Patent Abstract:
An all terrain vehicle storage rack including an L-shaped bracket having a base for supporting a container thereon and an upstanding leg for detachably mounting on the back of an all terrain vehicle storage rack. A forward portion of at least one container retaining ring is secured to the upstanding leg. A rear portion of the ring is secured and to a rigidifying bar which spans the terminal end of the base and a rear portion of the container ring.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a storage rack for an all terrain vehicle and more particularly to a container support rack which will accommodate containers of varying heights and diameters. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art and Objects 
     All terrain vehicles (ATV) are typically three or four wheeled vehicles having a seat for one or more passengers and a rear storage rack which typically includes a plurality of spaced apart horizontal steel tubes and a plurality of vertically spaced apart rearwardly horizontally disposed retaining tubes. These racks typically provide limited storage space for fishermen, farmers, bird watchers, and others who use all terrain vehicles to travel into the wilderness. Fishermen, for example, typically want to carry a minnow bucket and also a second bucket in which they place the fish which they catch. Bird watchers frequently want to separately store different bird seed. Also, a farmer may want a container for seed and a second container for tools or fertilizer. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and novel storage rack for storing a plurality of containers on an ATV storage rack. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,180B1 issued to John F. Walker, on Jan. 30, 2001, discloses a carrier accessory for attaching containers having enlarged diameter rims thereon in a plurality of rings which are mounted on the rear of the all terrain vehicle. Frequently, fishermen, farmers, bird watchers, etc., have rimless containers or containers which have a smaller or larger diameter than the rings illustrated in the Walker patent and thus, the Walker device is of limited use. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack which will accommodate rimless containers. 
     It is yet another object of the present inventions to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack which will accommodate containers of varying diameters or breadths. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain storage rack of the type described which will accommodate rimless containers having varying heights. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain storage vehicle of type described which includes a platform for underlying a container supported thereon and a container ring which envelopes a container supported thereon. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described which includes an L-shaped mounting bracket having a horizontal base which supports a container thereon and an upstanding leg on which a container retaining ring is mounted. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described including rigidifying rods which span the terminal end of the base leg and are tangentially fixed to a portion of the retainer ring remote from the upstanding leg. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described which includes a one-piece rigidifying rod which couples the base to a portion of the retainer ring remote from the upstanding leg. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described wherein the upstanding leg includes a plate having a pair of rows of vertically spaced apertures through which fasteners, such as U-bolts, are disposed to couple the plate to the support rack of an all terrain vehicle. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle of the type described in which the vertical leg includes an upstanding plate of a predetermined breadth and a transverse bar having terminal ends which are fixed are tangentially fixed to a pair of laterally spaced container receiving rings. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described wherein the horizontal leg include a pair of container support wings projecting laterally outwardly from opposite sides of the horizontal platform to provide a pair of laterally spaced container supports aligned with a pair of laterally spaced overlying container rings. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an all terrain vehicle storage rack of the type described including a rigidifying rod which spans the platform and the container support wings, and thence spans the container support wings and tangentially couples to a portion of each ring remote from the upstanding leg, and finally spans the terminal end of the horizontal platform and each ring. 
     The aforementioned Walker U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,180B1, discloses mounting brackets which are laterally or horizontally spaced apart a substantial distance that would prevent the use of the Walker bracket on many current ATV racks. Typically, the top rail on many ATV racks is relatively short and thus, the mounting brackets must be laterally closely spaced. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel all terrain vehicle support rack which is adapted to be mounted on a wider variety of all terrain vehicle racks than the prior art permits. 
     The lack of an underlying support platform disclosed in the Walker patent seriously limits the load capacity thereof. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel all terrain vehicle support rack which has a higher load capacity than the prior art. 
     In the prior art patented Walker construction, the buckets project downwardly below the brackets a substantial distance which, under certain conditions, can cause the bottom of the containers to come in contact with ground brush and debris and perhaps even the ATV rear tires. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel all terrain vehicle storage rack which overcomes the problems with the existing prior art all terrain vehicle carrier accessories. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A storage rack for an all terrain vehicle including an L-shaped bracket having a horizontal leg for supporting a container thereon and an upstanding leg, mechanism for detachably coupling the upstanding leg to an all terrain vehicle; at least one endless bucket receiving retainer for freely receiving a container supported on the horizontal leg and coupled to the vertical leg; and upstanding hoop mounting rods spanning the horizontal leg and the ring. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a storage rack constructed according to the present invention mounted on the rear end of an ATV storage rack; 
     FIG. 2 is a slightly reduced side elevational view thereof, part of the horizontal leg being broken away to better illustrate the loop support ring spanning the rear of the loop and the rear of the leg; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view thereof, taken along the line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view thereof; 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a slightly modified embodiment for mounting a single bucket; 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevational view, taken along the line  7 — 7  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional side elevational view, taken along the section line  8 — 8  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged view thereof without a bucket; and 
     FIG. 10 is a similar perspective view thereof mounting the bucket. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A storage rack, generally designated  10 , constructed according to the present invention, is particularly adapted for use in mounting an article, such as a bucket or container, illustrated in platform lines at  11 , on a rear storage rack, generally designated  12 , mounted at the rear of an all terrain vehicle (ATV). The ATV storage rack  12  include a plurality of horizontally spaced apart parallel steel support tubes (not shown) and a pair of parallel, vertically spaced apart transversely extending, horizontal tubular members  16  and  18  located at the rear most portion of the rack  12 . 
     The storage rack  10 , constructed according to the present invention, includes an L-shaped frame, generally designated  20 , having a horizontal base leg  22  and a vertical leg  23  integrally coupled to the front end  24  of horizontal leg  22 . The base leg  22  includes an elongate horizontal plate  26  having laterally spaced downwardly diverging legs  28  and  30  which terminate in horizontal flanges  32  and  34 , respectively. The upstanding leg  23  includes a vertical plate  36  having laterally spaced forwardly diverging legs  38  and  40  terminating in terminal flanges  42  and  44  which lie in the same vertical plane and include laterally spaced apart rows  46  and  48  of vertically spaced apertures  50  and  52 , respectively, for receiving pairs of vertically spaced U-bolts  54  and  56  which are detachably held to tubular members  16  and  18  via nuts  62  and  64  are threaded onto the U-bolts  54  and  56 . 
     Welded, or otherwise suitably secured to the laterally outer faces of the depending legs  28  and  30 , are the laterally inner, downwardly extending, angled flanges  67  and  69  of laterally outwardly extending, container supporting wings or plates  66  and  68 , respectively, having terminal ends  70  and  72 , respectively, on which a pair of the containers or buckets  11  are vertically supported. 
     A pair of container retainer rings, loops or circular hoops  74  and  76  are mounted on the upstanding leg  23  via a transverse crossbar  78  welded to plate  36  and having terminal ends  80  and  82  which are tangentially welded to forward circumferential portions  84  and  86  of rings  74  and  76 , respectively. The rings  74  and  76  include bucket receiving apertures  75  and  77  therethrough for receiving articles such as bucket  11  having a predetermined diameter  83 . The loops or hoops  74  and  76  having an inner diameter  85  typically larger than the bucket diameter  83 . 
     A second rigidifying mount, generally designated  88 , is provided for supporting the forward diametrically opposite distal portions  90  and  92  of the rings  74  and  76 , respectively. The rigidifying mount  88  includes a transverse base rod  98  welded or otherwise suitably fixed to the undersides of the flanges  32  and  34  and including terminal ends  100  and  101 , respectively, welded or otherwise suitably fixed to the undersides  102  and  103  of the container support wings  66  and  68 , respectively. The mount  88  includes a pair of rearwardly and upwardly extending legs  94  and  96  which include forward ends  93  and  95  are welded to the terminal ends  100  and  101 , respectively, and to the undersides  102  and  103 , respectively, The rods  94  and  96  include upwardly extending integral rod portions  108  and  110 , respectively, which include upper ends  109  and  111 , respectively, tangentially welded to the forward distal ring portions  90  and  92 , respectively. The rigidifying mount  88  also includes a pair of downwardly converging rod sections  112  and  114  integral with the rods  108  and  110 , respectively, and having forwardly extending horizontal terminal rod sections  116  and  118  welded to the junctions  120  and  122  of the plate  26  and the legs  28  and  30 , respectively. 
     THE OPERATION 
     The storage rack  10  is coupled to the rear horizontal bars  16  and  18  of the ATV storage rack  12  via U-bolts  54 ,  56  and nuts  62 ,  64  in the position illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. A pair of buckets or containers  11  are disposed within the apertures  75 ,  77  provided in the rings or hoops  74 ,  76 , respectively, to be supported on the laterally outwardly extending container support wings  66  and  68  and the rods  98 ,  94  and  96 , respectively. The breadth or internal diameters  85  of the rings  74  and  76  is greater than the maximum external diameters  83  of the containers  11  so that the containers can be easily removed from the rings. Also, the broader rings will allow containers  11  of different diameters to be freely set forth and supported therein. 
     ALTERNATE EMBODIMENT 
     The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6-8, generally designated  10 A, is generally similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 and generally similar parts are identified with generally similar reference characters followed by the letter A subscript. 
     The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6-8 differs from that illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 in that rather than supporting the bucket  11 A on the laterally extending wings and mounting rods, the bucket  11 A is supported on the base leg  22 A. Only one retainer ring  74 A is illustrated and the forward distal portion  84 A is tangentially welded directly to the vertical plate  36 A on the vertical leg  23 A. The rigidifying apparatus  88 A merely includes an inverted V-shaped rigid rod  128  having an upper apex  127  to the rear ring portion  90 A and downwardly diverging legs  129  and  130  terminating in forwardly extending rod sections  116 A and  118 A, respectively, welded to the junctions  120 A and  122 A of the base plate  26 A and the legs  28 A and  30 A, respectively. 
     It is to be understood that the drawings and descriptive matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various changes may be made in various elements to achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1