Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/957,884 Oct. 27, 1997 U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,891. This application claim benefit to Provisional application No. 60/029,174 Oct. 28, 1996. 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/029,174 filed on Oct. 28, 1996. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a bicycle rack detachably mounted by a base assembly to a vehicle such as a passenger automobile via a standard trailer hitch such as a hitch receiver. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Bicycle racks for attachment to passenger vehicle bumpers are well known. Bicycle racks which may be detachably secured to a conventional trailer hitch mounted on a passenger vehicle have recently been introduced. Such bicycle racks typically employ a rectangular base tube that is received in the trailer hitch square tube hitch receiver mounted on a passenger vehicle. A T-shaped bar is secured to and extends upwardly from the base tube. A pair of hook rods are mounted on the top of the T-bar to carry the crossbar of one or more bicycles. Various clamping devices have been used in the prior art to attempt to secure the crossbar of the bicycles to the hook rods extending outwardly from the T-bar. Such clamping devices have various drawbacks. Some lack the necessary structural integrity to securely hold bicycles onto the carrier while being transported by the vehicle. Others are costly to manufacture. Other clamping devices are cumbersome to use. Others lack durability. 
     One such bicycle rack is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,414. It employs an L-shaped clamping member that has a vertical portion telescopically received within a tubular slide member secured to the back of the T-bar. This type of clamping device is costly to manufacture. It is also cumbersome to use in that it requires the L-shaped clamp member to be lifted vertically and held in a vertical position while bicycles are loaded or unloaded from the hook rods. With this arrangement, interference between the slidable portion of the L-shaped clamp member and the tubular member at the back of the T-bar exacerbates the cumbersome nature of this arrangement. 
     Another recently introduced bicycle rack is the bike hitch shown and described in U.S. Ser. No. 384,578 filed Jul. 28, 1989. This bike hitch employs a clamp arm pivotally secured to a U-shaped bracket which is fixedly and permanently mounted to the top of the vertical tube and can accommodate only the standard size frame of racing bicycles. The lower portion of the vertical tube is likewise fixedly secured to a horizontally disposed base tube that supports the bicycle rack in a conventional hitch receiver. Neither the top assembly of this rack nor the base assembly permits the bicycle rack to be folded for compact storage or rotated backward to provide clearance for the rear door or hatch of a passenger vehicle or rack. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a bicycle rack which securely and conveniently clamps the cross-bars of bicycle frames. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide such a rack which may be rotated rearward from the vehicle to permit ready access and clearance for a rear door or hatch of the passenger vehicle. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a bicycle rack which may be folded for compact storage. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a bicycle rack which includes auxiliary tail lights to allow following drivers to see turn signals and brake lights even if the bicycles block the vehicle&#39;s tail lights. 
     It is still another object of the invention to provide such a bicycle rack which includes a license plate bracket to allow placement of a license plate on the bicycle rack if the license plate on the vehicle is blocked from view by the bicycles. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a bicycle rack which may be mounted to a conventional trailer hitch receiver. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide such a rack which is convenient to use, yet sturdy and durable and cost effective to manufacture. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These and various other objects of the invention are accomplished by a hitch mountable bicycle rack which employs a carrier assembly comprised of a generally rectangular shaped top cover plate releasably secured to a generally rectangular shaped bottom carrier plate. The bottom carrier plate is provided with four depressions adapted to receive the crossbars of bicycles. The top cover plate is removably secured to the bottom carrier plate by threaded knobs extending through apertures in the top cover plate and corresponding, aligned threaded holes in the bottom carrier plate. The top cover plate has downwardly extending lips at each end which fit over the ends of the bottom carrier plate. A tail light assembly comprised of two tail lights mounted on a tail light bracket is secured to one lip of the top cover plate. A license plate bracket is attached to the rear of one of the tail lights. The carrier assembly is secured to the top of a vertically extending stalk which has the form of a generally rectangular shaped tube. The vertically extending stalk is pivotally supported in its vertical position by a lower base assembly having a pair of spaced apart pivot plates each provided with a first pair of vertically spaced apart apertures corresponding to apertures provided at the lower end of the vertical stalk. A removable locking pin secures the vertically extending stalk in its upright position. The pivot plates are also provided with a pair of vertically spaced pivot holes laterally or horizontally spaced apart from the first pair of apertures. Removable adjustment pins extend through the pivot holes and can be removed to allow the stalk to rotate from its vertical position backward away from the vehicle. The pivot plates are fixedly attached to opposite sides of a shank member adjacent the rear of said member. The front of said shank member is removably attached to a conventional trailer hitch receiver via a pin. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of the bicycle rack of the present invention rotated to and releasably locked in its vertically upright position with the top cover plate of the carrier assembly releasably secured to the bottom carrier plate for carrying bicycles for transportation; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the bicycle rack of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a right side elevational view of the bicycle rack rotated to and releasably locked in its vertically upright position with the top cover plate of the carrier assembly releasably secured to the bottom carrier plate for carrying bicycles for transportation; 
     FIG. 4 is a right side elevational view of the bicycle rack rotated rearwardly away from the vehicle to a first rearward position with the locking pin removed allowing rotation of the vertically extending stalk and carrier assembly rearwardly away from the vehicle; 
     FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the bicycle rack rotated rearwardly away from the vehicle to a second rearward position with the locking pin removed allowing rotation of the vertically extending stalk and carrier assembly rearwardly away from the vehicle; and 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bicycle rack folded for storage with the top cover plate removed from the bottom carrier plate of the carrier assembly and the vertically extending stalk rotated 270° to lie against the stalk member. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 through 6, the bicycle rack  10  comprises a vertically extending stalk  12 , a generally horizontally disposed carrier assembly  30 , and a base assembly  60 . The carrier assembly  30  includes a generally rectangular bottom carrier plate  31  and a generally rectangular top cover plate  40 . The bottom carrier plate  31  has four longitudinally spaced laterally extending depressions  32  adapted to receive and support the crossbars of bicycles (not shown). It is to be understood that the bottom carrier plate  31  can have less than four depressions, for example, three or two depressions, to carry three or two bicycles. 
     The top cover plate  40  is removably secured to bottom carrier plate  31  by two threaded knobs  50 ,  51  extending through longitudinally spaced apart apertures  41 ,  42  extending through top cover plate  40  and threadedly engaging threaded holes  33 ,  34  extending through bottom carrier plate  31 . Threaded holes  33 ,  34  are longitudinally spaced apart and aligned with apertures  41 ,  42 . Alternately holes  33 ,  34  can be unthreaded and threaded knobs  50 ,  51  can extend through holes  33 ,  34  and be secured via nuts (not shown). Washers  52 ,  53  are disposed between the heads of threaded knobs  50 ,  51  and the top of cover plate  40 . The knobs  50 ,  51  are secured in apertures  41 ,  42  in top cover plate  40  by push nuts  54 ,  55 . 
     Top cover plate  40  has downwardly extending lips  43 ,  44  at opposite ends thereof. Lips  43 ,  44  fit over the ends  35 ,  36  of bottom carrier plate  31 . These lips make it more difficult to force top cover plate  40  and bottom carrier plate  31  far enough apart to slip the two end bicycles out. 
     The top cover plate  40  has two additional, longitudinally and laterally spaced apart apertures  45 ,  46  extending therethrough at opposite corners thereof. Apertures  45 ,  46  are aligned with apertures  37 ,  38  extending through bottom carrier plate  31  at opposite corners thereof. Apertures  37 ,  45  and  38 ,  46  are adapted to receive padlocks or other locking means to lock the top cover plate  40  to bottom carrier plate  31 . 
     Due to the lips  43 ,  44  and locking means extending through apertures  37 ,  45  and  38 ,  46  a would-be thief would find it extremely difficult to steal the bicycles from the carrier. A thief needs to carry tools and can still only except to get away with a portion of the carrier that ties the bicycles together in an awkward package. 
     The bottom carrier plate  31  and the top cover plate can be covered with a plastic material, such as for example vinyl, by dipping in such material or by spraying such material thereon to completely pad them. This padding prevents damage to bicycles during loading and transport. 
     Bicycles, especially four bicycles as can be carried by the instant bicycle carrier, carried behind a vehicle can partially or completely obscure the vehicle&#39;s tail lights and license plates. Auxiliary tail lights and a license plate bracket are provided which place all tail light functions and the license plate behind the bicycles so that they may be clearly seen. 
     The auxiliary tail lights  74 ,  75  can be circular, rectangular, or of any other conventional shape. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings they are circular. As best illustrated in FIGS. 1,  2  and  6  they are mounted on the top cover plate  40 . More specifically lights  74 ,  75  are mounted on light bracket  90  which in turn is mounted on the lip  44  of top cover plate  40 . 
     Light  75  is secured to laterally extending arm  91  of light bracket  90 , while light  74  is secured to laterally extending arm  92  of light bracket  90 . Light  75  is secured to laterally extending arm  91  by bolts, studs or the like extending from the rear of light  75  through apertures  76 ,  78  in arm  91  and lock nuts  77 ,  79  which are locked into the portions of the bolts or the like extending out beyond apertures  76 ,  78 . Light  74  is secured to laterally extending arm  92  by bolts, studs or the like extending from the rear of light  74  through apertures  80 ,  82  in arm  92  and lock nuts  81 ,  83  which are locked onto the portions of the bolts or the like extending out beyond apertures  80 ,  82 . The flat base  93  of the generally V-shaped light bracket  90 , which is joined to arm  92  by leg  94  and to arm  91  by leg  95 , is secured to lip  44  via bolts, screws, and the like  95 ,  96  extending through apertures  97 ,  98  in the base  93  and apertures  47 ,  48  in lip  44 . 
     The license plate bracket  99  is attached to the back of light  75  via fastening means such as a bolt, screw and the like extending through aperture  100 . While in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings license plate bracket  99  is attached to the back of light  75 , it is to be understood that license plate bracket  99  may be attached to the back of light  74  instead of to the back of light  75 . 
     The carrier assembly  30  is secured to vertically extending stalk  12  by carriage bolts  22 ,  23  extending through openings  24 ,  25  in bottom carrier plate  31  and aligned openings  26 ,  27  in mounting plate  28  and secured by lock nuts  29 ,  29 ′. Plate  28  is fixedly attached, for example by welding, to the top of vertically extending stalk  12 . 
     The bicycle rack  10  is detachably mounted via the base assembly  60  to a conventional trailer hitch receiver (not shown) which may be permanently affixed to the frame of a vehicle. Base assembly  60  includes a pair of pivot plates  61  each fixedly attached, for example by welding, to the sides of shank member  70 . Pivot plates  61  are generally flat, parallel to each other and affixed to opposite sides of shank member  70 . 
     Each of the pivot plates  61  is provided with a first pair of vertically aligned and spaced apart apertures  62 ,  62 ′ with corresponding apertures  14 ,  14 ′ provided at the lower end of vertically extending stalk  12 . The stalk  12  is thus pivotally mounted for rotation between the pivot plates  61  via lower threaded bolt  63  extending through lower apertures  62  and  14  and nut  64 . A locking pin  65  extends through upper aperture  62 ′ of the first pair of apertures  62 ,  62 ′ in the first pivot plate  61 , through upper aperture  14 ′ of the pair of apertures  14 ,  14 ′ in the stalk  12 , and extends out the other upper aperture  62 ′ in the other pivot plate  61  (see FIGS. 1,  2  and  6 ). Locking pin  65  is secured against removal by clip  66 . By removing locking pin  65  from the upper apertures  62 ′ of both pivot plates  61  and aperture  14 ′ in stalk  12 . the vertically extending stalk  12  may be rotated in a rearward direction from the vehicle as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. 
     Both pivot plates  61  are provided with a pair of vertically aligned and spaced apart tilt adjustment holes, upper tilt adjustment holes  67 ′ and lower tilt adjustment holes  67 . An upper adjustment pin  68 ′ extends through upper tilt adjustment holes  67 ′ and is secured therein by clip  69 ′. A lower adjustment pin  68  extends through lower adjustment holes  67  and is secured therein by clip  69 . 
     With the locking pin  65  removed from upper apertures  62 ′ in pivot plates  61  and upper aperture  14 ′ in stalk  12 , and with upper adjustment pin  68 ′ inserted through upper tilt adjustment holes  67 ′ in both pivot plates  61 , the stalk  12  can be pivoted or rotated about bolt  63  rearwardly away from the vehicle until it abuts upper adjustment pin  68 ′. Such a position is illustrated in FIG.  4 . In this position the stalk  12  is tilted to the rear and away from the vehicle approximately 30°. 
     With the upper adjustment pin  68 ′ removed from upper tilt adjustment holes  67 ′ in both pivot plates  61 , but with lower adjustment pin  68  inserted through lower tilt adjustment holes  67  in both pivot plates  61 , the stalk  12  can be pivoted or rotated about bolt  63  rearwardly away from the vehicle until it abuts lower adjustment pin  68 . Such a position is illustrated in FIG.  5 . In this position the stalk  12  is tilted to the rear and away from the vehicle approximately 45°. 
     With both upper adjustment pin  68 ′ and lower adjustment pin  68  removed from the pivot plates  61  the stalk  12  can be tilted to the rear and away from the vehicle approximately 90°; approximately parallel to the ground. In this situation care should be taken that the lights  74  and  75  are not slammed against the ground and broken. 
     With both upper adjustment pin  68 ′ and lower adjustment pin  68  removed from the pivot plate  61 , and the bicycle carrier removed from trailer hitch receiver (not shown) the stalk  12  can be pivoted or rotated 270° to the storage position wherein the stalk  12  abuts and lies against shank member  70  as illustrated in FIG.  6 . 
     The bicycle carrier  10  is attached to the trailer hitch receiver via the shank member  70 . More specifically shank member  70  is inserted into the receiver until apertures  71  in shank member  70  are aligned with corresponding apertures in the trailer hitch receiver (not shown). Pin  72  is then inserted through the aligned apertures. Pin  72  is locked in place via clip  73 . 
     The wiring assembly  110  for the tail lights  74 ,  75  extends from and is connected to the tail light system of the vehicle in the conventional manner. It then extends through the hollow interior of stalk  12 , entering stalk  12  at the bottom  13  of stalk  12  and exiting stalk  12  through aperture  16  adjacent the top of stalk  12 . The wiring  110  is then connected in a conventional and well known manner to lights  74 ,  75 . 
     Foam tape strips  18  are adhesively secured to the stalk  12  to protect stalk  12  from being scratched. 
     Although a preferred embodiment of the hitch mounted bicycle rack of the present invention has been shown and described in detail, it should be noted that variations or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

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