Patent Application
20190135363
The present application relates to an attachment apparatus, system and method for securely attaching heavy objects, such as U-locks, relative to lightweight mobile frames, such as bicycle frames.
A common problem encountered by commuters or other persons travelling by bicycle, motorcycle, or other open/relatively small forms of transportation is that it is often necessary to carry one or more relatively large, heavy and/or awkwardly shaped locks or chains in order to provide means to securely store the means of transportation, as well as helmets, pumps and/or other associated equipment, at a site remote from the user when not in use. U-locks are currently one of the safest and most durable forms of securing a bicycle, for example, but they are relatively large and heavy, and have an awkward shape, such that they are difficult to transport when not in use. For most bicycle users, the easiest and safest way to transport a U-lock is to attach it to the bicycle in a manner that supports the lock without interfering with the action of the user riding the bicycle. Information relevant to attempts to alleviate such problems by providing means to attach a bicycle lock, pump or other equipment to a bicycle or user can be found in the following references: U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,308; 6,318,687; 6,431,422; 7,273,221; 7,654,550; 8,833,596; 9,079,626; and U.S. Patent No. Application No. 20080142674.
Prior approaches for attaching U-locks to bicycles also include strap-type holsters, typically a leather or fabric case for carrying a the lock on a bike (or on the user/rider) such as the ‘Mini U-lock Holster’ by CaseSimpl or U-Lock holster by Oopsmark (http://www.oopsmark.ca/products/u-lock-holster?variant=644312901), and bracket-type supports such as the Kryptonite EZ-Bracket Kit’ by Just Kryptonite (http://www.justkryptonite.com/ez-bracket_kit).
However, each of these prior products or solutions suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: the apparatus or system must be attached to the lock; the apparatus or system is difficult to install; installation requires tools; the use of the apparatus or system is limited to certain styles or sizes of locks; it is time consuming to remove or attach the apparatus or system to a bicycle or other desired location; the holder does not secure the lock well, allowing movement during transit; use of the apparatus or system requires additional components attached to the lock or bicycle, such that a user is required to purchase other brand-specific products (e.g. cannot be used with other manufacturer's locks or holding mechanisms); the apparatus or system is too weak for its intended purpose; the apparatus or system is not durable or breaks easily, for example by concentrating most or all of the weight of the lock on a single point; the lock is hard to attach to or remove from the bike using the apparatus/system; the apparatus or system can become loose during use, such that the lock can move and interfere with the user trying to ride the bicycle; the apparatus or system has many and/or expensive components, such that it is relatively complicated and/or costly to produce; the apparatus or system is not adjustable and thus, for example, cannot accommodate locks of varying shapes or dimensions or other types of equipment; the apparatus or system is not versatile, for example, can only be attached to one point on the bicycle or user, such as the back of the seat, to a basket or to a belt on a user/rider; and the apparatus or system cannot be readily used with accessories, including for example storage compartments or tool kits. Thus, consumers need improved ways to attach and transport bicycle locks without interfering with the rider when the bicycle is in use, particularly bicycle lock holsters that are simple and cost-effective to make and use, and which can be used with most if not all types of locks available.
It would be desirable, therefore, to develop new apparatus, systems and methods for attaching heavy objects to lightweight mobile frames, such as bicycle frames, that overcomes these and other limitations of the prior art.
This summary and the following detailed description should be interpreted as complementary parts of an integrated disclosure, which parts may include redundant subject matter and/or supplemental subject matter. An omission in either section does not indicate priority or relative importance of any element described in the integrated application. Differences between the sections may include supplemental disclosures of alternative embodiments, additional details, or alternative descriptions of identical embodiments using different terminology, as should be apparent from the respective disclosures.
In an aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus for securing articles to structural members may include a main strap assembly. The main strap assembly may be, or may include, an elongate webbing (e.g., a strap) having at least three distinct portions configured for forming a secure loop by attachment of at least one of the portions to another of the portions. The apparatus may further include a pair of parallel ancillary strap assemblies attached transversely to the main strap assembly, each of the pair attached to a respective one of ancillary releasable engagement mechanisms at an end thereof. The main strap assembly, with or without further details as described herein, may provide a means for forming a secure adjustable loop of webbing material by releasable attachment of the webbing material to itself. The pair of parallel ancillary strap assemblies, with or without further details as described herein, may provide a means for releasable secure attachment of the secure adjustable loop parallel to an elongate structural member, coupled to the webbing material.
In aspects of the apparatus, the at least three distinct portions of the main strap assembly may be, or may include, a proximal portion, an intermediate portion and a distal portion. The main releasable engagement mechanism may be attached to the main strap assembly at an end of the distal portion. The releasable engagement mechanism may be, or may include, a ring. The intermediate portion comprises a piece of loop material for hook-and-loop engagement having its engagement side oriented towards a back side of the main strap. The distal portion may be, or may include, a piece of hook material for hook-and-loop engagement having its engagement side oriented towards the back side of the main strap. The proximal portion may be, or may include, a rubberized webbing having a rubberized side oriented towards the back side of the main strap.
In other aspects of the apparatus, the elongate webbing may be free of attachment materials on a front side of the main strap assembly. The elongate webbing may be stitched to any one or more of the piece of loop material or the piece of hook material. It may also be stitched to the rubberized webbing. Each of the three distinct portions may be of equivalent length.
In other aspects of the apparatus, the ancillary releasable engagement mechanisms each comprise a ring. Each of the pair of parallel ancillary strap assemblies may be, or may include, a proximal portion attached to the ring and a distal portion distinct from the proximal portion. The proximal portion may be, or may include, a piece of loop material and the distal portion may be or include a piece of hook material. Each of the pair of parallel ancillary strap assemblies may be oriented with the engagement side of the piece of loop material and the engagement side of the piece of hook material may be oriented toward a front side of the main strap assembly. Each of the proximal portion and the distal portion may be of equivalent length.
In a related aspect, a method for attaching an article to a bicycle frame using the aforementioned apparatus may include attaching the main strap assembly parallel to an elongate structural member of the bicycle frame; inserting the article through the secure loop; and adjusting the main strap until the article is snugly engaged in the secure loop. The article may be a U-lock. The method may further include securing a free portion of the article by an additional strap assembly.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, one or more examples comprise the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects and are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the examples may be employed. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings and the disclosed examples, which encompass all such aspects and their equivalents.
The features, nature, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference characters identify like elements correspondingly throughout the specification and drawings.
Various aspects are now described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects. It may be evident, however, that the various aspects may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatus are shown in block diagram form to facilitate describing these aspects.
The innovation disclosed herein includes for example apparatus, systems and methods for to reversibly attaching and detaching a bicycle lock or other related equipment to/from a bicycle, motorcycle, scooter or other small/portable means of transportation.
One embodiment of the invention is a bicycle lock holster that can be readily attached to and removed from a bicycle and which can provide an easy an effective means for transporting a bicycle U-lock while a bicycle is in use without interfering with the rider using that bicycle
The components of this embodiment may include for example a strap affixed to itself to form an oval loop effective to store an object at a storage site, one or more additional straps for attaching the loop to the storage site, including for example a bicycle frame, and one or more additional straps to further attach the object to a storage site.
This embodiment can provide one or more of the following improvements: it can be relatively easy to attach the apparatus to a bicycle or other location to provide storage for a U-lock or other piece of equipment; it can used to provide extra storage to any site; it can be attached to a number of different locations on a bicycle, including for example one or more handle bars, top tubes, seat tubes, rear triangles, and down tubes with a very simple fastener (i.e. without tools); locks of all sizes can fit due to the adjustable nature of the fastening strap; and the two rear straps can be fully adjustable and thus allow the apparatus to securely attach to all sizes of tubes.
One of this embodiment's exceptional characteristics lies in the adjustability of the fastening loop in that it can be attached to multiple locations on, and sizes of, a bicycle frame; and the adjustability of the loop's size (where the lock slides into) thereby accommodating a variety of locks or other equipment having variable dimensions, including for examples U-locks that have different sizes and shapes.
Materials suitable for fabricating one or more straps according to the invention include for example leather and synthetic materials such as nylon, vinyl, denim, cotton, polyester, plastic, and poly-pro.
Materials suitable for affixing one or more straps according to the invention, to itself, include for example Velcro®, buckle, thread, adhesive, hooks, and clamps.
Releasable engagement mechanisms suitable for affixing one or more straps around an object may include, for example, plastic or metal buckles or rings, Ladderlock buckles, strap adjusters, clips, and tri-glide slides. Rectangular rings are shown in the depicted embodiment, as suitable for low cost, simplicity, durability, ease of use, and superior function with an assembly of the depicted configuration. However, one of ordinary skill may substitute buckles or rings of other types and adapt the strap assembly for use with the alternative buckles or rings.
In embodiments of the apparatus, a first material is made long enough to wrap around a lock and to be secured. The material may include a flexible strap (e.g., woven webbing) or similar material. The strap may be fed through a ring or other releasable engagement mechanism and folded back on top of itself, illustrated in
Intersecting the strap that wraps around the lock can be one or more securing apparatus. This securing apparatus may have one or more straps which can be fed through a ring or other releasable engagement mechanism as illustrated in
Referring to
The strap assembly 100 may include component assemblies, for example a main strap assembly 110 for securing a U-lock or other heavy article and two or more ancillary strap assemblies 130, 150 attached perpendicular to the main strap assembly 110, for securing the main strap assembly to a frame. The main strap assembly, with or without further details as described herein, may provide a means for forming a secure adjustable loop of webbing material by releasable attachment of the webbing material to itself. The main strap assembly may include, for example, a continuous elongate piece of woven webbing 114 (for example, nylon, polyester, or natural fiber webbing) secured at a first end thereof to a rectangular ring 112 or plastic or metal material, which serves as a releasable engagement mechanism. An identity tag 118 may be attached to the webbing 114 distal to the rectangular ring 112, for decorative, marketing, or personal identification purposes. Stitching 116 is indicated throughout
The main strap assembly may include at least three distinct portions configured for forming a secure loop by attachment of at least one of the portions to another of the portions. The at least three distinct portions of the main strap assembly may be, or may include, a proximal portion, an intermediate portion and a distal portion. Several different components 120, 124, 126 may be attached to the portions at a reverse or “back side” of webbing 114, as shown in
Referring again to
Each of the loop pieces 134, 154 may be attached to a backing of rubberized webbing 140, 160 that includes woven rubber-coated or rubber threads 142, 162. The rubberized webbing 140, 160 may each be similar to but smaller than the rubberized web 124 of the main strap assembly 110. Each of the loop pieces 134, 154 may further be attached to the distal portion. Each distal portion may be, or may include, a piece 132, 152 of hook material for engaging with the loop material on a webbing distal from its respective rectangular ring 138, 158. Each distal portion may thus be configured for removably attaching to the loop pieces 134, 154 when securing the ancillary strap assemblies to a bike frame, handlebars, or the like.
An additional strap assembly 200 as shown in
In summary of the foregoing, and by way of further illustration,
A strapping system that includes the apparatus 100 and optionally the apparatus 200 is lightweight, durable, compact, and securely holds the U-lock positioned in a manner that will not interfere with normal operation of a bicycle. It requires no tools for assembly nor attachment of brackets or hard pieces to the bicycle frame. The system can be included as one component of a mobile transport, maintenance, storage or other bicycle system. In one embodiment, that system can include a first compartment positioned on and hanging from the horizontal first strap to hold other items of smaller size or other objects that might otherwise fall through when adjusting the assembly or during transit. Such smaller size or other objects may include, for example, a repair kit, wallet and glasses.
The innovation described above is only one exemplary embodiment of the invention which also may have uses in other applications, including without limitation: any applications that may benefit from extra storage such as strapping the apparatus to a bicycle and thereby providing means to carry a U-lock, cable lock, water bottle, bicycle pump, tools or other items that need to be transported or stored with the bicycle; strapping the apparatus to a motorcycle in order to carry a lock or other item; and attaching the apparatus to essentially any type of support that needs additional storage capacity during the normal operation, maintenance or storage of a bicycle or other object. Similarly, the number and dimensions of the straps can vary depending upon the number, size or dimensions of the objects one needs to support with the apparatus as well as where or when that support may be necessary or practicable.
The advantages of the invention include, for example, the adjustability of the fastening loop of the main strap 110 which provides the means to attach the holster to multiple locations on, and sizes of, the frame, and adjustability of the loop's size providing means to accommodate a variety of sizes and types/designs of U-locks or other types of equipment.
While several illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein, still further variations and alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. The size or dimensions of the holster, for example, can vary according to the size, dimensions, or type of equipment it can support, including without limitation U-locks, cable locks, bicycle pumps, tools and the like. Buckles or other releasable engagement mechanisms can be substituted for the rectangular rings, the rubberized webbing may be omitted for lighter weight or lower cost, and fasteners other than hook-and-loop may be used to secure the straps to themselves, for example. Similarly, the apparatus can be used to store articles to other tubular or elongated structures wherever such storage is needed and not just on bicycles. Such variations and alternative embodiments are contemplated, and can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.
The previous description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be clear to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/559,536 filed Sep. 16, 2018, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62559536 | Sep 2017 | US |
