under-tire legs  26  and a longitudinal leg  24  (which may be multiple segments joined together) that extends outboard of the first support member  10 , between the first and second support members  10 , and beyond the second support member  10 . As before, the legs  24 ,  26  terminate in feet  25 ,  27  for stability and ease of movement. 
         [0026]      FIG. 6  illustrates yet another variation of a bicycle rack for two bicycles  1 ,  2 . A bicycle rack  130  includes a single vertical support member  10 , which has been modified to include troughs  13  on two adjacent surfaces. When hooks  30  are attached to the troughs  13 , the bicycles  1 ,  2  are arranged at a right angle with respect to one another. Such a configuration may be useful if the bicycle owner wants to store the bicycles  1 ,  2  in the corner of a room. The base  20  includes a leg  24  that resides beneath the rear wheel of the first bicycle ( 1 ) and extends beyond the vertical support member  10 , as well as a second leg  26  that connects to the vertical support member  10  and the leg  24  to form a right angle with the leg  24 . The longer leg  24  (in this exemplary structure) may be a single piece of square tubular material, or may be two separate pieces joined together, for instance, at the vertical support member  10 . 
         [0027]    The principles used to construct bicycle racks for one and two bicycles, as described above, may be further extrapolated to create bicycle racks for three or more bicycles, as shown in  FIGS. 7 through 9 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 7  shows a bicycle rack  140  in which three bicycles  1 ,  2 ,  3  are positioned in a side-by-side arrangement, each of the bicycles  1 ,  2 ,  3  being supported by its own vertical support member  10  and hook  30 . In this variation, the leg  24  extends along the length of the rack  140  and three additional legs  26  project from the longitudinal leg  24  at right angles thereto, each leg  26  being positioned beneath the rear wheel of a corresponding bicycle. It should be apparent that there is no requirement that all of the legs  26  project in the same direction away from the leg  24 . For instance, although such a configuration would require more space, the centrally located support leg  26  may project from the opposite side of the leg  24 , in which case the vertical support member  10  may also be re-oriented so that the trough  13  is facing the same direction. 
         [0029]    Another variation is shown in  FIG. 8 , in which the bicycle rack  150  possesses a single vertical support member  10  that has been modified to include attachment troughs  13  on three surfaces. Each trough  13  is provided with its own hook  30  for receipt of a bicycle  1 ,  2 , or  3 . The bicycles  1 ,  2 ,  3  are oriented in a “tower” arrangement, in which each bicycle is positioned at a right angle to an adjacent bicycle. In this configuration, the legs  24 ,  26  may have approximately the same length as the diameter of the largest bicycle wheel being supported. 
         [0030]      FIG. 9  illustrates a multi-bicycle rack system  160 , in which multiple support members  10  are provided for supporting multiple bicycles  1 - 6 . The bicycle rack  160  features a centrally located support member  10  to which two bicycles  3 ,  4  are secured at right angles to one another. The remaining bicycles are attached to their own vertical support members, though one may easily imagine the installation of additional bicycles opposite one or more of bicycles  1 ,  2 ,  5 , and  6 . The resulting V-shape of the rack  160  requires less storage space than conventional storage racks that orient the bicycles horizontally. As with the previous configurations, the legs  26  are oriented at right angles with respect to the leg  24  that extends the length of the rack  160 . 
         [0031]    In addition to storing bicycles using the hooks  30  described herein, it may also be possible to store auxiliary equipment (such as helmets, hats, gloves, backpacks, etc.) or other types of equipment (such as snowboards, skis, hockey sticks, golf bags, surfboards, etc.) using additional hooks  30 , perhaps placed at different heights along the trough  13 . It is further contemplated that a storage compartment could be utilized with the rack system such as baskets that can be fixed to the rack. Relatedly, in the rack configuration shown in  FIG. 5 , a locker-like compartment could be fixably attached in the region between the horizontally opposed vertical support member, thereby, allowing the storage of items without having to utilize any fixed hooks on the exterior surface of the vertical members. 
         [0032]    The preceding discussion merely illustrates the principles of the present bicycle storage systems. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art may be able to devise various arrangements, which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the inventions and are included within their spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples and conditional language recited herein are principally and expressly intended to be for educational purposes and to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the inventions and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. 
         [0033]    Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure. 
         [0034]    This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the figures of the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire description of the invention. The foregoing description provides a teaching of the subject matter of the appended claims, including the best mode known at the time of filing, but is in no way intended to preclude foreseeable variations contemplated by those of skill in the art.