Bicycle packaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11242194-B2
Application number	US-202016803553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2020
Priority date	Feb 27, 2020
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A packaging system for a bicycle includes a rear panel and a front panel that mates with the rear panel to form an enclosure. The front panel partially detaches from the rear panel to lay flat on a ground surface that supports the packaging system such that at least a portion of an interior side of the front panel forms a work surface that covers the ground surface. The packaging system also includes a rear insert positioned within the enclosure, wherein the rear insert includes a tire receptacle configured to receive a rear tire of the bicycle. The packaging system further includes a front insert positioned within the enclosure opposite of the rear insert, wherein the front insert includes a front fork mount attached thereto, and wherein the front fork mount is configured to secure front forks of the bicycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packaging system for a bicycle, comprising:
a rear panel;
a front panel that mates with the rear panel to form an enclosure, wherein the front panel partially detaches from the rear panel to lay flat on a ground surface that supports the packaging system such that at least a portion of an interior side of the front panel forms a work surface that covers the ground surface;
a rear insert positioned within the enclosure, wherein the rear insert includes a tire receptacle configured to receive a rear tire of the bicycle;
a tire wedge that mounts within the rear support to secure the rear tire of the bicycle, wherein the tire wedge includes a slot that mates with a central divider of the rear insert; and
a front insert positioned within the enclosure opposite of the rear insert, wherein the front insert includes a front fork mount attached thereto, and wherein the front fork mount is configured to secure front forks of the bicycle.

2. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the rear panel is identical in shape and size to the front panel.

3. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the work surface includes indicia that direct a user where to stand to remove the bicycle from the enclosure.

4. The packaging system of claim 3 , wherein the indicia comprise a pair of footprints.

5. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the work surface includes text that specifies a purpose of the work surface.

6. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the rear support includes a central divider, and wherein the central divider forms a first sidewall of the tire receptacle.

7. The packaging system of claim 6 , further comprising a tire support wall on an interior of the rear support, wherein the tire support wall forms a second sidewall of the tire receptacle.

8. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein an interior of the rear support includes a plurality of stops, and wherein one or more of the plurality of stops is used to support a tool kit.

9. The packaging system of claim 1 , where a portion of the tire wedge that does not include the slot is positioned in a partial gap between the central divider and an interior of a front wall of the rear insert.

10. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the rear support is configured to accommodate a plurality of sizes of tire wedges, and wherein the plurality of sizes of tire wedges are designed to secure a corresponding plurality of sizes of rear tires.

11. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein a bottom edge of the tire wedge is configured to rest upon and interact with treads of the rear tire to hold the rear tire in place.

12. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein a bottom wall of the front support includes openings, and further comprising a strap that runs through the openings to secure the front fork mount to the bottom wall.

13. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the front fork mount includes a pair of grooves that are designed to receive the front forks of the bicycle.

14. The packaging system of claim 13 , wherein each groove in the pair of grooves includes a plurality of receptacles.

15. The packaging system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of receptacles are of varying sizes to accommodate varying sizes of the front forks.

16. The packaging system of claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of openings that correspond to the plurality of receptacles.

17. The packaging system of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of openings is designed to receive a fastener plug that secures the front forks of the bicycle to the front fork mount.

18. The packaging system of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of openings has a different size and is configured to accommodate a different fastener plug.

Assignees

• Trek Bicycle Corp

Inventors

• Rogers Kevin

Classifications

• B65D85/68 Primary

  for machines, engines or vehicles in assembled or dismantled form · CPC title

• B65D2203/12

  Audible, olfactory or visual signalling means (B65D51/248, B65D55/028, B65D79/02 and B65D81/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2585/6862

  bicycles · CPC title

• B65D51/248

  the closure being provided with transient audible or visual signaling means, e.g. for indicating dispensing, or other illuminating or acoustic devices, e.g. whistles (B65D55/026, B65D55/028 take precedence; for indicating incorrect storage B65D79/02) · CPC title

• B65D81/133

  of a shape specially adapted to accommodate contents, e.g. trays {(B65D81/053 takes precedence; thermally insulated trays B65D81/3816, B65D81/3827)} · CPC title