Patent ID: 12202562

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF POSSIBLE EMBODIMENTS

The proposed invention allows different embodiments both for the retaining bar (3000) and the bike rack (2000). However, this explanation of possible embodiments focuses on variants of the retaining bar (3000) as it is where the innovation is concentrated. Moreover, it shall be mentioned that the bike rack (2000) can be implemented in a number of quite obvious ways such as, for example, in the form of a wall support using bent round steel tube, or using a rigid support U fixed to the wall using brackets as shown inFIG.1. This component also enables a range of different embodiments depending on the structural part against which it is installed—whether a wall, floor, ceiling, etc.

A preferred embodiment is presented here in which the construction of the inner carriage (3200) of the retaining bar (3000) employs two short tube segments—one at each end—both used to guide the unit inside the outer tube (3100) and to strangle the insertion holes (3101) (seeFIG.2). Moreover, a secondary embodiment is also included (seeFIG.3) in which the structure of the inner carriage (3200) is organised with a single long tube segment performing the same function but adding greater shear strength to the retaining bar (3000).

Preferred Embodiment 1

This embodiment comprises an anti-theft rack device (1000) comprising a bike rack (2000) and a retaining bar (3000), both made of hardened steel so that they cannot easily be broken. The bike rack (2000) firmly fixed in position in the storage space, for example to a wall, and with two cylindrical, parallel, horizontal support arms (2200) on which to place the bicycles and with retention slots (2300) located transversely at the end of the arms. When positioning bikes, each of the support arms passes through different parts of the bicycle structure such that when the retaining bar (3000) is engaged on the support arms (2200) they will be retained until the retaining bar (3000) is removed.

On the other hand, the retaining bar (3000) comprises an assembly, which can be made manually without tools, of the following subassemblies and components that can be manufactured from commercial tubes or plates using high-precision laser-cutting machines and without the need to manufacture any specific tooling thanks to its structural characteristics:Outer tube (3100): rectangular tube of a suitable length and with a series of holes on its surface:Circular insertion holes (3101) of sufficient diameter to insert the ends of the support arms (2200);Retainer mounting holes (3102) where the retainer (3500) is inserted to immobilise the assembly—formed by the lock bracket (3300), the lock (3400) and the retainer (3500) itself—and to delimit the travel of the inner carriage (3200).Inner carriage (3200) which, when pushed from the rear side of the retaining bar (3000), slides into the outer tube (3100) until the latch bolt (3410) spontaneously moves into the locking hole (3211) blocking the retaining bar (3000) locking mechanism until the lock (3400) is opened so as to retract the latch bolt (3410) and thus release the locking hole (3211), at which time the opening spring (3600) will push the inner carriage (3200) to the maximum opening position allowed by the travel slots (3222) of the front sub-carriage (3220) as their front flanks meet the retainer (3500). This inner carriage (3200) comprises a manual assembly without welds of the following subcomponents:Rear sub-carriage (3230): rectangular tube segment with the same section shape as the outer tube (3100), but slightly smaller than its inner perimeter (the difference shall be less than the thickness of the first tube), and with a series of holes on its surface:Upper slot (3232) of the rear sub-carriage through which a divider (3240) is inserted without clearance, and which fastens the upper flank of said divider;Lower slot (3233) of the rear sub-carriage into which the lower flank of the divider (3240) is inserted and fastened in position;Rear retention hole (3231) shaped as a slotted hole with two sections of different widths and next to the rear side of the divider (3240). The wider section coincides in the open position with the insertion hole (3101) in the outer tube (3100), allowing the end of the support arm (2200) to pass through. In turn, in the locked position, the narrow section of rear retention hole (3231) strangles the support arm (2200) through its corresponding retention slot (2300) making it impossible to remove the retaining bar (3000).Front sub-carriage (3220): segment of the same tube as the rear sub-carriage (3230) and with a series of holes:Upper slot of the front sub-carriage (3224), analogous to the upper slot (3232) of the rear sub-carriage;Lower slot of the front sub-carriage (3223), analogous to the lower slot (3233) of the rear sub-carriage;Front retention hole (3221), analogous to the rear retention hole (3231);Travel slots (3222) that restrict the travel of the inner carriage (3200) when its front and rear flanks meet with the retainer (3500).Latch (3210): long flat rectangular plate that is not as high as the inside vertical pitch of the front and rear sub-carriages (3220and3230) and the length of which is such that when the unit is assembled, the separation between the front and rear retention holes (3221and3231) of the support arms matches the one between of the insertion holes (3101) in the outer tube (3100). With this purpose, the upper flank of the latch (3210) has two front (3212) and rear (3213) slots which are interlocked with the corresponding fitting slots (3241) in the two dividers (3240) to form a single body of the whole unit. Near to the front end of the latch (3210) is the locking hole (3211). When the inner carriage (3200) is pushed inwards, the latch bolt (3410) slides into the locking hole (3211) and blocks the inner carriage (3200) upon reaching the locked position and in which the narrow part of the front and rear retention holes (3221and3231) coincide with the insertion holes (3101).Front and rear dividers (3240): two identical plates with height and width that match the front and rear sub-carriages (3220and3230), and a profile such that they can be slid through the upper slot of the sub-carriages until their lower flank is inserted into the lower slot at the same time as the fitting slots (3241) interlock with the corresponding front and rear slots (3212and3213) of the latch (3210).End cap (3260) Commercial rectangular plastic cap that tops the outside of the rear sub-carriage (3230) to facilitate manual pressure to slide the inner carriage (3200) from the open position to the locked position.Opening spring (3600): a compression spring located between the rear of the lock bracket (3300) and the front face of the divider (3240) on the front sub-carriage (3220) such that it exerts an ejection force onto the inner carriage (3200).Retainer (3500) to restrict the inner carriage (3200) tour and immobilise the assembly made up of the lock bracket (3300), the lock (3400) and the retainer (3500) itself. Elongated flat rectangle that is as long as the height of the outer tube and with a blocking recess (3501) on one side that, when assembling the lock (3400), the rear part of the lock slides into said blocking recess (3501), immobilising the retainer (3500) and making impossible to disassemble the assembly.Cylindrical commercial lock (3400) with a latch bolt (3410) that expands spontaneously and partially retracts when opened with a key. This latch bolt has a flat front face so that when sliding into the locking hole (3211) of the inner carriage (3200), it remains locked until the lock (3400) is opened. Its rear face has a slope that allows the latch (3210) to slide smoothly from the initial open position to the locked position, when the latch bolt (3410) will spontaneously slide inside the locking hole (3211) automatically locking the inner carriage (3200) in the locked position. When the lock (3400) is opened, the latch bolt (3410) will also retract sufficiently to release the latch (3210) and allow the opening spring (3600) to push the inner carriage (3200) to the open position. However, when opening with the key, the latch bolt (3410) will be partially outside the body of the lock (3400) such that it will not be released from the lock bracket (3300). The only way to fully retract the latch bolt (3410), which is necessary for assembly, is by directly pressing it.Lock bracket (3300) which, on the one hand, closes the front end of the retaining bar (3000) leaving access only for the lock (3400) insertion during its assembly at factory and for key insertion during regular use. On the other hand, it houses and holds the lock (3400) in its precise position. It is made up of:Lock socket (3310), the inside of which houses the lock (3400) and has the following holes:Latch bolt hole (3311) which, on the one hand, allows the end of the latch bolt (3410) to enter the locking hole (3211) in the locked position and immobilises the lock (3400) inside even in open position since the latch bolt (3410) does not fully retract;Retainer mounting holes (3102) through which the retainer (3500) passes without clearance for the purpose of positioning and immobilising the lock bracket (3300) and lock (3400);The cap's assembly slots (3314) for interlocking with the cap (3320), by sliding its front part within the cap (3320) such that once inserted both parts form a solid unit.Cap (3320): rectangular tube segment which purpose is twofold, first to close the front end of the retaining bar (3000) leaving space only for key access to the lock (3400), and second to position and immobilise the lock transversally to the outer tube (3100). The length of the segment is slightly less than the horizontal pitch of the outer tube (3100) and the longest side of the used commercial tube shall be slightly less than the vertical pitch of the outer tube (3100) so that it can be inserted into the outer tube, capping it. It also has:Lock insertion hole (3321), in the front face and circular in shape through which, once the lock (3400) has been inserted, it holds it in place transversely and leaves access to opening it with a key;Socket assembly slot (3322) on the rear face, for interlocking with the lock socket (3310) such that the front of said lock socket is fitted to the inside face of the front side of the cap (3320) and the cap assembly slots (3314) are fitted to the rear face of the cap (3320) and to the profile of the socket assembly slot (3322) such that, at the end of the interlocking assembly, a single united piece is formed without any possible movement between its parts.

Note that once the lock bracket (3300) has been inserted into the outer tube (3100) and immobilised by sliding the retainer (3500) through the retainer mounting holes (3102) and the retainer blocking holes (3312) when the lock (3400) is finally inserted through the lock insertion hole (3321), the entire unit is assembled, with the only potential movement between the parts being the longitudinal displacement of the inner carriage (3200) between the locked and open positions, in this second case protruding from the rear of the outer tube (3100) allowing manual pressure to return to the locked position.

Secondary Embodiment 2

As shown inFIG.3, the implementation of the functions of the front and rear sub-carriages (3220and3230) in this secondary embodiment is now done by means of a single commercial rectangular tube of the same characteristics but longer in length and with suitable spacing of all the holes specified for the sub-carriages. By having cross section with larger mass, this variation provides a higher resistance to cutting.