Patent ID: 7806307

Claim:
A bicycle carrier for a vehicle, the carrier comprising: a frame; a holding column movable between a horizontal position and an upright position relative to the frame, the holding column operable for receiving a crank arm of a pedal of a bicycle when the holding column is in the upright position; a guide rod system for fixing the holding column in the upright position when the holding column is in the upright position, the guide rod system having first and second guide rods connected to one another via a first articulated joint, wherein the first guide rod is supported on the holding column via a second articulated joint and the second guide rod is supported on the frame via a third articulated joint, wherein when the holding column is in the upright position the guide rods extend at an angle between the frame and the holding column and assume an extended top dead center position; and a locking system having a pin and an actuating element respectively engageable with opposite first and second sides of the first guide rod when the guide rods are in the extended top dead center position for locking the guide rods in the extended top dead center position; wherein the pin is fixedly connected directly to the holding column adjacent the second articulated joint and projects from the holding column such that the pin engages the first side of the first guide rod when the guide rods are in the extended top dead center position; wherein the actuating element includes a bearer section and a spring section, wherein the bearer section is fixedly connected to the holding column, wherein the spring section extends from the bearer section between the holding column and the first guide rod and is movable relative to the bearer section between a locked position in which the spring section engages the second side of the guide rod when the guide rods are in the extended top dead center position and an unlocked position in which the spring section disengages from the first guide rod.