GB2586979A

GB2586979A - An integrated bike rack

Info

Publication number: GB2586979A
Application number: GB1913011.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Craig Broadbent Michael
Original assignee: Auxtail Ltd
Current assignee: Auxtail Ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-10
Filing date: 2019-09-10
Publication date: 2021-03-17
Also published as: GB201913011D0

Abstract

A bike rack 50 for integrating into a vehicle 10, for example in the rear bumper of the vehicle or below the rear bumper of a vehicle. The bike rack comprises a pair of deployment arms 12a,b for connecting to the vehicle at one end of each deployment arm, a rail 15 connected to each of the deployment arms at the opposite end of each deployment arm, a pivot arm 16 rotationally connected to one of the deployment arms, a handle 17 slidably mounted on the pivot arm, and a front wheel support 18 rotationally connected to the pivot arm.

Description

DESCRIPTION

AN INTEGRATED BIKE RACK

This invention relates to a bike rack for integrating into a vehicle, for example in a vehicle rear bumper or below the rear bumper.

It is common for vehicles such as cars to carry one or more bicycles on an externally mounted bicycle rack. A bicycle rack can be mounted on the roof io of the vehicle or on the rear of the vehicle. Bicycle racks have a number of design and engineering issues to contend with, such as how easy it is to load and unload a bicycle from the rack, how easy it is to secure the bicycle rack to the vehicle, how the aerodynamics of the vehicle are affected by the bicycle rack and so on. For traditional petrol and diesel cars, the effect on fuel consumption (and hence CO2 production) has to be considered and for electric cars, the effect on the vehicle's range has to be considered. These issues tend to lead to rear mounted bicycle racks being preferred over roof mounted bicycle racks. However rear mounted bicycle racks also have to be easy to use while being stably and securely mounted on the vehicle. Many rear mounted bicycle racks are bulky and/or difficult to mount securely and be removed quickly.

It is therefore an object of the invention to improve upon the known art. According to the present invention, there is provided a bike rack for integrating into a vehicle, the bike rack comprising a pair of deployment arms for connecting to the vehicle at one end of each deployment arm, a rail connected to each of the deployment arms at the opposite end of each deployment arm, a pivot arm rotationally connected to one of the deployment arms, a handle slidably mounted on the pivot arm, and a front wheel support rotationally connected to the pivot arm.

Owing to the invention, it is possible to provide a bike rack that can be integrated into the rear of a vehicle and is relatively easy to deploy, while providing a secure and stable method of carrying one or more bicycles. The bike rack can be integrated directly into the rear bumper of vehicle or can be provided below the rear bumper. The integrated bicycle rack can be stored away inside the vehicle's body, without any external sign that a bicycle rack is present. When a user of the vehicle wishes to use the bicycle rack, the integrated bicycle rack can be pulled backwards from its stowed position integrated into the vehicle into its deployed position extending outwards from the rear of the vehicle. A catch can be provided in the boot of the vehicle that the user can access to move the bicycle rack from its stowed position to its deployed position.

Preferably, the deployment arms are parallel to each other when deployed and the deployment arms are telescopic. When the bicycle rack is moved from its stowed position inside the vehicle to its deployed position outside the vehicle, this can be achieved in a simple and straightforward manner if the two deployment arms are parallel to each other (once deployed) and if each arm is telescopic. The space required for the deployment arms within the vehicle will then be reduced, while the structural integrity of the bicycle rack when deployed will be strengthened by the telescopic nature of the deployment arms. As the bicycle rack is deployed and then stowed, the telescopic nature of the deployment arms means that these are straightforward tasks for a user to perform.

Ideally, the bike rack further comprises a second pivot arm rotationally connected to the opposite one of the deployment arms to which the first pivot arm is connected, a handle slidably mounted on the second pivot arm, and a front wheel support rotationally connected to the second pivot arm. By providing a second pivot arm connected to the opposite deployment arm to which the first pivot arm is connected, it is possible to provide a bike rack which can carry two bicycles. The deployment arms need to be long enough to provide sufficient space for two bicycles in the bike rack when the bike rack is deployed and they can be extended when compared to a one bike version or provided with additional telescoping elements.

Advantageously, the bike rack further comprises two connectors each connected to a respective deployment arm, a third pivot arm rotationally connected to one of the connectors, a handle slidably mounted on the third pivot arm, and a front wheel support rotationally connected to the third pivot arm. In order to accommodate a third bicycle on the bike rack, a pair of connectors can be used that can be connected to the ends of the deployment arms, one connector on each deployment arm. These can be stored separately and used when needed. The design of the bike rack allows the user to easily add the connectors thereby providing the additional functionality of storing a third bicycle in the rack.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a bike rack, Figure 2 is a plan view of the bike rack in a stored position, Figure 3 is a rear view of the bike rack, Figure 4 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the bike rack, Figure 5 is a plan view of the bike rack of Figure 4 is a stored position, Figure 6 is a rear view of the bike rack of Figures 4 and 5, Figures 7 and 8 are partial sectional side views of the bike rack of Figures 4 to 6, Figure 9 is a plan view of a third embodiment of the bike rack, Figure 10 is a side view of the bike rack of Figure 9, Figures 11 and 12 are partial sectional side views of a fourth embodiment of the bike rack, Figure 13 is a is a side view of a load carrier in a deployed condition, Figure 14 is a side view of a step in a deployed position, Figure 15 is a plan view of a fifth embodiment of the bike rack in a deployed condition, and Figure 16 is a plan view of bike rack of Figure 15 in a stored condition.

A bicycle rack 50 is shown in Figure 1 from a plan view and is in the form of an apparatus for connecting to a motor vehicle 10 and for carrying one or more bicycles. The apparatus comprises deployment arms 12a and 12b connected to the vehicle by brackets lla and 11b. Each deployment arm 12 is for connecting to the vehicle at one end of the deployment arm. The deployment arms 12 are telescopic and parallel to each other when deployed. A rail 15 is connected to each of the deployment arms 12a and 12b, at the opposite end of each deployment arm 12 to that connected to the vehicle. A pivot arm 16 is rotationally connected to one of the deployment arms 12b such that the pivot arm 16 rotates from a position substantially parallel to the rail 15 for storage, to one substantially perpendicular for usage. At the usage position, a latch 25 holds the arm in the correct orientation. A handle 17 is slidably mounted on the pivot arm 16 and traverses along arm 16 and can be secured in multiple positions.

A front wheel support 18 is also rotationally connected to the pivot arm 16 and stores parallel to the arm 16, and rotates to a position substantially parallel to the rail 15 with a stop fixed to the pivot arm 16 limiting rotation, when in use. A rear wheel fastener is in the form of a strap 21 and a buckle 22. The strap 21 is located at the other end of the rail 15 to the pivot arm 16. The buckle 22 is fixed on the other side of the rail 15 at a similar position to provide a mechanism to secure a rear wheel of a bicycle. Brackets lla and 11b include locking pins 14a and 14b such that the rack 50 can be fixed from moving when stored and deployed. These pin 14a and 14b would preferably by sprung for automatic locking, and shrouded cables 27a and 27b are provided with a release inside the car for retracting the pins 14a and 14b.

Rail wheel supports 23 and 24 are provided at the ends of the rail 15 to locate and support the wheels of a stored bicycle. A license plate 19 is rotational fixed to the rail 15 with a hinge axis parallel to the rail length. Lights 20a and 20b are rotationally fixed at both ends of the rail 15 with hinge axes perpendicular to rail and arm lengths. License plate lamp 26 is fixed to the rail rearwards of license plate 19. A gas strut 28 is pivotally fixed to bracket lla and rail 15. The strut 28 is present to assist in the movement of the bike rack from its stored position to its deployed position. The gas strut 28 is connected at one end to the rail 15 and at the other end to a bracket 11 connecting the deployment arm 12 to the vehicle.

The rack 50 is shown in Figure 1 in its partially deployed position. The bike rack 50 has been deployed to the extent that the deployment arms 12 have been fully extended and the gas strut 28 is in its fully extended position. This has been achieved by a user activating the pins 14 via the cables 27 (for example by pulling a lever in the vehicle boot). A bicycle has not yet been place onto the rack 50, the arm 16 is still in its stored position with the arm 16 parallel to the frame rail 15.

Figure 2 shows the bike rack 50 from a plan view in a stored position. The deployment arms 12a and 12b are retracted in the brackets lla and 11 b and to avoid protrusion from the rear of the vehicle, are secured by plunger pins 14a and 14b. The gas strut 28 is fully retracted. The license plate 19 is folded on top of front wheel support 18. The lights 20a and 20b are folded parallel to arms 12a and 12b. The cables 27 are connected to the pins 14 on the brackets 11 and none of these components move during the change from the deployed to the stored position (they are fixed relative to the vehicle 10). The arm 16 is flat parallel to the rail 15. The latch 25 and the buckle 22 all remain in the same position on the bike rack 50. The strap 21 is rotated to lie in the same plain as the rail 15. The rail wheel supports 23 and 24 do not change their position.

Figure 3 shows the stored rack 50 of Figure 2 from the rear. Strap 21, arm 16 and wheel support 18 are rotated to be parallel with the rail 15 to aid storage. The license plate 19 is folded flat on top of the rack, and Bowden cables 27a and 27b are shown above the rack. The stored bike rack 50 is very compact and does not take up a significant amount of space when folded up. As can be seen in the Figure, the arm 16 and wheel support 18 are virtually flat to the rail 15 and this creates a bike rack 50 that when in its storage configuration has a relatively small vertical height, which allows the rack 50 to be integrated into the body of the vehicle 10, either inside the rear bumper or below the rear bumper.

Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the bike rack 50. Whereas the bike rack 50 of Figures 1 to 3 is designed to carry a single bicycle, the bike rack 50 of Figure 4 is designed to carry two bicycles. The twin rack 50 is shown in Figure 4 in a partially deployed state. The deployment arms 12a and 12b include additional arms 13a and 13b which extend the length of the arms 12a and 12b respectively, and translation is controlled with sprung plunger pins 29a and 29b fixed to arm 12a, with holes in arm 13a. The deployment arms 12 are telescopic. Additional wheel supports 23b and 24b are fixed to arms 12b and 12a respectively. Additional pivot arm 16b has handle 17b and fo front wheel support 18b connected to arm 12a.

When compared to the bike rack 50 of Figures 1 to 3, the bike rack 50 of Figure 4 further comprises a second pivot arm 16 rotationally connected to the opposite one of the deployment arms 12 to which the first pivot arm 16 is connected, a handle 17 slidably mounted on the second pivot arm 16, and a front wheel support 18 rotationally connected to the second pivot arm 16. The bike rack also further comprises a second pair of rail wheel supports 23, 24 each connected to a respective deployment arm 12 and for supporting a wheel of a bicycle. The bike rack further comprises a second rear wheel fastener 21, 22 connected to one of the second pair of rail wheel supports 23, 24 and for securing a rear wheel of a bicycle. One of the second pair of wheel supports 23b is substantially co-linear with its corresponding pivot arm 16b when the bike rack 50 is stored.

Figure 4 also shows the outline of a rear skidplate 31. Depending upon the construction of the bike rack 50, the parts of the rack 50 are either stowed below and behind the rear bumper, or are formed integral with the rear skidplate 31. On this latter case, the outline of the rear skidplate 31 shown in Figure 4 will be the position of the skidplate 31 when the rack 50 has been partially deployed by extending the deployment arms 12 (including their extensions 13). The skidplate 31 is carried backwards when the user activates the pins 14 to release the deployment arms 12.

The two bike arrangement of the bike rack 50 shown in Figure 4 is achieved using two pivot arms 16 that are configured so that they are in an opposite orientation with respect to each other. One pivot arm 16 is connected to one of the deployment arms 12 and the other pivot arm 16 is connected to the other deployment arm 12. Both of the pivot arms 16 can be folded so that they are lying flat, as shown in the Figure, with their longitudinal axes running parallel to the axis of the frame rail 15.

Figure 5 shows the twin bike rack 50 in a retracted condition with the arm 16b adjacent to arm 16a. The wheel support 23b is substantially co-linear with arm 16b. This is achieved by the arm 12b moving further rearwards than arm 12a and significantly reduces the storage required inline of vehicle length.

As can be seen in this Figure, the outline of the vehicle rear skidplate 31 contains all of the major components of the two bicycle bike rack 50. The arrangement of the components ensures that a two bike rack 50 (which is the preferred size for many consumers) can be contained in a relatively small space within the vehicle 10.

The telescopic nature of the deployment arms 12, which allows the additional arms 13 to be telescoped into the main part of the deployment arms 12 draws together the two pivot arms 16 so that the handle 17 of one of the pivot arms overlaps the other pivot arm 16. The action of stowing away the bike rack 50 compresses the space present between the two pivot arms 16.

The two additional wheel supports 23b and 24b, in the stowed position, end up offset from one another, with one pair of adjacent wheel supports 24a and 24b being next to each other. The other pair of wheel supports 23a and 23b are separated by the mounting of the pivot arm 16a on the deployment arm 12b.

Figure 6 shows the bike rack 50 from a rear view in its fully deployed condition with the pivot arm 16 and the wheel support 18 raised to accept a front wheel 8 of a bicycle. The handle 17 is moved down the pivot arm 16 to engage with the front wheel 8. The strap 21 is rotated up, looped through a rear wheel 6 of the bicycle and into the latch 22 (not shown). The lights 20a and 20b and license plate 19 are rotated into view. Plunger pin 25 is engaged to inhibit any movement of the pivot arm 16. The outline of the rear skidplate 31 can also be seen in the Figure, which shows how compact the bike rack 50 is, since all of the folded out components can be folded back inside the outline of the rear skidplate 31.

Figure 7 shows the bike rack 50 with a sectioned side view in its retracted position. A bumper fascia 30 abuts against a skidplate 31 providing a good external appearance. A sprung plunger pin 14 is fixed to the bracket 11. The sprung plunger pin 14 passes through holes in the deployment arms 12 and 13 to restrict translation of the arms 12 and 13. The license plate 19 is folded flat against the pivot arm 16a. As can be seen in this Figure, the majority of the components of the bike rack 50 are contained within the rear bumper 30 and 31 of the vehicle. The deployment arms 12 and 13 are telescopic and can be drawn back into the body of the vehicle.

Figure 8 shows the rack 50 from the side, but now in a deployed position. The sprung plunger pin 14 now engages with a hole at the other end of deployment arm 12. Deployment arm 13 is limited in movement rearwards by a plunger pin 29 fixed to the arm 12. The skidplate 31 is fixed to deployment arm 13 and has traversed rearwards and upwards away from fascia 30. The license plate 19 is rotated upwards to be visible from the rear, and is illuminated by license plate light 26. In this view a single bicycle is shown loaded onto the bike rack 50, with the pivot arm 16b having been folded upwards to accommodate the front wheel 8 of the bicycle, which is retained by the handle 17b. It should be noted that the bike is held vertical whilst the rack is angled for departure from kerbs. This is achieved by the centre grip notch of the handle 17b being a greater distance from the pivot arm than the centre of the wheel support 24 to the pivot arm. This assists in keeping the bikes further from the vehicle without needing to increase the rack deployment length, and keeping the pivot arm close to the rail to reduce stored length in vehicle direction.

Figure 9 shows a plan view of a third embodiment of the bike rack 50. Here, the bike rack 50 is configured to provide a three bike carrying arrangement. Connectors 33a and 33b are fixed to extension arms 13a and 13b. Extension rack front component 32a fixes into the connector 33a and is secured with a sprung plunger 34a. Similarly, extension rack rear component 32b fixes into the connector 33b and is secured with a sprung plunger 34b. This arrangement allows a third bicycle to be carried on the bike rack 50. The rack 50 shown in this Figure is identical to the two bicycle version of the rack apart from the connectors 33 and the components connected to the s connectors 33.

The extension rack front component 32a carries a third pivot arm 16c on which is mounted a third handle 17c. The third pivot arm 16c also rotationally mounts a third front wheel support 18c. Two additional rail wheel supports 23c and 24c are also provided, one on the extension rack front component 32a io and one on the extension rack rear component 32b. The orientation of the third pivot arm 16c is opposite to that of the adjacent pivot arm 16 provided on the bike rack 50, this ensures that when three bicycles are loaded on the bike rack the bicycles are arranged so that they can fit together in the most compact fashion, without the handlebars of adjacent bicycles touching.

Figure 10 shows a side view of the bike rack of Figure 9 that can carry 3 bikes, in its partially deployed condition. The extension rack component 32 locates into connector 33 with a sprung plunger 34. The extension rack component 32 is configured so that it initially moves up to clear the skidplate 31 and give clearance for visibility of the lights and license plate (not shown).

The additional components that make up the third bicycle carrier are not intended to be part of the components of the bike rack 50 that are retracted into the body of the vehicle. The plunger pin 34 is designed to release the extension rack components for separate storage. A fourth bike option could be provided by extending components 32a and 32b with associated fittings.

Figure 11 shows a side view of a yet further embodiment of the bike rack 50. This bike rack 50 is designed to carry only a single bike and is shown here in retracted condition. This bike rack 50 can be considered as a modification of the first embodiment of the bicycle rack, shown in Figure 1 to 3. The bracket 11 including an upstand 35 at the bottom of the end away from the wheel supports 23. The extension arm 12 has an upstand 36 on the top surface at the opposite end to the wheel supports 23. The rack 50 is held in position by a sprung plunger pin 14 which is fixed to bracket 11 and passes through a hole in extension arm 12. The angle of the extension arm 12 is controlled by the bracket 11 and upstand 35.

The version shown in Figure 11 is designed to be located below a single piece bumper 30. The bike rack 50 is stored in its retracted position below the bumper 30 but still integral with the vehicle. The deployment arms 12 and the brackets 11 are so designed so that once the deployment arms 12 have been extended backwards beyond the bumper 30 to their fully extended position, the deployment arm 12 can be moved from their horizontal position to a position that is angled upwards, in order to give sufficient ground clearance between the lower part of the bike rack 50 and the ground below.

Figure 12 shows a further side view of the Figure 11 embodiment of the bike rack 50, in a deployed condition. The rack 50 is held in position by plunger position 14 which passes through a hole at the far end of the extension arm 12 from the wheel support 23. In this case, the extension arm 12 rotates upwards due to contact of upstart 36 against bracket 11. The arrangement of the bike rack 50 shown in Figures 11 and 12 allows the bike rack 50 to be stored below the rear bumper 30 parallel to the ground, but when deployed the bike rack 50 will store a bicycle in a safe position high enough above the ground, providing the necessary ground clearance.

Figure 13 shows a rear box 37 which rests on the extension arms 12 and 13. The box 37 is loaded by sliding across the vehicle engaging the lugs 38a and 38b which stops the box 37 from moving up. The box is locked with a single latch 39 which stops additional lateral movement. Figure 14 shows a step 40 fixed to extension arm 12 in a deployed condition. These two Figures show that the bike rack 50, for example the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3, can be adapted for other uses, such as carrying a large box 37 which increases the carrying capacity of the vehicle or providing a step 40 for use in accessing the rear of the vehicle.

Figure 15 shows a further embodiment of the compact integrated bike rack 50 in a partially deployed condition. In this embodiment, each deployment arm 12 is formed of two swing arms. There are two sets of swing arms 52a and 52b rotationally fixed to the vehicle with brackets 51a and 51b. At the other end, the swing arms 52a and 52b are rotationally fixed to further swing arms 53a and 53b. The arms 53a and 54b are then rotationally fixed at their other ends to the rail 15. The arms 53a and 53b are further rotationally fixed to wheel supports 57a and 57b through a parallel axis as that which fixes to rail 15. Additionally, arms 56a and 56b are rotationally fixed to both the rail 15 and the wheel supports 57a and 57b making the four linkages of a pantograph or scissor mechanism.

When compared to the previous embodiments, the pivot arms 58a and 58b are shortened in this embodiment, with the handles 59a and 59b passing io into the arms reducing the stored length. Figure 16 shows the compact integrated bike rack 50 in a stored condition, with swing arms 52a, 52b, 53a and 53b substantially parallel to rail 15. The wheel supports 57a and 57b move to a more central position. The handle 59a rests on top of the license plate 19. In this embodiment, each deployment arm 12 comprises a pair of swing arms 52 and 53, a first swing arm 52 of each pair of swing arms 52 and 53 being rotationally connected to a respective second swing arm 53.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A bike rack (50) for integrating into a vehicle (10), the bike rack (50) comprising: * a pair of deployment arms (12) for connecting to the vehicle (10) at one end of each deployment arm (12), * a rail (15) connected to each of the deployment arms (12) at the opposite end of each deployment arm (12), * a pivot arm (16) rotationally connected to one of the deployment to arms (12), * a handle (17) slidably mounted on the pivot arm (16), and * a front wheel support (18) rotationally connected to the pivot arm (16).
Is 2. A bike rack according to claim 1, and further comprising a pair of rail wheel supports (23, 24) each connected to a respective opposite end of the rail (15) and for supporting a wheel of a bicycle.
3. A bike rack according to claim 1 or 2, and further comprising a rear wheel fastener (21, 22) connected to the rail (15) at one end thereof and for securing a rear wheel of a bicycle.
4. A bike rack according to claim 1, 2 or 3, and further comprising a gas strut (28) connected at one end to the rail (15) and at the other end to a bracket (11) connecting a deployment arm (12) to the vehicle (10).
5. A bike rack according to any preceding claim, wherein the deployment arms (12) are parallel to each other when deployed.
6. A bike rack according to any preceding claim, wherein the deployment arms (12) are telescopic.
7. A bike rack according to any preceding claim, and further comprising a second pivot arm (16) rotationally connected to the opposite one of the deployment arms (12) to which the first pivot arm (16) is connected, a handle (17) slidably mounted on the second pivot arm (16), and a front wheel support (18) rotationally connected to the second pivot arm (16).
8. A bike rack according to claim 7, and further comprising a second pair of rail wheel supports (23, 24) each connected to a respective deployment arm (12) and for supporting a wheel of a bicycle.
9. A bike rack according to claim 8, and further comprising a second rear wheel fastener (21, 22) connected to one of the second pair of rail wheel supports (23, 24) and for securing a rear wheel of a bicycle.
10. A bike rack according to claim 8 or 9, wherein one of the second pair of wheel supports (23b) is substantially co-linear with its corresponding pivot arm (16b) when the bike rack (50) is stored.
11. A bike rack according to any preceding claim, and further comprising two connectors (32) each connected to a respective deployment arm (1-2), a third pivot arm (16) rotationally connected to one of the connectors (32), a handle (17) slidably mounted on the third pivot arm (16), and a front wheel support (18) rotationally connected to the third pivot arm (16).
12. A bike rack according to claim 11, and further comprising a third pair of rail wheel supports (23, 24) each connected to a respective connector (32) and for supporting a wheel of a bicycle.
13. A bike rack according to any preceding claim, wherein the bike rack (50) is integrated into or below a vehicle rear bumper (30, 31).
14. A bike rack according to any preceding claim, wherein each deployment arm (12) comprises a pair of swing arms (52, 53), a first swing arm (52) of each pair of swing arms (52, 53) being rotationally connected to a respective second swing arm (53).
15. A bike rack according to claim 14, wherein each wheel support (57a, 57b) is connected to a respective outermost swing arm (53) and to an additional rotational fixed arm (56a, 56b) to form a pantograph mechanism.ft)
16. A bike rack according to claim 14 or 15, wherein each pivot arm (58) is formed as a two piece telescopic arrangement, with a respective handle (59) formed on one end of the telescopic arrangement.