Patent Application
20170096110
The disclosure pertains to a bicycle retaining device for retaining a bicycle in a bicycle carrier arrangement on a transporting vehicle. The bicycle retaining device comprises an elongated supporting arm extending in a longitudinal direction of the retaining device and comprising a retaining claw arranged at an outer end of the supporting arm. The retaining claw is a two-part clamping device comprising a first claw part having a first bicycle abutment surface and a second claw part having a second bicycle abutment surface and being arranged with the second bicycle abutment surface facing the first bicycle abutment surface. The first claw part is rigidly joined to the supporting arm while the second claw part is arranged to be movable with respect to the supporting arm and the first claw part such that a distance between the first and the second bicycle abutment surfaces is adjustable between a maximum distance and a minimum distance
In order to simplify transport of bicycles by means of a vehicle such as a car or a recreational vehicle, different types of bicycle carrier arrangements are provided. The two main types of bicycle carrier arrangements which are available are those adapted for mounting on a vehicle roof and those adapted for mounting at the rear of a vehicle. Roof mounted carrier arrangements usually comprise a rail section which is mounted on a roof rack in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, i.e. in the travelling direction of the vehicle and various clamps and other fastening devices for securing the bicycle in an upright position with the wheels resting in the rail section. Rear mounted carrier arrangements may include a supporting arm which a bicycle clamping device at one end and may also comprise a rail for supporting the wheels of the bicycle as well as further clamps and fastening devices.
When loading a bicycle onto the previously known bicycle carrier arrangements, a difficulty arises in the initial phase of securing the bicycle to the carrier arrangement when a person performing the loading operation often experiences a need for more than two hands in order to be able to hold the bicycle in place while applying and tightening different securement devices. This may be a particular problem when loading a bicycle onto a carrier arrangement on a vehicle roof, where it may be difficult to reach the bicycle and get a proper hold on it even if two persons are involved in the loading operation.
In order to facilitate loading of a bicycle on a carrier arrangement, it has been suggested in WO03/106221 to provide the carrier arrangement with a bicycle supporting arm which is attached to the carrier arrangement at one end, and which has a claw grip at the opposite free end. The carrier arrangement is further provided with a wheel supporting rail which has an inclined portion in one wheel supporting area of the rail whereby a bicycle loaded onto the rail is caused to roll in the rail until a part of the bicycle frame comes into active engagement with at least one of the jaws of the claw grip.
Although the arrangement in WO03/106221 facilitates loading of a bicycle on the carrier arrangement, it has been found that the stability of the bicycle in the initial loading phase is unsatisfactory and that there is still a risk that the bicycle falls out of the carrier arrangement when manipulating and tightening the securement devices of the carrier arrangement.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved bicycle carrier arrangement, and for a retaining device which can stabilise a bicycle in a loading position during an initial loading phase of a bicycle in a bicycle carrier arrangement.
It is an object of the present invention to alleviate the stability problems encountered when loading a bicycle into a bicycle carrier arrangement.
This object may be achieved by the subject-matter of claims 1 and 10. Embodiments of the claimed invention are set forth in the appended dependent claims, in the following description, and in the drawings.
As disclosed herein, there is provided a bicycle retaining device for retaining a bicycle in a bicycle carrier arrangement on a transporting vehicle, the bicycle retaining device comprising an elongated supporting arm extending in a longitudinal direction of the retaining device, the retaining device comprising a retaining claw being arranged at an outer end of the supporting arm, the retaining claw comprising a first claw part comprising a first bicycle abutment surface and being connected to the supporting arm, and a second claw part comprising a second bicycle abutment surface, the second claw part being arranged with the second bicycle abutment surface facing the first bicycle abutment surface, the second claw part being arranged to be movable with respect to the first claw part and optionally to the support arm, or said first claw part (5) being arranged to be movable with respect to said second claw part (7), such that a distance between the first and the second bicycle abutment surfaces is adjustable between a maximum distance and a minimum distance. The first claw part has an inner end proximal to the supporting arm and an outer end distal from the supporting arm, and the second claw part has an inner end proximal to the supporting arm and an outer end distal from the supporting arm, wherein a catch is arranged at the outer end of the first claw part, the catch having a catching position with the catch extending from the outer end of the first claw part in a direction toward the outer end of the second claw part, the catch being arranged to partially bridge the maximum distance between the first and the second abutment surfaces.
The second claw part may be positioned outward of the first claw part at the outer end of the supporting arm, implying that the outer claw part is the claw part that is movable for opening and closing the retaining claw while the inner claw part is rigidly joined to the supporting arm.
Alternatively the second, movable claw part may be positioned inward of the first claw part at the outer end of the supporting arm, implying that the inner claw part may be the claw part that is movable for opening and closing the retaining claw while the outer claw part is rigidly joined to the supporting arm.
The first claw part may be rigidly joined to the supporting arm and may be integrally formed with the supporting arm or may be formed as a separate element that has been attached to the supporting arm in a fixed position.
The catch protrudes from the outer end of the first claw part and partially closes the gap between the first claw part and the second claw part of the bicycle retaining device when the retaining claw is in a maximum open position with a maximum distance between the claw parts. When a bicycle frame element is inserted between the first and second claw parts and has been brought into abutment with the first bicycle abutment surface, the catch prevents the bicycle frame element from accidentally moving out from between the claw parts. The only way the bicycle frame element can be disengaged from between the claw parts is by purposeful movement of the bicycle retaining device or the bicycle such that the bicycle frame element comes into alignment with the non-closed part of the gap between the claw parts and can be moved out of the retaining claw.
The claw parts may be made from any suitable material or combination of materials, including polymeric materials, composite materials, and metal. The bicycle abutment surfaces are preferably formed from a softer and preferably compressible material such as natural or synthetic rubber which may act as a shock absorber during use of the bicycle retaining device. Such shock absorbing material may also be applied on the surface of the catch which is facing into the gap between the first and second claw parts. However, it is generally preferred that the catch be mainly made from a rigid and shock resistant material. Accordingly, the catch may be made from the same types of material as the claw parts and may be made as a separate part which is attached to the first claw part or may be made integral with the first claw part, e.g. by molding techniques.
When in the catching position the loading gap, i.e. the non-closed part of the gap between the first and second claw parts in the loading position of the retaining claw should be large enough to allow a bicycle frame element to be comfortably inserted between the claw parts. To this end, the catch may be arranged to bridge at least 25% of the maximum distance between the first and the second abutment surfaces, but not more than 55% of the maximum distance between the first and the second abutment surfaces, such as from 30% to 45% of the maximum distance between the first and the second abutment surfaces.
It is to be understood that the bicycle retaining device may be designed with a loading gap which is adapted to the size of a specific bicycle frame element or may be designed such that it will fit a range of differently sized bicycle frame elements. In the latter case, the bicycle retaining device may be used on differently sized frame elements in different retaining positions on the same bicycle and/or corresponding but differently sized frame elements on different bicycles. Bicycle frame elements may, for instance, have a circular or oval cross-section. The size of a circular bicycle frame element commonly ranges from 22 millimeters to 80 millimeters. An oval bicycle frame element is usually somewhat larger, such as approximately 80×100 millimeters.
In order to accommodate commonly occurring bicycle frame elements, the distance between the first claw part including the catch and the second claw part in the maximum open position of the retaining claw may be in the order of 90 mm-130 mm, as measured from the tip of the catch to the outer end of the second claw part. This distance defines the size of the entrance opening into the retaining claw. The catch may have a height as measured from the first bicycle abutment surface at the outer end of the first claw part of from 25 mm to 50 mm. The height is measured in the longitudinal direction of the bicycle retaining device.
The bicycle abutment surfaces may have a lateral extension of from 60-100 mm, such as from 80-90 mm. The bicycle abutment surfaces may have the same or different lateral extensions, as set out herein.
In a bicycle retaining device as disclosed herein, a lateral extension of the first claw part away from the supporting arm may be greater than a lateral extension of the second claw part away from the supporting arm, whereby the catch being arranged at the outer end of the first claw part is positioned laterally outward of the outer end of the second claw part in a lateral direction of the bicycle retaining device. Accordingly, the first claw part with the catch may be arranged as a protruding jaw with respect to the second claw part. When closing the retaining claw, in particular when the bicycle abutment surfaces of the retaining jaw is at the minimum distance from each other, the catch extends in the longitudinal direction of the bicycle retaining device outward of the outer end of the second claw part. In other words, the extension of the second claw part in the lateral direction is smaller than the distance between the supporting arm and the catch.
The catch may be attached to the first claw part with a hinge and be foldable inward at the hinge towards the first bicycle abutment surface to assume a temporary loading position. Accordingly, the catch may be arranged such that it tilts inward when a bicycle frame element is being inserted between the claw parts, thus temporarily widening the loading gap between the claw parts. The catch is preferably spring biased towards the catching position, such that it automatically returns to the catching position once the bicycle frame element has been moved into the retaining claw.
It is also conceivable that the catch is made retractable, such that it may be moved out of the loading gap by pulling or pushing in the longitudinal direction of the bicycle retaining device. Also in this case, it may be preferred that the catch is spring biased towards the catching position, such that it will automatically return to the catching position once the bicycle frame element has been moved into the retaining claw. The catch may have a slanted surface facing out of the claw grip, such that a bicycle frame element being pushed into the claw grip will contact the slanted surface and press the catch downward against the biasing force until the frame element has passed the catch. The catch may be arranged such that it protrudes out from the first claw part on a side opposite the first bicycle abutment surface when the catch is in the retracted position. Alternatively, the first claw part may be designed such that it can accommodate the retracted catch inside the claw part.
The bicycle retaining device may comprise a locking arrangement for locking the second claw in one or more bicycle retaining positions in relation to the first claw part. Multiple retaining positions may be arranged stepwise or continuously in the longitudinal direction of the bicycle retaining device.
Although generally elongate and having a main extension in a longitudinal direction thereof, the supporting arm of the bicycle retaining device may have a shape which at least along a part thereof has a curved or bent shape. However, it may be preferred that at least an outer section of the support arm is straight, i.e. the section closest to the retaining claw.
The second claw part may be arranged to be movable by lateral translation in the longitudinal direction of the bicycle retaining device.
The second claw part may be arranged on an elongated sliding element, forming a shaft which may be arranged to be telescopically slidable inside a shaft portion of the bicycle retaining device such as inside the supporting arm. Such arrangement may be preferred when the second claw part is an outer claw part in the longitudinal direction of the bicycle retaining device.
Alternatively, the second claw part may be provided with an internal bore and may be slidably arranged on the outside of a shaft portion of the bicycle retaining device. Accordingly, the retaining claw may be opened and closed by sliding the second claw part along the shaft portion of the bicycle retaining device.
A further possibility is that the second claw part is arranged such that it can be rotated or tilted in relation to the first claw part, whereby the retaining claw is operated between an open and a closed position by rotating or tilting of the second claw part. One arrangement for opening and closing the retaining claw that may be used is that disclosed in WO 03/106221 A2. Accordingly, the supporting arm may be a tube or may comprise a tube section at an outer end of the supporting arm. The retaining claw may be arranged at the outer end of the supporting arm with the second claw part extending laterally from the end of a shaft which is slidably inserted into the supporting arm. The shaft may be arranged to be spring loaded inside the supporting arm, e.g. by means of a coil spring, which acts on a first end of the shaft and rests with a second end on a support located in the supporting arm tube such that the second claw part is spring biased towards the maximum open position of the retaining claw. The shaft may further be connected by means of a cable to a tightening device mounted on the outside of the supporting arm. Operation of the tightening device causes the cable to pull the second claw part in a direction towards the first claw part against the biasing force of the spring coil or other spring member acting on the shaft.
The disclosure also refers to a bicycle carrier arrangement for carrying a bicycle on a transporting vehicle, wherein the bicycle carrier arrangement comprises a bicycle retaining device as set out herein.
The bicycle carrier arrangement may comprise a support structure on which the bicycle retaining device is mounted. The support structure may be a roof rack or a support structure for mounting at the rear of a vehicle. The bicycle retaining device may be mounted on the support structure with the supporting arm pivotably attached at an inner end to the support structure or with the supporting arm attached in a fixed position to the support structure.
When loading a bicycle in the bicycle carrier arrangement, the bicycle is applied with a frame element inserted between the parts of the retaining claw. The catch of the bicycle retaining device acts against the gravitational force and prevents a bicycle loaded onto the bicycle carrier arrangement from falling out of the retaining claw in an initial loading phase before the retaining claw has been moved to a retaining position. Accordingly, a user can safely adjust the bicycle in the bicycle carrier arrangement and secure wheels and other parts of the bicycle as well as tighten the claw parts without at the same time having to hold the bicycle in place. This means that the user may freely tighten any straps, and other retaining elements as well as closing the retaining claw without risking that the bicycle falls out of the bicycle carrier arrangement.
The bicycle carrier arrangement as disclosed herein may be adapted for mounting on a vehicle roof or for mounting at a rear of a vehicle. When mounted on a vehicle roof, the bicycle retaining device may be mounted with the supporting arm pivotably attached to a support structure, such as a roof rack and extending at an angle from the support structure upwards from a vehicle roof. When loading the bicycle into the bicycle carrier arrangement a frame element such as a main frame element is inserted between the first and second parts of the retaining claw. In an arrangement of this type, the first, stationary claw part will be a lower claw part and the second, movable claw part, will be an upper claw part, as seen in the vertical direction. The bicycle is lifted into the bicycle carrier arrangement while the retaining claw is in an open position. Preferably, the first and second abutment surfaces are at the maximum distance from each other in order to obtain a maximum gap between the claw parts, thus facilitating insertion of the frame element in the retaining claw. Once having lifted the bicycle such that the frame element has passed the catch which protrudes upwardly from the first (lower) claw part, the bicycle may be lowered until the frame element comes to rest against the bicycle abutment surface on the first (lower) claw part. In this position, the catch prevents the bicycle from tilting to a side and falling sideways out of the retaining claw.
Depending on the design of the bicycle carrier arrangement, the bicycle carrier arrangement may be configured to be attached in different ways to the bicycle carrier arrangement. Accordingly the bicycle carrier arrangement may be configured such that the first bicycle abutment surface of the bicycle retaining device is arranged to abut a frame element of a standing bicycle from below. The bicycle retaining device may be arranged with the supporting arm at an angle to the horizontal plane, such at an angle of from 20° to 90°.
The bicycle carrier arrangement may be configured such that the first bicycle abutment surface of the bicycle retaining device is arranged to abut a frame element of a bicycle from above. This configuration may be useful in a bicycle carrier arrangement adapted for transporting a bicycle in a hanging position.
The bicycle carrier arrangement may be configured such that the first bicycle abutment surface of the bicycle retaining device is arranged to abut a frame element of a standing bicycle from a side. Such configuration may be used, e.g. to grip a seat post in order to prevent the bicycle from rolling or moving forward/rearward. Although a seat post is generally arranged to be removable from the bicycle, for the purpose of the bicycle carrier arrangement as disclosed herein, it is considered to be a “frame element” when mounted on the bicycle regardless of whether it is removable or is permanently attached to the other parts of the bicycle frame.
The second claw part may be arranged to be movable with respect to the supporting arm and the first claw part such that a distance between the first and the second bicycle abutment surfaces is adjustable between a maximum distance and a minimum distance.
The second claw part may be an upper claw part, and the first claw part may be a lower claw part. In this case it may be advantageous if the lower claw part comprises the catch. As mentioned, the second claw part, and thus the upper claw part, may be arranged to be movable with respect to the supporting arm and the first claw part such that a distance between the first and the second bicycle abutment surfaces is adjustable between a maximum distance and a minimum distance. This has been found to be advantageous as the bicycle will rest against the lower claw part, i.e. the shaft, abutment surface 6 or the inner wall of the catch, and the upper claw part is displaced to retain the bicycle. It permits a user to safely to secure wheels and other parts of the bicycle as well as tighten the claw parts without at the same time having to hold the bicycle in place. This means that the user may freely tighten any straps, and other retaining elements as well as close the retaining claw without risking that the bicycle moves out of the bicycle carrier arrangement by mistake. Further, when retaining the retaining claw, the upper claw part is the only claw part which is displaced. The position of the bicycle is thus not influenced as the upper claw part is displaced to a retaining position.
A second catch may be arranged at the outer end of the second claw part. Each of the first and the second claw parts may thus be arranged with a catch. The catches may be arranged to overlap each other when the first and the second clamping parts are closed, i.e. positioned to retain a bicycle.
The first catch of the first claw part may have a different length than the second catch of the second claw part. Preferably the first catch of the first claw part is longer than the second catch of the second claw part. Optionally the second catch of the second claw part is longer than the first catch of the first claw part. For example, the first claw part can be at least 1 cm, preferably at least 2 cm, longer than the second catch of the second claw part.
The retaining claw is preferably operated by an elongated element, preferably a flexible elongated element such as a wire. The elongated element can be winded about an axle, operable via a rotatable knob. The elongated element preferably extends from the second claw part, or upper claw part, along the support arm and preferably inside of the support arm, to the opposing end of the support arm. With a “standing bicycle”, as used herein, is implied a bicycle which is standing either on its wheels or upside-down.
It is also to be understood that the bicycle carrier arrangement as disclosed herein may be used to support and stabilize a bicycle which is standing up-side-down or a bicycle which is transported in a hanging position, e.g. by being hung on one or more hooks.
The present invention will be further explained hereinafter by means of non-limiting examples and with reference to the appended drawings wherein:
With reference to
The abutment surfaces 8 are those surfaces of the retaining claw 3 which are intended to be in contact with a bicycle frame element when the bicycle retaining device is used for retaining a bicycle in a bicycle carrier arrangement on a transporting vehicle. Accordingly, the abutment surfaces are preferably made of a non-abrasive material and may be pressure resilient. Suitable materials for the abutment surfaces include plastics and natural and synthetic rubber materials. In
The second claw part 7 is arranged to be movable with respect to the supporting arm 2 and the first claw part 5 such that the distance, d, between the first and second bicycle abutment surfaces 6,8 is adjustable between a maximum distance dmax as illustrated in
The first claw part 5 has an inner end 10 proximal to the supporting arm 2 and an outer end 11 distal from the supporting arm 2, and the second claw part 7 has an inner end 12 proximal to the supporting arm 2 and an outer end 13 distal from said supporting arm 2.
The bicycle retaining device 1 has a catch 15 which is arranged at the outer end 11 of the first claw part 5 and protruding from the outer end 11 of the first claw part 5 in a direction towards the second claw part 7. In the illustrated example, the catch 15 is shown to extend generally parallel with the longitudinal direction L of the supporting arm 2. In the shown embodiment, the catch 15 extends in the longitudinal direction L of the bicycle retaining device 1 outward of the outer end 13 of the second claw part 7. In other words, the extension e1 of the second claw part 7 away from the supporting arm 2 in the lateral direction T of the retaining claw 3 is smaller than the distance between the supporting arm 2 and the catch 15 implying that the second claw part 7 can be fully accommodated inside the catch 15, as illustrated in
In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second abutment surfaces 6,8 are shown to have the same lateral extension. However, this is not a necessary feature of the retaining device 1 as disclosed herein. By way of example, the upper/second claw part 7 and the second abutment surface 8 may have a smaller lateral extension than the lower/first claw part 5 and the first abutment surface 6. A design with a smaller upper/second claw part 7 may facilitate loading of a bicycle into the retaining device 1 as the opening into the gap G between the first and the second claw parts 5,7 is larger for the same distance of the claw parts 5,7 in the maximum open position of the retaining claw 3 than what is shown in
In the embodiment in
As an alternative to a fixedly arranged catch 15, the catch may be pivotably attached to the outer end 11 of the first claw part 5 and may be movable to an inwardly tilted position with the free end of the catch 15′ moved into the gap G between the first and the second claw parts 5,7, as indicated by dashed lines at 15′ in
In
Accordingly, a user can safely perform additional steps, such as adjusting the bicycle in a bicycle carrier arrangement and secure wheels and other parts of the bicycle as well as tighten the claw parts 5,7 without at the same time having to hold the bicycle in place. This means that the user may freely tighten any straps, and other retaining elements as well as close the retaining claw 3 without risking that the bicycle moves out of the bicycle carrier arrangement 1 by mistake.
As shown in
With reference to
A bicycle 25 is shown loaded into the bicycle carrier arrangement 20 with the wheels 26 of the bicycle being supported by the bike rail 22. Although the bike rail 22 is shown in the figure with a straight profile, the bicycle retaining device 1 as disclosed herein may also be used with curved bike rails such as the bike rails disclosed in WO 03/106221 A1.
The bicycle carrier arrangement 20 is shown in
A bicycle retaining device 1 as disclosed herein is arranged at an upper part of the vertically arranged support frame 33 and extends rearwards in a generally horizontal direction from the vertically arranged support frame 33 and grips a bicycle frame element, which in this case is the seat post 38 of the bicycle 35. In the shown configuration, with the retaining claw 3 in the maximum open position, the catch 15 prevents the bicycle from moving forward, out of the retaining claw 3.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14168820.0 | May 2014 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2015/058591 | 4/21/2015 | WO | 00 |
