Load carrier, such as a bike carrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12409787-B2
Application number	US-202218577083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2022
Priority date	Jul 6, 2021
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a load carrier ( 1 ) for a vehicle, such as a bike earner ( 1 ), adapted to be mounted to a vehicle for transporting a load, the load carrier ( 1 ) comprising-a base frame ( 500 ) having a length extension (L), a width extension (w) and a height extension (h), the base frame ( 500 ) comprising a first and a second elongated member ( 510, 520 ) for carrying a load, wherein the first and a second elongated members ( 510, 520 ) are separate from each other and provided substantially parallel with respect to each other along the length extension (L), wherein the base frame ( 500 ) further comprises:—a first and a second bridging portion ( 530, 540 ) provided between the first and second elongated members ( 510. 520 ) and coupling the first and second elongated members ( 510, 520 ) together.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bicycle carrier configured to be mounted to a vehicle, wherein the bicycle carrier extends in a length extension, a width extension and a height extension, the bicycle carrier comprising:
a base frame:
a platform support arrangement coupled to and extending away from the base frame, the platform support arrangement configured to support at least one bicycle, the platform support arrangement comprising at least one wheel receiving member configured to receive one or more wheels of the at least one bicycle for supporting the bicycle; and
a plurality of bicycle support arm members, wherein at least one bicycle support arm member which is configured to hold and secure the at least one bicycle when being received in the at least one wheel receiving member, wherein the at least one bicycle support arm member is reconfigurable between a bicycle support state and a bicycle loading state,
wherein the plurality of bicycle support arm members which are attachable to the platform support arrangement at respective fixation points which are distributed and provided offset from each other along the length extension of the bicycle carrier,
wherein each one of at least two bicycle support arm members is arranged such that a bicycle to be held and secured by the at least one bicycle support arm member can be loaded on to the bicycle carrier in a loading direction which is substantially parallel to the length extension of the bicycle carrier when the at least one bicycle support arm member is provided in the bicycle support state, such as provided in a substantially upright position extending from the platform support arrangement in the height extension or at least provided in a position in which the bicycle support arm member is extending from the platform support arrangement in a direction which is 45 degrees or less from the upright position, and
wherein the loading direction is the same loading direction for each bicycle for each one of the at least two bicycle support arm members, such as corresponding to a forward direction with respect to the vehicle when the bike carrier is mounted thereto.

2. The bicycle carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reconfigurable bicycle support arm member is reconfigurable by at least one of repositioning, pivoting, such as pivoting about a pivot axis which is substantially parallel to the length extension of the bicycle carrier, telescoping, thereby allowing a length of the reconfigurable bicycle support arm member to be adjusted, translating, detaching and attaching to the platform support arrangement, bending, and sliding.

3. The bicycle carrier of claim 1 , wherein the platform support arrangement comprises at least one pair of wheel receiving members configured to receive wheels of at least one bicycle,
wherein at least one of the wheel receiving members of the at least one pair of wheel receiving members is pivotable about a pivot axis which is substantially parallel to the length extension of the bicycle carrier, and
wherein the at least one reconfigurable bicycle support arm member is pivotable about the same pivot axis, such as co-axially pivotable with respect to each other.

4. The bicycle carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bicycle support arm member is an innermost bicycle support arm member with respect to the vehicle when the bike carrier is mounted thereto,
wherein the innermost bicycle support arm member is biased towards or fixed in the substantially upright position, as seen in the height extension.

5. The bicycle carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bicycle support arm member has a cross-sectional perimeter profile, wherein the cross-section is defined by a plane being perpendicular to a length extension of the at least one bicycle support arm member, wherein the cross-sectional perimeter profile is substantially rectangular shaped or oval shaped, such that a side surface thereof extending in the length extension of the bicycle carrier when it holds and secures the bicycle is longer than a side surface of the cross-sectional perimeter profile which extends in the width extension of the bicycle carrier, wherein the length extension corresponds to a travelling direction of the vehicle when the bicycle carrier is mounted thereto.

6. The bicycle carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reconfigurable bicycle support arm member is reconfigurable such that it can be folded down, such as by a folding joint, to a position where it substantially extends in a plane defined by the width extension and the length extension of the bicycle carrier, the position being the bicycle loading state.

7. The bicycle carrier of claim 1 , further comprising a restriction arrangement configured to restrict a reconfiguring motion, such as a pivoting or telescoping motion, of the at least one reconfigurable bicycle support arm member.

8. The bicycle carrier of claim 7 , wherein the at least one reconfigurable bicycle support arm member is reconfigurable by pivoting about a pivot axis which is substantially parallel to the length extension of the bicycle carrier, and wherein the restriction arrangement, such as a rotational lock, is configured to prevent the at least one reconfigurable bicycle support arm member to pivot due to a force exerted thereon, when an exerted force is below a threshold value.

9. The bicycle carrier of claim 8 , wherein the bicycle carrier comprises a pair of wheel receiving members, and wherein the restriction arrangement is further configured such that the at least one reconfigurable bicycle support arm member follows a pivotable wheel receiving member when it is pivoted, such as folded down, to a bicycle support position.

10. The bicycle carrier of claim 7 , wherein the restriction arrangement comprises a spring-biasing member, a first friction member, and a second friction member which are arranged to rotate about a pivot axis of the reconfigurable bicycle support arm member,
wherein the restriction functionality is at least provided by the spring-biasing member pushing or pulling on at least one of the first and second friction members such that a frictional force is generated therebetween, thereby preventing the at least one pivotable reconfigurable bicycle support arm member from pivoting due to a force exerted thereon, when an exerted force is below a threshold value.

11. The bicycle carrier of claim 7 , wherein the restriction arrangement comprises a spring-biasing member which is configured to exert a force in a radial or an axial direction or both with respect to a pivot axis, and wherein, when the spring-biasing member exerts a radial force, the spring-biasing member is optionally a sleeve-formed member, such as a sleeve-formed member which can be compressed or expanded in the radial direction of the pivot axis.

12. The bicycle carrier of claim 11 , wherein the sleeve-formed member comprises a compression prevention portion which is configured to prevent the sleeve-formed member from being compressed more than a predetermined compression distance.

13. The bicycle carrier of claim 7 , wherein the at least one reconfigurable bicycle support arm member is reconfigurable, such as further reconfigurable, by telescoping, wherein the restriction arrangement, such as a frictional lock, is configured to prevent the at least one telescoping reconfigurable bicycle support arm member to adjust a length due to a force exerted thereon, when an exerted force is below a threshold value,
wherein the telescoping reconfigurable bicycle support arm member may optionally comprise a first and a second telescoping arm member, and wherein the frictional lock may optionally compris

Assignees

• Thule Sweden Ab

Inventors

• Nilvius Anders
• Ferman Magnus
• Lindberg Jesper
• Ulvegard Hannes
• Klasson David
• Mascarenhas Rainer
• Ringdahl Jonas
• Larsson Fredrik
• Jönsson Tobias
• Eriksson Henrik
• Rosenqvist Klara
• Nordström Simon
• Helmersson Simon
• Larsson Johan
• Gransmark Arvid
• Olaison Hannes
• Nordberg Alicia
• Gejervall Ulrik
• Jansson Simon
• Nedstedt Fredrik
• Bergström Gustav

Classifications

• B60R9/06 Primary

  at vehicle front or rear {(rear luggage compartments within vehicle extensible externally of the vehicle body B60R5/041)} · CPC title

• B60R9/10 Primary

  for cycles · CPC title